Owning a E46

[fahmi313]

Hi Alli am totally new to bmw but i really love the looks and the quality of these rides. now, i have a dilemma whether to get a bmw e46 325i (year 2002 - 2004) or New civic 2.0VTEC or New Mitsubishi Lancer GT.There are lots of comments and talks that bmw are for high income earners only coz the cost of maintenance and repairing are very high not to mention the cost of petrol driving them around town. I am just working for 4 Years in sales in telecommunication engineering environment.now i've set my eyes on these e46 325i 2003 Japan Spec Unreg I see in the classifieds section that are selling between RM135K to RM145K. anyone please comment on:1. maintenance (how frequent)2. repairing3. parts availability4. durability of parts5. average cost per month6. etc.7. Which that cost which on would be a choice BMW e46/CIVIC2.0 VTEC/MITSUBISHI LANCER GTYour comments is very much appericiate.thanksFahmi

 

[Dragon 46]

Bro

Presuming that the E46 you are looking at is well maintained and in a reasonable good condition...even without aftermarket mods, it will be a very nice ride... :top guess a lot of forummers can attest to that )

If you're a bit of a speed demon, careful modding will further enhance driving pleasures.:love:
There's a saying ...
" Once u have driven the UDM..its very difficult to go back to the japs " ( No offence meant )

In short, if u can afford to own one, why not ?


:wink:
Cheers.

 

[fahmi313]

Thanks bro for your advice.
Currently I`m in dilemma with that cost i don`t know which one should i choose.. 2nd Hand UDM / Brand new Japannese.
Hehehe my wife is babling asking me to go for brand new jappanese but my heart falling in love with UDM.
Anyone can advice me?

 

[initialM]

Dun waste time wt Japs if u like UDM. Only one thing spare at least 10k at all time for maintenance just in case. BTW yr name same wt me ler:listen:

 

[Mouse]

E46 325i go go gooooo.......u cant compared japs with german

 

[fahmi313]

Hehe Initial M, ur name same with me aa...
U from JB which area..last time i`m staying jb too...

 

[initialM]

Hehe Initial M, ur name same with me aa...
U from JB which area..last time i`m staying jb too...

Hometown JB town. Stay Pulai Perdana

 

[Hellraiser]

bro, we receive similar enquiries every day. there are a thousand and one factors why you should get a UDM and then is the buying process where you may buy a good well maintained second hand UDM or you may have a UDM that looks good cosmetically but sucks big time in terms for maintenance history so you will have to spend..spend..spend to keep it in good running condition again but guess it happens also to Jap cars right, lets be honest

To keep it in good condition, you will need a reliable mechanic who does not take you to the cleaners and use half cut parts and sell to you as new. another issue to consider but I guess this also happens to Jap cars.

and...there is the maintenence part to consider to continue the performance of the UDM in ultimate driving condition.Jap cars also same same...

Think about what I've shared about. If you're willing to go thru all that then you're almost decided to get a UDM. You can't compare a Jap car and a UDM. I'm surprised you didn't include a Proton Perdana or Proton Saga.

Also, how about telling us what your budget is for maintenance/monthly and we will advise you if its realistic. Otherwise, what is high maintenance to us may not afterall be to you or vice versa.

Lastly, the questions you posted have already been discussed in great length in the E46 thread. Check it out and decide. Life is short...I'm driving my dream car, what about you?

 

[vobs]

Ive asked that question myself when i wanted a BMW 325i and i got it eventually.

1) its true to what previous forummer said - that buying a secondhand bmw, one must be careful on the service history, availability of spare keys, and if possible, send it for check before purchasing.

2) It is also true that one must have at least a few K stash in the bank for BMW rainy days, not because UDM is not reliable, it is because ure buying a SECONDHAND and do not know how previous owner treats it....What can you expect when buying a used car?

So in any secondhand car ownership case, compromise and be patient, u have to spend a little to tackle and groom the car to its full potential, and after that, the car will treat u well for years minus the eventual wear and tear la (how much to spend to tackle and groom depending how well you choose and check the car during purchase)....

Or if you cannot go through those steps and still want to enjoy full potential of a UDM, go get a new BMW, u wont be disappointed. Most of the time, i buy secondhand, to me jap secondhand or udm secondhand, the hassle you go through to groom the car is the same for me, mind you jap parts are mostly more standardised in price and more expensive, even more if you send to SC so its the same.

And also, if your best friend is a 100% jap car freak, ure in for a long long "u sure ar" nagging ride

 

[Hellraiser]

Just to add, maintenance of a UDM is not expensive (in my opinion). My first beemer was an E36 and after being able to maintain it satisfactorily for 3 years i upgraded to an E46.

Lets look at the basics now shall we...

Engine oil change. The E46 recommends oil change after 25,000km as compared to Jap cars where their limits is 5,000 (correct me if i'm wrong as technology may have changed). However, personally speaking I change my minyak engine every 10,000km. Why? sayang kete lor...

Spare parts. BMW and Merc have the luxury of easily accesible spare parts. This is due to market demand and volume of these conti cars so you are spoilt for choice be it parts from the kedai potong or OEM parts which are reliable but maybe abit kurang as compared to the BMW original where you will need to pay higher. Do checkout the E46 maintenance thread for full rundown of list of costing for your ref posted by our forumers based on experience

By comparison,parts and maintenence for Audi and Volvo are high as they are also controlled by the local franchise and no other shops sell them. Like it or not you have to get your original parts from Volvo or Audi.

water pump is approx MYR 170 (OEM part) and most parts are approx ranging from RM 150 to RM250 which is reasonable in my opinion.

Suggest you join us for our teh tarik session and see what the whole hoo-hah is all about. You may be surprised by the outcome and will not look at another Jap car again...hehe!

 

[Famy]

Hey Fahmi313,

U should consider your wife advice. Get the a jap. car first. I am not against u buying a UDM, but base on my own experience, the following are the reasons why u should not but a BMW as yet. Notice the word "as yet".....

1. save your money for a house . If u already have one, save the money furnishing it completely.
2. save some money on your baby... u need a lot of it....buy educational and health insurance.
3. buy a used 3 or 4 years old jap. car. (toyota is the best imho- the least maintainance). Why..because new car depreciated in value, where as 2nd hand u can sell back, minimun loss and use it later to buy your dream UDM. (Later OK)
4. Try not to burden yourself with to high loans. and too long period of financing. coz u would do that if u plan in buying a UDM. Trust me bro, after 2-3 years u gonna get fed-up with the burden.
5. Save some for gift money to your parents and your inlaws.

on the other hand you can ignore all of the above if u come from a well to do family, ...and u already got lots of them given to you by your parents . I dont have that previlage, but it's OK, i survived....

Everyone can easily owned a UDM but not everyone can maintain a UDM.

Hey, by the way, we got same name also.. with different spelling aje...

just my 2 cent opinion.....good luck

 

[fahmi313]

Hellraiser...
Thanks a lot bro for your advice..
normally where do you have teh tarik?
Frankly speaking currently i`m still survey and jalan2 to used car looking for e46 325i..
Anyway next time maybe i can ask you to join me together to see the e46...(i know you are experience n for sure when u look at car u know that car ok or kapuk)...

 

[Hellraiser]

Hellraiser...
Thanks a lot bro for your advice..
normally where do you have teh tarik?
Frankly speaking currently i`m still survey and jalan2 to used car looking for e46 325i..
Anyway next time maybe i can ask you to join me together to see the e46...(i know you are experience n for sure when u look at car u know that car ok or kapuk)...

Bro, i am no more experienced than the guy next door thinking how lucky i am to finally get my dream car. everyday i learn something new and new ways to appreciate my UDM more.

the best way to know if you're getting a good deal or not is to get a mechanic to have a look at your potential buy. its simple, just tell the seller to send his car to so-and-so workshop to have a through checkup similar to a health checkup lah. if the mechanic gives his "ok" then negotiate price based on the repairs needed as suggested by the mech , if any. it also depends on how good your negotiation skills are or how good you are at a game of poker.

always ..always lookout for service record history. usually you will only have this from an individual seller and not from second hand car traders.

PM me if you have any more questions. the best is to join our tt sessions where you will get quicker answers to your many questions plus get to know those who really know about the UDM !

details of tt session is posted in the forum. cheers!

 

[phugoid]

haha... same dilemma goes to me..
but i choose a bimmer (4 yr old second hand)
my advice is if u got money, buy a new one... kah kah kah....
i don't like/don't hv time to go to workshop for repairing (except for normal servicing)
but i still love my bimmer.. my next car also should be a bimmer...but a new one ;p