Planning to buy - 2005 BMW 318I E46 2.0 - Help needed

[BAhmed]

Hello all,

I am planning to buy 2005 BMW 318I E46 2.0.

Any advice on the following :

1. How is the performance of the car.
2. Maintenance Cost on average per month.
3. Any place in Selangor/Kuala Lumpur to buy good and cheap spare parts.
4. Should i buy this car ? Is it worthy enough ?

 

[BMW318CI]

Hello Bahmed,

I owned a 318ci, 1.9L, can't advise much on engine but i can assure you that Bimmer engines are made to perform and last a long time. Maintenance is very subjective depends on the car's condition and how you you use the car. Average $ i spent for my 318ci is around RM600 per month (RON97), for 50 litre i travelled upto 515km, mixture of spirited and light foot driving. As for spare parts, Bavarian Autoparts is not bad. Worthy it ? Depends, i bought the 318ci this year, its from 2001, its for me to mod and bigger projects. For family, probably get a newer one like E90, you might appreciate the extra boot and rear space.

Thanks,

Chia

 

[awyongcarl]

Hi, I'm planning to buy a E46 coupe facelift as a secondary car too, it's the BMW that made me love BMW lol.
But I'm concerned with the Auto gearbox, seems it's pretty prone to failure. And also the maintenance cost. If it is going to breakdown very often then maybe next time when I get better income haha. Would not hesitate to purchase if there is a manual E46 though.

 

[Prinze]

My 3 years of owning my 318ci was indeed a great experience. Low maintenance and a great car only downside was the power was lagging. If you are not too fussy with power, great buy. Find 1 from an enthusiast would be good.

 

[awyongcarl]

My 3 years of owning my 318ci was indeed a great experience. Low maintenance and a great car only downside was the power was lagging. If you are not too fussy with power, great buy. Find 1 from an enthusiast would be good.

Haha that's good news. The E46 is very affordable right now, I'm only concern with the maintenance. I'm looking for a original E46 M Sport. Hope to find one with completely original parts including the rims.