Hi, all, I am a student in college, and have found a pretty good deal on a BMW 3 series, e46 generation. However, I have only driven new cars before, and I have 0 experience in fixing anything car related. I would like to know what maintaining costs would go into owning an old BMW, as well as its durability, the chances of it actually breaking down, if it is durable enough to be driven in the winter. All in all I am just concerned about how durable it is, not really trying to have it die on me on the freeway :/. Thank you all!
view the rest of the comments →
[–] escapetomars ago (edited ago)
As BMW's go, e46's are going to be pretty solid. They generally don't have any major problems but there are a few things to watch for. 330i's (it might be ZHP only) have a problem with their timing chain that can be extremely expensive to fix. All e46's have a plastic radiator that will absolutely fail every 60,000 miles or so. Make sure it's been replaced recently on any car you buy. Also, keep in mind if you do have any unusual issues, repair will be about 2x as much as something like a honda. Be smart, and save some money for repairs (and find a good indie mechanic).
Otherwise, e46's are safe, reliable (for a luxury brand) and despite what other people say about "impressing chicks" and garbage, a smart and affordable used car purchase. Usually people who make comments like that don't know anything about BMW's. If you are on the west coast, by the way, keep in mind that the BMW 3 series is the most sold mid-sized sedan in California. So it's not some "special snowflake for rich kids"; yet it will feel, drive, and look better the econobox crap you could buy new for the same price.
Source: Regular bimmerfest participant, and BMW enthusiast. Proud owner of 9 BMW's (not all at once, of course). Currently have an E90 328xi.