OT - Opinions wanted on older BMW 3 series
 

I'm considering buying a friend's 2005 BMW 325i convertible. It has 45,000 miles and it has been well cared for since new. I've read all the car blogs and there seems to be universal praise for the car's fun factor. But reliability reviews seems to be a mixed bag - everything from rock solid to "of course it's a BMW so expect to be in the shop a lot."

Anyone own a 3 series of this era? What's your experience? I believe this is considered the E46 model.

Thanks!


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This may not help a lot, but I had the prior version of the 3 series convertible. I ran it to roughly 250K miles, and then handed it over to my Dad who drove it for another decade--probably up to 350K miles. It was a manual transmission car, so I can't speak to any automatic transmission issues, but I can say that the BMW 6 cylinder engine was amazing. Lasted forever and was fun to drive. The miscellaneous electrical and other stuff had some issues. Loved the car.

My daily is an 04 330i convertible. I've owned it for almost three years (bought at 65k miles, now at 89k), with only routine maintenance. That said, I'm due for an expensive cooling system refresh and some other work in the next year. Maintenance history is key when buying a used BMW. Properly cared for, you can expect 250k+ miles of fun.

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By far the best online resource is http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/forum.php You'll be welcome even if your car isn't a ZHP.

E46
 

I had a 2002 323iT (wagon) that I put 160k on before passing it on to my father-in-law who has it up to nearly 300k. Two necessary things are attention to maintenance and an honest independent BMW mechanic.

At that age you're looking at a cooling system refresh (t-stat, water pump, radiator, hoses), probably some lower control arm bushings (replace the whole arm), rear shock mounts are problematic, things like the oil filter housing gasket, valve cover gaskets & oil pan like to leak, and there's a bunch of rubber hoses in the intake/pcv system that like to split and cause problems.

None of this stuff is expensive on its own, but, it can feel like it nickles & dimes you over time if you're paying for a shop to look after it. If you're handy with doing your own maintenance, you can order parts online, set aside a long weekend and knock everything out preventatively and it'll treat you right. The motors are tanks though, they will run forever.

Great cars. I spent 14 years with an E46 (2002 325i with manual transmission). As noted above, my experience was not about poor reliability, but preventative upkeep. A lot of it is mileage based, but a lot of issues are driven by time .... brittle plastic in the cooling system and aged suspension components for example. Maintenance records and a pre-purchase inspection by an experienced BMW mechanic are a must.

The enthusiast community is still strong with the platform and about every issue is documented on the web. To see what you are getting into and set expectations, the following wiki is pretty detailed : http://www.bimmerfest.com/wiki/index.php?title=BMW_E46




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They aren't called 'Bring More Wallet' for nothing. The starter on my 04 X3 went out and *wholesale* on the starter was $200

WHOLESALE!

I'm buddies with an independent mechanic (not BMW only alas) so got a deal, but it was stil a spendy starter replacement.

Having said that, it was less than repairing Dad's S320.

There's nothing quite like the drive of a BMW. It's an amazing feeling.

M

edited to add: since there're a few BMW guys here, what does a going/gone guibo (sp?) joint feel like?

I forgot about the guibo. Add that to your list, too. None of this stuff is difficult, just time consuming, DIY instructions are available for everything. Parts are reasonable cost on the internet.

If the car has been well looked after, it'll be a few things each year that needs attention.

Currently driving a 2006 330i, last year of the series I believe, with 86,000mi.

It was our fourth and first that we had beyond the factory warranty.

Service has run around $1000 annually since, brakes and tires the majority expense.

Believe that the 325 is the better engine and getting the car at market price you should have some years of pleasurable driving.

Isn't the 2005 3-series part of the design that has the issue with the rear of the chassis cracking at the suspension sub-frame mounting point?

That was a real serious issue.. you'd want to make sure the one you were looking at had that addressed in some way.

While all e46s have the potential for torn rear subframe, the early cars (1999) are the greatest risk due to running changes to the manufacture process. It's a know issue that should be looked out for during a PPI.


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This sounds pretty serious. Was this a recall issue or are owners on their own?


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I'm still driving my 2003 Z4 and it's going strong. My only advice is shop around for a good mechanic and avoid BMW service centers. That's where the costs go up dramatically. Must be all of the personal service reps in the white shirts.

I bought my BMW new, however, I have had very good luck with used German cars. I have bought three low mileage 90's Mercedes for my sons from my very honest and helpful Mercedes mechanic for $3,500 - 6,000. Absolute tanks!

That's low mileage on a 12 year old car. If the price was right I'd be all over it, is all I'm sayin'. :)

Check it over well for rust. Rockers, trunk under the spare, and under the rear seat.