Debating buying an E46 coupe
 

Hey guys in the E46 group,

I'm going to buy a car in mid-August, and I started looking recently to see what I may want. I narrowed it down to a 2001-2003 E46 325ci coupe used from a dealer, or a brand new Mini Cooper. I like that the mini would be affordable, and new! but I like the way the E46 coupe looks a lot. Any opinions??

Also, I would like to know how reliable the E46 is, and if you guys have any complaints with the gas mileage.... i really want a reliable car, and I currently drive a 94 E36 sedan, which is a bit difficult to keep up with. thanks in advance!!

if you get a coupe get a 2002. I think they have better reliability ratings.

I have a 330 and my gas mileage is 21-30 depending on the driving i do. 30 is at highway speeds.

Outside of the regular maintenance i have replaced control arm bushings, control arms, brake pads, tie rods, a window regulator(didnt have to replace it yet, but had the door apart), passenger side door lock actuator and a battery.(three years of ownership in the family)

My car has 135,000 miles. Engine runs strong. a little oil burning(supposed to be normal)

Car is wonderful. Handles good. Only driven a mini around town, so i cant vouch for the handling but im sure its just as good. Rear seat room in a Mini is cramped though. Not that the E46 is much better, but it is more spacious.

wow, that doesnt sound bad at all for the E46 in your case. Hopefully if I get mine when i decide it will be as good. I will definitely take your advice into consideration. thanks a bunch.

the one thing I I will say due to not having my e46 that long is that fact your going to save alot getting a used e46 over the mini due to some one else taking most of the loss already I just picked up a 2001 325i sedan and I'm getting just better than 30mpg
but if this is going to be your year round car and you get alot of snow think about having a rwd car vs a fwd

yes, this will be my year round car to commute to college everyday,about a 20 min drive, and in connecticut we get some bad snow storms. i always thought front wheel drive was better in the snow.... my e36 is terrible in the snow even with asc, and my parents corolla with FWD isnt as bad. i'm so bad at decision making, but based on both you guys' advice, the E46 is the better bet. I will let you know what my final descision is this summer, when the time comes. Maybe I'll be joining this E46 group! haha

Ive driven the 330 in the snow. Was not horrific. But i also only had like 4 inches.

Slipped a few times but i was driving on conti sport summer tires...so i guess that didnt help.

uh...the Mini won't be that much better in the winter...
generally I'd go for the e46, mostly because both cars are about the same price, but with the Mini you'll have (like notallthere said) a big loss when selling it again. Of course the Mini will be a bit cheaper in maintenance and stuff like that (also it's under warranty). But since you haven't really told us which engine the Mini is supposed to have (Mini One, Mini Cooper, Mini Cooper S, Mini Cooper Works) the comparison is kinda hard...

they only sell mini CopperS in the US now

E46 all the way.

Gas mileage is a tad better than the E36. I used to get ~ 20 oin my 328is with the 330 I get 22-23 (I drive kinda hard).

Since you'd be coming from an E36, you'll love the upgrade to an E46, the car is sooo much more.... well... it's just more everything, more room, more power, more reliability, less headaches. And it handles a lot better too.

The mini is a cooper, not a cooper s, since its more costly. I would get DSC and the weather tires they offer on the car new. it has a 1.6 litre 4-cylinder with 120hp. yea the e46 is a hell of a lot powerful, but its also worse on gas. i guess they both have their pros and cons.... this is gonna be hard. i also want a car that looks nice and new, and the mini would be that, i dont know about the e46 i mean, i LOVE them all around, but will other people feel the same? I want a car that I, as well as the passenger, likes.

my passengers love my E46. They think its brand new.

I would get a e46 and when next winter rolls around get a disposible car one that if you hit a tree with it you can just walk away and say screw it and you can find those if you look hard enough I've had one just about every winter get it for like 500-1000 run it for a few month and once things start braking take it to the scrap yard and get a few hundred out of it

drive both back to back... :dunno

I went on a test drive in april ina Cooper S, cause i felt like a change. what i liked about it was it handled well, the ride wasnt as bad as eveyone makes out, and it was really nippy, good pull from low down.....BUT it was definently a 1 step down in terms of speed than my 330. (i'd regard an S2000 as 1 step up)

What i didnt like:
Dashboard was squeaky as f**k, maybe a bad example but it would drive me nuts, not much room to lug friends, family, luggage and golf clubs!! And lastly my sis said, "isnt it a bit of a girls car?" thing is I dont regard it as such, but when she said that i thought no chance, so i decided to stick with my 330 for another 2 yrs.

I know you are considering the Cooper, but i think you'll jus end up wishing it was faster (ie the S), you'll be ringing the living daylights out of it cause it is nippy and so chuckable, so their gos your fuel economy. I beleive everyone wishes their car gave more mpg, but for what it is (fast, & comfortable) the mpg is reasonable (22-32mpg for a 325i). And if you want it too sound sporty as well, jus have a listen to the link in my sig!

I think a FWD would be easier to drive in snowy conditions, but only if you are driving aggresively. Just relax and drive more calmy when the whether is bad.

Numark i agree with you, i pulled up in to a petrol station and the attendant glances out at my car while i'm paying and says "nice BMW, is it 1 of the new ones?"..........ah alright it was washed, waxed and polished that day, but still!:D

I work on alot of these cars everyday, (E46) , They all seem to have the common problems that are described above, suspension is of course very important in BMWs, as we all know, one bushing can make a world of difference in handling!.
The mechanical part of the drivetrain holds up well, it is things like water pumps, t-stats, cam sensors, MAF, O2s, catalytic converters, abs sensors, abs controllers, the PCV vaccuum valve, failure of the vanos piston seals, expansion tanks and level sensors. I recommend having the all the fluids done every 60K with the exception of oil of course. Brake fluid flush every two years.
The Body throws another realm of parts into the mix, besides numerous modules that fail there are the window regulators, suspension components, brake rotors, rear springs, etc.
I work on alot of minis too, and have been replacing alot of low mileage 5 speed transmissions to the tune of $4K, also rear brake calipers, rear rotors nearly impossible to get off here in maine!, crank sensor o-ring, oil cooler gasket, just had an instrument cluster fail, LF ABS sensor common, drivers door latches, etc.
Overall I think BMW is a good product and in the long run if you want something to last a long time, you have to maintain it, and take care of it, in the long run you will have a fun car to drive.
Mini on the other hand can be fun, I do'nt think of them as a good maine year round car, due to thier narrow tire foot print they can sometimes handle squirrelly on rutted roads,
I dinanized a 2005 miniS conv, and it flew!.