wstbrn

Untrue, to a point.

I'd rather buy a NZ New BMW with 200,000km with a full service history than a Jap 120,000km BMW with nothing.

i get your point but buying a car at 200000km would be asking for it wouldnt it? i have always been told to look around 120000km at the most, are the e46 that reliable at that amount of kms even with a good service hostory?

the gf is putting the pressure on to lower my budget but that would put me down to the 318ci dont think i can do that not after what everyone has said

edit: same look but no power

Looks a hell of a lot like an import that but it isn't, strange looking E46 & the colour...

yea i was looking at that one not sure on the colour but it is differnet to the normal black or grey, wish i was good at photoshop to see what it would look like with some nicer rims

what dtd it sell for ?

Also what kind of kms shud i be looking at obviously the lower the better, but at what km range do they start running into problems and becoming expensive to run. ill probly be looking in the 80000km to 120000km, around $9000 to $12000 is about my price range. mite find it hard getting a hold of a decent 330ci for that.

thanks for the info so far

I vote 330ci. I regret buying a smaller sized engine. Fuel consumption should be similar and in the future easier to sell. Tiptronic vs manual is completely your preference.

Post up some pics of the actual cars you want to buy.

-Andy

330ci absolutely no question. In fact, you should buy mine....

Biggest thing to look out for is a full service history & a well looked after car. Personally, I'd hold out for an NZ new one, with leather, sport seats & the multifunction steering wheel. There wasn't much of a problem with rear subframe problems in NZ - from memory it mainly affected the earlier ones (like the 328) and is more of a problem on lowered/modified cars. Tom (M3_Power) might have more info on this.

A full inspection by a BMW expert is well worth the $$ when you are close to buying one.

Edit: The steptronic auto is very good as far as auto's go - they have been known to go pop if abused, but are generally reliable and are a pretty good drive. Manuals are a bit rare but they are out there - personally Ive never driven one and have only ever seen a couple on Trademe. If you got an auto and the worst did happen, there are plenty of donor cars around now for replacement, and manual conversions are possible (HellBM can do them)... Just depends on your preference and what cars are available etc. I'm guessing a manual will command a premium price due to their rarity if you find one.

The cooling systems are a weak spot on these - so service history & inspection is important to avoid surprises.

haha i have been looking at yours on trade me sadly i wont be ready to buy for another month or so yet

Hey everyone just signed up today looking at getting a BMW so thought I would join up and find out some extra info and some advice.

I’m looking at getting an e46 330ci or 328ci around a 2002 model, I have heard the e46 have some sub frame problems is that a big thing here in nz or more of an overseas problem?

Is it worth buying a Manuel or is the tiptronic alright in terms or reliability and driveability

Any other info or problems to look to out for when buying would be appreciated