F6Typhoon 1 Report post Posted May 10, 2011 Hey all, I'm going to be buying my first BMW and I am set on the E46 ('02-'04) Facelift M-Sport Sedan. Any tips on what to look out for? - I've tried doing a thread search but no luck. It will be tiptronic and most likely the 318i, which I understand is actually a 2 litre engine. I am after one optioned with the Zenon headlights and and the basic suede interior (I prefer this to the leather anyway). Steering wheel controls aren't critical as I understand they're easy to retrofit. I would like the electric seats but could live without them. A delear has told me that an 'M-Sport' and an 'Motorsport' are two completely different cars, with the Motorsport being the better of the two and some dealers try to pass off M-Sports as Motorsports - is there any truth to this? What are the common faults to look out for on this model? Appreciate any advice you might have 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
matt45 1 Report post Posted May 10, 2011 yup 318i is a 2L engine but it is 4 cylinder rather than 6 like all the others. If you are looking at the 318 for ecomonical reasons, i would surgest not rulling out a 320i, the E46 is not a overly light car you may find the 318 actually has to work hard so ends up using more fuel than a bigger engine. Xenon lights are nice, just be sure they are factory Xenons and not some aftermarket crap. You would probably find it hard to get a e46 02-04 without electric seats. Other nice options to look out for are the TV/Nav (note Japanese import Nav is around $1500 to get working in NZ), rain sensing wipers and automatic headlights. M-Sport Motorsport are just different ways of writing it (means the same thing). There are 4 general levels of the sport/non sport spec (although there are lots of options inside each category) Standard or Individual Standard/Individual with some Msport bits optioned eg. steering wheel Full Motorsport Pack This will have all the Motorsport bits inc Steering Wheel, Rims, back/front bumpers, side-skirts, clear indicators, sports seats, black roof-lining etc M3 (this is the most expensive performance 3 series the E46 ones are 40k+) The Most important thing to do is once you have found a car you would like to buy take it to a BMW specializing Workshop, Eg. BMWorkshop (grey lyn and botany) Botany Motorworx (botany) i am listing Auckland locations as you have not specified your location. And if you are buying from a dealer a warranty is a good idea as long as its from one of the main companys eg. autosure. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
F6Typhoon 1 Report post Posted May 10, 2011 yup 318i is a 2L engine but it is 4 cylinder rather than 6 like all the others. If you are looking at the 318 for ecomonical reasons, i would surgest not rulling out a 320i, the E46 is not a overly light car you may find the 318 actually has to work hard so ends up using more fuel than a bigger engine. Xenon lights are nice, just be sure they are factory Xenons and not some aftermarket crap. You would probably find it hard to get a e46 02-04 without electric seats. Other nice options to look out for are the TV/Nav (note Japanese import Nav is around $1500 to get working in NZ), rain sensing wipers and automatic headlights. M-Sport Motorsport are just different ways of writing it (means the same thing). There are 4 general levels of the sport/non sport spec (although there are lots of options inside each category) Standard or Individual Standard/Individual with some Msport bits optioned eg. steering wheel Full Motorsport Pack This will have all the Motorsport bits inc Steering Wheel, Rims, back/front bumpers, side-skirts, clear indicators, sports seats, black roof-lining etc M3 (this is the most expensive performance 3 series the E46 ones are 40k+) The Most important thing to do is once you have found a car you would like to buy take it to a BMW specializing Workshop, Eg. BMWorkshop (grey lyn and botany) Botany Motorworx (botany) i am listing Auckland locations as you have not specified your location. And if you are buying from a dealer a warranty is a good idea as long as its from one of the main companys eg. autosure. Thanks for the reply Matt. Deffintely not after the 318 for fuel economy, I am just as much open to the 320i. I would take the straight 6 over the 4 cylinder - and happiy pay more for fuel!I'm after the full Motorsport pack, I think the dealer was telling me to look out for E46's with M options being passed off as Motorsports. I live in Grey Lynn so I will probably head to the BMWorkshop up the road. Was the rear subframe cracking issue dealt with by the time the facelift rolled around? - I guess the BMWorkshop will know all about that. Thanks again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Smac01 12 Report post Posted May 10, 2011 Hey mate - I just got an E39 Motorsport off a guy who imports cars through IBC (the Japanese car auction site). If you want his details, flick me a PM. He could probably import you a car to your specs. Mine is in great condition, and I picked it up for a sharp price. Definitely trust BMWorkshop Grey Lynn for an inspection - they know what they are doing. (I also live in Grey Lynn). Good luck on the hunt! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
matt45 1 Report post Posted May 10, 2011 Thanks for the reply Matt. Deffintely not after the 318 for fuel economy, I am just as much open to the 320i. I would take the straight 6 over the 4 cylinder - and happiy pay more for fuel! I'm after the full Motorsport pack, I think the dealer was telling me to look out for E46's with M options being passed off as Motorsports. I live in Grey Lynn so I will probably head to the BMWorkshop up the road. Was the rear subframe cracking issue dealt with by the time the facelift rolled around? - I guess the BMWorkshop will know all about that. Thanks again. defiantly test drive a few different engine types before you decide. The Sub frame thing I'm 99% sure didn't effect anything post 2000. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites