Daily Driver opinions

[WYZEUP 283]

Well the time has finally come where i need to buy myself a daily driver again........dammit.

Now i know the more i spend the better im going to get but budget is limited with everything else i need to do.....i'm looking at spending 3-4k.

Have been looking around and have come across quite a few e46 318/320/325/330 ranging from 165-230km's ....now the decision is which way do i go?

people who have had experience with high km e46's, i would love to hear your experiences. 

Im between a rock and a hard place as fuel consumption is a consideration as i already have a gas guzzler and will be mainly for commuting around auckland, but have heard some people say they get good economy from the larger engines

 

Cheers Guys for your input

[C-130 Hercules 570]

On 6/5/2018 at 4:40 PM, dbach said:

Hey everyone,

Looking to sell my E36. I have owned her for a year and a half. Originally listed as was planning on leaving the country but now my plans have changed I am staying but need to free up some money for study.

NZ new manual.

220,000kms will go up as is my only car.

Calypsorot.

Half leather interior*

M Sport steering wheel and gear knob.

Brand new Michelin PS4s all round (Bishops Garage Feb 2018) + alignment.

Full service and new WOF done on the 1st August from Bishops Garage. No issues at all.

Wof and Rego.

The rear passenger door has been replaced and repainted due to a run in with a bush causing a big dent.

Will upload better and current photos, and of interior when I am back in Auckland.

$4,000 for Bimmersport members

Located in Freemans Bay, can text me on 021 2951131

 

How about this? Practical, economic and fun. Not sure if still available. No affiliation. 

[qube 3570]

If you are already familiar with BMW's in general (which I believe you are) then just look for the tidiest example of any model you can find whether it is a 318i or a 330i/ci (probably a bit hard to find a nice one for 4k).

My pick would be a facelift sedan 320i which has the M54B22 2.2L 6 cylinder engine if you could find one which has a good balance of power, reliability and good fuel economy.

Alternatively, go for something like the 318ti that I picked up for sub 1500 and spend a few hundred on it to tidy up and you got yourself a solid daily that is cheap to run and to fix

[qube 3570]

www.trademe.co.nz/1849054523

www.trademe.co.nz/1847545614

www.trademe.co.nz/1842977706

www.trademe.co.nz/1851330415

a few good ones I could see

 

[jim jones 21]

[WYZEUP 283]

They're all on my list bar the last one haha

[qube 3570]

yea thats not the best one but "needs to sell" so might be worth a look for the right price but yea. heaps to choose from.

 

[Gaz 1058]

Avoid the e46 318i, timing chain and valve stem seal issues. Should be able to get a manual e36 328 for that sort of price albeit a converted one

Edited November 27, 2018 by Gaz

[zero 1162]

35 minutes ago, Gaz said:

Avoid the e46 318i, timing chain and valve stem seal issues. Should be able to get a manual e36 328 for that sort of price albeit a converted one

The earlier 318i with the m43 motor is fine.

Its the n42 and n46 motor that needs to be avoided, which replaced the m43 in 2002.

[Eagle 1661]

Yep the M43 would have to be one of most reliable motors BMW ever made, but its also one the slowest engines they ever made. Too bad the accountants forbad the use of the M44

[gjm 3258]

1 hour ago, Gaz said:

Avoid the e46 318i, timing chain and valve stem seal issues. Should be able to get a manual e36 328 for that sort of price albeit a converted one

 

30 minutes ago, zero said:

The earlier 318i with the m43 motor is fine.

Its the n42 and n46 motor that needs to be avoided, which replaced the m43 in 2002.

I'll happily vouch for the M43. Great engine, especially if comfortable cruising and economy are what you're after.

I put most of 100,000km on an E36 318i manual in 18 months. Troublefree motoring - just look after it - change the oil, and ensure the cooling pipes are sorted every 100000km or so. The only expenses (other than servicing) we had were tyres (still kind-of servicing), and a drivers door window regulator.

Currently driving Miss M's E46 318i (M43, again) automatic. Again, great economical motoring. This one had sat for some time before we got it so I'm still investigating things that might go wrong, but so far the only problem has been the expansion tank cap.

Economy - we're getting an easy 800km from a tank in the E46; I was getting 800km before the low fuel light would show in the E36. I defy anyone to do that in any 6-pot petrol BMW!

Once we get sorted, I hope my daily will be something like a 2001 E46 318i manual coupe. Quick enough to have some fun, handles well, simple, and very economical.

[Palazzo 474]

My dad borrowed my 328i coupe for a day (manual) and did well  over 700kms on a tank without any effort, they are pretty economical in the country and not bad in town.

[allan 295]

T allanson 

1 hour ago, gjm said:

 

Economy - we're getting an easy 800km from a tank in the E46; I was getting 800km before the low fuel light would show in the E36. I defy anyone to do that in any 6-pot petrol BMW!

 

Interesting how about 7.7 per 100k. The trip read 698k and still showed 46 left when I put gas in it tonight. E46/5 speed manual compact with m54b25 a 6 pot. Does a 90k round trip a day of that a third is town running.

[Contrails 316]

Daily driver? Suzuki Swift should be at the top of your list.   Very cheap to run and reliable.   

I had a pink one (2005 suzuki swift), I could do a hand brake turn in front of the cops and they would be looking confused as to where's the Honda that pull the handbrake! Got plenty of attention from all the gay guys.  I happily befriended them, only to discreetly sly into their cute female friends. 

Edited November 27, 2018 by Contrails

[M3AN 4016]

11 hours ago, Contrails said:

Daily driver? Suzuki Swift should be at the top of your list.   Very cheap to run and reliable.   

You know, there's some truth in that... used my mum's Swift for a few weeks a few years back and was suitably impressed with its around-town ability. Long trips? Not so much. But as a daily point-to-point sure.

Having said that I was stunned at the high resale values they command, I suspect people realise they cost nothing to run and don't need any meaningful maintenance for 100's of thousands of km's. They're the new Corolla.

 

[gjm 3258]

When we first moved to NZ we had the use of a Swift for 6 weeks or so. It was a very good car.

The only issue we had was a feeling of being 'exposed' in busy traffic. We always felt vulnerable - so many much bigger vehicles who didn't care, and so many fuggin' muppets in beat-up pieces of crap who cared even less. Perhaps it was a feeling exaggerated by driving someone else's car?

[M3AN 4016]

^ that's why SUV's should be banned in urban areas, they and their owners are incredibly inconsiderate.

 

[KwS 2421]

Ive used my Honda Fit daily for about 7 years now, and wouldnt dream of going to back to having a gas guzzler daily. I can almost watch my fuel gauge go down when i take the 335i to work instead, and then im torn.... comfortable heated leather seats, or not throwing money out the window every day?

[str8_6 275]

11 minutes ago, KwS said:

Ive used my Honda Fit daily for about 7 years now, and wouldnt dream of going to back to having a gas guzzler daily. I can almost watch my fuel gauge go down when i take the 335i to work instead, and then im torn.... comfortable heated leather seats, or not throwing money out the window every day?

I don’t find the 335i that much of a guzzler, but then it’s all relative. I use it daily and it’s so much nicer than a little shoe box.  

The trick is to think of the 335i as a frugal daily compared to daily driving the M5 ?... at least that’s what I keep telling myself.

[NZ BMW 368]

3 hours ago, KwS said:

Ive used my Honda Fit daily for about 7 years now, and wouldnt dream of going to back to having a gas guzzler daily. I can almost watch my fuel gauge go down when i take the 335i to work instead, and then im torn.... comfortable heated leather seats, or not throwing money out the window every day?

I really think a better way to weigh it all up is this: All that petrol money for the 335i tied up in that Honda. Tsk tsk. 

[KwS 2421]

5 hours ago, NZ BMW said:

I really think a better way to weigh it all up is this: All that petrol money for the 335i tied up in that Honda. Tsk tsk. 

About three trips to work worth of petrol? Nah, not worth it

It all depends on your driving conditions too. I used to also daily a manual (including my E36) in rush hour every day and wouldnt go back, but if you had a lot of open road driving with minimal traffic, it makes a big difference to what sort of car to get.

[Ace Of Spades 51]

e46 320D?

Super reliable and very economical.... Just the RUC's to worry about. 

[kiwi535 538]

and the ruc are over 6 c a kilometre now doesnt sound like much but i fork out over 600 bucks for 10000 k at a time

[coop 261]

On 11/29/2018 at 7:28 PM, Ace Of Spades said:

e46 320D?

Super reliable and very economical.... Just the RUC's to worry about. 

Not that economical IMO. 

I could not better 6.2l/100km in mine. 

A gentle run at 100 on flat road, say Hamilton to Auckland or Wellington to Hawkes Bay was usually 6.2l/100km

It was replaced with a 2012 Corolla 1.8 manual which under the same style of driving will return 5.8l/100km. 

If I nurse the Corolla and sit in behind the usual open road day dreaming muppets and not worry about passing I can get down to 5.6. 

Around town they are the same (8ish l/100km)

I was set on a newer E87 120d but I read the N47s have timing chain issues. 

So I thought bugger it, the Corollas aren't badly priced and over ten years it will likely only need a few sets of tyres and a couple of batteries. I would not be confident saying the same about a BMW. I have enough cars and bikes that need attention, I don't want the daily city car to be a long term project or head ache as well.

 

Not trying to recommend a Corolla BTW but the old E46 320d just made no sense with its relatively high fuel consumption and the RUC rort. 

 

I think if I were to do it again with the BMW, I'd go for an E46 330i or E87 130iM spec. They seem relatively bullet proof and the extra 1 or 2 litre/100km in consumption over a four cylinder would be worth it as far as smiles go. 

 

[WYZEUP 283]

I was actually starting to consider a corolla or mazda sp20 and join the basic white girls of auckland ?