which year 3 series gives the best bang for buck and maitenance cost?

[zevio]

i was looking at an x3 but saw the reviews were not the greatest and even jeremy clarkson pretty much said it was not a good car...been thinking of a 3 series because they have been around for many years, which model 3 series gives the best bang for buck and maintenance cost and reliability? i know the new ones are super expensive to maintain (have to get new batteries registered at dealer or they explode...)

[323i E30]

Where are you located?
Here in The Netherlands that would absolutely be the E36. These cost next to nothing and are easy maintenance.

[zevio]

Where are you located?
Here in The Netherlands that would absolutely be the E36. These cost next to nothing and are easy maintenance.

I'm in the US, cool e36 does seem like a good deal I notice I see a ton of e36s on the road...lotta people buy used bmws old and cheap just to show that they have one, but you can tell they treat it like crap...I currentyl have a 09 mustang gt and the paint shines as nice as the day I got it (I'm really good at deatiling.)

I was hoping to get something a little newer than a e36 (probably an e46) because i didn't want to look like the typical redneck or mexican that buys an old bmw and everyone can see its old and cheap....but I do like the e36 and e46 platforms a lot more than the newer e90s and f30s.

[Pilifo]

I'd say it mainly depends on your budget. If you want a really cheap car, you can go for E36 but bear in mind the service is gonna cost you something to get to a plausible condition.

Personally I'd prefer E9x and I wouldn't go for E46 older than 2003. You can get them for an equivalent of about $6,000 in Europe so I guess the price wouldn't be higher in the US.

[323i E30]

Mustang gt? Sounds good
I thought you were looking for a cheap good car. What do you want from a car and what's the budget indeed?

Personally I was not very impressed with the E46, and would absolutely not trade an E30 for one.
I must note that I wasn't very impressed with the E36 either, but it's ok and very cheap. Relatively quite a lot of car for little money.
I doubt that a car will look redneck if you get a well-kept one. You will have to spend more then, obviously.

[sg5]

E36's are an eyesore outside and inside unless it's an M3, so go for an E46. They're all easy and cheap to maintain if you're somewhat mechanically skilled, have the internet, and a 10mm metric socket.

[spoonerDee]

E36's are an eyesore outside and inside unless it's an M3, so go for an E46. They're all easy and cheap to maintain if you're somewhat mechanically skilled, have the internet, and a 10mm metric socket.

:

Anyway, depends on your budget, your skills, your time and your courage. Having owned both an e36 and e46 I can safely say they are very much the same. The e46 is newer has some newer tech, but all in all they both suffer from the same issues/weaknesses. Cooling system, suspension parts, cheap plastic bits, window regulators etc.

The best thing you can do is find one of either generation that hasn't been abused, has had maintenance done regularly, and wasn't some beater that some flat brimmed hat wearing, douche nozzle bought to try and impress the high school girls. Look for cars with primer and or the driver seat tilted into the backseat to identify these cars.

With the exception of the throttle pedal, the e46 is exactly the same as the e36, just updated when it comes to things like the radio, the traction control and stability control and mainly all things tech. When it comes to driving they both feel the same again except the throttle pedal. That has to be my biggest gripe. In the e36 the pedal has weight to it, you actually have to push it down to make it go, then once you get it to a certain spot, stop pushing and just rest your foot. In the e46 since it's drive by wire (electrical) you rest your pinky toe on it and your flooring it. I'm used to it now, but still hate it and still get muscle cramps on long drives if I can't use cruise control.

What was my maintenance cost like with each one? Well My e36 wasn't the best I could have found if I spent some more time. So over the years that one ended up costing me a bit more, but it never died. It always chugged along. Then with my e46 I waited a year, did my research and found a perfect specimen. Thus far (over the last 5 years) I've had to replace the thermostat, fan clutch, one brake caliper, window regulator (twice) and some pulleys. Other than general maintenance like fluids and filters it's been good to me.

[pizzaman09]

Depends on your taste really. Around here e46s are dime a dozen, they are rather simple and apparently quite reliable. I recently picked up a beat up e36 and absolutely love everything about it, specifically the styling. However I had to drive a good distance to get one as they are rare as hens teeth it seems in my neck of the woods.

Good luck on finding the right 3 series, it would be difficult to go wrong with either an e36 or e46 if you find one that has been decently maintained.