View Poll Results: 2002-2003 E39 vs E46

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  • E39 5-Series

    65 69.15%
  • E46 3-Series

    29 30.85%
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Thread: E39 vs E46: Which one would you buy, and why?

  1. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by GR330ZHP View Post
    Idk where you get that from, Car and Driver found the ZHP to do 0-60 in 5.6 seconds, the E39 530i does it in 6.7 and the E60 in 6.9. Quarter mile for the ZHP is 14.3 @97mph and 15.3 @93mph for the E39 530i. I think thats a bit of a difference.
    Like I said, it's not.

  2. #27
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    If I wanted a coupe then of course the only option between these two is an E46. If a sedan, then an E39. This assume no meaningful track time, and spirited daily driving duty.

    All else being equal, the E39 is a slightly bigger, slightly roomier, slightly beefier, slightly more solid, slightly better built, slightly less overtly athletic car than the E46. I emphasize "slightly" because the difference is more in one's head than on paper or behind the wheel. They are very similar cars, practically cut from the same cloth, especially if you compare I6 to I6 engine models. The current condition and state of repair of any given example of each will have a very large influence on your perception of their similarities and differences.
    E39 M5 Imola/black
    ---Dinan Stg.3 suspension w/KMAC camber plates; UFM IATS relocation; TMS/Conforti software; 275/18f, 285/18r GY F1 GSD3
    NA8 Miata triple black
    ---summer ride and E-Stock slowmobile; 195/14f&r Dunlop Z1 Star Spec
    Former: E39 540i/6; E36 M3/4/5; E36 325i/5; E30 325is/5; E38 740i Sport; E46 330Ci/5

  3. #28
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    .. no ripping subframe issues on the e39, it's better build and interior is a lot better
    2001 525i, Titanium Silver, 48K miles

  4. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by tiger5 View Post
    Like I said, it's not.
    A full second difference in the 1/4 is huge...
    1985 325 - 5 speed - LSD - M50NV - MS2/extra - AEM UEGO - TiAL MV-R - 750cc injectors - HX35 - Blunttech Manifold - 3" exhaust
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  5. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cyrix2k View Post
    A full second difference in the 1/4 is huge...
    Well, from 15 to 14 secs is not that big of a deal to me. 14 secs is faster, but it's only 14 secs.

  6. #31
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    If you decide to buy an e39 make sure the seller has all maintenance records. I'm 19 and decided to buy an e39 basically because it was my dream car and I fell in love with it as soon as I drove it. I bought the 528i because thats what I could afford and I figured parts/maintenance, and insurance would be cheaper on an I6.. Well I've had the car for a little over a year, put less than 10,000 miles on it and I have over $8k in the engine compartment alone. About another $2k in the suspension, and $600 in brakes/rotors/sensors. That's not including labor BTW. Those numbers are not exagerated, I keep all reciepts. If thats something you can afford great, but I know I would never buy a BMW again without maintenance records and maybe even a car inspection. EVER. After all of that though, I still choose the e39, I never get tired of it, its lines give it a "timeless" look and its a lot of fun to drive.

  7. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cyrix2k View Post
    A full second difference in the 1/4 is huge...
    Exactly!

    Quote Originally Posted by tiger5 View Post
    Well, from 15 to 14 secs is not that big of a deal to me. 14 secs is faster, but it's only 14 secs.
    Hey its still quicker
    Last edited by GR330ZHP; 02-23-2010 at 11:30 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
    2012 BMW M3 Coupe, 6MT (summer fun)|2017 Toyota Tundra 1794 MGM (DAILY)
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  8. #33
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    I would buy a e46 anyday over a e39 which I did. For a couple of reasons. More aftermarket and performance support, more models to choice from, and the maintenance on a e46 is less then a e39 depending on the engine that is under the hood. As much as I love the 540 sport with a 6spd I would never buy one because it will be in the shop all the time. I know some many 540 owners that visit the shop on a regular bases.

    If I was to buy an e39 it would be a facelifted 530 with the sport package and a 5spd trans.
    Last edited by mikeyb74; 02-23-2010 at 11:59 PM.
    2009 Horizon Blue/Jet Black Cooper S 6spd
    2012 Pepper White/Jet Black Justa 6spd

    It is funny... people who drive anything expensive often get labeled by folks who drive less expensive cars. I have found, without exception, that douchebags cover all demographics and incomes. You can be an douchebag in a Echo or an Escalade.

  9. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by GR330ZHP View Post
    Exactly!



    Hey its still quicker
    Oh, family feuds, I still love you guys.

  10. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ztrim3 View Post
    ... Well I've had the car for a little over a year, put less than 10,000 miles on it and I have over $8k in the engine compartment alone. ...
    Holy crap, what went wrong?!? 8k in parts alone should have replaced your engine twice at least.

  11. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by tiger5 View Post
    Oh, family feuds, I still love you guys.
    Little brother is trying to keep up and take on the older one.
    2009 Horizon Blue/Jet Black Cooper S 6spd
    2012 Pepper White/Jet Black Justa 6spd

    It is funny... people who drive anything expensive often get labeled by folks who drive less expensive cars. I have found, without exception, that douchebags cover all demographics and incomes. You can be an douchebag in a Echo or an Escalade.

  12. #37
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    my dad has an e39 and i an e46. he went overseas in the beginning of February and since he left ive been driving his car. It is much more comfortable, inside is night and day difference between the two and unless you get 328 or 330 you wont have real leather, opposed to the e39 where its all real. Not to mention the e39 looks badass in your rear view with its angel eyes and hid. Along with a larger trunk.

    Goodluck with your decision

  13. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tangent View Post
    Holy crap, what went wrong?!? 8k in parts alone should have replaced your engine twice at least.
    Well to answer your question, my car is the biggest "lemon" on earth. If only I could predict the future, I would've just replaced everything right away, (or got a new car) haha. First month I bought it, I dropped $600 for a new transmission range sensor, without it the car wont shift. From there things just went down hill. The next thing to go was the fan and the radiator, water pump was still good at the time. A couple months later, car overheated..water pump, new radiator (again), thermostat + housing, belts, final stage resistor, air intake boot, then the fan clutch. Seriously, the cooling system in these cars was poorly designed. The car started leaking oil so I replaced the valve cover gasket. Then the alternator started making noise, so I replaced that. My ac compressor started to take a shit. So I just bought one and I'm waiting until spring to put it in. The grand finale.. A new cylinder head. I was letting my car warm up last Oct. when the temp gauge shot in the red. Long story short it was just a head gasket and my mechanic told me to buy a new head prior t knowing this so I did.. Well now I have a perfectly good M52 head sitting in my closet. I think I forgot a lot of parts but thats most of it, not including all the brake and suspension work . I could go on and on. If you look under the hood of my car, literally everything is new except the block, heater core, some hoses, and the air intake. EVERYTHING. That said, people usually think I'm a young kid who races and beats the shit out of my car. Not true. Why I love it, I'm not sure but it runs and drives like new now .
    Last edited by Ztrim3; 02-24-2010 at 07:46 PM.

  14. #39
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    IMHO I would rather have a E39. I just got the E46 cause I needed AWD for the NY snow . Seriously, you cannot go wrong with either one. Do you want a 2dr or 4dr? A E46 sedan is a small E39. People on my block ask why I have two of the same cars (they are both silver). The E46 may have that dreaded rear frame failure (uncommon) and earlier E46's suffer from failed window regulators, various window gaskets (trim, whatever) but engine wise (excluding E39 V8 models) they are almost the same. Tune up/engine parts and sensor parts are the same price for both of the M54's that I have. The ZHP has a Alpina cam which gives it 5 or so hp over the stock 530/330. As far as the interior the E39 offers alot more room than the E46 and is more luxurious. To me its not minor but a huge difference space wise. When I have to chose which one to drive as long as its not snowing, its the E39.
    '13 328i F30
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  15. #40
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    brdhntr is offline Race car driver BMW CCA Member
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    If we are talking e46 M3 vs. e39 M5 then I would by the M5 for daily driving (summer time int he Northeast) or the M3 for weekend track use. I bought my e92 M3 to do double duty (street and track) then I ended up buying an e46 for the track. Had I had it to do over, I would have still bought an e46 M3 track car, but instead of the e92, I probably would have bought a supercharged e39 M5. That would be awesome!
    "The laws of physics cannot be repealed, even with DSC." - BMW Owner's Manual

  16. #41
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    We have 2 e39's and 2 e46's as much as dimensions might be similar the 5 seems a lot bigger. The 5's are also much quiter at highway speeds the trip to JMU to visit my son is a lot more comfortable in the e39's the 525 will average over 30mpg on cruise the 540/6 over 27(70-80mph). The e46's are both 330's one sedan one coupe, I don't mind driving any of them, but I prefer the 540/6. As far as maintainance they're bimmers either DIY or expect to pay. The reason I can afford 6 bimmers in the family is that 3 are used with high mileage, one e23 is a project, the 540 has under 75k miles and I'm a tech and do my own work.

  17. #42
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    I faced this choice recently. I went the E46 for these reasons:

    1.) Easier to find a manual
    2.) Rear legroom is actually the same
    3.) Slightly better fuel economy

    Both cars look awesome, and if I can ever convince my woman to sell her car, then I am so getting a 540i6!!!
    2001 BMW 330Ci 5-speed - BMW Performance SSK, Koni Struts / Shocks, Conti DWS Tires, Lots of Plasti Dip, ZF Steering Rack
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  18. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ztrim3 View Post
    If you decide to buy an e39 make sure the seller has all maintenance records. I'm 19 and decided to buy an e39 basically because it was my dream car and I fell in love with it as soon as I drove it. I bought the 528i because thats what I could afford and I figured parts/maintenance, and insurance would be cheaper on an I6.. Well I've had the car for a little over a year, put less than 10,000 miles on it and I have over $8k in the engine compartment alone. About another $2k in the suspension, and $600 in brakes/rotors/sensors. That's not including labor BTW. Those numbers are not exagerated, I keep all reciepts. If thats something you can afford great, but I know I would never buy a BMW again without maintenance records and maybe even a car inspection. EVER. After all of that though, I still choose the e39, I never get tired of it, its lines give it a "timeless" look and its a lot of fun to drive.
    Sounds like you bought a pretty big piece of shit if you needed to drop that much cash in a year. It is common knowledge to get a PPI before you buy a car, and from the looks you might have neglected that part. Sucks.

    I would vote for the E39, but am biased owning one. I might have spent about $5k on mine so far, but that is all in mods. Thing is bulletproof, but was single owner car, with all records, and a clean PPI. Good luck and either choice will be good. I went from E36 M3 and it is much more spacious. Have 1 kid with 2nd on the way and the e39 makes like easy.

  19. #44
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    I've owned both with similar engine sizes and mileages here's my list of personal pros/cons/repairs:

    1997 528i
    Premium Package
    Automatic Transmission
    83,000 miles when purchased; 97,000 when sold
    Purchased 12/2004 for $13,000


    Pros:

    The trunk is bigger, especially if you have a CD Changer as it mounts in a side panel and doesn't take up trunk space.

    Had dual cold air intake from the factory (without the sport package).

    Had dual zone automatic climate control.

    Rode very smooth.

    Had a weather band on the radio (I know this isn't a big deal to some, but for me it came in handy during snow storms).

    Room in the back seat was much better.

    Cons:

    Bit of a gas guzzler -- Best MPG I saw was 20 combined; worst was 14 (and this was before the service engine soon light came on to advise the car would need new O2 sensors.

    Had a sunroof; no moonroof.

    Repairs:

    Factory alarm module replaced with same after consistent false alarms.

    2001 325i
    Premium Package
    Cold Weather Package
    Automatic Transmission
    72,000 miles when purchased; currently at 102,000k miles
    Purchased 11/2005 for $15,700; replaced my e39

    Pros:

    Corners much better.

    Has a better throttle response.

    Tells me how many miles left until service is needed (no bars counting down leaving me guessing).

    MPG's calculated automatically by the OBC.

    Moonroof, with power sunshade (that breaks easily if not properly lubricated).

    After O2 sensor change, averaging 26 MPG combined in sport mode.

    Cons:

    Small trunk made smaller when a OEM CD changer is mounted to the roof.

    Single zone automatic climate control.

    Can feel more bumps in the road (same brand and model of tires on both cars).

    Good luck making the in-laws comfortable in the back seat (I know the numbers say virtually no difference in leg room, but the extra headroom helps)

    The E46 is prone to multiple failures (see below).

    Repairs:

    Water pump failed and replaced with high performance model.

    Engine overheated and replaced with a used one from a salvage yard.

    The sub-frame can tare from the body (inspected and passed).

    The ZF 5HP-19 transmission can lose reverse at anytime, although hasn't yet for me (visit http://www.noreverse.org).

    The crankcase oil separator valve can clog in cold weather, an issue according to Bavarian Autosport that can happen on any BMW Inline Six built after 1996; it is suspected this is what caused my first engine to overheat.

    Overall:

    Buy the e39 if you want a smoother ride with more space for passengers and cargo. Buy the e46 is you want better cornering and throttle response (just do some preventative replacements to avoid costly repairs including a high performance water pump and cold resistant crankcase oil separator valve considering you live in Buffalo).

    I highly recommend a manual transmission on both cars (I would have bought a manual, but was required to drive using a left foot accelerator until 2007). If you want/need an automatic transmission, check to make sure it's not the ZF 5HP-19, as this transmission, although mainly used in early production e46s, had been used in other BMW models over multiple production years.

    Also, either model will need the O2 sensors replaced at about 100,000 miles; my dealer quoted $1,400 for the e39 and $1,200 for the e46 a few years later. I had an indy shop do it for $500 (including parts) on the e46.

    And...enjoy your BMW
    Last edited by M51AB; 02-26-2010 at 05:30 PM.

  20. #45
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    Quote Originally Posted by M51AB View Post
    Also, either model will need the O2 sensors replaced at about 100,000 miles; my dealer quoted $1,400 for the e39 and $1,200 for the e46 a few years later. I had an indy shop do it for $500 (including parts) on the e46.

    And...enjoy your BMW
    Always good to hear from people that have owned both.

    I do want to point out that ANY car needs o2 sensors at 100k miles, and those dealer price quotes are extreme. The indy shop is reasonable if you are paying dealer prices on the parts. O2 sensors are about 50% of list price online. I know this is off topic, but price quotes like that can unnecessarily scare people away from BMW ownership. They aren't necessarily cheap to run, but it doesn't have to be that bad.

  21. #46
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    I have not owned an E46...to be honest I never even considered it. I had considered it a few years before when looking for a sedan for my wife and I and I choose the B6 Audi A4 over it. When our daughter came I thought the Audi would do well, but it didn't. Load a full size stroller in the trunk, a rear facing baby seat in the back and a diaper bag and there was no room for shopping/groceries. That car was replaced by an X5 4.4 which we have been extremely pleased with, and one of my Z3s became an E39 M5.

    The E39 is great, but the back seat is still small, and its hard to get kids into car seats as you have to bend down as well as lift up and in, but all cars are like that ( I use a front facing Recaro now). I don't know that it would be my #1 choice for a primary car with kids, but its comfortable and has enough space for most things.
    997 Carrera 2S..the choice of 2 out of 3 Top Gear presenters.

  22. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by Graffix000 View Post
    Sounds like you bought a pretty big piece of shit if you needed to drop that much cash in a year. It is common knowledge to get a PPI before you buy a car, and from the looks you might have neglected that part. Sucks.
    Yes, I would consider it a POS now, looking back at it. Everything works now and it drives like new. I was 17 when I bought it, and not exactly thinking everything through (obviously). Hence why I posted on here trying to help someone out so they dont go through what I did. The previous owner covered a lot of things up. My dad is good friends with the lead shop tech at zimmerman BMW @ Ft Lauderdale. He checked it out on a regular basis. Everything just started breaking, thats all I can say. He didnt even know why. I dont know why. Your right though, I should have looked more into it before just buying it. This is my last post on this thread because "0 of 1 person found this post helpful" .. Whatever, just trying to help someone out.

  23. #48
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    I love my E39 BUT it doesn't have rack and pinion steering and weighs a bit more than an E46. But for me, the M62 makes up for it. I wanted power but wasn't interested in a lot of modifications.

  24. #49
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    i was in the market for a bimmer and i was targeting only on E39 and E46.but i ended up getting a E39 with manual tranny.caz E39 is got more room with more luxury interior and options.
    2000 BMW 528i / Manual Tranny / Sport & Premium package / Xenon headlight / Sport seats / Premium sound / DSC /
    2011 BMW X3

  25. #50
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    i've driven both, my 528i and my dads previous 330xi.

    the e39 had a nicer interior, felt more expensive than the e46. the e46 was obviously faster because of the bigger engine. i can't really comment on handling though since i have coilovers.

    to me though the e39 just felt more solid and looked better, but the e46 was more fun to drive, but if i had a 530 it might have been a different story.

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