E36 vs. E46 what to buy

[aspensilver540]

Alright so how much cheaper is an E36 to own vs. an E46? Fiance needs a car but I will do a lot of simple work+great cheap indy.

E46 seems to be close to E39 maintenance costs, pretty steep. I don't know about the E36 as much, does the 318is/ti or 328is run for less than the E46s? I would think the 4 banger would be especially cheap. Hard to find in good shape though compared to E46s.

We'd love a coupe to compliment my e39 540i, doesn't need to be fast, just a comfy bmw ride with better mpg. I figure a lot of E46 owners owned an E36 at some point.

appreciate your time, all comments/flames appreciated

[WoLF]

I owned an E36 before. Yeah it was cheaper to own/maintain. However, if I had to make the choice, I'd pick up the E46. Definitely over a E36 318is.

[EverydayGetaway]

If you're looking for comfort, the e46 is considerably more comfortable than an E36. So far from what I've read and experienced, the maintenance is pretty much the same. For DD, get the e46

[aspensilver540]

Smaller engine preferred considering the 540i is clocking in these days at 17.5mpg. Annoying trying to find an auto there seems to be a million stick shifts at reasonable prices but no autos.

I know the E46 is the cooler car with more modern tech. What I really am wondering is how much more expensive the E46 is. If I can run the E36 considerably cheaper, that is what I should do. If it's 85% as much, might as well get the E46.

[WoLF]

There's a wealth of information here:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/wiki/index.php?title=BMW_E46

[aspensilver540]

Yeah I am not new to bimmerforums, I can read FAQs and do searches. I am looking for member opinions about their personal car ownership experiences.

Thanks for the help though!

[MusclesGlasses]

Smaller engine preferred considering the 540i is clocking in these days at 17.5mpg. Annoying trying to find an auto there seems to be a million stick shifts at reasonable prices but no autos.

I know the E46 is the cooler car with more modern tech. What I really am wondering is how much more expensive the E46 is. If I can run the E36 considerably cheaper, that is what I should do. If it's 85% as much, might as well get the E46.

Wish I lived where you do. Almost everything here is auto

[4PotZ3]

Personally I'd go e46 for a DD, age aside it will be an overall better car that will be more enjoyable.

I mean I picked a 330Ci over an e36 M3. I know there's a dramatic difference between that and what your looking at but between the 2 cars there's a vast difference between age, technology, etc.

I would look at e46 325 coupes, 328 coupes if I were you.

Difference between the e36 and e46 maintenance wise isn't dramatic, while an e36 may be slightly cheaper I doubt you will be
saving $$$$$$ if you get the e36. Plus you will be highly disappointed with a 318 I believe.

Just my 2 cents

[aspensilver540]

Personally I'd go e46 for a DD, age aside it will be an overall better car that will be more enjoyable.

I mean I picked a 330Ci over an e36 M3. I know there's a dramatic difference between that and what your looking at but between the 2 cars there's a vast difference between age, technology, etc.

I would look at e46 325 coupes, 328 coupes if I were you.

Difference between the e36 and e46 maintenance wise isn't dramatic, while an e36 may be slightly cheaper I doubt you will be
saving $$$$$$ if you get the e36. Plus you will be highly disappointed with a 318 I believe.

Just my 2 cents

Thanks for your opinion. Remember that E46 coupes are twice the price right now as well, but of course I expected to hear "buy the E46" on the E46 forum Better car I know. The fact is we're leaning towards just going cheap since I want a repair war chest for 2 bmws! I think I can get a decent one for $3000, e46 is at least 6000. And we're only doing 5000 miles a year in it.

Love your estoril btw.


Muscles - I guess the SF Bay area is stick friendly! No idea why, tons of traffic and many hilly areas with stoplights.

[fiveightandten]

What are her priorities? Is she looking for an auto or a manual?

At this point, you'll have a hard time finding a base model E36 that's not all ratted out. People have taken care of the E36 M3's enough where you can find a clean car though, and those are in the range of what a clean E46 will cost you.

Early model E46's have the subframe issue, which is a huge consideration when buying one. However, the automatic transmission in an E46 is less likely to give you problems than the auto in an old E36 base model. A maintained M3 is a different story.

In terms of maintenance, they're really about the same. With the E36, you may have to worry about things like bushings first, just due to the age of the car. But they both need cooling system attention immediately if that stuff hasn't been replaced, and they both have similar suspension setups.

318ti is a different animal, as it uses an E30 rear suspension setup and doesn't share a lot of body panels or other parts with other E36's.

If you're looking to spend $3000. I honestly wouldn't buy either one. To that end, I wouldn't buy a $6,000 E46. I'm currently in the market for one, and believe me, when you see what's out there for $6K, it's not worth it. I'm seriously struggling to find a decent manual E46 for under $9K. Autos are cheaper and more plentiful. But still. A $3K E36 may be worth it if you want a cheap base 3 series, but you're going to dump more money in to keep a neglected car on the road, so it's something to consider.

I know there's a lot to be considered when you decide how much you're going to spend. But I think you need to set a max budget, and go form there to determine what it will get you. $3K and $6K will buy you pretty different cars. Add another $2K, and in the $8K range, you actually have some BMW's worth buying. Weigh some options and decide what's important to her.

Hope that helps.

[BMWoW]

If you are considering an E36, then you should definitely get an E36 M3 rather than the 318 or the 328. Well 318 is still a BMW quality yet if you get it you will feel like you are driving a camry! So i d never go for a 318. M3, if not, 328 E36. Then again E46 > E36.

[EverydayGetaway]

I think 318's are under-rated. As long as you keep in mind that it's not a "fast" car, they can be loads of fun, and the M42/44 is a great sounding spirited little motor! I would definitely find a 318ti for her, it sounds to me that it'd be the best option if you can find the right one. I've been on and off looking for one for a long time, after driving one a few years ago I was just sold on it, they just feel more exciting in corners.

[ronMtech325is]

You should look at this 318ti http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/ctd/2976693705.html its a 5 speed stick shift. The add doesn't list how many miles it has on it but the car looks clean.

[tinfoilwrap]

I have a 95 325i 4dr auto e36 and just bought 01

I have a 95 e36 325i 4dr auto 167k and just bought a 01 325ci 5sp w sport & winter pkg 73k miles for 75k.
Both cars are fun in different way. E36 you feel more of the road and e46 is comfy and softer. Even w the sport pkg, ride is almost the same to standard suspension. changed all the shocks and struts 1 yr ago.

[spoonerDee]

Look, if you want a car that's cheap to maintain, you buy a Honda. BMW's whether e36 or e46 are not cheap. You might get lucky and find one that hardly has issues or you might not.

I put more money forward with my old e36 to get it up to good standards than I did with my e46. Others might have the opposite. It depends on what is wrong and what does go wrong.

[teen ti]

If you're still looking for opinions I own a 1999 318ti and and 2002 325ci. The ci is definitely more comfortable and more powerful than the ti but in terms of fun, I'll take the ti every time. All 1999 ti's came with the sport package which meant the M-Technik front and rear bumpers, side skirts, molding and suspension. My specific car has a 5 speed and a california roof which is great, and in 1999 only 656 ti's were imported to the states and were also given better paint options (mine is Fern Green) most of which are usually found on M3s, so I've got a pretty unique little car. The M44 in the ti is woefully underpowered but its very spirited and theres a clear powerband above 4000 rpm and the lack of power really isn't noticeable in the twisty bits where its most important. The ci actually gets almost as good mileage as the ti, about 33 Highway vs 35, while delivering 45 more HP. The interior in the ci is a bit nicer than the ti but not by much IMHO. The ci's ride is a little bit more harsh over rough roads than the ti IMO (when i bought the car it came with 18in wheels and low profile tires that i haven't changed so that may be the issue) but I feel that the ti handles better (it may not but the rack is quicker and the feedback is better which is great) but in terms of say highway driving the ci is more comfortable. In terms of maintenance the ci costs a little bit more than the ti but the ti, being 3 years older has more of a propensity for something big to go wrong. So to wrap things up both cars are great and I would recommend each of them. However, if you're looking for a 318, definitely go for a ti with the sport package and a manaul, thats a must IMO as they've been given genuine M-Technik parts whereas other 318s, i and is haven't. As for the E46 my only advice is to go avoid the earlier ones, just because they have problems that were worked out in later years. Just my $0.02

[ezbmr]

E36 M3 Automatic, they are out there, 5 Speed Auto 240hp, limited slip diff.

[Bimmeregy]

E36 any day,
Its better, as in looking wise and performance wise, its also very comfortable and powerful and mean looking and its more popular in america and out of it and its better when it comes to modifications

[90turbo1]

also keep in mind that many parts for e36 are being discontinued from BMW. for instance, that nice e36 coupe you find and the leather is coming off the door panels. well cant get replacements any more. many e36 sedans have the interior trim starting to get gooey.... both mind did. almost like the rubber color coating on the pillar trims was getting soft and sticky. E36 is a narrower car so if interior is your choice the e46 is the winner. e46 cars are getting worn also and finding a good used one is getting harder. but most if not all parts are available still. The motor and trans are way better in e46 cars as long as they have not been over heated. the e36 seems to take over heat better.

have you tried looking for a e90 I see them all over here with under 100k for 5-7 grand.

[All2kool]

Having owned both, it's hard for me to choose which I liked more. I love my E46 Cabriolet. I really enjoyed both of the E36's that I owned and sold them both at a nice profit. I had one of them for just 4 months; the other for just 70 days. I'd love to have another E36 in a Cabriolet but that rear plastic window is the deterrent for me.

[whcornell]

Having owned both, I'd lean towards the E46. Similar cars for sure. I enjoyed my E36 but made the jump to E46 because I found that they're much easier to work on. Not sure if this is something that matters in your case or not, but just my $0.02.

[NomadHooker]

I own both, but only had an E36 5 years ago when this thread started...