How much should i expect approximently to maintain a e46 330i

[AngelRuiz97]

I work a full time job making about 1400 a month
Im a 19yr old and only bills i pay is paying my roomy 300 a month other then that i just been saving up money for a car
I have been wanting a 330i for awhile now and really looking into buying one for around 5k
but i heard they cost alot to maintain with all the issues they have and i been doing some research but everything is diffrent and get bias answers
I know basic maintenance on a car aswell And im not looking to do much like adding pointless stuff that isnt important as maintaining the car just keep it as a daily driver
it was either a Volvo s60R or Bmw 330i

Any help would be appreciated thanks!

[Drana16]

Stay away from Volvo! A 330i in my opinion is a very reliable car as long as the cooling system has been addressed at 100k miles and also as long the vanos is not leaking oil. It's 1000x better than the 325i engines. Nothing but oil leaks I find in them. I would also look for one with maintenance records so you know what's been addressed and what it will need. For 5k, you can get a decent e46. Good luck in your purchase. But trust me, stay away from Volvo. They are worse than Audi when it comes to check engine light issues.


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[charter21p5]

I work a full time job making about 1400 a month
Im a 19yr old and only bills i pay is paying my roomy 300 a month other then that i just been saving up money for a car
I have been wanting a 330i for awhile now and really looking into buying one for around 5k
but i heard they cost alot to maintain with all the issues they have and i been doing some research but everything is diffrent and get bias answers
I know basic maintenance on a car aswell And im not looking to do much like adding pointless stuff that isnt important as maintaining the car just keep it as a daily driver
it was either a Volvo s60R or Bmw 330i

Any help would be appreciated thanks!

If you make $1400 per month I would buy a Mazda unless you can fix the car yourself. BMWs are a lot of fun to own however if do not fix the car yourself you can end up spending quite a bit of money keeping the car "maintained".

Mazdas rarely break, they are cheap to own, and typically only require oil changes and fuel. They do require maintenance as any car however BMWs quality rate is a lot lower since they build them with cheaper plastic parts and they are performance cars.

I owned Mazdas for years and never had the maintenance requirements of my BMWs. I had two new Mazdas for 10 years where all I did was change fluids on time, change brakes and put fuel in the car.

I would also believe Volvos are the same as Mazdas.

[dhurley34]

Barring you are mechanically inclined, have tools, and find a good well maintained 330I you should be able to afford it. Just plan on eating ramen noodles every day for a while.

Costs really just depend on the level of maintenance or broken things you are comfortable living with.


My 325XI has taken close to $4k in DIY replacement parts alone to refresh, but I'm a perfectionist.

[curry]

Don't get a Volvo. They have many significant problems and are very difficult to fix. Especially avoid a Volvo performance car like an 'R'. Volvo parts are even more difficult to find and are at least as expensive as BMW parts. If you're not good with tools look for a much simpler car for a daily driver. Volvos with the five cylinder engine and the turbo are a nightmare when something goes wrong.

[legoman67]

Unless you can fix it yourself i wouldnt recommend it. A single trip to the mechanic can easily cost $1400.

Also, buying a cheap high mile one is about the worst thing you can do if you are on a budget. Spend the extra up front and it will save you in the long run. Take any one you are seriously interested in to a mechanic who is knowledgeable in these cars for a PPI.

[Honolulu]

Interesting to read the sh*t about Volvos, above.

I only just got a '02 e25xi and it was filthy, but that cost me only elbow grease to fix. I do all my own work to the extent I possibly can, and have done so on more than two dozen bimmers for decades.

Most of the "issues" you will (not "may") run into can be addressed by a person of persistence, with a active brain and the ability to use and understand the Search function, a set of tools, place to work, time off work to do so, access to parts, and a keg of elbow grease.

Your budget statement is 1400/mo in and only 300 out to rent, but that's not the whole story. What about food, entertainment, insurance, significant other, and all the many little (occasionally expensive) joys of being an adult? You'd be better putting a monthly reasonable amount into a rainy day fund. The size of that monthly contribution is up to you, as is the requirement to resist the temptation to blow a good portion of it as it accumulates.

Particularly since you haven't adequately stated your financials, I have to line up with others that suggest you are reaching above your grasp. Surely you will see other young dudes with hot late-model rides, but you don't know what they had to do to get there (lease, daddy's car, making payments, sell dope, etc.) You have to be able to resist that temptation and live inside your own world.

[tachi1247]

It sounds like you should be buying a different car. You will need to do more than just "basic maintenance" to keep a $5k 330I running for a long period of time.

It sounds like you are renting a place which is likely not a long term plan so expect that your $300/mo rent will at some point significantly increase. Either you will want your own place or your buddy will find a woman who will want you out.

Do you have the space, tools, time and knowledge (or at least the gumption) to do every repair the car could need, no matter how involved or complicated? If you can't answer yes to every one of those then you can't afford the car. All repairs will require a reasonably good assortment of basic tools and some repairs will require specialty tools that you will have to buy or pay someone to preform certain steps. Otherwise your going to the dealer/mechanic which could cost anywhere from a months pay to two months depending on what is wrong with the car. If doing repairs yourself, a garage is almost always required for these types of repairs as you can't disassemble things in an apartment parking lot and then wait until some part you don't have arrives to put it all back together.

Which leads to my next point being this sounds like it would be your only car. An older, high mileage car with above average maintenance needs can be reliable when it is in tip top shape, but even then things break unexpectedly. Can you go three days or a week without the car and still get to work and everything else you need to do?

Ultimately, $1400/month is not enough to buy most cars let alone an older BMW. depending on your driving record you could be paying $100-200/mo in insurance alone. If your managing without a car now, I would keep in doing that until you can pay cash for a nice civic at about $10k.

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[charter21p5]

I wish we could give you better responses but this is today's reality with these cars.

If you do buy the car we are here to help.

What's interesting to me after reading your 1st post... when I was 18 I paid $2k for a BMW E21 (80 320i) and I made ~$1400 per month. I lived at home and eventually shipped off to the Military, my choice. I sold the car and then bought an E28 (85 535i) and had no issues keeping either running paying a mechanic when repairs were needed. The E21 had zero issues and the E28 needed a valve adjustment. Both were super reliable. I drove the E21 all over on Minnesota back roads. I drove the E28 for a few years then sold it.

The E46 is probably the best platform for reliability today however unlike the cars I had back then a lot of the parts now are or have plastic components. The constant heating and cooling plus being plastic causes them to break. For example my current E21 has the original 30 year old radiator all metal. My e46 is on it's 2nd radiator. My family's E39 has had 4 radiators including the original. There are aftermarket options. I am only referring to genuine BMW.

I could provide many more examples. As us old guys say.... they just don't make them like they used to... now comparing performance of today's bmws versus back then is a different discussion with the exception of refined power steering.

Good luck whatever you end up doing and definitely someday own a BMW.

[MassiveWalrus]

im a 19yr old making about 1400 a month. How much should i expect approximently to maintain a e46 330i?

qfp

[curry]

I've owned and worked on 4 BMW's. Two 540 e34s, a 325 e36 and now a 330e46. I've also had two Volvos. Older Volvos were very reliable, the newer ones, from when Ford owned Volvo are nowhere near as reliable. You can call what I wrote about Volvos s*it if you want, but I stand by what I wrote. If you think newer Volvos are reliable just go to a Volvo site and read the comments. There are many Volvo forums. There are probably more posts there about a lack of reliability than any other comments. The five cylinder turbos probably most of all. Their PCV system is the worst thing I've ever seen and at about 100,000 miles they will blow all the seals in your engine. That's just the beginning.

Interesting to read the sh*t about Volvos, above.

I only just got a '02 e25xi and it was filthy, but that cost me only elbow grease to fix. I do all my own work to the extent I possibly can, and have done so on more than two dozen bimmers for decades.

Most of the "issues" you will (not "may") run into can be addressed by a person of persistence, with a active brain and the ability to use and understand the Search function, a set of tools, place to work, time off work to do so, access to parts, and a keg of elbow grease.

Your budget statement is 1400/mo in and only 300 out to rent, but that's not the whole story. What about food, entertainment, insurance, significant other, and all the many little (occasionally expensive) joys of being an adult? You'd be better putting a monthly reasonable amount into a rainy day fund. The size of that monthly contribution is up to you, as is the requirement to resist the temptation to blow a good portion of it as it accumulates.

Particularly since you haven't adequately stated your financials, I have to line up with others that suggest you are reaching above your grasp. Surely you will see other young dudes with hot late-model rides, but you don't know what they had to do to get there (lease, daddy's car, making payments, sell dope, etc.) You have to be able to resist that temptation and live inside your own world.

[E36ic4Me]

I both agree and disagree with what many have said. As of this date, I've owned about 35 BMW vehicles and most have been totally and completely issue free, with regular scheduled maintenance of course. I bought my first BMW from a towing yard when I was 18. It was a somewhat neglected 84' 325e Coupe. It ran great though and looked very nice. I worked as a bagger in a grocery store and made very, very little money. I managed to maintain (and even fix up a bit) that car without issue. That said, the E46 is a much more complex machine then the E30 is. If you are somewhat mechanical or are willing to learn, it might not be so bad. The issue I see over and over again with people your age is jumping on the first car they find in their price range. Do not, I repeat do not do that!!! It very rarely ands well and the usual outcome is selling the car with it still messed up after going deep into debt to try and solve it's issues. Wait for the absolute right car.

On a somewhat related side note, I purchased a fully loaded 2004 325ci convertible brand new back in 2004. Ironically, it had many issues and BMW ended up buying it back. Flash forward to current and my pre-owned 05' 325ci with about 70K at purchase has been nothing but flawless. Funny stuff indeed.

[MIKYZZ4]

An out of warranty BMW owner with mechanical skills,DIY & willing to learn attitude=A good start.
Add a decent set of tools and willingness to perform required maintenance=An affordable BMW. $$

The owner of an out of warranty BMW, who detests grease under his fingernails, books an appointment at his local BMW dealer at the slightest noise or required maintenance, such as a simple oil change=Not so good.
Add in monthly auto loan payments=A truly unaffordable BMW. $$$$

My opinion on ownership costs.

[E36ic4Me]

I notice the OP has gone silent. I think the decision has been made......to run away. Hahaha.

[Honolulu]

Curry: in no way did I mean to disrespect your opinions about Volvos. The wife has had two and both were okay from a maintenance standpoint. I say that although the 740iT immediately needed a new turbo, and the 240D eventually broke the cam belt, causing the cam to break into four pieces and lay waste the engine.

We have a friend who runs a successful independent Volvo shop. His opinion was to the effect that after Volvo went front wheel drive, they dove into the toilet. I thought maybe when the Chinese bought them, they might be recapitalized and improve, but apparently not so. Not that I will own either of these brands, and certainly I have never had a car less than 10 years old, my first (of fifteen) BMW 2002's.

[E36ic4Me]

Though I've never owned a Volvo, I have owned DeLoreans which use Volvo engines and transmissions. They have been nothing but reliable.

[NYY42]

I notice the OP has gone silent. I think the decision has been made......to run away. Hahaha.

Hopefully. BMWs are great cars but not something you want to have way outside the warranty period if you can't maintain most things yourself.