Purchasing My First Used BMW-- Advice and Which 3 Series?

[gilroymertens]

Hello people of Bimmerforums,

First off I wanna say I am a huge noob when it comes to this stuff, as this is my first time buying a BMW. Second, I wanna say thank you in advance because after reading countless posts on here for the last month, the community seems great and I'm sure I'll get a lot of great help!

Now, my situation isn't totally unique. I am 20 years old and I'm looking for a new car because my current 2006 Ford Taurus is garbage and I want something fun to drive, and BMWs have always looked awesome to me. I know that maintenance and care comes with buying a BMW and the parts are not cheap and there are some questions on their reliability but when it comes down to it, I've been saving and saving and I've known for awhile I want a new car, and I think BMW is the fit for me. I have some very very basic and general knowledge when it comes to working on cars, like simply changing the oil, installing a radio (helped with it), and I had to help my dad redo the brakes on my Taurus. I'm not afraid or against working on a car, and my dad knows a lot about cars and he has a lift and a bunch of tools, so I think maintenance will be possible on my own with his help. I just wanted to get your guys opinion on which 3 series I should look for and which model (325i, 328i, 330i, etc.) I should look for in each generation and which I should avoid. Here is what I am essentially looking for and some basic info about the search:

• My budget is at a max of $10,000, although I'd like to come under this number just so I can have some extra cash for future maintenance. So, 4000-10,000 range
• I like the look of the E36, E46, and E90 a lot, it has been hard for me to choose to be honest, but I'd like to know which you guys think would be best for a first timer. I've heard the E90s engines can be complex but the E36s are old to the point where most just don't have too much life
• I know this might sound dumb, but I want something that sounds good haha, and something with a strong engine that has a good amount of HP, I know with my price range I won't really get too much speed, but it would be nice
• I do know how to drive manual, and I've heard it's better to go this route, although I'm not very good and I feel like Automatic would be easier for me
• Reliability does mean a lot to me
• I've found a good amount of E90s and some E46s under 100k mileage, and I've yet to find a solid E36 like that

So, TL;DR basically, I am a 20 year old dude with a $10k budget trying to figure out which generation 3 series I should go for and which model within that generation. I'm really down to the E46 vs E90.

Thanks guys! Can't wait to join the community and finally get the Bimmer experience!

[LSxDreamer]

If it were me (note: I'm a sedan guy), I'd look for an E90 330i manual with sport package and try and get something with service records to save yourself a bit of headache from the "unknown". Now, that's not to say you can't find a clean E36 out there (I snagged a sub-100k 325i that's clean with maintenance records for $1,500 because the auto trans slips a bit on the 2>3 shift) but you have to be willing to look in regions that aren't as susceptible to rust. E46s I'd also highly recommend a sport package car.

[gilroymertens]

Thanks man!

Yeah I definitely have heard finding a sport package with the 3 series is a must. I guess at this point I'm really only down to the E46 and the E90 generation and I really am curious what the best model out of those two would be. I know E90's are newer with better technology and the prices really aren't too bad but something about these E46s makes me fall in love man haha.

Noob question, sadly I live in the Chicagoland area (only sadly cuz of this next part) and we get a lot of snow. Like our winter just ended last week basically haha. So an xi model is probably what I would have to look for right? I've heard that RWD is just not gonna cut it with this kinda climate even with just heavy rainfall and wet roads it can be kinda scary. Is this true? I don't mind going for an xi I just know there are some drawbacks in terms of power and smoothness. I'm pretty sure the suspension just isn't as good correct? Are there powerful, fun to drive xi versions for the E46?

Thanks again!

[LSxDreamer]

Top you can get in an E46 with x-drive is a 330; my former coworker had one and he let me beat on it a bit before I bought my first E36. AWD will help in certain situations but good winter tires will (I believe) always be better. I'm in MI, so I'm familiar with what you're dealing with. Being a smart driver has just as much to do with it as well...

[gilroymertens]

Ohhhhh really?? I mean I don't mind swapping out tires, I didn't know if snow tires would help the RWD all that much. Do you have an opinion (within my realistic $10k budget) of what E46 would be best? I'm seeing the 330i being the favorite and all the specs seem like it would be worth it. Is there anything I should stay away from in terms of the E46 models? And likewise with E90?

[MarcoZandrini]

I recommend an E46 over the E90. Why? The level of computerization really increases when you go from the E46 to the E90. Electronix are expensive to fix or buy. Plus, they typically require coding.
Regardless of which model you buy you’ll need 4 snow tires. Buy a set of steel wheels for them. That way you can swap tires in an hour or so. I owned a 2001 330Ci. I put a set of 4 Bridgestone Blizzaks on it each winter. I never got stuck. Now, I live in the metro DC area and we don’t get snow like you do. So pick a set snows that match the amount of snow you receive.

[White94RX]

I personally would seek out an E90. 325, 328, or 330 would be great. A 335 in that price range would probably need a lot of work and maintenance.

[89 sedan]

Road trip south about 400 miles and pick up an e30. For $5-7 grand you can snag a clean car and own one of the best vehicles ever made. (Not that I’m biased,lol)

[pizzaman09]

Nice ones are going up in value right now but I recommend an e36 328i or 328is. Most of them are under your $10k budget, the issue is just finding one, they are getting rare.

The reason I suggest the e36 328is is the sound they make. I have driven a few of the cars you mentioned, an e36 328is, e36 M3, e46 325, e46 330ci... My opinion is the old 328 sounds the best in stock form. They feel more raw and connected, the sound when you get it up in the upper power bands is just addicting.

I bought a 328is as a project car, it was pretty beat up. However driving this beat up old e36 home was enough to convince me that there is a reason BMWs reputation was built on the straight 6 engine and that I should sell my e39 M5 for a smaller engined car that is fun to rev out. Honestly, I never knew what all the fuss was about with the 6 cylinder BMWs, I had only ever experienced the V8s, e38 740iL, e39 M5. The V8s are great engines but the I6 engines just have so much more character!

[biasvoltage]

How handy are you with a wrench? How handy are you with automotive diagnostic software? If you spend all of your $10k on the car and reserve nothing for repairs and addressing the previous owner's deferred maintenance, you are likely to find yourself in debt very quickly, regardless of which series you buy.

[gerry1000]

Get a Camry and put more money aside for a while