Would you personally recommend an automatic e46 to a non-enthusiast?

[foofopps]

So I friend of mine and his sister are looking to buy a used car. From what I got out of him his sister wants a BMW, he doesn't seem to care. He was asking me about a 2001 325i they looked at. Now when someone seeks my advice on the matter I personally feel very hesitant to recommend a used automatic bmw to a non-enthusiast. I feel like a late model bmw (especially automatic) with an unknown service history is a ticking time bomb and too much of a gamble because if something does break on the car its going to cost a lot to fix. Now from my understanding when his sister says she wants a "BMW" I interperet that as someone wanting a fun sporty car with leather, cd player, heated seats ect. ect. So I told my friend to go check out a lexus is300 or something in that category that to me is a much safer bet as to reliability and owner cost over the next 5 years. So, do you agree or disagree? Would you recommend a 2000-2004 325i or is300 for someone else?

[smooth]

Yes, I would have no problem recommending an automatic BMW to someone if she specifically asked for a BMW and didn't know how to drive a manual and had no desire to learn.

[10Toes]

No, I would feel bad when they lose reverse.

[Massimo]

I personally try to steer people away from autos but if that is what they want it dosn't matter what it come from all autos are expensive to fix/rebuild if something shits it self. I wish I had the tools and knowledge to fix autos my self.

[gearheadE30]

I'd steer them towards a stick, or a 330i auto. The autoboxes in the 325i's were different and apparently are more failure prone from what I've read.

[Dave McLaren]

No, I would feel bad when they lose reverse.

lol

I wouldn't want to get blamed when the trans takes a dump, the cooling system goes poof... all those fun things. No good will come from such a recommendation.

[mach schnell]

No way. E46 automatics are known to be very problematic, and unreliable.

If you recommend it, your friend buys one, and then the automatic shits the bed, you're going to feel pretty stupid for having recommended it. And you should.

[GDA]

No problem. I would recommend them but also give them fair warning of the couple problem areas - auto tranny reverse issues, crappy window regulators and weak cooling systems that require full refreshes every 60 to 100k miles.

Name pretty much any car and we can pick it apart for its weak points.

[Jonny Cash]

Corrolla.

[kway]

Depends what type of people they are. They seem to be the type that want to just put gas in and go, regular maintenance as necessary. In that case I would not recommend.

If they're the type that's really into their cars and don't mind putting a bit more effort into keeping them up I'd say go for it.

My brother drove my e90 when I first got it and fell in love, decided he wanted one. He's a gas 'n go type. Fuck the fanboy bullshit, I steered him towards an Acura TL Type S (pre-transformers body style). He couldn't be happier with it.

[Kershaw]

yep. they are nice cars.

[Vivek]

Rode in my friend's moms (auto) e46 325. Felt really fast for some reason. They're really nice cars (dad has an m3) and look wonderful, I love the styling of e46's. I can't say anything about reliability, and I find it really hard to look at cars from a non-enthusiast standpoint, but yes, they are pretty nice cars and I would have on if I had the money.

[PKR]

Yeah, my ZHP is a great car. But, like any other, it ain't perfect ... and I'd be sure to point out the car's weak points: reverse, cooling system, and others. These issues do contribute to higher operating costs so yeah, buy one - just be that sure both eyes are wide open.

[smooth]

Depends what type of people they are. They seem to be the type that want to just put gas in and go, regular maintenance as necessary. In that case I would not recommend.

If they're the type that's really into their cars and don't mind putting a bit more effort into keeping them up I'd say go for it.

My brother drove my e90 when I first got it and fell in love, decided he wanted one. He's a gas 'n go type. Fuck the fanboy bullshit, I steered him towards an Acura TL Type S (pre-transformers body style). He couldn't be happier with it.

It depends more on the person doing the recommending than the person driving.

My 6' 7" friend fell in love with the bronzit in my sig when he borrowed it after his car was totaled. He wanted to buy it. He's the gas n go type, as well. Instead of selling it to him I helped him find an e34 after explaining to him my opinion that he would find the larger interior more comfortable over time but could still achieve that sportier feel he was thrilled by with the e30. We scouted around and found some suitable ones for test driving. I still gave him the option of buying my e30, though, if he wanted but he opted for the e34. I also gave him the option of trading if he ever wanted because I did and still do want an e34 for myself.

I also explained the importance of regular maintenance to a BMW and gave him a short list of independent european shops in our hometown. He has a regular shop that he goes to now for all his needs and he loves his e34.

"Recommending" is more than just pointing at a car but neither is anyone responsible for any others' choices. Explaining the specifics about owning and driving a BMW to someone interested in becoming an owner is respectful whereas assuming the person can't manage something or that he or she really should be driving something else is presumptuous and some would take offense at that.

[TobyB]

only if I hated them.

An autobox in a BMW is a consumable, and a 3-6k consumable at that. Given that
the lower end of the e46 market's down below 6k around here, who's gonna wanna
pay for the car twice?

t