E30 325ix Vs. E46 325xi yearly cost of ownership and reliability

[Chimpskibot]

Hello r3vlimited I am extremely interested in purchasing an e30 ix model and joining the club. I live in Pennsylvania and this will be a DD so AWD is needed. Furthermore this vehicle will be my first car and only car so it must be reliable ! My father currently has 2 e9x bmw's that are both awd and have performed very well in this past winter but they have been a little costly to maintain. He believes i should look into an e46 and plunk down the extra 2-3k and find a sub-125k-mile 325xi-330xi (there is an abundance in NJ around 4500-6k) but I believe they will be more costly per year to maintain and have more problems that will need to be sorted by a master mechanic, whereas the e30 is very easy to work on. Also i think it would be important to note this car will be doing about 40 miles a day if even that, so the question is which car is better for the money and will last longer with less overall cost to own thanks!

[nomansland92]

well from my experience of owning both, the 330xi e46 as my daily and the 325ix as the project i will say the e30 is cheaper to maintenance and has been more reliable for me. Ive had the e30 for 4 years no and the daily drove it for the first year, the only major problem it has was the starter went out on it, and of course cv boots. But if you keep up on the maintenance and always look over the car they can be very reliable. On the other hand the e46 is a very nice car to drive, extremely conformable, modern features, a/c all the good stuff that's nice for daily driving that usually the e30's don't have or just doesn't work. Just so far I've had some bad experiences with the e46. between the fuel pump and the alternator/ battery both dieing and leaving me stranded and a hand full of other little electrical problems i've had really adds up. Not saying there all like this but every time i have a problem with it and Google it there seams to be dozens of other that had the same problem claiming that its "common". However i find the e46 rather easy to work on unlike the e90's

All in all if your going for the e46, the cheapest one will soon be the most expensive, get one with low miles and well taken care off. And check for rust under the truck latch and the rear quarters. I'd suggest holding out till you find a manual too, I HATE MY AUTOTRAGIC, nothing against auto's but the e46 tranny computer is horrible IMO

As for the e30 just test the awd and check the cv boots(new axles are pricey) and go over it very well for rust because most have it.

At the end of the day sure the e46 is nicer and smoother but it will never put a smile on my face like the e30, which it also dominates in the snow

[jaywood]

I got my E46 330i just a few months ago with 78k miles on it. Couldn't be happier. Solid DD with working A/C and modern features. They are very reliable assuming the PO's have taken good care of it.

[Chimpskibot]

Thanks for all the help but I unfortunately I will be purchasing an automatic regardless because It may be used by others and most Americans don't know how to drive stick. Thanks for the input this far. Are there common problems I should look out for on e30 minus the rust, cv boot, and transfer case for awd?!

[nrubenstein]

From a strict cost perspective, the E46 will be cheaper. Newer, lower mileage, and fewer things to go wrong (no viscous couplings to kill, for example). Furthermore, buying an automatic E30 is stupid. Old automatics are terrible and will suck any joy you might have gotten from the car out of it. The E46 steptronic is MUCH better (although still shitty - the only good automatic that I've ever driven is the ZF 8 speed).

There is really nothing in an E46 that is difficult to work on. If anything, it's easier because the car will frequently tell you what's wrong.

[Gordo0208]

I think the E46 is your best bet. They honestly aren't as difficult to work on as people make it out to be but, I might feel that way because I work at a dealer and see them often. Honestly, your biggest fear should be "has the car been crashed? Has major bodywork been done to the car?" I can't tell you how many times we get cars coming into the shop with all sorts of electrical issues due to body shops hacking EVERYTHING up. Other than that E46's are pretty reliable man. The intake boots like to tear to so replace that as soon as you get it to avoid headaches in the future; the rear springs like to break (yes, literally the bottom coil breaks); take care of your common leaks like oil filter housing, valve cover, oil pan, and the front diff seals (sounds worse than it is but, M20's leak oil for days anyway); and I suggest a cooling system overhaul for peace of mind.

At least with the E46 you won't have to worry about eccentric adjustments, cam seal leaks, distributor cap, rotor and ignition timing, or timing belts snapping, motherboard crapping out, A/C conversions, etc. I mean come on the car will be AT THE VERY LEAST 23 years old, even if you find one E46 with 125,000 miles and one E30 with 125,000 miles the chances are the M20 will need a rebuild before the M52 or M54 does and as the man above me said, E30 automatic transmissions are just so effing sh***y; I think you'd need 4.10 diff to get SOME if ANY enjoyment out of it (ask me how I know).

The cost of ownership really depends on how often you have to spend money on the car and chances are things on the E30 will be breaking much sooner than on the E46 unless you buy one from someone who has taken immpecable care of it in which case you might be spending the same amount of money as if you were to buy an E46. And just remember, if you have a budget $5,000 for example you always have to tack on another $2,000 more or less for immediate repairs (something you might have overlooked during the initial inspection or something that breaks within the first month etc.)

But, that's just my two cents, best of luck with whatever you decide.

[TimKninja]

E46s are pretty good cars, as long as they've never been overheated. If you get one, make sure EVERY bit of the cooling system is replaced.

E30s will always need little things all of the time. But be cheaper to fix
E46s will need less work less oftenly, but will cost more when the time comes.

The newest BMW Id buy would be an E46. I wouldnt touch an E90 with a 10 foot pole.

[Dirty325ix]

I would get the e46 then one day get a beater e30 if you want some fun.....I get so tired of DDing my ix with bad speakers and bad a/c that it kills me....I take the bus now and just drive my car on nice weekends now And I'm only 23....almost a waste of money if it wasn't so fun

[Todd Black 88]

Never owned an e30ix, but owned an e46 325xit for 10 years, so here is my take in it.

Build quality is much better then anything they made after it, and miles better then the e36.

Weak cooling systems, and the replacement parts are the same. You may change your coolant reservoir 3-4 times in 100k miles. I know people who have done this. Thermostats are the same. Problematic. I replaced mine 4 times due to failure, but thankfully it always jammed open.

They eat front suspension parts and bushings like any other modern BMW. Rear springs will break, and if you get an auto, it will consume brake rotors and pads like no other car I have ever owned.

The real issue with xi e46 cars is front cv boots and axles. The boots split with regularity, and if not caught quickly this will destroy your cv joint. I mean regularly. In the 10 years I owned mine I replaced the boots 4 times by themselves, and 3 front axles because I was too late. The local BmW wrecker has a wait list for axles for these cars, it's so prevelant.
There is no aftermarket supply for different boots.

[BeaterE30]

I cant really speak for the e46, but I daily drove my brothers 325ix and this thing was beat to SHIT. the main issues included a squeaky belt at start up, popping out of reverse gear, fucked up driver door, fucked up door locks, as well as a myriad of different things. My brother DD'd this up in tahoe and did almost no maintenance on it other than oil changes. Timing belt and water pump were changed when i got it, but thats about it.

That being said.... I loved that car. I still do. Once I got it started, the thing was a beast. Great for DD'ing, great in the snow, super fun to drive. My point is even though it was barely taken care of and was relatively old, it ran great (minus a few issues) and was super fun to drive. Would highly recommend.

[fiveightandten]

For a DD, the E46, without a question. It's more modern, more comfortable, more reliable, safer, and a more solid car. That being said, get a 330. They have more standard features, much more power, better brakes, and actually do better on gas. It's better than the 325 in every way. If you're not getting a wagon, I'd go that route.

E30 is a great fun car. But parts for E30 xi's are expensive, and everything is different from normal E30s. It's not like having a 325i, where you can use parts off most other E30s.

The E46 is also easier to work on. FWIW, I daily drive an E46 330ci (RWD coupe), through the winter and everything here in CT. My last DD was a WRX. The 330ci gets around fine in the show with good tires on it, and it's way more fun and better on gas than AWD, 99% of the time when there's no snow. I decided I don't need the AWD for the 1% of the time that there's actually snow on the ground. Anything under 5", it gets through just fine. Don't convince yourself you need AWD unless you actually do.

[audiquattrot]

it really comes down to what exact car you end up comparing and the maintenance behind it. I DD my iX, but I'm also pretty damn anal when it comes to when issues arise....so over the years it hasn't been necessarily a cheap car to maintain, but again I didn't have to go to the lengths/repairs I did to keep her running. If you're ok w/ quirks here and there, and having the car get from point A to point B, there is nothing wrong w/ the E30, assuming its running. Even if the transfer case is shot, the car will still get you around. Issues that have come up several times is transfer case related stuff (front diff splines stripping), axle boots & auto tranny (which I replaced to a manual).

My neighbor has had a 330xi (E46) for 6-7yrs now, and it has seemed to be a good reliable car. Cooling system is one issue that has been recurring, but aside from that it sounds like a solid car too.

[iXerces]

I've had my 90 iX for nearly a year now. While mine is not even close to the caliber of Audi's, I too have decided to attack/prevent issues rather than live with them. Still, it has been reasonable on my budget to maintain and she made it through the Fargo winter without a problem. Now with some fresh suspension pieces is every bit the car I want it to be, though I did just catch a tear in my front CV boot yesterday...

My mom and brother each DD an E46 330xi ('05 and '02 respectively). While they've had a few issues (including attention to the dreaded cooling system), on the whole they have both been very good cars. But they will always lack the soul and style of the E30 I am afraid.

[RedReplicant]

I had an E46 325ix 5spd for a few years and put 75k miles on it. Stock other than H&R coilovers, 17x8.5 / 17x9.5 wheels, and an exhaust. Loved that car and it was pretty damn flawless over the entire time I owned it. A few window regulators and suspension bushings are all I put into it.

[moreoff]

i also DD a 2002 e46 325xi. i love it, only been a month. but so far so good.

my e30 is a summer only 325i