E46 vs E90

[kway]

Seriously gas mileage is horrible on e90s. No matter how much you baby it its a guzzler

Have to disagree. I averaged 30mpg on a Boston To Baltimore trip last spring without even trying. Made it in 6.5 hours on one tank of gas.

According to the OBC, I'm averaging 26.8 on my commute from southern NH to Boston and
A: fair amount of city/bumper to bumper highway traffic involved
B: I drive like an asshole

[ohthejosh]

Idk man, mine is just burning through fuel regardless.

[naplesE30]

Wife 328 e90 gets 30mpg on the highway 25 in town like clockwork. What major issues would you look for in an e46 before purchase? Are the autos as prone to failure as the e90 is

[nrubenstein]

Early E46 autos are a disaster. The later 5spd variants are OK.

The big thing to look out for in an E46 is rear subframe mount failure.

[funcrew]

Thanks to everyone for your input.

Early E46 autos are a disaster. The later 5spd variants are OK.

The big thing to look out for in an E46 is rear subframe mount failure.

Is replacement on these comparable to the same job on an E30?

[evandael]

my father owned an e46 and it was a very easy car to do DIY work on. he never took it to a shop, always fixed things himself.


i was always surprised at the prices he paid for wear parts (cheap).. it was a reasonable car!

[318isfc3s]

I had a 2002 325i with premium and sport package. I really enjoyed it, besides the fact it didn't have a lsd. There were a couple maintenance problems but can all be diy. At around 50k the alternator went out, at about 98k the trans failed and at about 102k the car started to overheat so I changed the waterpump and thermostat, problems went away. And at around 120k the oil filter housing gasket started to leak, easy fix though.
I did put the AA supercharger on it which made it a lot funner to drive after that but, it wasn't too bad before either though.
It is about personal preference though I think. I would just go look at both and drive them and see which you like best. I used e46fanatics a lot for information on my diy projects.

[nrubenstein]

Thanks to everyone for your input.



Is replacement on these comparable to the same job on an E30?

No. The bushings last a long ass time. The mounting points on the frame tear out.

Later cars were reinforced, but are not perfect. You can assume that a 323 or 328 will fail.

The BEST E46 to drive is an early model manual with a 3.0 swapped in. The '99 steering was a lot like an E36, and they still had cable throttles. The best factory car is a 330i from no earlier than 2002. '01s frequently had the Ultimate Parking Machine steering rack, the horror of which cannot truly be comprehended without experiencing it.

[QUKBMER]

Just buy another e30.;) I hate both of those cars,i would buy a 93 to 95 325i or a e34 525i first before i would buy one of those cars..:pimp: I have working around BMW's now for around 17 years now. Just wouldnt be one of my first two picks. Plus 95 and older are OBD 1.

[funcrew]

The mounting points on the frame tear out.

That sound semi-unrepairable, no?

[JeST]

That sound semi-unrepairable, no?

Yes, but to a degree. If the tear in the body is too long then it's deemed unrepairable. Turner made a subframe reinforcement kit to remedy the issue but it requires the entire rear to be dropped. I've done a few group buys on labor for ~$600 (kit costs $140). Without a group buy should be around 7-800$ in labor.

[nrubenstein]

That sound semi-unrepairable, no?

Only if you're a complete ass about maintenance. The car will start to sound and feel horrible long before the failure is that bad.

My 323 came with a small crack and my old '04 M3 cracked. Old cars crack the left rear, newer cars crack the right front. (They reinforced the rear.)

Edit: Ideally, if you do it before maintenance, you can just drop the subframe and epoxy the reinforcement plates on. This has a couple of advantages: 1) No compromising rust protection with welding as you can't paint inside the rail that easily. 2) No welding needed, so it's simpler to DIY.

That said, getting a mobile welder hobbyist to show up at your house is probably not that difficult or expensive and it doesn't take that much talent to MIG the plates in.