Talk to me about e46 323ci

[bowtie2bimmer]

I am going to look at at a 2000 323CI. 190k miles. Manual trans.

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/2000-bmw-e46/6501406727.html

What is good/bad about this car? Any common issues for the 323 or the e46 in general?

A friend of mine says the 323 has a weaker chassis than the 325 and is prone to the rear shock housing breaking through the body. Is this true and if so is it 323 specific thing or is it a problem on all e46s?

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[slammin.e28]

Earlier e46s are more prone to the rear subframe failure than later (facelift) ones. Or so it seems when looking at the list of cars involved with the class action lawsuit years ago.

323 is a little anemic imo, but we have a customer with 300k on one going strong. The manual trans helps.

Normal BMW things go wrong, water pump, t-stat, cooling system, oil filter housing gasket, valve cover gaskets, window regulators.

I love e46s. I could work on them all day. They're amazing cars. Arguably the last good BMW in terms of reliability, friendly ownership, and DIY-ability.

[bowtie2bimmer]

How can I check for the subframe issues? What should I look for?

As for anemic, how bad? I have 2 motorcycles I commute with too. I just need a foul weather car that's still fun to drive (I just moved to Colorado). I get my raw power fix from the bikes [emoji16]

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[slammin.e28]

How can I check for the subframe issues? What should I look for?

As for anemic, how bad? I have 2 motorcycles I commute with too. I just need a foul weather car that's still fun to drive (I just moved to Colorado). I get my raw power fix from the bikes [emoji16]

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They're just kinda meh to me. I have a 330i/5. It's a blast.

You'll have to get into the trunk/under it to look for cracking. Really bad ones will make noise from the rear.

[bowtie2bimmer]

Haha yea I bet the 330 is a blast. Sadly my budget is 3500 and I can't find those in my price range.

I drove a 325ix estate with an auto. That thing was anemic. But I attribute that to it weighing a ton and auto.

Thanks for the heads up on the cracks. I'll keep an eye out for that.

Any other things to be aware of?

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[IceWhite]

I agree with slammin.e28. They are amazing cars.

Also, I can add the fuel pump which can leave you stranded. If this particular one, an M52, is an easy catch (If I may call it that!) then it does not suffer the fate of the later models of high oil consumption due to the low tension oil rings that the later M54's have.

If you're really looking for an E46, than the one you want is the 330i specifically the ZHP, which you guys in the US are lucky to have.

Don't mean to scare you, but here is some light reading for you too!
E46 BUYERS GUIDE - read first before purchasing

Top 10 E46 Failures

Good Luck and let us know the outcome.

[MR E30 325is]

I have always been slightly attracted to the E46. 330i or M3 though. The more base models look too blah to me.

A 323 would be a great commuter car IMO.

[slammin.e28]

I've had my 330i since 2008 and 50k miles. I'm at 213k now. It's been an amazing car. I cannot fault it. Obviously YMMV, but they're so easy to work on. You can get a shitty one, for sure, and I'm sure my good impression is because I've had the car since it's infancy. I don't see how people let e46s get shitty. They're so easy to maintain and have a good balance of creature comforts vs complexity.

[flyboyx]

323i:

it sounds like a car that your wife might use to get the kids to ballet practice.

[Stanley Rockafella]

Considering the age of these cars, I dunno why anyone would bother with a 320, 323, 325 etc when a 330i is worth about the same and costs roughly the same for maintenance.

Lol, I posted that at 3:23 local time
:nice:

[bowtie2bimmer]

Well I agreed to get it. $2700. He has to go getvthe title so funds haven't changed hands yet.

Show me a 330 with a manual in the Denver area for $2700 and I'd be about it. But at my LOW price, I don't think I can find better.

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[acolella76]

Awesome! The 2.5 motors aren't that bad. You have to drive them like a 4 cylinder but that's kind of fun sometimes. I agree, you won't find a 330 in decent condition for that price. But you can always swap to 330 parts over time.

Personally I would rather save the money over buying a ZHP and spend that difference on parts that make a difference like suspension and a LSD. Who cares if you have a ZHP when you're losing traction over a wet leaf.

I don't see how people let e46s get shitty. They're so easy to maintain and have a good balance of creature comforts vs complexity.

You really just have to not give a fuck about anything to completely trash an E46.

[bowtie2bimmer]

Crappy photos but you get the idea. I am gonna clean it up tomorrow and get some better pics.

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[slammin.e28]

Awesome! The 2.5 motors aren't that bad. You have to drive them like a 4 cylinder but that's kind of fun sometimes. I agree, you won't find a 330 in decent condition for that price. But you can always swap to 330 parts over time.



Personally I would rather save the money over buying a ZHP and spend that difference on parts that make a difference like suspension and a LSD. Who cares if you have a ZHP when you're losing traction over a wet leaf.







You really just have to not give a fuck about anything to completely trash an E46.

Totally agree about the zhp. They’re cool, but a regular 330i/5 is worth more to the spec guys [emoji23][emoji23]


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[bikerbill2021]

I had a red 00 323CI with a stick for quite a while, got up to 260k on it, drove it all over the nation, it was a solid car, mine thankfully fell under the subframe recall when I had it, so I had that fixed free of charge, something north of 5k of a bill for it.

It never let me down, even when the clutch popped I was still able to limp it home, had the fuel pump start dying on my 2 hours from home, got it in the garage and it let go right there, it was a great reliable car