[motorsport_cat]

Hi everyone! I am looking for used E30s, E36s and E46s. Which ones are most reliable/easier to maintain? Also, should I be looking for ones that are low-mileage, or ones that have a higher mileage but that underwent recent repairs? I am coming from a '95 740iL which is just to much for me at the moment. I am also open minded about E34 and E39s, as long as they aren't equipped with the V8.

[QUiKSR20]

If your lucky try to find an E46 ZHP Sedan, These were pretty awesome.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-3-Series...torefresh=true

Had an E30 ( 325is ) It was a blast but super hard to find rust free where they dont want a ton of money...

Any E36 ( 328/325 ) iS model would be a blast too, Pretty reliable if it was taken car of..

Happy Shopping!

[motorsport_cat]

Originally Posted by QUiKSR20

If your lucky try to find an E46 ZHP Sedan, These were pretty awesome.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-3-Series...torefresh=true

Had an E30 ( 325is ) It was a blast but super hard to find rust free where they dont want a ton of money...

Any E36 ( 328/325 ) iS model would be a blast too, Pretty reliable if it was taken car of..

Happy Shopping!

A manual ZHP is the dream

[QUiKSR20]

Originally Posted by motorsport_cat

A manual ZHP is the dream

Agreed

[SakhirM4]

Originally Posted by motorsport_cat

A manual ZHP is the dream

Agree. Had a 2004 330i ZHP with 6MT. Great car and loved it. Only got rid of it because I got a 2006 M3.

[1LegitM235i]

I definitely recommend a ZHP if you can find one in great condition, but you'll be paying for quite a bit with low miles.

I was lucky to find one and bought this back in Oct for my son with 55k miles on it. I jumped on it as soon as I saw it. Very well maintained by the original owner and was in excellent condition. The one listed above from ebay is marked up like hell. When ever I can, I drive it when my son is not using it.

[motorsport_cat]

Originally Posted by 1LegitM235i

I definitely recommend a ZHP if you can find one in great condition, but you'll be paying for quite a bit with low miles.

I was lucky to find one and bought this back in Oct for my son with 55k miles on it. I jumped on it as soon as I saw it. Very well maintained by the original owner and was in excellent condition. The one listed above from ebay is marked up like hell. When ever I can, I drive it when my son is not using it.

Wow that is one clean E46. I would probably borrow a little too!

[1LegitM235i]

Thank bro! I told my son he's rollin' with a car like that. Not many 19 yr old drives one. I certainly wasn't driving one at that age. The ZHP is parked next to my 235i and it's a about the same size. That's why I love the E46s, they are still smaller in size to maintain a great driving agility.

[///mawana]

ZHP for sure!

[gimmethemuumuu]

I think the E46 is a great platform. My first Beemer was an E46. Great cars! In fact, that Steel Blue/Black '02 325i Sedan is still owned and driven by brother. Nearly 190K miles and still going strong. Certainly, some of the plastics are wearing out on these cars. So, maintenance will be necessary. However, with great resources like E46 Fanatics, you'll do just fine

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by NaptownBimmerKid

I had a e46 1999 328i sedan as my second car at 17. What a dream that car was....id say get an e46 with under 100k miles and you should be golden. Mine was STILL going strong when I sold it at 160K+.

The E90's have too many electronics, and honestly were not built as well as the older bimmers.

Ahhh, I'm not so sure. I had an 1989 E30 from new that I drove to 250,000 miles and my E90 now at 293K. I'd say both cars are comparable in durability. The E90 has taken a lot less maintenance (i.e. no cam belt changes, no valve adjustments, no plug wires, no distributor caps, no antenna replacements, no wheel bearings, etc.).

I will say, I recently drove a friend's 275,000 mile 2001 325i E46, that had not been well maintained. I was checking on the clutch wear. I was impressed on how good shape the car was in considering the level of abuse it has seemed to gone through.