e46 or e30

[appletree]

Am a bit stuck i fell in love with the e30 an amlooking to by a 325i sport but am strugaling to find any that arnt at the other end of the contry, but the more i reasurch the e30 different people paint a better picture of them than others. some say al be forever under it fixing it. and others say there a amazing carto own and drive. whats your opinion? e30 or save and geta 46?

[m3ben05]

Depends what you want the car for i guess. If you want a quiet, comfortable and classy car to cruise around in go for the e46.

If you want more fun and dont mind living with a car that is 14 years old minimum then go for the e30. IMO id definately have an e46 325 over an e30 unless i wanted to gut it and use it as a track car.

Just my opinion tho, i know a lot of people will disagree with me, this is an e30 site afterall!

[Zayyan]

As Ben says, it depends on what you use it for. Though not sure about his implication that the E30 isn't quiet, comfortable or classy

I've done 25,000-odd miles in my 316i now and despite the small engine it's a great all-rounder and is just as happy being chucked about as it is on the motorway munching up the miles.

If you don't do a huge mileage and therefore don't have fuel to consider, a Sport will be great fun. You won't have depreciation to worry about, and the E30 looks old skool rather than old these days so you'd have a car that's forever cool, rather than a car which looks more and more outdated as time goes on if you bought the E46.

Just keep looking, the right car will come along

[appletree]

i do want a fun car, with a bit of caracter! is the e30 realy the last tail happy unadulterated fun car? i think al hold out and try and find a 325isport.

[Zayyan]

is the e30 realy the last tail happy unadulterated fun car?

In a word....yeah.

[m3ben05]

Ni implication intended, thet are indeed classy, most are comfortable (not mine) and some are quiet (again, not mine)

Iv driven a lot of e46 and they are nowhere near as fun, they are bland and have no character!

[E30BeemerLad]

Am a bit stuck i fell in love with the e30 an amlooking to by a 325i sport but am strugaling to find any that arnt at the other end of the contry, but the more i reasurch the e30 different people paint a better picture of them than others. some say al be forever under it fixing it. and others say there a amazing carto own and drive. whats your opinion? e30 or save and geta 46?

The E30 and the E46 are so far apart in my view it is a case of you either want an E30 or you don't mate.

As already said, you have to be prepared for what comes with a car that is at least 14 years old, so there will be occasions where something lets you down and there will be components to be replaced along the way, but it's part of the fun and in some cases the parts you replace are sometimes upgraded parts making the ownership more enjoyable.

For the right car you have got to be prepared to travel though, no point buying something that's nearly there on first appraisal because it is within 30 miles as other problems may come along.

Set out your budget (realistic) and just keep your eyes peeled on here, ebay & autotrader to name a few, plus TotalBMW mag etc. Do your homework and possibly take a zoner with you to look as they will know what to look for, how things should sound, feel etc. Invaluable.

Does it have to be a sport? You are paying a premium for some kit, leather, lsd & a closer ratio box, all of which would cost about about Ԛ£1200 for top quality used items from breakers and people on here. You could buy the add-ons as you go along and as funds permit.

You want to buy the best example car you can afford, something that has evidence of money being spent and is not rotten.

Just ask questions on here and search through the posts first as your questions will have been asked many times before.

Good luck, hope you find a belter, they are out there.....

[maxfield]

THey are going to be biased about the E30 here and people on an
E46 site will be biased about the E46

[roofer8]

i have both, a facelift 330 e46, and a 325 touring e30.

the two are chalk/cheese.

the e30 is for fun, as i actually enjoy taking bm's apart, and putting them back, how they should be, so its a hobby, as well, though the lsd/sport box is amusing to say the least.

the 330 (manual, no auto girlboxes for me thanks) is a rocket in comparison, and for everyday use, is unbeatable imo.

but now and again, you just want to go and do some opposite lockery, without nanny dsc/asc/bbc and itv, interfering......thats when its nice to have the touring to play with.......

[nadz325i]

dsc/asc/bbc and itv, interfering......thats when its nice to have the touring to play with.......

lmao

[M5pilot]

Driven quite a few E46's and they are brilliant cars especially in 330i guise.

An E30 has to be in top notch mechanical condition and the suspension has to be spot on to be as fun as people say they are. They can be modified into something that is pure driving pleasure.

I would have to disagree that the E46's are lifeless to drive - again it dpends on the condition of the car.

Ask yourself what you want out of a car then go from there. Tru to get a drive in a good 325i sport with good suspension first.

[roofer8]

Driven quite a few E46's and they are brilliant cars especially in 330i guise.



I would have to disagree that the E46's are lifeless to drive - again it dpends on the condition of the car.

agreed......the 4 pots are hard work.........but have good grip

[m3ben05]

I only said they were bland from my personal experience. Driving an e46, even the M3 is nowhere near as fun as driving an e30 M3.

A 330 may well be more interesting than a bog standard e30, having only driven one non M3 e30 i cant really say.

[M5pilot]

E30 M3 is a an experience! A standard E30 does not even come close. Didnt look at your sig to see what you drive to make that comment but now I totally agree with you.

[m3ben05]

Although, i drove a 318is with H&r suspension. That was amazing fun, same sort of feel as the M3 just not as fast.

It just shows that a few mods in the right place to a standard e30 and it can be a really amazing drive

[mrLEE30]

I have a Z3 coupe with the 3 litre engine and as all said above modern cars and E30's are chalk and cheese. ok its not an E46 but a modern car none the less

Modern 3.0 bm engine is incredible and the Z3 is great fun to drive especially with the electronis aids off, but nothing brings a grin to my face like my sport or my cab.

My opinion buy a nice sport, spend a bit on it, and buy a new cheap car to get around in.

mrlee

[E46ACS]

You could be greedy like me, and have one of each!!!!

But you really are comparing apples and oranges. I have both. And they are completely different. Each gives me pleasure to drive, but in different ways. You are also comparing what is now almost 20 year old technology, with 6 year old technology.

If I didn't have the e30, and I wanted to replace my e46, I would never consider an e30 as an option. That is not to say that the e30 isn't a fantastic car, 'cos it is, but in a completely different way. I am just very lucky to be in a position to have one of each, and I have no intention of changing either of them! They both serve a different purpose, and they both do that very, very well!

[faz262987]

i have a e30 325i SPORT FOR SALE WHERE R U FROM

[DieselMeister]

My last car was a 330Ci Sport and I currently have a Mundano and a Sport. I miss the 330 - is probably the best car you could hope to own on most levels. But the Sport is much more fun. It doesn't have huge reserves of grip from 255/30 ZR18s which means that a) its cheaper to shod and b) you really have to drive it. The 330Ci has better balance, construction and more usuability but the E0 brings you closer to the action and gives you the original "mini bimmer" experience for the price of the options on a well specced E46.

Unless you want t ospend 10k plus on a decent 325 E46, I say get a good sport in the 3-4k range and spend some cash on getting it tip-top

I'm not at all biased (I've had E36s as well) - just give a good one a try and you'll soon see that they can be big fun.