^^^I've heard the automatics in that car were sourced from GM and are a trouble spot. If you're getting a BMW get a stick. If you want a manual maybe you would be better off with a Volvo.

2/4/2010 3:51:49 PM

my 323i was a manual

2/4/2010 4:16:54 PM

So many conflicting opinions of TWW

2/4/2010 6:19:36 PM

I, too, have heard bad things about the GM-sourced auto box on the 323's.

They're also not all that powerful--test-drove one back in the day and was not impressed.

2/4/2010 6:44:38 PM

seriously though, ask ahmet or bigt716 about my 323i. it was bad.

2/4/2010 9:28:16 PM

So is it just the auto 323 I should worry about?

2/5/2010 12:30:06 AM

^^ Why don't you just tell us?

2/5/2010 12:48:35 AM

.

Jeep Grand Cherokees. I had one in high school and it was bullet proof. I'm actually on the market for a 96-98 V8 Limited, but haven't found the right one yet. My old one was a 4.0 though.

2/5/2010 9:40:32 AM

^you're the first one I know that think those are bulletproofs. I have a friend who has one and the transmission went out at 120k.

2/5/2010 10:00:38 AM

bad brakes, under powered, control arm bushing failure, feature poor, window regulator failure, crappy feel. it was far from being "the ultimate driving machine". IMO the 328/330 is well worth the extra cost.

2/5/2010 10:03:22 AM

^you bought the base model BMW, how can you possibly fault the car for being under powered and low on features? That's like me hating my Honda S2000 b/c it doesn't have low end torque.

2/5/2010 10:21:58 AM

So 328/330 is a safe bet?

like this http://tinyurl.com/yd9tz2y

[Edited on February 5, 2010 at 11:17 AM. Reason : f]

2/5/2010 11:12:27 AM

^^it was supposed to be the ultimate driving machine!

2/5/2010 12:47:24 PM

Well none are bullet proof but mine definitely took abuse well. I replaced a water pump that's about it. I guess I'm just used to thowing parts at my current car every other weekend, so maybe I'm a little skewed.

2/5/2010 1:30:56 PM

^^that's the dumbest fucking thing i've ever heard. you bought a low end BMW.. what the hell did you expect?

i was expecting some horror story of some kind of catastrophic failure to something expensive and you're all "yea, it was a low end model that didnt have a lot of power or features". ya fucking think?

[Edited on February 5, 2010 at 2:00 PM. Reason : asdf]

2/5/2010 1:59:35 PM

Damn...A worn out control arm bushing and a window regulator. That's like $150 worth of parts and a few hours of labor. That's not shit.

You should have thought about the rest of your gripes before you bought the car.

2/5/2010 2:16:38 PM

I.. don't think you guys understand.

The e46 323i really is a shitpile of an automobile. It probably single handedly turned me off of BMWs, it took a week of powersliding my M3 just to be OK with BMWs again.

They blow head gaskets, they have the head studs pull out, have exhaust manifold leaks, perpetually breaking window regulators, and probably the worst interior of an e46 I've seen. One can sometimes overlook reliability issues, but these were on top of having the softest suspension of any BMW I can think of, it was floatier than a 300k e30 318i, extremely under powered, very little brake feel, so forth. They are BAAAAAD.

2/5/2010 2:30:52 PM

sigh, i realize that it was a base model but it seemed especially bad. some things are greater than the sum of their parts while other things are equal or worse. to me, the 323i was worse.

i've also driven low-end e36s, a4s, passats, jettas and c class mercedes' that just seemed to be much more put together. all i'm trying to say is that for the money i feel there are better cars to be had.

to reiterate, yes i realize it was a base model.

2/5/2010 2:40:07 PM

fuck that car...twice

2/5/2010 2:46:06 PM

Alright, I think I'm going to make a purchase this weekend. Does anyone have any opinion on this?

http://tinyurl.com/yzc3eoy

I entered the car into KBB and came up with 7350. If I pay with cash, can I expect to pay less than that?

2/8/2010 7:54:25 PM

Transmission: AUTO

2/8/2010 8:31:52 PM

That's a lot of money for a 10 year old commuter car. For seven grand you could buy a real sports car. Or a van that would actually carry something. Or a truck that would pull something. It looks like I'm late jumping on the BMW hate bandwagon, but really they're just german fords.

2/8/2010 8:35:44 PM

1. I have had a 3000gt since 04 and am tired of having a sports car, honestly.
2. I'm looking for a 4door, 30mpg, auto, commuter that is comfortable to drive and will last me 40k miles without major work.
3. I can afford up to 9k, but I figure that 7k leaves me enough to do repairs for the next 3 years.

I understand that most people on TWW really like the subaru 2.5RS, but I don't need AWD, nor do I particularly like they way they look.

I was looking at Jettas and Passats but everything I read says they suffer between 70k-120k, which is mileage that I can afford.

The audi a4/s4 looks good but all I seem to find are minor repairs that end up costing $texas over time.

My roommate has a 07 golf and has already said, "never again".

I'm really open to suggestions. I, like several on this board, really like the way the E39 and E36 look. If you have any other options, I'd love to hear them asap.

2/8/2010 9:11:03 PM

i think it'd be worth driving a volvo s60. there seem to be a few within 20 miles of that bmw for less money. i have no idea how the non R cars compare to the 328 but it couldn't hurt to drive one. mazda 6s seem to be coming down as well. (i don't know much about them though)

2/8/2010 10:12:29 PM

Six years newer. 20 more horsepower. 30,000 less miles. But it's not a BMW.
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/1586971919.html

2/8/2010 10:13:44 PM

^definitely drive one of those as well

2/8/2010 10:14:59 PM

It can't be any worse than all the other fords I've owned.

2/8/2010 11:32:20 PM

Quote :

"1. I have had a 3000gt since 04 and am tired of having a sports car, honestly. "

hahahahahahahaha





sports car?











hahahahahahahahaha

2/8/2010 11:36:48 PM

^Thank you for posting that as it's exactly how I feel and yet I'd never have come out and said it...

As for the 328i, it's probably a fine car though I'd consider some other options as well, including a Mazda 3 and a WRX. A Volvo S60 (T5 AWD w/a manual) would be worth looking at, but harder to find in a manual transmission. Also, Saab 9-3's are certainly worth a look as well.

2/9/2010 12:47:15 AM

Quote :

"If I pay with cash, can I expect to pay less than that?"

is it from a dealer? if it's for sale by owner, then you'll always pay cash anyway.

2/9/2010 2:04:54 AM

^^^I don't know how else to define it.

It's fun to drive but I'm tired of people trying to race me on my way to the grocery store. I think I may have just grown up, or something.

^I'll be from a dealer. I've never personally haggled with a dealer. I'm not really the type. I'll look for some Volvo S60's, thanks.

I also saw this, though I don't trust Cary Auto Sales after reading the google reviews:

http://tinyurl.com/yzl2hwe

2/9/2010 2:59:39 AM

not to come off as overly harsh but the base and SL model 3000GTs are just flashy luxury coupes, all show and no go. The 3000GT VR4 is a sports car/GT but I'm guessing that's not the one you have.

All the choices mentioned are solid, good luck in your search.

2/9/2010 8:17:53 AM

lol I'm not offended. I got the car when I was 17 and that was all I could afford. I'm actually in the process of selling it and have found that the price disparity between the SL and VR-4 has grown even larger than when I bought mine. Hell, I still can't afford one now

2/9/2010 11:55:29 AM

I picked up an E39 in the fall. Read about my adventures here: http://brentroad.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=577117

I'd advise against it if you don't want to work on it. I'd also be DEFINITELY against it if you had to finance it.

Here's the list so far of stuff I've done to it:
Power Steering Hoses
ABS Control Unit
MID display
Ignition Coils
Windshelid Gasket
14 qts of Mobil 1
2 Mann Filters, 4 tires
Spark Plugs, Fuel Filter
Intake Boot
Brake Booster
Crank Case Vent


...step away slowly.

[Edited on February 9, 2010 at 3:38 PM. Reason : .]

2/9/2010 3:33:53 PM

i had a 1988 mazda 323 hatchback. $500. lasted 4 years and i just replaced the battery one time.

all you had to do was put a quart of oil in it like every month or so. it changed itself!

2/9/2010 5:53:19 PM

^^

That is a gigantic list for a car with 65k miles. Wtf happened?

2/9/2010 6:18:12 PM

^^^It seems like the majority of those items you found when you first bought it.

2/9/2010 7:15:37 PM

Well I've already put around 17k miles on it

But most of those are common failures on e39s believe it or not.

2/9/2010 7:33:13 PM

Anything wrong with xi bmw's? Complications, etc.?

2/10/2010 2:11:33 PM

Nah not really just slower, heavier, worse gas mileage and little bit more expensive to maintain. My car sucks in the snow though.

2/10/2010 2:23:37 PM

^what tires do you have on it?

2/10/2010 2:24:53 PM

Kumho Ecsta ATS...cheap all seasons. They're not bad, I'm just used to 4wd trucks.

2/10/2010 4:24:59 PM

You can't blame a car for being crap in the snow when you put crap tires on it

2/10/2010 4:37:00 PM

I really like the S60. I've driven one, and ridden in a few--very nice interiors, GREAT seats if you can find one with the sport package and the standard ones are good. Good-looking. The one I drove handled pretty well and was responsive, and it was just the standard 2.5T, not the T5 or R. Good luck finding one that's not an R with a 5-speed though.

2/10/2010 4:39:25 PM

it's rwd yea i can

2/10/2010 4:50:57 PM

Where should I take my car to be inspected before I buy it, around here?

2/12/2010 2:34:24 AM

^^what's this myth about RWD cars being bad in the snow? Other than starting from a standstill its superior to a FWD car in the snow if you don't drive like a jackass (given identical tires).

^you find a car?

2/12/2010 8:19:35 AM

From my limited experience, it's a pain in the ass getting an RWD car up an icy hill, not nearly so hard with FWD. I think it's the push vs. pull issue. Also, using my car as an example, if I leave the traction control on, it stays pretty straight but has no balls, since as soon as one of the wheels starts to slip, it cuts power. If I turn the TC off, I fishtail like a mofo. And this is driving carefully, and on all-season tires. Is snow/ice driving one of those odd situations where a wider tire is not better? (245/255)

Or maybe I'm just a bad driver in winter weather. I am from this state, after all.

2/12/2010 9:36:12 AM

FWD is better than RWD in the snow/ice in almost all situations.

For starters, most FWD cars are nose heavy. Putting weight on the drive tires helps traction. At best most RWD cars will have 50/50 weight distribution. Most of them will actually be nose heavy which hurts them even worst. I guess you could fill the trunk with ballast to put more weight on the rears in a RWD vehicle, but nobody is doing that shit with their car.

Second, snow is one of the few situations where it is preferable to steer with the wheels that have the power. On the super slick stuff the RWD car will barely steer as the front wheels just slide straight when you turn them. The FWD car will have the added benefit of the tires literally pulling the car in the direction you steer.

2/12/2010 9:52:05 AM

Here is what I found: http://tinyurl.com/ye6yrmz

It has literally everything that I was looking for except the sport package. The fact that it is the exact color combination, year, mileage, and within 10 miles of my house is pretty crazy. The Cold Weather Package is a big plus.

1. They just put it out for sale 9 days ago.
2. I test drove it and it was fine, I didn't notice/hear anything wrong.
3. Everything is very clean. Inside and out. The engine looks like it was cleaned by a person with OCD.
4. There is a chip in the windshield. They offered to take 200 off or replace the windshield.
5. The KBB is 8640 (not including the Cold Weather Package). So the price is exactly what it should be. I was going to offer 8500.
6. The used car lot looks to be legit, not like the first lot I went to.

2/12/2010 10:36:40 AM