Is 3xx in E46 chassis much worse than E36 reliability wise? Anything aside from expensive suspension parts and halogen bulb housings falling apart quickly I should be watching for in e46? Pass on 4bangers for 6 pots? Are there thicker aftermarket front rotors that are less prone to warping?
Reliability aside how did handling progresses from e30 all the way to e46? Are xi models much less fun then 'i's?
I'm leaning towards e36 with an LSD (no awd on e36, right?) unless you talk me out of it.
The import tariffs are prohibitive for anything older than 14years in my neck of the woods so my guess is E30 is out of the picture?
If import tariffs are problematic, I don't understand why you are not considering the E46 above the E36. My E36 has long since passed the 14 year mark, and the remaining years of production are closing in on that mark in the next two years. Seems to me this would make your ownership window be just 1 or 2 years if you bought the last production E36 that was built. We are in the 2011 model year, so subtracting 14 would give you a 1997 model car. If you bought a 1998, you would have until the 2012 model cars, which launch in a few months.
Given you situation, I'd not even think of the E36, and find a good E46 instead.
I'm on my second E36, and both of my kids drive an E46, and rotors are not an issue. I've not warped any rotors on my cars, and my older daughter wore her front rotors thinner than the minimum spec and had no warping. My younger daughter's car had four worn out rotors on it when I bought it used, and they were not warped at all. Rotors are cheap, and easy to replace. I replaced all four rotors and sets of pads in an afternoon, and spent about $300 for the parts. I bought a complete set of plated, slotted, and cross-drilled rotors for my E36, and the pads to complete the project, for $200-ish from a brake supplier on eBay. The front rotors were not machined properly and has thickness variations that fellt like warping. The company sent me a new set of front rotors that also were not true. I paid $35 for the pair to have them machined to true, and they work very well. I paid another $35 to have the first set machined, and put them on my daughter's E46, and they work fine there too. Rotors are not an issue, and when they become one, you can replace them very cheaply. You can assume brake costs to be $50 per rotor, and $50 per axle set of pads. This makes the complete car cost $300 for brakes, and you can easily spend less than that.
I don't know where you get the idea that suspension parts are expensive, or unreliable. The parts that wear are easily replaced at home by a competent shade-tree mechanic.
Frankly, I've found my BMW ownership to be about the least costly automobile expereince I've had in 40+ years of owning a car.
Find yourself an E46. I like the 330 convertible or the 330 sedan.
Well, i forgot to mention that tariffs in the 10-14 year zone are almost double that for Given you situation, I'd not even think of the E36, and find a good E46
Jeff, I don't think an average female is as taxing on anything automotive as an average male is. That is not to say that your female offsprings are average as i have probably never met them. But I just think my driving is a little more taxing on anything that moves.
From what I've read the E36 suspension bits could be replaced in a more peace meal fashion than on E46.
Anyhow, expense aside I assume I could get thick anti roll bars stiff springs and polyurethane or polygraphite parts to keep the struts and the sway bars from flexing excessively or body roll is not much of a problem on E46 with or without a sport package?
You see, the bmw electrics specialists are stretched thin in this neck of woods and is one of the reasons i won't lug 5xx stuffed with electronics around here. I hope 3xx has enough space in the back for group I child seat.
Where is a spartan BMW with simple electrics for places outside the US with relatively spartan repair shops? I certainly do NOT want idrive however polished. I do not want climate control. I don't need moonroof. I don't need sunroof. Power seats, what's that? Power mirrors. You must be kidding, right?
Are there many reasons older models are not kept in production when new and "improved" machinery comes out?
I'm thinking 325xi since the roadways by the pigeonholes are not routinely scrubbed off snow in winter around here and I'm willing to lug extra 200 pounds around given that the majority of the torque goes to the rear axle, where it rightfully belongs. Also gas is expensive here and 330 is thusly out of the picture. I would get a four banger but reliability of those mills seems to leave one wanting.
Are US style hitches available for E46? I have lots of disdain for the phallic euro hitches: i've got a bike rack to haul around and it needs to plug somewhere( which is a problem with the monolithic european hitches).
[rant on] Urop is home to a lot of retarded things and useless hitches is one of them. You'd think to yourself: i have no garage so lets get a roof carrier instead since there's no risk of shaving the bikes right off the roof while entering one. Except you'd be paying extra toll for exceeding certain height on toll highways (i'm NOT kidding). [rant off]
Mechanically and electronically, the 1 series is very similar to an E90 with a shorter wheelbase and less rear seat room. In the US, the coupe & 'vert weigh about the same as their E46 counterparts.
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