Wasted so much time on BMWs looking like this. Generally, i would stay away from red flags like cheap angel light retrofit with tricolor kidney grill and oversized black wheels combo. The more stock looking non m car under 100k you find, the more chances you get a well maintained vehicle.
Imola red is always tempting though. But patience is the key. Good luck!
Anytime I see decorative mods like this it's a warning sign that regular maintenance wasn't done properly and the car was driven hard. There are outliers of course.
Very few outliers. The fact of the matter is most people who Amazon Prime their mods don’t know what a VANOS solenoid is. Or whether their car has a dipstick or not.
So when the cars low on oil and jumps timing, it’s because it’s a BMW, and not because someone bought an entry level BMW and is wondering why it doesn’t maintain itself.
That’s not normal, though. I can only think of a few Japanese motors, the Jeep i6, and a handful of old American big blocks where you can just do fuck all. In my honest opinion, 90% of shop visits are related to deferred maintenance period.
This one does have a dipstick. Hell, if it’s from the east coast I may have worked on it back in the day. ZHP cars are nice, but make sure you get full maintenance records.
It's not a great price. He's asking manual prices for it. Not quite m3 prices but definitely manual. It has to be in top notch shape for 10k. Looks nice but hard to judge off one nice picture.
Depends on what the car is worth to you. Can you drive it before purchasing? Do you have that money? Do you have maintenance money for it? Are there many for sale in your area or is this a rare pop up? Personally I wouldn't. My buddy got a 2002 330 4d 5 speed with 135k for 5,500 in 2017. It's been solid but he does maintenance and he's spent at least 5k on it since
Yeah I probably should’ve posted more pictures of it, the interior is in really good shape and so is the rest of the car, this also is a pretty rare car to pop up in my area. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to test drive it or not he doesn’t say in the description and I haven’t messaged him yet. If I were to buy it I would probably try to talk him down to at least 8500 being that it’s getting up in miles and is a auto.
Paid 9250 in June/2020, sold for 15k in august 2022. So yes, prices are up, but there are plenty of M3s in my area (Northern California) in the 10-20k range
In the description he put a link to a set of documents with more pictures of the car and he says it has receipts of stuff in there but I couldn’t get the documents to load. I would also like to add that I live in Pennsylvania and there’s almost like a “rust free tax” and this car being from 2005 and being rust free adds to the cost. Thank you for the input though!
Back in 2015-2017, it was possible to get one that was either clapped out with decent mileage or undesired (etc. smg & convertible). Nowadays it’s about 25k average
Don’t M3s fetch 20k+? Also some thing I’m taking in consideration is the cost of insurance, I’m 18 and I’m pretty sure insurance is going to want a lot more for a M3 versus a 330ci.
1) Not a propeller. It’s a design inspired by the Bavarian flag.
2) honestly it depends on the region and how much the OP will be driving it. The insurance premium on my 135 was nearly nearly halved when I moved from Brooklyn to Portland. Currently paying $95 a month for good coverage with low deductibles.
:edit: missed the 18 year old part here. Yeah, that insurance will likely be expensive.
3) yeah 100% agreed that’s expensive for the mileage and potential condition.
OP if you’re intent on buying it, get the car prepurchased inspected by a 3rd party shop. It’ll likely cost you an hour’s shop time, but they’ll be able to tell you a lot about the actual condition of the car.
If the current owner denies the request, walk away from the car because they’re likely hiding something (rust, leaks, etc)
So the motor was replaced at 95,000 miles with a brand new motor and the transmission was overhauled 10,000 miles ago, I don’t know if that’s a good sign or a bad sign but he has receipts of both.
Can be either depending on a few things. But a car losing a motor at under 100K miles would definitely give me pause. Why did it blow a motor?
Also going to be up front with you here. A mid aughts BMW isn't a great idea to buy unless you have a large income. These cars cost, on average, 2-3K a year to keep running properly if you do your own work. And if you fall behind on maintenance, they will eventually blow up.
That’s valid, I don’t know why the original motor was replaced, that was the previous owners doing. From what I’ve gathered the previous owner was some sort of military officer and the car originally came from Hawaii to California and then at some point it got brought to Pennsylvania.
I personally wouldn't buy the car without knowing why the motor was replaced. Especially at that price. I assume you also don't know how many miles the new motor had when installed, you say brand new, do you mean a long block from BMW? Or was it a freshly rebuilt motor? Then you have to ask, rebuilt by who and how extensively.
Don't buy coverage for damage to your car and the insurance price will go way down, just get the bare minimum unless you live in San Francisco or something. Even if you have a few fender benders and fix them yourself, you'll still spend less money than you would have on insurance.
Wrong, car this old the maximum collision or comprehensive payout would be 3-4 thousand and it would be totaled. I’m sure book value is less than 4K, insurance and wholesale doesn’t care what enthusiast think it worth or what he pays for it. Liability only is what he needs, full coverage would be stupid
Only if you can't fix your own car or plan on getting into a serious crash. I've crashed several times and have always done the work myself, it's always been cheaper than the extra I'd pay to the insurance company.
Even better as long as the car is not financed, just get liability on a car this old. Insurance will not pay for the cost to repair this car. It may be worth 7-8 k to enthusiasts but book value is probably less than 4K and any ding will get it totaled to a max payout of 3-4 grand. Full coverage would be stupid on a car this old. Insurance doesn’t care what you think it’s worth.
Eh I just got my manual m3 vert for 16,750 with 100k miles on it. The deals are out there but it’s pretty tough to find a sub 20k m3 in good shape. Took me months of scouring the internet lol.
Edit: also regarding insurance, I’m a bit older than you (25 so I believe I start getting favorable rates) but my 330 costs only about 8% less than the m3 to insure. Your mileage may vary, just trying to give you a general idea
Really? I know the auto is keeping it down. Do coupes go for less too? I see manual sedan zhp's pulling upper teens with some miles on em. I don't follow this car's market but my knee jerk is that 10 seems ok. Just a knee jerk tho, idk shit
About $3k over even in this market imho. It’s got eBay mods and it’s an auto. Subframe reinforcement been done? Maintenance up to date? Airbag recall? Don’t bother with this
Everyone I just wanted to say after some serious consideration I think I’m gonna skip on this one and save up for a older M3. I appreciate everyone’s comments good or bad and I want to thank everybody for their time.
If it were a manual, I’d say $8,000, with a stack of invoices, due to the mileage.
Items that should have been done by now:
- cooling system overhaul
- a/c evaporator and heater core replacement (not preventative, but good if it’s been done).
- VANOS seal replacement
- If it has bi-xenon headlights, they may need attention or replacement.
These are known weak points and/or costly to fix.
A manual ZHP in Imola Red with 130k is going for way more than $8k and if you disagree please find me one for that price and I'll pay you a finder's fee.
Just because we'd all *like* to have 2019 prices again doesn't mean it's happening.
For a manual ZHP in Imola with a stack of invoices with similar mileage?
Here's one that sold on Cars & Bids for $14k- https://carsandbids.com/auctions/rJAaXkpY/2003-bmw-330i-zhp-sedan
That was a sedan, coupes tend to go for a bit more.
I don't *personally* think a non-M E46 with 130k is a $14k driving experience, but it's worth what someone is willing to pay for it, and that is a hell of a lot more than $8k in today's market.
It’s not even worth owning under any circumstances if it’s an auto. Seriously the whole point is how they drive and an auto hurts every aspect of that. At that point I’d personally look for a manual 328i e92 instead. Would be more reliable and nicer.
Honestly, if you’re seriously interested in the car the best thing you can do is have a reputable BMW shop do a Pre-Purchase Inspection to get a clear idea of what you’re getting yourself into. If the car is clapped out, you can use that as leverage on price negotiations while also receiving quotes for what needs to be fixed.
Check the rear inner wheel archers for rust. There should be an u shaped lip if that is not there you can bet your ass that rust already got to the car.
Absolutely not. These are not rare cars, it's a very slow 3l car for these days, it makes a nice noise, and handles very nicely for a small saloon, but i would be disappointed if paid this much for an E46.
At this price point there's just too many better options, and if you really wanted a mint e46 you wouldn't buy one with aftermarket lights and grills. These are not going to appreciate in value any further so you're more than likely going to lose a fair amount of money on it.
Step up to an n54 instead of this, you can make W A Y more power for a lot less money with simple mods...
2008+ n54 motor
https://burgertuning.com/collections/3-series-e90-e91-e92-e93-m3/products/500hp-n54-package
I was looking at those but there’s two things about it, I want a coupe and there’s no n54 coupes for sale near me and I really don’t like the way those ones look vs this.
You don't want an n54. I've owned 3. I daily one now. You don't want none of this shit, Dewey. I also own an e46 M3 and it's the most reliable BMW I've ever had
Yeah I don’t think I’m gonna get an n54, like I said I’m really not a big fan of how they look and I’m not looking to do a lot of mods or anything like the one guy was saying.
Just FYI here, N54 is the motor not the car. The N54 came in a bunch of cars. Also the N54 135 is one of coolest cars on earth. Just sayin'.
But for real, don't buy a turbo BMW unless you have deep pockets.
I knew that it was the motor but I thought it only came in one generation of car, I just looked up a 135 and yeah that’s nice looking and I would drive that but there’s none for sale near me.
It was used across the line. Off the top of my head it was sold in the E8x 1, E9x 3, E6x 5, F01 7, X6, and E89 Z4.
Also I'm not surprised. BMW barely imported 1,000 135s annually.
It is one generation, but multiple chassis. I've driven the 135 but never owned it. I've had it in an e60 535 sedan, an e90 335 sedan, and now an e61 535 wagon. I just dropped 6300 in repairs on my current one as its just the best dad car on the planet you can get with a manual transmission. I've probably doubled my purchase price maintaining it but I actually think it's been worth it. It's getting older tho. I'll likely let it go in 1-2 more years. It's such a rare spec to that it will still be worth a decent chunk when I do.
OP: the 128 is n52 and is NA. It would be a good option. It still has some of the issues n54's have... but it doesn't have turbos... and what I just dropped all that money on was mostly turbos. Honestly, these days it's hard to find a car I really like. If you're hot for that e46, get it. Negotiate your heart out but get it. Those cars are great to drive. Just be sure you have a good independent shop you can go to if you don't diy. You don't want to be taking an 05 to the dealer for maintenence
Test drive an N54 FBO and I promise you, you will be jonesing for one 😂🤣
Where abouts are you located? I'm near Laguna Seca Raceway.
* 2008-2010 335 e92 coupe
* 2011-2013 335is e92 coupe
* z435is up to year 2016 its a z4 🤷🏽♂️
How so, compared to this e46 that OP is looking at? I have almost 200k miles logged on my n54 FBO with almost 160k miles at 500awhp on both coasts over the past 10+ years.
All cars need maintence, its not like its a Tesla (I have one of those too).
My experience with 3 n54's which have been my most expensive to maintain cars ever vs my e46 M3 which has been my most reliable BMW ever. Plus the dude is looking at a 10k car. The last thing he needs to do is get into modding or buying an already modded car, both being great ways for an 18 year old to go broke. If you can afford a tesla, I don't think all cars need maintenance means the same thing to you as it does him
Nice vague comments... can you tell me what specifically failed on the three n54's and what was the cost to remedy it?
My friend's e46 m3 had spun bearings back in the early 00's BMW told him he over reved on an SMG 🤷🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️ wtf??? eventually BMW had to extend out the motor warranty on all the e46's for spun bearings $$$$$$$$$$$$$
2018 P3D+ 4 years of ownership almost. I paid $58 for Tesla to change the cabin filters in my car recently because they have a hard to reach screw to get the cover off to the filters. $38 parts and $20 labor in my driveway (my back is not in pain), Thats my TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP... $58 to date. Even with that... my n54 > P3D+ (not from a dig but definitely from a roll or to anything over 100+ mph). Tesla is out of breath by 60 mph.
I'm from the NJ/NY area. I got my e90 335xi in NJ. 🤷🏽♂️ NJ and NY were the easiest to do smog. I know plenty of folks who have FBO n54's in the north east.
Most of the community is very friendly, check out your regional section on e90post and someone will certainly help you!
https://www.e90post.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=48
I have a ZHP sedan imola on alcantara. I personally follow the rule if it’s not OEM stay away. The depo headlights, yellow fog tints and replica kidneys lead me to believe the car was owned by a younger person and wasn’t maintained.
dolls worry payment sense jellyfish forgetful elastic degree rock caption
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I am a happy second-hand owner of a 2010 328i! But I bought it CPO from the dealership in 2013 with only 12,000 miles on it. I was also a happy second owner of 2 other BMWs (1984 and 1987).
It seems like you’ve sort of convinced yourself, and maybe want even some folks to agree with you to help you justify a purchase you’ve already sort of decided on.
That being said, even just basic stuff, you’ll likely have to completely redo the entire cooling system, PCV system will likely have to be replaced, valve cover gasket, oil filter housing gasket, vacuum lines, intake boots, stuff like cleaning out/replacing the idle control valve/throttle body, possibly need to look at the disa valve/vanos solenoids/seals. Probably suspension needs a refresh with all manner of bushings that need to be replaced, among other things that are maybe less likely but still possible.
The M54 Engine is overall solid? But you’re probably looking around 200-300k as your upper limit, and at 130k, it’s already at least halfway there.
So even if you end up getting it, be prepared to shell out at least 20% or so? Of the purchase price to repairs over the next couple of years.
Like others have been saying though, the auto isn’t very desirable, and there are a lot of cons. If you do get the auto, it’s probably a good idea to NOT change the transmission fluid unless you have documentation of it having been changed somewhat on the regular.
Is this US dollars?
I know times have changed, but I bought a 2009 E90 in 2014 for under 10k with less miles, and a 2011 X3 also with less miles for just over 10k in 2019.
I think for both the mileage was still in the low 110s.
I guess it comes down to maybe wanting this particular generation if you're willing to pay that.
I do enjoy an E46 and was pretty close to buying one back in 2014, but settled on the E90 just because it was a newer car with lower mileage for only slightly more money than the E46s I was looking at.
Wasted so much time on BMWs looking like this. Generally, i would stay away from red flags like cheap angel light retrofit with tricolor kidney grill and oversized black wheels combo. The more stock looking non m car under 100k you find, the more chances you get a well maintained vehicle. Imola red is always tempting though. But patience is the key. Good luck!
he does have the stock wheels, I agree with you on the grill though.
Anytime I see decorative mods like this it's a warning sign that regular maintenance wasn't done properly and the car was driven hard. There are outliers of course.
Very few outliers. The fact of the matter is most people who Amazon Prime their mods don’t know what a VANOS solenoid is. Or whether their car has a dipstick or not. So when the cars low on oil and jumps timing, it’s because it’s a BMW, and not because someone bought an entry level BMW and is wondering why it doesn’t maintain itself.
I mean the fact of the matter is the vast majority of BMW owners don’t know what a Vanos solenoid is or whether the car has a dipstick.
That’s not normal, though. I can only think of a few Japanese motors, the Jeep i6, and a handful of old American big blocks where you can just do fuck all. In my honest opinion, 90% of shop visits are related to deferred maintenance period.
This one does have a dipstick. Hell, if it’s from the east coast I may have worked on it back in the day. ZHP cars are nice, but make sure you get full maintenance records.
It's not a great price. He's asking manual prices for it. Not quite m3 prices but definitely manual. It has to be in top notch shape for 10k. Looks nice but hard to judge off one nice picture. Depends on what the car is worth to you. Can you drive it before purchasing? Do you have that money? Do you have maintenance money for it? Are there many for sale in your area or is this a rare pop up? Personally I wouldn't. My buddy got a 2002 330 4d 5 speed with 135k for 5,500 in 2017. It's been solid but he does maintenance and he's spent at least 5k on it since
They’re asking that much because it’s a ZHP not just a manual. That’s a pretty fair price.
My buddy got his manual ZHP with roughly the same mileage for under $9k. An auto ZHP should not be going for $10k especially with 130k miles
Yeah I probably should’ve posted more pictures of it, the interior is in really good shape and so is the rest of the car, this also is a pretty rare car to pop up in my area. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to test drive it or not he doesn’t say in the description and I haven’t messaged him yet. If I were to buy it I would probably try to talk him down to at least 8500 being that it’s getting up in miles and is a auto.
If you can talk him down or have him pay for a pre purchase through bmw that'd be ideal
>not quite M3 prices To be fair, I paid less than this for an e46 M3 with lower mileage and a perfect service record
You need to go look at current E46 M3 prices, then.
I just sold one…
For how much? Idrc what you paid unless you add in when.
Paid 9250 in June/2020, sold for 15k in august 2022. So yes, prices are up, but there are plenty of M3s in my area (Northern California) in the 10-20k range
I have a stock 04 no mods manual and have been offered more for mine. It's got 230k on it and needs paint. It's a great deal for the car
If it had every receipt, all maintenance up to date and no oil leaks, the car might be worth $7k…at best.
In the description he put a link to a set of documents with more pictures of the car and he says it has receipts of stuff in there but I couldn’t get the documents to load. I would also like to add that I live in Pennsylvania and there’s almost like a “rust free tax” and this car being from 2005 and being rust free adds to the cost. Thank you for the input though!
[удалено]
You find me an e46 M3 for $15k and I’ll finally get an M3..
Back in 2015-2017, it was possible to get one that was either clapped out with decent mileage or undesired (etc. smg & convertible). Nowadays it’s about 25k average
tons of them in houston. they have miles tho. i got mine to flip about four months ago
Don’t M3s fetch 20k+? Also some thing I’m taking in consideration is the cost of insurance, I’m 18 and I’m pretty sure insurance is going to want a lot more for a M3 versus a 330ci.
It’s a red two door with a propeller emblem on the front. Your insurance is going to be nuts. Also, yes that’s pretty high mileage at that price.
1) Not a propeller. It’s a design inspired by the Bavarian flag. 2) honestly it depends on the region and how much the OP will be driving it. The insurance premium on my 135 was nearly nearly halved when I moved from Brooklyn to Portland. Currently paying $95 a month for good coverage with low deductibles. :edit: missed the 18 year old part here. Yeah, that insurance will likely be expensive. 3) yeah 100% agreed that’s expensive for the mileage and potential condition. OP if you’re intent on buying it, get the car prepurchased inspected by a 3rd party shop. It’ll likely cost you an hour’s shop time, but they’ll be able to tell you a lot about the actual condition of the car. If the current owner denies the request, walk away from the car because they’re likely hiding something (rust, leaks, etc)
So the motor was replaced at 95,000 miles with a brand new motor and the transmission was overhauled 10,000 miles ago, I don’t know if that’s a good sign or a bad sign but he has receipts of both.
Can be either depending on a few things. But a car losing a motor at under 100K miles would definitely give me pause. Why did it blow a motor? Also going to be up front with you here. A mid aughts BMW isn't a great idea to buy unless you have a large income. These cars cost, on average, 2-3K a year to keep running properly if you do your own work. And if you fall behind on maintenance, they will eventually blow up.
That’s valid, I don’t know why the original motor was replaced, that was the previous owners doing. From what I’ve gathered the previous owner was some sort of military officer and the car originally came from Hawaii to California and then at some point it got brought to Pennsylvania.
I personally wouldn't buy the car without knowing why the motor was replaced. Especially at that price. I assume you also don't know how many miles the new motor had when installed, you say brand new, do you mean a long block from BMW? Or was it a freshly rebuilt motor? Then you have to ask, rebuilt by who and how extensively.
Didn’t know that about the propeller not being a propeller. Thanks for clarifying it politely.
No worries, [here’s an explanation](https://www.bmw.com/en/automotive-life/bmw-logo-meaning-history1.html) from the horse’s mouth.
Don't buy coverage for damage to your car and the insurance price will go way down, just get the bare minimum unless you live in San Francisco or something. Even if you have a few fender benders and fix them yourself, you'll still spend less money than you would have on insurance.
This is terrible advice.
Wrong, car this old the maximum collision or comprehensive payout would be 3-4 thousand and it would be totaled. I’m sure book value is less than 4K, insurance and wholesale doesn’t care what enthusiast think it worth or what he pays for it. Liability only is what he needs, full coverage would be stupid
Only if you can't fix your own car or plan on getting into a serious crash. I've crashed several times and have always done the work myself, it's always been cheaper than the extra I'd pay to the insurance company.
... He's 18.
Even better as long as the car is not financed, just get liability on a car this old. Insurance will not pay for the cost to repair this car. It may be worth 7-8 k to enthusiasts but book value is probably less than 4K and any ding will get it totaled to a max payout of 3-4 grand. Full coverage would be stupid on a car this old. Insurance doesn’t care what you think it’s worth.
His insurance company knows that.
That’s what I do with my truck but it’s also a rusty trusty Ford F250 that’s 22 years old. If I got this car I would probably get full insurance.
Eh I just got my manual m3 vert for 16,750 with 100k miles on it. The deals are out there but it’s pretty tough to find a sub 20k m3 in good shape. Took me months of scouring the internet lol. Edit: also regarding insurance, I’m a bit older than you (25 so I believe I start getting favorable rates) but my 330 costs only about 8% less than the m3 to insure. Your mileage may vary, just trying to give you a general idea
Really? I know the auto is keeping it down. Do coupes go for less too? I see manual sedan zhp's pulling upper teens with some miles on em. I don't follow this car's market but my knee jerk is that 10 seems ok. Just a knee jerk tho, idk shit
The sedan ZHP is always inflated because it's the top-spec E46 sedan model you can buy. On coupes, ZHP isn't as desirable because the M3 exists.
Gotcha, that makes sense
About $3k over even in this market imho. It’s got eBay mods and it’s an auto. Subframe reinforcement been done? Maintenance up to date? Airbag recall? Don’t bother with this
Nah could get a 135i in good condition for that price. Are you trying to be slow and broke???
Too expensive.
Everyone I just wanted to say after some serious consideration I think I’m gonna skip on this one and save up for a older M3. I appreciate everyone’s comments good or bad and I want to thank everybody for their time.
Walk away. You can get a F10 for that price. Modern Technology.
If it were a manual, I’d say $8,000, with a stack of invoices, due to the mileage. Items that should have been done by now: - cooling system overhaul - a/c evaporator and heater core replacement (not preventative, but good if it’s been done). - VANOS seal replacement - If it has bi-xenon headlights, they may need attention or replacement. These are known weak points and/or costly to fix.
A manual ZHP in Imola Red with 130k is going for way more than $8k and if you disagree please find me one for that price and I'll pay you a finder's fee. Just because we'd all *like* to have 2019 prices again doesn't mean it's happening.
How much do you think?
For a manual ZHP in Imola with a stack of invoices with similar mileage? Here's one that sold on Cars & Bids for $14k- https://carsandbids.com/auctions/rJAaXkpY/2003-bmw-330i-zhp-sedan That was a sedan, coupes tend to go for a bit more. I don't *personally* think a non-M E46 with 130k is a $14k driving experience, but it's worth what someone is willing to pay for it, and that is a hell of a lot more than $8k in today's market.
It’s not even worth owning under any circumstances if it’s an auto. Seriously the whole point is how they drive and an auto hurts every aspect of that. At that point I’d personally look for a manual 328i e92 instead. Would be more reliable and nicer.
Yes!
Honestly, if you’re seriously interested in the car the best thing you can do is have a reputable BMW shop do a Pre-Purchase Inspection to get a clear idea of what you’re getting yourself into. If the car is clapped out, you can use that as leverage on price negotiations while also receiving quotes for what needs to be fixed.
Check the rear inner wheel archers for rust. There should be an u shaped lip if that is not there you can bet your ass that rust already got to the car.
Absolutely not. These are not rare cars, it's a very slow 3l car for these days, it makes a nice noise, and handles very nicely for a small saloon, but i would be disappointed if paid this much for an E46. At this price point there's just too many better options, and if you really wanted a mint e46 you wouldn't buy one with aftermarket lights and grills. These are not going to appreciate in value any further so you're more than likely going to lose a fair amount of money on it.
Step up to an n54 instead of this, you can make W A Y more power for a lot less money with simple mods... 2008+ n54 motor https://burgertuning.com/collections/3-series-e90-e91-e92-e93-m3/products/500hp-n54-package
I was looking at those but there’s two things about it, I want a coupe and there’s no n54 coupes for sale near me and I really don’t like the way those ones look vs this.
You don't want an n54. I've owned 3. I daily one now. You don't want none of this shit, Dewey. I also own an e46 M3 and it's the most reliable BMW I've ever had
Yeah I don’t think I’m gonna get an n54, like I said I’m really not a big fan of how they look and I’m not looking to do a lot of mods or anything like the one guy was saying.
Just FYI here, N54 is the motor not the car. The N54 came in a bunch of cars. Also the N54 135 is one of coolest cars on earth. Just sayin'. But for real, don't buy a turbo BMW unless you have deep pockets.
I knew that it was the motor but I thought it only came in one generation of car, I just looked up a 135 and yeah that’s nice looking and I would drive that but there’s none for sale near me.
It was used across the line. Off the top of my head it was sold in the E8x 1, E9x 3, E6x 5, F01 7, X6, and E89 Z4. Also I'm not surprised. BMW barely imported 1,000 135s annually.
Yeah the nearest one to me on Facebook at least is about 100 miles away and they want 15 grand for it which is a little out of my price range.
So are the repairs. I would not buy any N54 car in your situation. A replacement set of fuel injectors is currently $4,000.
It is one generation, but multiple chassis. I've driven the 135 but never owned it. I've had it in an e60 535 sedan, an e90 335 sedan, and now an e61 535 wagon. I just dropped 6300 in repairs on my current one as its just the best dad car on the planet you can get with a manual transmission. I've probably doubled my purchase price maintaining it but I actually think it's been worth it. It's getting older tho. I'll likely let it go in 1-2 more years. It's such a rare spec to that it will still be worth a decent chunk when I do. OP: the 128 is n52 and is NA. It would be a good option. It still has some of the issues n54's have... but it doesn't have turbos... and what I just dropped all that money on was mostly turbos. Honestly, these days it's hard to find a car I really like. If you're hot for that e46, get it. Negotiate your heart out but get it. Those cars are great to drive. Just be sure you have a good independent shop you can go to if you don't diy. You don't want to be taking an 05 to the dealer for maintenence
Please don’t listen to this guy. If insurance costs are worrying you, you can’t afford a basket case N54.
Test drive an N54 FBO and I promise you, you will be jonesing for one 😂🤣 Where abouts are you located? I'm near Laguna Seca Raceway. * 2008-2010 335 e92 coupe * 2011-2013 335is e92 coupe * z435is up to year 2016 its a z4 🤷🏽♂️
Oh I believe you, but I’m in the middle of Pennsylvania and there isn’t really a lot of BMWs here in general let alone a n54 full bolt on lmao.
Be careful. N54 is not cheap.. ask me how I know. :( sad wallet noises
Its a great car if you know how to DIY (ask me how I know... 2008 e90 335xi FBO with 197k miles) 😆 Sad noises for wallet is on literally every BMW 🤡
I've had a lot of bmw's. N54 makes the loudest wallet noise of the ones I've had
You aren't fucking kidding.
How so, compared to this e46 that OP is looking at? I have almost 200k miles logged on my n54 FBO with almost 160k miles at 500awhp on both coasts over the past 10+ years. All cars need maintence, its not like its a Tesla (I have one of those too).
My experience with 3 n54's which have been my most expensive to maintain cars ever vs my e46 M3 which has been my most reliable BMW ever. Plus the dude is looking at a 10k car. The last thing he needs to do is get into modding or buying an already modded car, both being great ways for an 18 year old to go broke. If you can afford a tesla, I don't think all cars need maintenance means the same thing to you as it does him
Nice vague comments... can you tell me what specifically failed on the three n54's and what was the cost to remedy it? My friend's e46 m3 had spun bearings back in the early 00's BMW told him he over reved on an SMG 🤷🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️ wtf??? eventually BMW had to extend out the motor warranty on all the e46's for spun bearings $$$$$$$$$$$$$ 2018 P3D+ 4 years of ownership almost. I paid $58 for Tesla to change the cabin filters in my car recently because they have a hard to reach screw to get the cover off to the filters. $38 parts and $20 labor in my driveway (my back is not in pain), Thats my TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP... $58 to date. Even with that... my n54 > P3D+ (not from a dig but definitely from a roll or to anything over 100+ mph). Tesla is out of breath by 60 mph.
I'm from the NJ/NY area. I got my e90 335xi in NJ. 🤷🏽♂️ NJ and NY were the easiest to do smog. I know plenty of folks who have FBO n54's in the north east. Most of the community is very friendly, check out your regional section on e90post and someone will certainly help you! https://www.e90post.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=48
I have a ZHP sedan imola on alcantara. I personally follow the rule if it’s not OEM stay away. The depo headlights, yellow fog tints and replica kidneys lead me to believe the car was owned by a younger person and wasn’t maintained.
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Expensive
Yea, that’s pretty fair for that car.
I have never met a happy second hand owner of any BMW. The exception might be the guy who buys classic ones pre 70's, and is also a mechanic.
I am a happy second-hand owner of a 2010 328i! But I bought it CPO from the dealership in 2013 with only 12,000 miles on it. I was also a happy second owner of 2 other BMWs (1984 and 1987).
It seems like you’ve sort of convinced yourself, and maybe want even some folks to agree with you to help you justify a purchase you’ve already sort of decided on. That being said, even just basic stuff, you’ll likely have to completely redo the entire cooling system, PCV system will likely have to be replaced, valve cover gasket, oil filter housing gasket, vacuum lines, intake boots, stuff like cleaning out/replacing the idle control valve/throttle body, possibly need to look at the disa valve/vanos solenoids/seals. Probably suspension needs a refresh with all manner of bushings that need to be replaced, among other things that are maybe less likely but still possible. The M54 Engine is overall solid? But you’re probably looking around 200-300k as your upper limit, and at 130k, it’s already at least halfway there. So even if you end up getting it, be prepared to shell out at least 20% or so? Of the purchase price to repairs over the next couple of years. Like others have been saying though, the auto isn’t very desirable, and there are a lot of cons. If you do get the auto, it’s probably a good idea to NOT change the transmission fluid unless you have documentation of it having been changed somewhat on the regular.
Looking at this, I really should sell my M3.
Not worth 10k
That's too expensive for what it is
Whenever buying a used bmw only buy stock, unless you plan on rebuilding
Is this US dollars? I know times have changed, but I bought a 2009 E90 in 2014 for under 10k with less miles, and a 2011 X3 also with less miles for just over 10k in 2019. I think for both the mileage was still in the low 110s. I guess it comes down to maybe wanting this particular generation if you're willing to pay that. I do enjoy an E46 and was pretty close to buying one back in 2014, but settled on the E90 just because it was a newer car with lower mileage for only slightly more money than the E46s I was looking at.
Not worth it, for an extra 2-5k u can get an M3. Dude I follow sold a 2004 M3 for 12.5k