Do all 3 weight about the same? 3200 lbs?

 

engines are the exact same in reliability. 330 has stronger internals but for sporty driving, may tear itself apart (though rare).

biggest thing is stay away from 323/328. no reason to get those unless free.

weight same

330 better brakes, stronger and better everything. 330 beef master

330 top dog for life.

mango out

 

biggest thing is stay away from 323/328. no reason to get those unless free.

:rofl:

 

dont quote me on this but i read somewhere that 328 engine is lighter than a 330 engine.

i used to have a 328 and i like it. now i have two 330 (330ci 6Speed and a 325 Wagon -now a 330 5 speed) w/ 3.46 diff and i love them

no comment on reliability.

 

dont quote me on this.

I just quoted you on that. Deal with it. :clap:

 

at this point in these cars lives what you are asking is irrelevant. A 330 that has been abused and has mechanical issues might never outperform it's little sister (325) that has been well maintained.

If your sitting on a fence forget about performance statistics (typically relevant to new cars) - they're both pretty good. Get the one that's been looked after the best.

 

Get the one that's been looked after the best.

This, and stay away of the SULEV.

 

and stay away from a M56 Sulev

 

While I was well aware of M56 being California specific engine, I've managed to pick up a project car with the worst combination of geographic factors: 1990 Toyota Celica GT-S with California emissions, but came to Kansas by the way of Iowa. The rust was not bad enough to walk away from the car, but there are a few holes that will need Bondo patching. The engine runs fine, I just hope the Cali emissions idiosyncrasies don't bite me in the butt one of these days.

 

E46 330 is still slow in my opinion. I will go as far as to say that E46 M3 is slow. today in 2016 Nissan Maxima makes 300hp

 

I'd take my chances against that Nissan on some twisty roads any day.

 

I find my 325 adequate for daily driving. Sometimes I wish I had a 330 but when I got my car I couldn't afford the premium for the 3.0. That premium is essentially gone now, and as said above a well maintained 325 will outperform a neglected 330.

Also a 5 speed 325i with a 3.46 is actually pretty quick.

 

Even a 330 is pretty slow, but it's acceptable for a daily. Reliability is the same. 330 will get slightly better mileage if it's a 6-speed.

 

The engines are pretty much the same.

323 and 328 are pre-facelift, which means to expect sub frame problems (there's also a pre-face 330).
325 and 330 are facelift (there's also a pre-face 330), which means to expect high oil consumption.

Whether they are fast or slow, it depends what you compare them with.
In terms of reliability, i think they are great cars/engines, but it all comes down to the maintenance.

I chose 323 because it is economically the best choice (for Denmark - taxes and insurance are sky high).


However, my recommendation is to go for a 330i with 231 hp, because no matter what you get, you'll always want some more horses :excited:

 

Why may i ask?

Mainly it's because of the fact that they're first-year models, so a lot of the bigger issues that plagued the E46 are much more likely to exist in those cars -- the engine (M52TU) aside, since it's an updated older design that proved itself by that point.

323 and 328 are pre-facelift, which means to expect sub frame problems (there's also a pre-face 330).
325 and 330 are facelift (there's also a pre-face 330), which means to expect high oil consumption.

Not quite correct -- while there were no facelifted 323/328s, the facelift didn't occur until 2002 for sedans (they'd been upgraded to the 325/330 M54 for about two years by then, depending on manufacture date) and 2004 for coupes/verts (four years with the M54).

Also, I have both a pre-facelift and a post-facelift and neither consume oil.

Whether they are fast or slow, it depends what you compare them with.
In terms of reliability, i think they are great cars/engines, but it all comes down to the maintenance.

Yep -- good maintenance means they can last forever, whereas the opposite can kill these cars quickly.

However, my recommendation is to go for a 330i with 231 hp, because no matter what you get, you'll always want some more horses :excited:

Yep, especially nowadays with so many cars pushing above 200hp standard.

I would further add to avoid the M56 engine (auto 325s from 2003 and on in certain markets, CA, NY, VT, and MA), simply because of the sealed fuel-pump/filter ($6000 replacement part).

 

I agree with the points. I will just find a nice example. A 325i seems to have some pep, if you keep the revs high.

If a 330i is too slow, you either don't know how to drive (Do you downshift before turns to keep rpms over 3k?)
or you're some kind of stoplight drag racer, in which case, you need a muscle car, not a BMW.

 

These cars have adequate power, they are not horsepower monsters by any means. Good balance of torque and horsepower with the inline 6 motor, that is applied in a smooth manner.

 

I have to agree with you, these cars deliver smooth power, not fast, but responsive. They are luxurious, handle well, comfortable, and have enough power, it's more of a total package than a single factor.

 

Buy the one in the best condition. I have a 323i and while I wish it was faster, it's fine. I doubt I'd feel that much faster in a 330i in the same condition. If anything it would encourage me to drive like a dick and blow the motor up faster.

Want something faster? Get an M3.

 

Road & Track quoted 6.2 0-60 and 14.8 at 95.4 in a 330Ci. Seems more optimistic than what I recall from other magazines. April 2002, p. 128.

A low mileage 330 is always my choice, but I haven't driven any e46 with another engine.

OP, if maintained all e46 engines should be reliable.

 

I test drove a 330 convertible and a 325 coupe and I didn't find much difference in real world driving.

I chose the tin top as our weather is crap lol.

 

That's probably largely because a 330 convertible has enough extra weight to be about as slow as a 325 coupe/sedan.

pissing contest...


really, saying something is 'slow' is all a matter of context. comparing HP is pointless as its only one variable.
my wife's Mazda CX-9 has 273hp from a 3.7; doesn't mean a thing.

HP isn't the only factor, but it is a pretty big one. I do consider the ZHP slow. It's not about a pissing contest. It's good enough for daily driving which is why I bought one, but it's not an exciting car by any means.

I doubt I've ever done better than 7secs, because there's no way I'm gonna beat my car up that way! C&D's tests got it to 5.6 (2003 ZHP sedan) on stock 135's, so it is doable, even if you have to drop the hammer and a few gear teeth along the way -- when it's not your baby, it's easy to do. Again, even on aggressive takeoffs, I just can't bring myself to punish my car that way.

I think, after 13 years of owning the 325, I redlined it once (could be twice, but I can only recall the one time). Most I've done on the ZHP is about 5500RPM, and that's good enough for me.

I mean simply redlining the car isn't really harmful to it. May as well have kept the 325 if you're not going to use all of your 330's power. Launching a car like C&D does probably isn't great for the clutch or drivetrain. But simply redlining is fine. I redline my M3 and my ZHP every time I drive them.

 

I've no experience with a 328, but run both a 325 & 330 daily drivers.

The 325 & 330 are really good engines, super smooth and both pull nicely right the way through the rev range (unlike a v-tec or a Small Block Chevy) but neither are fire breathers, but like others have mentioned- that's not what they're about!

Reliability is identical.

You can defiantly tell the difference with the 3.0 but is not massive amount of power-difference.
Unless your taking it up to the red line through each gear change on a regular basis (daily) the 2.5 325 would be fine.

You'll only see the benefits of the bigger brakes at higher speeds.

With the E46 the age it is now, I'd certainly choose based on condition of the car/engine, regardless of it being 325 or 330, they're both fun and not galaxies apart.

 

I have to agree. I have a few 911 turbos but I really enjoy driving my 328. Just a really pleasant driving car.

 

I would take a 325 over a 330. I love mine. Put coils on it, did a good alignment, took out ac, sas and all other unnecessary crap, put some good rubber on it Still cheaper than buying a 330 and it drives a hell of alot better (Im a tech at a bmw dealership, I drive alot of different e46's). Quicker too since it has an auto diff still and a getrag out of an e36 318. back straight 4th rpm ight before I throw the anchor. I wouldnt feel comfortable doing that in a 330i. Seen too many 3.0l's have loose/non-existent nuts on the oil pump. Have yet to see a 2.5. Fun as sh!t on the track, slow as balls in town driving.

and prefacelift 325i

 

This discussion is a breath of fresh air. It's nice to see people realize that 40hp is not the be all end all in real world driving.
I agree that it's best to get the best condition car. A mint 325 is better off than a disaster 330i.
If you know how to rev match, downshift, and keep RPMs high, you can drive the snot out of a 325i just like you can a Miata or E30

 

Depends on where you live and the prices of a 325 vs 330. Around where I live there's practically no difference. It makes no sense to get a 325 when you can get a 330 with better everything for the same money. Both are gonna need maintenance and it costs the same to do said maintenance.

If there is a substantial difference you should get the car that's in the best shape. As long as it was maintained well you can't go wrong.

The discussion that 330 motors are less reliable is nonsense. Unless you're hammering it at 6500+RPM you wont have any issue. Look up "M54B30 oil Pump Nut" if you want to read about it.

As for the speed argument...its quick but not fast. With some tweaks you can make a seriously brisk DD, but don't expect to win any races against newer cars (unless it gets twisty). Its better to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.

Gl.

 

The discussion that 330 motors are less reliable is nonsense. Unless you're hammering it at 6500+RPM you wont have any issue. Look up "M54B30 oil Pump Nut" if you want to read about it.
Gl.

They 100% are. Harmonics are so much worse in the 3.0. I took an oil pan off an e39 530 owned by a man in his 70's since new. I was replacing the oil pan gasket as it was leaking. Check the oil pump nut, sure enough could spin with my fingers. This car has never been driven hard

Pulled the pan off my 14 owner 325 the other weekend as it now has had 6 track days this summer. Back straight at shannonville is a 4th gear 6600rpm straight in my car with my gearing before I throw the anchor out. My nut is still solid. Welded it for reassurance. If it was a 3.0, it would of been dead by my fourth track day. Not saying the 2.5's dont get it, I just havent seen one yet. This is my experience with these engines at least. I'd take a hit in power for reliability any day. Would I trade my 325 for a 330 of the same spec but in better shape, no.

 

I've never once heard about the loose nut on the oil pump in the M54.
If it was a thing, you'd hear all about it on the E39 and E46 forums.

 

The loose nut on the oil pump is really only a problem if you track the car, or stay at 6000+ rpm for extend periods of time (like 5 seconds). This is due to worn harmonic balancers and bad harmonics of the engine in general. Many good diy's and mods to fix this problem.

Cheers, Lachlan

 

Get a 330, make sure it has sport package, possibly 3 pedals if you are into that, and call it a day. The e46 is a great analog car for daily driving. Just the right amount of power, nimble on the turns, and decent gas mileage. Maintenance isn't that bad either once you are caught up.

 

I love my 330, but suspension at this point is going to affect drive ability much more. I'd get the 330, but I'd either find one with worn out suspension replaced, or one where you can immediately afford to drop $1000 to replace struts, control arms and bushings.

 

The engines are reliable - what you will end up replacing is the cooling system ... Suspension bushings - etc

The auto transmission can fail around 100k or can be good for 200k miles plus ...

I have 325 for my daughter and I didn't want too much power - perfectly adequate and handles great - but even a new Honda Accord will out drag you. 330i is of course better - but you still will not outdrag many newer cars if that is what you are looking for ...

 

Given how much both have depreciated at this time all else being equal i have no idea why anyone would not go for the 330 over the 325.