Opinions on 2000-2005 BMW 3-series

1,365

Asked by Paul Jun 30, 2008 at 12:32 AM about the BMW 3 Series

Question type: Shopping & Pricing

I am interested in hearing everybody's opinion on the 00-05 Bmw 3 series I am very interested in buying one but want to know what everybody thinks as far as reliability, cost of ownership, performance and so on thanks!!

paul

16 Answers

215

00-05 Bmw 3 series is not a bad choice. I had a 00 320i and its still pretty awesome and comfortable to drive and somewhat is pretty reasonable to maintain so long as you up keep it well with regular checks at home. Surprisingly, it's looks still retains and doesn't really out date quickly unlike many other makes. As for performance, the 330i is in a class of it's own, pretty awesome pulling power and pretty good fuel consumption as well surprisingly. As for the 320i, its good to cruise in and much better fuel consumption but all's good in either model. I personally prefer 6 cylinder engines which the 00-05 Bmw 3 series have unlike the current 07 320i model which only has 4 cylinders and just doesn't do it for me cos' you don't get that deep humm...of a straight 6 which ever car should sound like anyway and 4 cylinder engines seem to burn more petrol than a 6 cyl. Anyway, that's my opinion and hope i didn't bore you but good luck and happy shopping for your new car. Btw, i'm a real BMW fanatic and i also own a Bmw X5

12 people found this helpful.
65

ok just to start off i believe ALL BMWs are reliable. and you should definitly get one. second, you cant look as good getting out of any other car than a bmw. as far as perfomance goes... BMWs are built for there perfomance!

3 people found this helpful.
115

i don't own and never have owned an 2000-05 3 Series, but i have opinions :-) to me, the E46 3 series looks too feminine, even with the sports package. i'm excluding the M3 which if you don't mind the gas mileage and you can find one that hasn't been abused, would be a top choice. i would say that all the premium car makers are reliable. it's just that when the mileage gets high, sensors and other smaller components start to fail. based on my own experience with my E36 328i, cost of ownership really hasn't affected me. i consider all the money i've put into my car, money well spent. i get way more satisfaction out of my car than it costs me to run it. i haven't done anything extra to it. i just take it to the dealer regularly and have them fix anything that may be broke. from my experience, nobody out performs BMW in any category or does everything so well. in the last couple weeks i drove across Poland comfortably three times with no issues (my car has over 170k miles on it). i've also driven the Nuerburgring around fifteen times over the past few years, sometimes in the rain and with completely worn tires. i'm an amateur driver and the "ring" is a beast, so that should say a lot for BMW cars as every BMW model is tested there. since you already have a Cadillac, you might want to consider a M5. if gas mileage is your main concern, i'd get something newer with the smallest gas sipping engine available (i have no idea) except that i read somewhere that BMW has produced a four cylinder diesel that gets over 50 mpg and has almost 200 bhp. if you have any more specific questions, feel free to ask. Brad

3 people found this helpful.
65

The 03,04,05 run very smooth and they have an amazin pickup. They are very reliable since they are sorta mondernized techonology inside of them

3 people found this helpful.
50

The E46 3 series is an amazing car. I have a 2002 330ci which I then took to Dinan and had a ton of work done to. It has great performance, handling, and most important to me was it is very quiet inside and comfortable. It is also a very quick car and can easily be tuned. The only downside is BMW's are fairly expensive to fix and the E46's are known for their computer problems. I haven't had any issues with mine yet and it is running strong. I also added a lot of modifications to my car and it looks very masculine and sporty is gets heads turning. I would definetly recommend the E46 to anyone.

5 people found this helpful.
20

ugly rear lights go for the 07 hard top WAAYYYY BETTER

2 people found this helpful.
125

One word for performance. 335i Twin-Turbo Coupe or convertable (I Don't know if there one that is X-drive maybe) the only reference for sport the BEST bmw engine... For the cost to own... That's German, means. hum... hope money's not your problem cause a bimmer=lot of heavypriced repair and maintenance in genuine BMW robbers/dealers (in canada but I think its the same in the U.S) For reliability hey! its a bimmer, its some good german stuff, a surefire in the market.

3 people found this helpful.
35

My last car was a BMW 323i from the E46 body style. It had a full service history when I bought it and was always serviced at the dealership. I bought it with 102000 kms and sold it with 125000 km. I had no issues with it except replacing brake pads with it and an oil change. It was a phenominal car and miss it now. I am hoping to get a newer one. I really enjoyed driving it...and would highly reccomend one to you if it has been maintained well......Oil changes were $100 per change which wasn't bad because they use synthetic oil and the brakes were done by my friend....but it never gave me issues...performance was very acceptable too and I really enjoyed the car.

3 people found this helpful.
10

you wont regret buying one thats for sure. ive been driving an 87 3 series for 5 years now, and it has 185,000miles with no major issues. bmw has been building quality vehicles for a long time and the new 3er is no exception. and for performance, the twin turbo 335i is a screamer, and the 325 is no slouch either. depending on your situation you may also consider the slightly small 1 series 135i for a little less cash.

1 people found this helpful.
35

Well bmws are amazing cars but you will have to treat it with great care for example use 91 or higher when pumping gas and i would reccomend you buy a bmw rather than lease it because it will be a car that you would want to own

3 people found this helpful.
125

oops... he talked about the E46... well I don't know them well, I just know that back in time It became from an acessible E36 for youngsters to an overpriced and not so sporty (but good looking I admit) car for oldtimers who want a good investment bimmer. (except the M3 of course) anyway imho my help will be more useful with the E90/E92/E93 models

3 people found this helpful.
40

I have a 2003 BMW 325i and used to have a 2001 BMW 323i. I can tell you that nothing compares to these "Driving Machines". I sold the first one because I left the USA on a long term project. Now I am selling my current 2003 BMW 325i because my wife wants the BMW X3 which is better to drive for her in the winter. I have had many other cars including American and Japanese and again, there is no comparison. The BMW grabs to the road ans specially in bad weather conditions is a life saver. Most cra will skid off the road on abrupt maneuvers, but not the BMW. If you are interested in my car which is in impeccable condition with only 64,000 miles (always kept in-doors and serviced at BMW exclusively), please let me know and I will send you pictures and I am willing to negotiate a good price. Good luck with your search. Best Regards ... Joe jmperez649@gmail.com BlackBerry 514-814-2649

4 people found this helpful.
7,175

haven't owned the newer ones. have had many E30 3 series 86, two 88s, and a 89, also a 85 E28 and 95 E34 5 series there cars are great... just find out what weaknesses it has an find the remedy I really liked my 95 525i 5 speed manual the only weaknesses was the factory installed plastic parts in the cooling system replace with metal ones and you're good to go I put 235k miles before I sold it... still going strong my 86 and 88 325e models I had put over 280k miles

2 people found this helpful.
75

I own a 2005 325i base, 5-speed manual. Absolutely a great driver. I replaced the cooling system; pulley, water pump, radiator & hoses at 85K miles. The water pumps have plastic impellers and typically fail shortly after 85K. I just didn't want to be caught on the road when the pump goes out and the engine overheats. Otherwise, no issues.

which E46 is better is the best 318,320,323,325,328 0r 330..i want to buy one soon?

10

Have had 5 Bimmers : 733i, 735i (factory M7 engine 312,000 mls.) still running great Z3, 540i , and recently bought a 2000 323i 166K 5-speed I am absolutely in love with all of them but only have the latter two presently. Sold them to friends. Enjoy yours!

1 people found this helpful.

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