Tell me why I WOULDN'T want an E46 Coupe

If the prevailing winds hold, I may wish to get a different daily (it's the Miata for now...).

I love the sound of a straight six (Datusn L-Series, really, the bimmer sixes are poor substitutes sound wise, but, still an inline 6...), I've had E21-E36, so why not an E46, right?

If the E36 had a little more power (318i) and the interior wasn't falling down (the Arizona heat made the nice San Diego based interior fall on hard times...), I probably would've kept it.  But, don't want the interior hassles of another E36, so that's out.  And if I do it, I want the coupe, not the sedan.

So, why WOULDN'T I want a nice E46 manual coupe?

Yes. Why yes you should. Also consider the e82 1 series coupe. E46ish interior with e36ish weight/ergo.

Because if you have bad shoulders and knees, 4 doors are easier to reach the seat belt and get in/out of respectively.

That's all I can think of.  325i makes nice noises.  Or did they call them 323i?  The 328/330 is gruntier but doesn't sing as sweetly.

The M54 has a few notable weaknesses. The cooling system is a 100k mile replacement item, as in full replacement of all components save the heater core. Not a hard job, and fairly straightforward except for the plastic pipes under the intake manifold. More problematic is that some engines develop serious oil consumption issues, like more than a quart every 1000 miles. This can be due to a few things: the CCV system is awful and fails in a few different ways (but is thankfully not all that difficult or costly to replace), and the low tension rings break. I fought this latter issue on my E39 525i, eventually developing a hack that can largely mitigate the effects (dubbed - not by me - the "02Pilot Mod"). Other than that, it's just the typical BMW stuff like oil filter housing gaskets and fragile plastic bits and such.

Because the 1-series exists. And because it's German and needs a lot of attention. Those are the only reasons, since you asked.

I haven't driven an E46 in a really long time, and it's been close to 10 years since I drove a 128i, but my fuzzy memory is the 128i was better in basically every way. Plus it's newer, so less hassle maybe.

It's great, the E46 coupe got me to fall in love with German cars! And to fall out of love with the cooling system and interior plastics... just remember it's a 20-30 year old car that was designed to be serviced regularly  

the coupe is less stiff of a chassis than the sedan but I doubt you will notice. Parts in junkyards are more plentiful for sedan, and several exterior and interior bits that look close don't fit between the two. 
 

An E46 coupe is pretty perfect (E46 M3 owner here). Back seat is tight, but the dog doesn’t mind. Roomy up front, enough trunk space, beautify looks (that still look fresh) and, like you said, those inline-six noises. 

And just to get you thinking about one even more:

02Pilot said:

The M54 has a few notable weaknesses. The cooling system is a 100k mile replacement item, as in full replacement of all components save the heater core. Not a hard job, and fairly straightforward except for the plastic pipes under the intake manifold. More problematic is that some engines develop serious oil consumption issues, like more than a quart every 1000 miles. This can be due to a few things: the CCV system is awful and fails in a few different ways (but is thankfully not all that difficult or costly to replace), and the low tension rings break. I fought this latter issue on my E39 525i, eventually developing a hack that can largely mitigate the effects (dubbed - not by me - the "02Pilot Mod"). Other than that, it's just the typical BMW stuff like oil filter housing gaskets and fragile plastic bits and such.

Interesting, I saw one for sale that they swapped in an early block.  Clean car otherwise, and has my interest.

bbbbRASS said:

It's great, the E46 coupe got me to fall in love with German cars! And to fall out of love with the cooling system and interior plastics... just remember it's a 20-30 year old car that was designed to be serviced regularly  

the coupe is less stiff of a chassis than the sedan but I doubt you will notice. Parts in junkyards are more plentiful for sedan, and several exterior and interior bits that look close don't fit between the two. 
 

 

Tell me about interior plastics, I thought the E46 fixed the interior issues? 

If reasonably reliable not too with doing work when needed. 

As my wife teases, all of my cars are so old none if them have cup holders!

CyberEric said:

Because the 1-series exists. And because it's German and needs a lot of attention. Those are the only reasons, since you asked.

I haven't driven an E46 in a really long time, and it's been close to 10 years since I drove a 128i, but my fuzzy memory is the 128i was better in basically every way. Plus it's newer, so less hassle maybe.

Not sure on the less hassle, as a shop owner once told me, Bimmer are usually a couple grand a year habit. 

Several on here have 128 threads, and from what I glean, feels like the old saw still holds true.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

Because if you have bad shoulders and knees, 4 doors are easier to reach the seat belt and get in/out of respectively.

 

That's all I can think of.  325i makes nice noises.  Or did they call them 323i?  The 328/330 is gruntier but doesn't sing as sweetly.

The Lord's grace is still upon me, no troubles getting in and out of a lowered Miata, so not worried about that.

And, no kids, no dogs, and I think two doors are underrated by a lot (and near universally look better to my eye); no real reason for a sedan, though in a pinch, maaaaybe.

I think the E46s went 323, 325, and 330.  I don't need a 330, but in the event things come about, I'd take it. 

So far, only thing that scares me a little is the oil consumption noted by 02Pilot, and low tension rings breaking?  

In reply to ГУЛАГ мальчик УР следующий :

The interior plastics don't crumble on their own, but the dash bits (especially vents) will be brittle and not like being removed. Headliner glue will also give up the ghost if it is a hot climate car. I think the interior pieces do better in places more like Bavaria.

I found the rear seat big as far as coupes go (6'2" 240lbs, size 13), but it's a bit tight getting back there. 
one other coupe issue is the size of the doors. Tight parking spaces are a challenge to get out of the car!

seriously I loved my E46 and it is a fantastic design.

I thought these required semi-annual window regulator replacements? And don't the subframe mounts tear?

ГУЛАГ мальчик УР следующий said:

I think the E46s went 323, 325, and 330.  I don't need a 330, but in the event things come about, I'd take it.

The e46 started life in the US as the 323(actually a 2.5L) and the 328 using the older M52 engines. In 2000 they switched to the M54 with the 325 and 330.

My only complaint about the e46 non-m is that the Getrag doesn't shift as nice as the ZF in the E36.

If you like the E36, the E46 is very much an evolutionary improvement of the E36, not a majorly different car.  The E82 others mentioned would be a good option to look at as well, but it's definitely a more different car.  Newer generation engines, different suspension, etc. 

ГУЛАГ мальчик УР следующий said:

02Pilot said:

The M54 has a few notable weaknesses. The cooling system is a 100k mile replacement item, as in full replacement of all components save the heater core. Not a hard job, and fairly straightforward except for the plastic pipes under the intake manifold. More problematic is that some engines develop serious oil consumption issues, like more than a quart every 1000 miles. This can be due to a few things: the CCV system is awful and fails in a few different ways (but is thankfully not all that difficult or costly to replace), and the low tension rings break. I fought this latter issue on my E39 525i, eventually developing a hack that can largely mitigate the effects (dubbed - not by me - the "02Pilot Mod"). Other than that, it's just the typical BMW stuff like oil filter housing gaskets and fragile plastic bits and such.

Interesting, I saw one for sale that they swapped in an early block.  Clean car otherwise, and has my interest.

Is it an M52 or M54 car? Why was the block swapped? Did they replace the rings, and if so, did they use the M52 or M54 rings (it's possible to use the earlier rings on the later engines).

bbbbRASS said:

In reply to ГУЛАГ мальчик УР следующий :

The interior plastics don't crumble on their own, but the dash bits (especially vents) will be brittle and not like being removed. Headliner glue will also give up the ghost if it is a hot climate car. I think the interior pieces do better in places more like Bavaria.

I found the rear seat big as far as coupes go (6'2" 240lbs, size 13), but it's a bit tight getting back there. 
one other coupe issue is the size of the doors. Tight parking spaces are a challenge to get out of the car!

seriously I loved my E46 and it is a fantastic design.

Hmmm, I'll have to take a gander at a few for the headliner then, because SoAZ.   It's not Phoenix (I'm surprised anything survives Phoenix) but we get our hot days.

I've owned 5 e46 models over the years (among many other BMWs) and LOVE them. Great size, handling, fast enough, modern enough, etc. If you decide you do want one, I'd suggest a ZHP trim model. They got a small HP bump and have some specific bits that make the car more special. Random image pasted below.

As for a 1-series, we have a 2010 128i six speed right now. I love it too. Very similar driving experience but definitely smaller than the e46 coupe. 

02Pilot said:

ГУЛАГ мальчик УР следующий said:

02Pilot said:

The M54 has a few notable weaknesses. The cooling system is a 100k mile replacement item, as in full replacement of all components save the heater core. Not a hard job, and fairly straightforward except for the plastic pipes under the intake manifold. More problematic is that some engines develop serious oil consumption issues, like more than a quart every 1000 miles. This can be due to a few things: the CCV system is awful and fails in a few different ways (but is thankfully not all that difficult or costly to replace), and the low tension rings break. I fought this latter issue on my E39 525i, eventually developing a hack that can largely mitigate the effects (dubbed - not by me - the "02Pilot Mod"). Other than that, it's just the typical BMW stuff like oil filter housing gaskets and fragile plastic bits and such.

Interesting, I saw one for sale that they swapped in an early block.  Clean car otherwise, and has my interest.

Is it an M52 or M54 car? Why was the block swapped? Did they replace the rings, and if so, did they use the M52 or M54 rings (it's possible to use the earlier rings on the later engines).

I've still got the ad up on the laptop, pretty sure it's an 03 or so, so according to notes above, an M54 car with an M52 replacement block. 

It would need a once over, but done right I wouldn't worry about it. 

It begs the question, though, is the issue poor maintenance intervals, or at a given point it's a failure?

We'll see if that car is around when the turn I think is coming hits, but I'd otherwise want to figure out when the ring failure hits and if it's been repaired. 

Not too worried about stuff like the window regulators in the E36, but looking for more of a light maintenance when needed, not a motor that has to come out at some point.  I've discovered my tolerance for that kind of thing has waned since I've got the E21 apart this time. 

so in reference to the "why not e81?", I'm curious to hear about "why not e90 328?"... based on loose looking, they're about the same price as e46's these days (although, perhaps harder to find a stick?)

CyberEric said:

Because the 1-series exists. And because it's German and needs a lot of attention. Those are the only reasons, since you asked.

I haven't driven an E46 in a really long time, and it's been close to 10 years since I drove a 128i, but my fuzzy memory is the 128i was better in basically every way. Plus it's newer, so less hassle maybe.

Steering feel is better on the E46 than E82 though.  Really, the cars feel very different, the E82 feels more substantial than the E46, the E46 is more "tinny", "tossable" and "fun".  The M54 feels a bit more torquey than the N52, but that could be more related to the N52's better top end, they're both very smooth and linear motors.  

One of the nice things about the E82 is that you don't have to worry about the subframe attachment points cracking.  I don't know anyone IRL that has ever had their E46's subframe attachment points fail, but it was always something I've seen a lot of on the internet and it kept me from actually purchasing one.  

sleepyhead the buffalo said:

so in reference to the "why not e81?", I'm curious to hear about "why not e90 328?"... based on loose looking, they're about the same price as e46's these days (although, perhaps harder to find a stick?)

The E90 is also an option, but it's a bit bigger / heavier.  Suspension wise the E90 and the E82 are pretty similar, both are different than the E46. 

ГУЛАГ мальчик УР следующий said:

02Pilot said:

ГУЛАГ мальчик УР следующий said:

02Pilot said:

The M54 has a few notable weaknesses. The cooling system is a 100k mile replacement item, as in full replacement of all components save the heater core. Not a hard job, and fairly straightforward except for the plastic pipes under the intake manifold. More problematic is that some engines develop serious oil consumption issues, like more than a quart every 1000 miles. This can be due to a few things: the CCV system is awful and fails in a few different ways (but is thankfully not all that difficult or costly to replace), and the low tension rings break. I fought this latter issue on my E39 525i, eventually developing a hack that can largely mitigate the effects (dubbed - not by me - the "02Pilot Mod"). Other than that, it's just the typical BMW stuff like oil filter housing gaskets and fragile plastic bits and such.

Interesting, I saw one for sale that they swapped in an early block.  Clean car otherwise, and has my interest.

Is it an M52 or M54 car? Why was the block swapped? Did they replace the rings, and if so, did they use the M52 or M54 rings (it's possible to use the earlier rings on the later engines).

I've still got the ad up on the laptop, pretty sure it's an 03 or so, so according to notes above, an M54 car with an M52 replacement block. 

It would need a once over, but done right I wouldn't worry about it. 

It begs the question, though, is the issue poor maintenance intervals, or at a given point it's a failure?

We'll see if that car is around when the turn I think is coming hits, but I'd otherwise want to figure out when the ring failure hits and if it's been repaired. 

Not too worried about stuff like the window regulators in the E36, but looking for more of a light maintenance when needed, not a motor that has to come out at some point.  I've discovered my tolerance for that kind of thing has waned since I've got the E21 apart this time. 

 

As I understand it, the primary issue is largely a poor design of the piston rings. That said, poor maintenance - specifically oil changes and lack of attention to the CCV - can have their own serious effects on oil consumption. Either failure can cause the problem, but you may have both (I did). I changed the CCV after discovering a failure, but when I did my oil consumption went up, not down. That sent me down a deep rabbit hole of figuring out what could be happening (this was before the piston ring failures were as well-documented as they are now), reading academic papers on crankcase ventilation and such, as well as replacing likely culprits like the valve seals. The mod/hack solution I finally came up with actually started on this forum (most of this was worked out on Bimmerforums, going back and forth with some pros and others intimately familiar with the M54), wherein someone mentioned ring flutter in a wholly different discussion. That got me thinking about differential pressures between the crankcase and cylinders; the mod basically bypasses the regulated vacuum of the CCV for a metered but unregulated vacuum that pulls the crankcase down far lower than designed, roughly equalizing the pressures between it and the cylinders during deceleration, and thus mitigating the tendency of oil to be pulled past the broken rings. My car ran for tens of thousands of miles like that with no ill effects, and there are dozens (maybe hundreds at this point) of other M54s running the same way.

rothwem said:

One of the nice things about the E82 is that you don't have to worry about the subframe attachment points cracking.  I don't know anyone IRL that has ever had their E46's subframe attachment points fail, but it was always something I've seen a lot of on the internet and it kept me from actually purchasing one.  

It's a real thing, but the problem and solution are well-understood these days.

https://www.bimmerworld.com/About-Us/E46-Rear-Subframe-Floor-Reinforcement-Install/