1999 - 2005 BMW 3-Series Pre-Owned

BMW has long been regarded as one of the best auto manufacturers around when it comes to driving dynamics. Renowned for building amazing cars stretching from the original 2002tii and fabulous 3.0 CSL to

the all-conquering M3, M5 and new M6 models, the Bavarian marque's reputation is almost untarnished, and the last generation 3-series certainly has done its part to carry that reputation even farther.

Produced from model years 1999 to 2005, the E46 3-series, as it's called internally and among fans of the Roundel brand, has proven a worthy steed for many a well-heeled driver. Available in sedan, coupe, cabriolet and wagon forms, there was an E46 for everybody, and with a plethora of inline six-cylinder engines ranging from 170 horsepower 2.5L runabouts to 330 horsepower 3.2L M-tuned fire-breathers, there was also an E46 for every speed.

First made available in the fall of 1998, one of the initial E46 models to hit the showroom wasthe 323i sedan. The replacement for the previous generation 318i, the 323i sported the aforementioned 170 horsepower inline six, and as such was hardly BMW's definition of sporty. But with the same level of refinement found in every other BMW 3-Series model, even the 323i was a hit; breaking sales records for BMW almost every year. Fifty percent stiffer than the old 318i, the body structure of the 323i has aged well, and thanks to this added rigidity, most used models are still squeak and rattle free. Add to that the fact that even the lowly 323i (lowly being a relative term, of course) still sported one of the best interiors in the business and it is easy to see why the entry level E46 was such a hit.

Boasting a sufficiently updated interior over the previous generation, the then-new Bimmer had everything a young, successful business person could want; from excellent instrumentation to the standard issue BMW-firmseats, while such options as Park Distance Control (a high tech feature when it debuted), and rear side-impact airbags meant a fully optioned 3-Series was a luxury force to be reckoned with. Of course, also in grand Bimmer style, choosing which model you wanted wasn't an easy task, made even harder in the E46's case by both an elongated release program and revised nomenclature: the new E46 was only available in sedan guise in the fall of 1998, while the rest of the 3-series lineup was carried over from the previous year. The E46 coupe broke cover in the summer of 1999 and both convertible and wagon forms saw the light of day in 2000. Both coupe and convertible bodies were sufficiently different from the sedan body style (beyond simply lacking two doors), with both being lower, longer, and wider than the sedan. To further confuse things, the now-various models ("i" being the demarcation for the sedan body style while "Ci" was the coupe and convertible's designation) were all renamed; becoming 325i's and 325Ci's to reflect the engine displacement. Coincidentally, all the 2.5L models also gained 14 additional horsepower, bumping the output in 2000-and-up models to 184 horsepower.

The only other model to make a debut alongside the entry-level 323i in late '98 was the more upscale 328i sedan. Much the same car as the 323i, the slightly more expensive 328i's main claim to fame was a larger 2.8L inline six that was a carryover from the previous generation. Developing 193 horsepower, the 2.8L was only marginally quicker than the 2.5L, but that was of no concern to BMW for they knew that it was merely a stopgap solution, replacing the aging 2.8L with a new 3.0L that made a much more respectable 225 horsepower in its first year on the market; 2001. Accompanying the 32 horsepower increase were 17-inch wheels and a few additional pieces of trim, while various performance oriented upgradesin 2003 included a 18-inch wheels, suspension tuning, sportier exhaust, and trim pieces, plus a 6-speed manual transmission in place of the standard 5-speed shared with the other regular production E46 3-Series models. A conventional-shifting five-speed automatic was available as an option in 1999 while the 2000-and-newer models' automatic transmissions were fitted with BMW's Steptronic manual-shift provision. In 2001 BMW supplemented their by-then-known-as 325 and 330 sedan lineups with an optional all-wheel drive system. Denoted by the addition of an X in the model's name (325Xi, 330Xi), the AWD system added 200 pounds to the car and raised the ride height by 0.7 inches, but made for a very sure-footed vehicle when traction was at a premium.

Of course, the third and final iteration of the 3-Series lineup made rear traction challenges a lotless of a problem and a lot more of a pleasure. The immortal E46 M3, powered by a 330 horsepower, 3.2L version of the inline six was introduced in 2001 to much praise from the automotive press. Lauded for its scalpel-like (to use the cliché pretty much made a cliché by the numerous M3 reviews that used it) precision and exquisite balance, the M3 took the perfect 50:50 weight distribution shared by all models in the 3-Series lineup and enhanced it with an infusion of more power and more sporting suspension upgrades. Introduced in 2001, the M3 returned from its two year hiatus, now in coupe and cabriolet form; and what a form it was. With conspicuously flared fenders, a noticeable bulge in the hood, quad exhaust tips sticking business-like out the back end and the now signature side vents in the front fenders, the E46M3 did nothing to hide its pedigree. And why should it? With what is commonly regarded as near-perfect suspension, steering, and chassis tuning paired with the one-two punch of that potent inline six, backed by a great six speed manual 'box, the M3 is still regarded as one of the ultimate sports coupes, even years after its inception.

A year later what some would call the ultimate driving machine got even better with the addition of BMW's Sequential Manual Gearbox, or SMG transmission. A cut above the previous torque converter-equipped manumatic Sportronic 'box, the SMG was (and still is) almost telepathic in operation, and driving a so-equipped M3 is an experience to be relished. It's noteworthy that a toned-down version of the SMG transmission was made available on all 3-Series Bimmers (except the 330Ci for some reason) in 2004.

On thatnote, it's also worth mentioning that all E46s were known for safety and reliability. The former was the result of no less than six airbags as standard for front seat passengers, standard traction control, and even standard Cornering Brake Control; a system that stabilized the car under hard braking in turns. As the models grew older the list of standard features grew even longer, incorporating even more safety devices like automatic rain-sensing wipers, tire-pressure monitors and Antiskid Dynamic Stability Control.

The latter, reliability, was the result of BMW's excellent 3-year warranty program that paid for regular maintenance, leading many owners to service their vehicles at regular intervals, making even a used 3-Series aless risky proposition. Unfortunately, though, the rare E46 that does exhibit problems tends to exhibit rather serious ones, ranging from faulty connecting rod bearings in the M3's 3.2L to vibrating steering wheels as a result of poorly isolated steering boxes, to disconnecting front struts and even faulty anti-window-pinching devices. Of course, in grand European tradition, none of the common problems are cheap to fix, but given the very reasonable prices these Bimmers now fetch, owning one is hardly a losing proposition.

Add to that the fact that to the untrained eye a 1999 and 2005 E46 looks pretty much identical, and you've got yourself six years' worth of excellent value to choose from!