Replacing e46

I need 4 or 5 doors and must be reliable. I am being nickel and dimed on my current ride and I have owned it for a while so wouldn't mind something different. American or Asian this time around. And hopefully fun to drive. My e46 is an '01. I'd like something a bit newer and fun to drive. All for $6k.

Is your e46 a 330i manual by any chance?

In reply to Tyler H: It is a 325i with manual trans.

Are Infiniti G35s in that price range yet? Cadillac CTS maybe?

Honda Accord V6 coupe. /thread

In reply to clutchsmoke: Would you equally recommend the sedan?

Someone mentioned to me a Mazda 3 hatchback. I am not necessarily attached to the luxury of a BMW, it was just the right sports sedan for me at the time.

I missed the 5 doors requirement. Yes I would recommend the sedan equally, but it's tough to find the sedan with V6/manual combo.

Being nickel and dimed by an E46? Why, I never...

There are many days I debate selling it for something more reliable and faster... But damn, if it isn't a nice car sometimes.

unevolved wrote: Being nickel and dimed by an E46? Why, I never... There are many days I debate selling it for something more reliable and faster... But damn, if it isn't a nice car sometimes.

Yeah, the problem is I like it so much when I am not working on it. Though it is easy to work on, I have never needed to work on a car this much.

I wouldn't even mind going fwd at this point. It's not like I get to do anything other than bomb on ramps anyway....

Not sure I'd go so far as to want FWD, but I do really enjoy mine when it's not killing my wallet. I'm about to do all new wheel bearings, and I think I'm going to do a single-mass flywheel conversion. If I still can't be happy with the car after all that, I'll probably try and let it go.

It's just so damn FUN, though. There's nothing I want to replace it with, which is probably why I still have it. There's just nothing else out there that's RWD, 4 door, manual transmission, reasonably quick, good looking, and well under $10k. Even considering everything I've put into mine, it's still less than $10,000. Something to be said for not having a car note.

upwardlymobilehome wrote:

unevolved wrote: Being nickel and dimed by an E46? Why, I never... There are many days I debate selling it for something more reliable and faster... But damn, if it isn't a nice car sometimes.

Yeah, the problem is I like it so much when I am not working on it. Though it is easy to work on, I have never needed to work on a car this much.

In that case, I'll not suggest you go British or Italian.

In fact, most of the newer German & frankly almost every other country's rides would probably also be a step into more work. Everything seems to be more complicated than needed & much harder to work on these days. "Want to see my engine? Come by some day when I have all the plastic covers off."

pffffffffft. "easy."

Unicorn:

Easier to find with a/t.

American you say? How about built in Flat Rock Michigan? Yes the same place as the mustang. Asian you say? well Its still a mazda.

I get 22-25mpg with the 5 speed. Parts aren't terrible, platform is pretty widely shared between Volvo/ford/mazda of the 2000s. Reliability is excellent, I've just done basic maintenance items on it. brakes, fluid, plugs, coils, tires. Got it at 65k, and its now near 100k.

Sporty you say? well all the wagons technically are considered sport wagons because you cant get a 4 cly in that body style. Odd issue with the duratec 3L though is high mileage ones (170-250k miles) tend to blow spark plugs out with the coil/boot. However helicoil kits are avail and the back 3 cylinders isn't a very daunting task.

Price range? 4-7k based on mileage.

this may be sad but at about 220hp this is the most powerful car I have ever owned.

In reply to fidelity101:

Is that the Mazda 6 wagon?

I'm still not sure how reliable they are, but lately I've been thinking a lot about V70R's.

if FWD is an option, definitely consider the Mazda 3 and 6. I generally hate FWD also but the Mazdas are pretty good for a FWD car used for DD duties. I have the RX7 for weekends when I can actually drive it to fun places in a sporting manner.

Rupert wrote:

upwardlymobilehome wrote:

unevolved wrote: Being nickel and dimed by an E46? Why, I never... There are many days I debate selling it for something more reliable and faster... But damn, if it isn't a nice car sometimes.

Yeah, the problem is I like it so much when I am not working on it. Though it is easy to work on, I have never needed to work on a car this much.

In that case, I'll not suggest you go British or Italian. In fact, most of the newer German & frankly almost every other country's rides would probably also be a step into more work. Everything seems to be more complicated than needed & much harder to work on these days. "Want to see my engine? Come by some day when I have all the plastic covers off."

While that may be true for E90s and later, I've actually found the E46 surprisingly easy to work on. Lots of little things like the water pump puller, taking off all the plastic parts in the way on the right side, etc. It's packaged tight, yeah, but by and large the did plan on it being serviced.

Woody wrote: I'm still not sure how reliable they are, but lately I've been thinking a lot about V70R's.

I agree, and somehow I think I would end up dropping a lot of money in one but they are so cool

upwardlymobilehome wrote: In reply to fidelity101: Is that the Mazda 6 wagon?

Correct

In reply to fidelity101:

Any good online forum for the 6? A great thing about the e46 is how many diy's and such there are available online. I briefly looked to see what was available for the 6... I didn't see to much.