364,000 Mile E46 BMW 323i Manual Sedan - POV Ownership Review
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- Substitute Topher takes his $1000 364k mile E46 out for an introductory drive!
2000 BMW 323i Manual Sedan
MPG: 20 city / 29 highway
Horsepower: 170 hp @ 5,500 rpm
Engine: 2.5 L 6-cylinder
Curb weight: 3,153 lbs
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Dimensions: 176″ L x 69″ W x 56″ H
Tire size: P195/65R15
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This is medium mileage for BMW's lol... Americans are funny, they drive a car for 2 years, stop taking care of it, stop servicing it, and then something goes wrong because of bad maintenance, and they assume the whole car is dead. Europe is full of BMW's with half a million to million km's....go to any track day in fact, you'll see loads of cars that are 20-30 years old with original engines still running strong after years of track abuse.
Taking care of old cars is rewarding
Cap more like 5th engine lol
@@dr.thunder2632 exactly. People don't understand.
I'm buying a 2002 328 with All wheel drive good shape
Are the 3 series better than the 5
I love ownership reviews, always more in depth than first impressions and that's really beneficial to consumers
Agreed!
@@KofiBlackGaming 2ok in maintenance ok no bmws for me
Let me tell you something:
In my country we bring in used BMWs from Germany and drive them 500 000 kilometers more, and then we sell them to another person.
It is absolutely normal here to see M3s and M5s (2008-2012) with 600 000 kilometers on the clock, on a track day...
The thing is we have big respect for german cars and we maintain them well.
Im not saying BMWs are the most reliable, Im saying maintenance can go a long way :)
This is the way. Doesn't matter what brand or what type of engine as long as it is owned by a mechanic or a true car enthusiast, the motor will last one way or another.
@@henlolneh No need to be a car person here, you can ask an average young mother and she will tell you how an engine/transmission work. You cant legally have a driving license here unless you know the car's mechanics and how to maintain it.
@@moonsapling What country do you live in?
@@kevinnorris6558 ikr, I wanna know too 🤣
@@moonsapling what country
$20k worth of service records on a 2000 vehicle equals out to under $1k/ year in maintenance.
I’d say that’s a big ass win for a BMW, hell any car.
323i in europe is kinda middle powered e46, in europe E46 starts with 316I, so 170HP is quite a nice amount of power
in my country,consumers sceptical about car reached 100 000 km expecially European made.BMW 10 years old among the poor demand because higher cost of maintenance and spare parts.
The E46 with almost 400K Miles is unbelievable! The great thing is it still runs great! 👏🏻
My old one,316i on Lpg,have sold with 559xxxkm....
It's not unbelievable, it's normal for BMW's and other German cars to run for several hundred thousand miles, specially diesels, with the original engine. A E39 in Holland reached a million miles years ago. In Eastern Europe you'll many older BMW and Mercedes with 500k+ miles running like a champ. In fact many are taxi cabs
BMWs old 2.5 and 2.8 inline engines were super smooth and sounded great. After this gen 3-series, BMWs exterior and interior styling took a downhill dive. A good condition E46 is probably a keeper.
I would say pre-facelift E90 didn't age as well as an E46, but the facelift E90 with decent wheels still looks sharp today
@@luigicornelio7510 E90s are the last 3s that are good to drive.
@@tcaudiobooks737 So F30s are not so good? Why not?
These are ugly tf you talking about
@@inertboi The F30 became larger, heavier, softer, uglier, and lost all of the driving feel and characteristics that made BMWs good. The Ultimate soccer mom machine.
On the 1999-2000 e46, the gas pedal is drive by cable. Over time the end of the cable with the ball can wear out, causing the gas pedal to not work at all or in your case become sticky.
I'd be curious to see what the cumulative $$ spent on all of the maintenance for a ~21 year old BMW with 364k miles comes out to be !
About $20k!
Unbelievable. You surprised me. You brought a special video this time too. Really very good. This is a great video.
It's in the vid Bru
1k a year is pretty cheap for a luxury car 💯
@@williambreeze2659 twenty
Damn is the hp loss really that drastic? I mean I know its a huge milage but I had a 20 year old alfa with around 215k kilometers and I'm pretty sure it had almost every hp it left the factory with. I raced with some mates which had like 10 year newer cars and beat 'em lol
i doubt it has lost more than like 15hp
No bruh, The car is probably at like 155 wheel
Nah, he's just used with more powerful cars. The car seems to pull fine for 170hp and 1500 kilos.
Just for general knowledge in 99’ and 00’ the e46 only came in 323i and 328i variants with the M52tu motors (a 2.5L and 2.8L respectively). In 2001 BMW “upgraded” to the 325i and 330i with the M54 (2.5L and 3.0L) respectively. Looking strictly at numbers the 323 and 325 are very very similar in power and the 323i was only called the 23i because if they called it a 25i they thought there wouldn’t have been enough differences between the 2.5L and the 2.8L for people to want to spend more on the 328i
Yup, came here to say the same. I have the same 2000 323i in metallic blue, picked up in Munich via European Delivery program, with "only" 150k miles on it, original clutch. It made a cross-country journey recently from SF to NY, pulling a 2000 lbs trailer.
Don't know about USA, but in Europe we also had 320i which was m52b20 (150hp) pre facelift and m54b22 (170hp) facelift :D. So 323 was not actually the least powerful I6
I learned stick on a 5-speed X5 of this era! I still miss it sometimes, even if it leaked coolant on me at 112k miles💀 To it’s credit, though, it made it 900 miles from San Francisco, CA to Spokane, WA flawlessly with 109k miles. But I totally get your point at trusting a super high mileage well-maintained older BMW like yours over one like I had. That’s pretty damn solid for 364k miles!
Glad you got out of hellhole sf. I’m from Sonoma county
I also have an x5 !
I just sold my 2005 530I with 393,000 miles on it. It was the best and cheapest car I've ever owned. Changed oil every 15,000 miles. No major expensive repairs.
Manual?
Its probably the rear diff bushing. Mine clunks and the subframe is not cracked at all. Rear diff bushing is a common problem. The bushing cracks
There's just something about high mileage cars that gets my blood flowing.
My parents have a 2003 Volvo XC70 2.5T with 262k in mint condition. Just waiting for the day they pass it down to me.
But the E46 is probably my favorite gen of the 3 series.
I put 25k on my e46 in the first 6 months i owned it. Still runs great at 230k
I don't think a new BMW will run 346k. I think that really goes for any new car.
I have a 2000 323ci with 261k miles. Most reliable car I own
Hey I'm about to buy one, do you have any concerns with it right now? And how much does it cost to mantain it?
Had a 2003 325 with sports package, looked similar, wheels much more sportier. Put 120k miles on it and traded in in 2011. Was as good as the 1995 325 with sport package I had before that. Both manuals, incredible cars, were as new even after 100k miles. I would say the 1995 was more connected than the 2003. I felt the 2003 when I picked it up was a bit more diluted than the 1995. Imagine that! Got a C300 stick in 2011, have got 170k miles on it. Still wonderful and full power. Yes, just do regular maintenence on these bad boys and they will last forever 👌👍👍
how does your c300 compare for your 03 325?
@@6mtcruiser about 90% in terms of handling. The merc feels rock solid and of top quality. Still going strong at 170k miles...clunky shifter. The bimmer shifter is the best
@@motovloggingwithvman2188 i have an e90 6 speed. i came from an infiniti g37 6 speed. bmw shifter feels nice but a bit sloppy and rubbery
@@6mtcruiser interesting, have not driven an Infiniti...Did you buy it new?
@@motovloggingwithvman2188 no my g37 had 71,000 miles on it but the condition was superb. my bmw has 150k but it feels as good as any other one i’ve driven
there is no way it only has 90 hp left and still running. probably more like 140hp, those are not the lightest cars. I also think the 323i and 328i came out before a 225i and 230i.
i’d say 140hp is spot on. i was a bit dramatic in the video.
I've always loved the sedan version of this car. It's so beautiful and timeless.
old BMWs. I understand they are an absolute money pit. but idc. they are my favorite. have a 2004 530i (yes, first year of the e60), and people are stunned thats its pushing 20 years old. buttery smooth engine, heavy steering. I try and ignore all the oil when I get under the car LOL
i miss my e46. this video reminded me of how smooth and fun to drive that car was. but after almost $18k of maintenance later i had to get rid of it at 187k miles.
How long did you have it?
@@TheSublimeLifestyle i had it for 9 years
My dad still has his 2003 330i ( in the background of my profile pic )
Very smooth car, decent power, classic bmw feeling where the steering feels heavy at low speeds but lightens up the faster you go.
how many miles on it and you should do a video of it
6:31 - that's actually a roundabout, in USA. Thought that's something worth to mention as i've never seen one there.
It’s weird to see a roundabout in the USA?
I have a 2000 bmw e46 323i but it has only 163k miles on it!! But this video makes me believe that mine can make to 300k miles!!
Also i like the guy recording he should definitely make a UA-cam channel and do these himself
cheers! i do have my own channel!
@@TopherDrives sweet i have to sub immediately
If you take care of things they will last forever
Sub topher needs his own channel because he is really interesting. Call it topher 2.0 or something
or Twopher
hello! it is I, substitute Topher
@@TopherDrives hey! Love your reviews man!
*sees mileage and what brand it is. Surprised that it’s not a Toyota*
Scotty Kilmer: Impossible… it’s a money pit.
I love seeing a German car with that high mileage running so smoothly and proving people like Scotty Kilmer wrong. I would love to own a E46, E39 or E36 and get them to that high mileage. Getting a brand new car is easy, maintaining an old high mileage car is the real challenge.
I love these kinds of videos and I hope to see more!
This gives me hope for buying one now 😂
As for the "fast blinking" turn signal on 10:18, my 1997 530i does the exact same thing. Usually happens when it's cold/freezing outside. Interesting to say the least.
That means that it’s broken.
@@emrefifty5281 Nah, my turn signal did that for one winter years ago and its been fine since then.
Check the bulbs for corrosion. Had the same issue and new bulbs solved it
My 2003 330i fully loaded has 320k+ on the clock, rusting a decent amount now but the interior leather is pretty mint, far better than this one. Being facelift, having curvy M3 style mirrors, and clear euro lens makes it still look fairly modern. It also has the original clutch which is the most amazing part. Sadly I think this year may be it's last as the rusty grip of death nears.
Sold my 01 330ci @335k miles and it has 340k miles still going strong I called the owner. change the trans fluid and oil w syn and they last forever. Bought an m54 x5 it runs awesome
@@startingtech3900 what's the trans fluid change interval? I've got an E39 525i and the owner maintained it pretty meticulously. I've put 30k miles on it so far without changing the trans fluid. Pedal and clutch feel fine.
@@joseherrera5264 75k IMO
Amazing. And those are cold weather miles. I have an e34 almost at 200k but mine are florida miles.
cold, salty miles lol
late e36 and early e46's are so reliable if maintenance is done and cooling system is checked i love them
No one: " "
Owner on an old car: "Yeah... This car is not in his best shape... is probably going to explode"
lol
My 320ci has 253,789 miles on it currently it burns a little oil if I drive it hard but it still runs and drives brilliantly I’ve serviced the vanos replaced cooling system new ccv system new clutch and diff and it’s absolutely amazing to drive ! It only really burns oil if you have it up by the red line for over 5 seconds so I’d say that’s pretty normal?
My dad’s was in black with a manual. Amazing car, had very little problems.
My brother used to have one in the Arizona Sun color. It's like a gold color with metallic orange hues. It looked so good in person.
But when my brother moved state foe college the car sat in the garage so my parents sold it, and he got another car later
I just got a 210k 2002 bmw 330i 5 speed
Dream car 🤗
The 323 and 328 of that era were more durable than the 325 and 330 for some reason
Small world!! I live about 25 minutes from Kauth & Mayeur
When an e46 lacks power it is highly likely that either the "Vanos", the fuel pump or the air-flow-sensor is faulty... Considering the mileage, I guess all three are possible in your case :D
Also fuel filter
Love these reviews! True ownership experiences of these cars that you don't ever hear about in other videos.
Love all the little touches of love the previous owners have left you too, hah. Got to get very intimate with previous owner electrical and 'repair work' recently myself.
All things considered, the car's in amazing shape when most cars have stopped running in 1/3 of the mileage.
daamn i love e46s even though i drove so many fast cars, E46 still remains as one of the best value options for petrolheads. When i move to germany i will buy E46 as my daily
Great POV of a great car. Glad to see you are enjoying it just like the owners before you did. I knew you were the perfect caretaker for this car. Enjoy! -Sean / K&M
That car is such a timeless design. Love it!
That's incredible, I hope my '01 X5 3.0i could reach that kind of mileage. Long ways from it now, but it's been surprisingly dependable.
My friends E70 has lasted 140k miles, E53 should last longer then the E70
The euro repair shop you mentioned sounds familiar… in Peoria Illinois right ?
This dude talking about how much he trusts the car but is terrified to touch anything 🤣
My family had two of these one at 310,000 and another over 500,000 miles
This is my favorite looking BMW. I thought about buying one of these since I work from home now and dont really drive to work anymore.
No way! I own a 180k mile 2000 328i manual sedan!
It's always a nice surprise seeing this early 2000's cheap cars. There's just something about them...
The Dynamic Stability Control on this model was so advanced that it’s still better than most new vehicles.
It saved my ass multiple times when hitting black ice, and made driving on snowpack effortless and worry free, even in a RWD.
Purchased a 2002 e46 325i Sedan with bbs wheels Dark metallic blue color with only 32k original miles ! Best purchase
I wouldn't be surprised if its the 2nd or even original clutch. They last forever
Loved the video, Topher! Our BMW tech will be beaming with pride when he sees it!
My goal is to drive my car over 300k miles... I don't think it'll ever happen though. I drive a Honda civic
I had a clunk aswell and it ended up just being the suspension!!!
My dad had this car (with the stickshift!) back in the early 2000's, and I remember as a kid thinking it was the baddest car out. Even drove it a few times.
about to buy a 60K mile E46 328i. im very excited
I like substitute Toph :) I hope we see more videos from him!
My 97" M3 has 245k miles ! Proper maintenance is the key to enjoy these German beauties for long term! Going to review mine soon!
This looks EXACTLY like the one my dad had except it was an automatic. We then sold it for an X5 back in ‘08. Anyways, great vid and keep up the good work!
My E46's subframe was fixed as a part of a class action lawsuit settlement well after the warranty had expired. You might wanna check with the local dealer.
mine has 246K miles, runs flawlessly
Great car, seems very reliable!
It’s a BMW, ofc it is
@@e70_x5_guy4 yep!
just pull the trunk carpet up and look for cracks in the floor, if yes the floor panel is probably beyond repair
It is hard to believe that 170 hp now produces only 100 hp.
I really like the harmonic, orchestral like engine sounds. hands down one of the best sounding engines of that time
I would love to see a video showing the undercarriage of this thing, specifically the rear subframe. That "spice mix" looks rather interesting lmaoooo
I have the E46 with the smallest base engine. 1.9l I4 105HP M43TÜ
Currently it has 72.000miles and it's my daily .
Would this be a good first car?
Dude and I just bought 1 in steel blue
great car. I myself have got a E39 with around 100k miles. Dream car :=)
E39 gang! I have a 528i 99’, 5-speed in Cashmere beige metallic, I absolutely love this car. I replaced the clutch and got new tires this year! It’s only got 135k :)
It doesn't mean anything the mileage as proof, we had a few years ago, GMs and Fords with very big mileage, and it was not necessarily reliable, but it drove a lot every day on the beautiful road, and the boss replaced all the parts, even if the vehicle was old. At BMW (Mercedes), mechanics say: rent these vehicles 4 years, and especially do not buy them after, so it is good that there is a reason.
Personal car reviews (even better to me since its a BMW lol) are so much better, because the person has much more knowledge and pride about the car being presented to us
Oh I really want to see the underside of this car
I never laughed so much watching a long term review lmao 11:57
The Benet family are great people. Mike & Sean are great dudes.
the heated seat problem would be a burnt resistor(s)
I bought my first car January 13 2021 and it was a 2000 323i 5-speed alpine white. It still is my car to this day and I love it. I've done a lot of mods to the car and something that I found surprising is that your subframe mount snapped off from the rear carrier panel as well. I drove mine like that for about 7 months and that was really dumb of me to do. I would highly recommend getting that fixed. You can do it in the span of 5 hours if you know what you are doing. Find someone that has a welder and you'll have to have some spare sheet metal to weld on there. After I got mine fixed, I was so happy it wasn't clunking and squeaking all the time and the car felt solid. I wasn't scared of sending it anymore either.
Awesome video, I have a ‘01 330i with 50k miles and it’s a great car. As long as you treat it well, it’ll treat you well
🇬🇧 BMW’s like a lot of cars from that era were so well-made that all you had to do was give them some TLC and they’d keep going. The M3 E46 ‘Dateline’ that Tedward driven a while back was really awesome, I really enjoyed the sound of the engine in that thing! Yours is still in good shape though Chris and am glad you gotten a full service history with it. Thanks for sharing your very own BMW with us!
Volume knob probably needs a few turns or contact cleaner. Happened to a car of ours.
i had a 2000 323i, now i got the m3, just something about the e46 chassis maneeee
I'm the original owner of a 2000 323i manual with 135K on it. Car had a lot of problems during the early years (cooling system, control arm bushings, ac, windows) but is pretty stable now. With maintenance mostly done by me, car drives like new and everything works. We are in the south so car has no rust and the rear subframe is intact. I'll probably keep the car forever and hope to break 200k.
I think it still has 160hp. Accelerates well. Put it on a dyno and see how much it is pushing to the wheels.
I bought a 2003 325xi about 3 months ago with 250,000 miles it now is close to 253,000. Manual transmission , today I did my first oil change along with new Firestone tires. Car runs beautiful. Does need some work to suspension , and some interior/exterior. Nothing too crazy. But it’s unbelievable how well this car rides. I’m actually thinking of keeping it for as long as I can.
the m54 engine is so smeooth
Very interesting video, I'm enjoying it. I just bought a 2000 323Ci with 142,000 miles and hope to have fun fixing it up. Did you backfire at the 14:15 mark? And you did say it was sluggish, -- I just watched a video of a man telling people with older high mileage 3 Series BMW's how to replace or clean the VANOS solenoids to get the car running back to normal. Here's the link :
ua-cam.com/video/M_pT6PwuKv0/v-deo.htmlsi=6pj73Giaj6yI8QF_
I've been working on a '99 323i, M/T with 282k, and I've thrown more money at it than I have any other car I've ever had, especially since I haven't ever driven it! Given enough time though, I will win.
Recently sold my 186,000 mile manual 2005 325i, even though it was falling apart from the previous owners neglect I absolutely loved living with an early 2000s bmw and I can’t wait to get a another one
"but I replaced those units with some Harmon Kardon units that I found from the Junkyard" VIDEO PLEASE! Would love to see a dumpster dive for parts that go into cars you use!
I'm always so excited to see you and Tedward making BMW videos
Hey dude, Enjoy your video, but I can’t really see you driving a 400,000 mile car that is known for body rot and not looking underneath. This car is a 3000 lb missle going down the highway. That chassis is obviously compromised and god forbid you get into an accident. This thing will fold like a pretzel and crush you.
9:58 what do you mean super super underpowered if you would have said to an european that the slowest e46 available back in 2000 was a 175hp inline 6 they would be shocked I mean you americans must be really wasted for saying that 175hp is slow ,my 1999 316i with the 1.9 inline 4 thats a slow car.
I’m bouta buy one tmr I looked at it today it only has 125,000miles and I’m bouta snag it for $3,500 CADthere isn’t a thing wrong with it I’m getting the deal of a lifetime.
Wow that’s amazing especially for a BMW I’m gonna be honest.
I’d take a any year model civic or Corolla over that BMW. What a horrible car. BMWs are not quality cars I owned one and leased one through my work. They are a horror show of reliability. Japan and even the Americans build better vehicles.