BMW 3-Series Coupe (1999 - 2006) 320 Ci 2d (00) Owner Review

A Drivers Car, first and foremost. A pleasure to take to the road in, especially the A-roads where she no longer has to prove herself with excessive acceleration or speed. She's capable of that too ! Very smooth and responsive on the roads, handles extremely well. Wonderful turning circle !! At the stage now where she needs monitoring but E46 faults are well documented and most can be avoided by doing preventative work if not done so already. As usual, full service documentation and history are preferable but at least you know that Coupe's were not used as fleet cars for the Motorways. I would recommend any of the 6cyl petrol models, 2.2 upwards. All are capable of 35 MPG easily but that changes with the foot down. 330 is a cheaper substitute for the much coveted M3 with none of it's faults or expenses. Most now have 100k plus on the odometer so common faults at this stage would be failed ignition coils, water pump & coolant expansion tank (if unsure, change the entire cooling system for peace of mind), front steering bushes and failed window regulators. Door locks can fail too but the latter too issues can be prevented / delayed by lubrication. Front wheel arches are prone to rust but again this can be remedied by easy repair work coupled with preventative measures if you are DIY minded. Replacement wings would be a last option. Other things to watch out for are corroded rear brake lines (again, preventative work would do the trick here) and failed electric boot opening. One issue I encountered was leaking via rear light cluster but again that can be remedied. My alternator also finally failed but again, buy a Bosch replacement and that's another worry gone. Considering you can pick up most now for £1000 or less these days, it's a very small price to pay for a car that's becoming increasingly rare on the roads.Spare parts still plentiful. Mine is 18 yrs old and still a pleasure to drive. Still gets admiring glances in Topaz Blue with the Chrome trimmings. Still looks and feels luxurious inside so leather is a must. The last of the BMW's that made you feel at one with the machine.