SedanBMW52% by Neofiliac Team

BMW 3 Series E46

Compact Sedan

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Product Overview

BMW 3 Series E46 is a compact executive sports sedan in production from 1998 to 2001, whereupon it received a facelift (LCI in BMW speak). It is available with a range of inline-4 and inline-6 engines that displaced 1.9 to 3.0 liters.

Owners will likely appreciate the most the M54 inline-6 (I6) engine, which is perfectly balanced while being rather simple to work on. After two decades, it has proven to be one of the more reliable engines to have come out of Bavaria.

Another interesting choice is the M57 diesel, which makes quite a lot of torque and is again a rather reliable unit.

Drivers who appreciate handling should keep in mind that the E46 uses MacPherson front suspension, which doesn't provide the best cornering performance.

The E46 is the first generation of 3 Series that can be configured with AWD, although it was largely redundant.

Ratings

What we found

Neofiliac score 52%

Pros

Interesting M54 and M57 engine options
Easy to DIY
Simple and classy exterior design

Cons

Stuck with MacPherson struts in the front
Functional interior

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Specifications

Variants shown:

316i

318i

318i AT

320d

320i

320i AT

323i

323i AT

328i

328i AT

330d

330i

330i AT

330xd

330xi

330xi AT

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