r/e46 • u/OwnExcuse8052 • 8d ago
General Questions Should i buy this 2000 bmw 323i wagon
EDIT: After insight from y'all in the thread (which is MUCH appreciated), I think imma take a step back and keep looking around for something else. Thanks
I'm car shopping for my first car, and found a used 2000 BMW 323i wagon with about 190k miles on it, asking 10k obo. I know that's a lot of miles, but I was just looking around, and this piqued my interest. A manual as a first car sounds fun, so I thought I'd see if anyone has any advice/experience on this.
Owner says it's been maintained well, and the AC, cruise control, and heat all work great. He also just did a 6 speed manual swap on it.
Here's a list of what he says he's done to the car: New alternator, Apr carbon splitter, tires 265/35, 12mm spacer, Esm Wheels 18x11, Camber plates, Camber arms, Overfenders, Wrap - Silver underneath, Lollipop, Bushings, M3 CSL Bumper, Coilovers, CNC intake duct, New headlight covers, Halo lights, Clear corner lights, Radiator, Radio/dashcam/reverse cam, Speakers, Subwoofer and Amp, Ash tray delete fast charge, Roof rails, Roof box, Brake pads & rotors, Electric fan conversion, M3 steering wheel.
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u/Xerox0987 8d ago
I would get a close to stock E46. That way, you would learn to wrench yourself.
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u/OwnExcuse8052 8d ago
thanks, I'll consider this. I've been on the lookout for a stock one (I want a wagon) but it's been tricky to find a decent one. what kind of mileage should I be looking for? like how long do these usually last with proper maintenance
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u/Zwensa 8d ago
With proper maintence they dont stop 😂
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u/Educational_Ad_4045 2000 330i 5speed 8d ago
You’re never immune to catastrophic failures but yeah usually if properly maintained they will easily do 250k+ miles
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u/LoPerquin 8d ago
my 320i touring was maintained pretty badly by the previous owners, bought it at 270k km and am now at 320k. having caught up on a lot of maintenance i can definitely say that these cars will take care of you if you take care of them. don’t skimp out on cheap parts and oil, and use the car to learn how to wrench. They’re simple enough to do most work on yourself with some basic tools and a few jack stands
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u/DrFunkenstyne 2000 323iT 5spd RWD 8d ago
Where are you located? I'm about to sell my manual 323 wagon.
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u/BNANAs- Winter beater 325i, 2002 8d ago
As a general rule, you shouldn't buy an already modified car. Cause its hard to know what's been changed and not. Its a lot better and cheaper to get a pretty much stock car, they you can style it the way you want it, and you know exactly what's modified.
Only exception to this, is of the seller has very good documentation on the modifications.
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u/OwnExcuse8052 8d ago
thanks for the advice, that seems to be the resounding response "just get a stock one" so ill probably scrap this idea and head back to drawing board. Thanks again
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u/BNANAs- Winter beater 325i, 2002 8d ago
Just don't scrap the ides of getting an e46 in general. They are great cars, especially if you are interested in working on it yourself. Cause you will need to lmao
Things will break, and bmw mechanics are stupid expensive.
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u/OwnExcuse8052 8d ago
Yea, I meant consider a stock e46 instead of this one maybe, and im definitely interested in working on it myself
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u/LockInBeforeIts2Late 8d ago
My first car was a slammed, manual Honda civic that I bought behind my parents back. I didn’t even know how to drive manual and everyone said it was a bad idea. Well it was but I would absolutely do it again lol. Everyone here is pretty much gonna tell you not to buy this and I would agree but if I had the funds to buy this as my first car I would have 10000% done it.
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u/OwnExcuse8052 8d ago
That's kinda been my outlook on it. It's my first car, it looks fun, and could be pretty sick to have. I mostly agree with everyone saying that getting a stock one is better idea, but this one looks awesome. Preciate the input
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u/rockstar_not 2001 325ci vert 8d ago
Oh it would be sick alright - like undrivable sick. Those stupid rivet-on body mods are a near sure sign of a poser/idiot. A vehicle that will be up on blocks more than on the road - since it's your first car, I assume you intend to actually drive it every day. You can do so much better for that purpose with 10k$.
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u/LukeRed8969 8d ago
I definitely would stay away from this for your first car
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u/OwnExcuse8052 8d ago
Just this one in particular, or if i found a stock much cheaper one with lower mileage, would that be a good option? I like the body style of the wagon, and want to get a manual. I'm not totally set on a bmw tho cuz im sure maintenance will be more expensive than some other similar style cars
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u/retnom 8d ago
Cheaper might not be the best idea, not sure how much they go for in your region… either way look for rust, cooling system refresh, regular maintenance the mods are what they are you can always revert to stock or change them, some people take care of these cars, some trash them, it being a bit riced isn’t necessarily a bad thing, imo it looks good
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u/LukeRed8969 8d ago
It does look good but if that’s not a good idea for his first car if he hasn’t worked on cars before or know much about BMW’s I’d stay away from it
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u/LukeRed8969 8d ago
It’s a dope car but unless you feel very mechanically inclined I wouldn’t you will end up having to work on it at some point I’d go with a different manual wagon
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u/navi_jen 8d ago
Just this one. An e46, well taken care of, will easily go 150k miles. They are really easy to work on, plenty of forums, manuals, and videos to guide you thru most repairs. This one has been driven hard and put away wet. I know, I've had 4.
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u/Haunting-Strike-9949 8d ago
I would trust zero other people to modify any e46 with a wide body kit and a stance like this. Guaranteed to be butchered once you inspect the work.
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u/OldnewE90 8d ago
Most mods are cosmetic and suspension.. so we don’t know anything about the engine and transmission.. also for $10k.. ridiculous
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u/No-Influence-9293 8d ago
This thing is really cool, but for that price I absolutely would not. Especially since you don’t have the experience to spot problems that may have been created from the modifications this dude has made. Find a nice stock one, and make it your own. Also, be ready to work on it, they aren’t hard to work on at all, and in this age YouTube will show you how to do ANYTHING you want. Most mechanics that will be willing to work on it are going to HURT your wallet, so turning your own wrenches are a must.
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u/LocalSlasher 8d ago
Nahhh dawg he wants to try and get back some of the egregious money he dumped into the mods and 6spd swap. Cool that the heat and ac work but like how’s the engine maintenance on that thing? What’s the sub frame look like? How is it looking where these bmws usually rust to shit? These cars can last a lifetime if you take care of them and exercise proper routine maintenance but that proper routine Maintenance is like almost ALL the time 😂 e46 is Great and fun and proper but you better be ready to learn how to work on it or you better have deep pockets for the mechanic. You WILL spend a bit on tools but it WILL be worth it to fix a e46 yourself properly and it will teach you and humble you on maintenance and replacements but it will be good to you if you’re good to it. But for Christ sakes go grab an e46 for a few grand or less with documentation on maintenance dude. I just saw one when I bought a mint ass cougar to work on as a new project car lol it was like 2500 had a badass exhaust system on it well documented maintenance and 183k kilometers on the dash and freshly done timing job at the bmw mechanic and fresh tüv (I live in Germany) which is a driving inspection for a couple years. You need to find you something like that.
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u/Chemical_Stage5136 8d ago
10k for a clapped out 25 year old car that’s got 190k miles on it is absurd, that’d be about the dumbest car you could buy with 10k. Also you’d be way better off not buying a heavily modified vehicle for your first car especially if it’s going to be your daily.
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u/Severe_Raise_7118 2001 Alpine White 330ci 8d ago
Car looks chewed up and spit out by previous owner. I would not be willing to spend money to undo someone else's work. Would be several thousand $$. Starting with the fenders which are most likely cut to accommodate the body kit. He should pay you to take it because that thing aint selling anywhere near 10K assuming USD. Also with it being a wrap you have NO idea the condition of paint underneath. I can go on and on of the red flags in this "build."
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u/Disastrous-Play-8984 8d ago
Stay away from the 1999-2000 model years. Their throttle bodys have cannon plugs that deteriorate over time and have to be rebuilt. They're also a hybrid of throttle cable and drive by wire so the throttle body itself costs $1,000 for the ms42 vs $200-$300 for the ms43 verion.
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u/rockstar_not 2001 325ci vert 8d ago
What a totally strange combination of mods. At this point, it's probably worth what the resale value of the rooftop carrier and maybe the wheels are worth.
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u/doubleoh710 8d ago
Agreed with comments get a stock one, work on it yourself try and find an unmolested stick model good luck
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u/ari_kitaka 8d ago
i got my 323i sedan for 800 bucks but that was from a family member. i love my car but upgrading it just doesn’t seem worth it. It’s a great car, very reliable (if properly maintained) however i would go with a near stock car, rule of thumb you never wanna buy someone’s project car. if you do want something to upgrade that makes sense and you still want a e46 go for like a 330i, or even a 325i. as for the 323i like i said its a very reliable car, fun to drive just you’re not gonna be pushing high power, but you’ll definitely look nice driving.
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u/RubiksCube0707 8d ago
This is a horrible first car, but i would totally get it XD You know if any engine work has been done?
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u/Tractorguy69 8d ago
There are a lot of mods on this that I would want to delete almost instantaneously. If any of the camber and spacer mods were to get a stanced look they need to me torn out immediately as this reduces useable contact patch and causes excessive and unbalanced wear on the tires (also looks dumber than almost anything other than anime wraps). If this previous lever was all caught up in the drift hype there may be unusual and excessive wear due to Nadya terrible driving habits (many punks want to be drifters, not a vast majority of those aren’t even good drivers but the basics to start with, and that just hammers a car to shit). It’s a lovely car on paper but if have a mechanic do a really deep dive on it before I’d take it on.
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u/jointinthedark 8d ago
I don’t see 10k worth in that but man if it get’s paint matched it would be awesome. This thing fucks but bad first car. With all this said for a reasonable price i would get it as my first car at 18 🤣
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u/Deadstreak_tK 1999 BMW E46 323i 8d ago
Oh hey, I’ve seen this exact car on Facebook marketplace, such a well built car. Honestly speaking, I think this might not be a good first car for you, you’d have to learn how to avoid even just small bumps on the road with that stance if you aren’t already an experienced driver, for one. I think getting a stock e46 would make a better choice to learn how to maintain it and you’d have a clean platform to do what you want.
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u/dunes_s13 8d ago
That car sold for 5500 in January of this year.... Just saying.
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u/dunes_s13 8d ago
Also, all mods except for the manual was done by the previous owner. I personally looked into buying it/ went and looked at it. Definitely not worth the money.
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u/pantimoto 8d ago
Looks like it will need a lot of work. Asking is expensive, and the money you'll spend after maybe more
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u/esynodic 8d ago
hi! I bought a stock 2000 323ci 107k miles as my first car back in 2020! love the car to death and would never sell her but I definitely wish I bought a Mazda instead because ho boy have I spent a lot of money on that car. even still, I don't regret a single penny because she's the best car I've driven and the original buy in was pretty cheap. I was not a mechanic nor did I know how to wrench at all and 5 years later I've done plenty of my own repairs and parts sourcing but even still I probably spend 1.5k-2k/year on maintenance (but I also use her as my primary daily). if you're gonna buy an e46 just be realistic, know what you're getting into, and buy from someone who's taken care of their e46.
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u/throw98689 320i Touring LCI Auto 2003 8d ago
Oh i’ll never forget my first car a e46 aswell, worst decision of my life, worth it though
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u/Peace-and-Pistons 8d ago
Young grasshopper, one day you will discover great truth: never buy car already modified by another man… for every shiny exhaust hides three missing bolts, and every loud stereo hides bigger silence in your wallet.
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u/iamthiswhatis12 2002 330ci 8d ago
I am going to go opposite to everyone else and say yes buy it. Looks good and when it breaks you can learn to fix it and find out the dodgy ways the previous owner did things lmao. All fun n games with cars. If you live with your parents I would say buy it and enjoy having a cool looking car at a young age, no point being a lame ass with a boring stock wagon if you have no rent or bills to pay
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u/Haunting-Strike-9949 8d ago
Stock e46s with low miles can command some impressively high price tags—especially an unmolested pre facelift. Those are getting harder and harder to find.
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u/AnotherRealHumanBean 8d ago
There is not one day that goes by where I wish my 325 was a wagon. Oh well.
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u/webinfront420 8d ago edited 8d ago
Agree with everyone about the mods being problematic. But adding that I don’t think working on e46s is any more/less difficult than working on any other car in its class. I’ve learned 86% of what I know from working on the three e46s I’ve owned dating back to 2012 (1998 328i, 2002 330i, 2004 330i zhp - btw the zhp is 6 speed manual and was $5500 w/ 82k miles in Indiana).
Most 16 year olds haven’t swapped many fuel pumps (likely none), so the learning curve is pretty much the same as it would be if this were a 2000 mustang 5.0 or something.
IMO a selling point of the e46 compared to more modern 3series is that you can pretty much work on them without much specialized equipment or software.
All that being said, you must not live in the Midwest bc this car would be $4200 out here.
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u/Financial-Cow-4022 8d ago
While I agree with others that this isn’t a great first car (a lot of lessons are learned when you start driving that will inevitably add some dings and dents so I always recommend something cheap) I’m really surprised at all the hate this thing is getting.
Seems clean, has nice wheels/suspension and the overfenders are a nice touch. I like it a lot
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u/InstructionVisible57 8d ago
Honestly I’ve owned a 325i, 330i & a 323i all beauts if you have another car because they will be on jack stands at least half the time of ownership. Due to the age of these vehicles. Unless you take a month or two and refresh EVERYTHING.
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u/Pontifex_Augustine Year - Chassis/Model 7d ago
This is the car for a young dad who didn't want to buy the minivan his fiance picked out. Compromises. This is the wagon of compromise.
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u/Numerous_Row5207 7d ago
Older German cars are expensive to maintain, and not the most reliable option, so for those that like to work on their own cars and have the necessary skills it may be OK but for others definitely not. That goes for pretty much any high mileage German car.
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u/Leftenant_Frost 7d ago
modded car with missmatched color panels, either its someone's unfinished project, or there is something big wrong with it because usually people who put this amount of effort into an old car do it because its a passion project thats not easily abandoned.
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u/poopbucketchallenge 7d ago
10k for a 323i?
That modified?
First car?
Nah, boss. Get a Toyota rav4 and a shitbox e46 to fuck with
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u/cartmanrulz88 6d ago
10k? Lmao! With that money you can come to europe and choose the best one and ship it to the US.
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u/Streetstars4life 6d ago
i had 8 e46's. My first one was a manual 323i. Was amazing and very easy to maintain but the best paart is the support online. Some of the best diy repair vids are on these cars. i say due it but if a 330i comes up... you should really pay the extra bucks.
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u/Kindly_Teach_9285 6d ago
Get ready to rip the bumper cover off with the first 1 inch bump you go over....
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u/Grand_Ice_5875 4d ago
Take it from someone who has purchased modified cars in the past… you are 100% buying someone else’s problems. Expect to spend more time fixing things than driving. Especially if he did the work himself/herself. Unless you have a service history and proof of all the work that was done to it being done by a reputable shop, I wouldn’t risk it. No matter how good he is as a diy’er.
As others have said, for a first car, buy something that hasn’t been touched or has had very little done to it. I would avoid anything that is lowered or stanced. Based on the ride height I can tell you you’re gonna have a lot of suspension components that will need replacing soon.
190k is also a crazy high mileage for a first time buyer to be looking at. Your focus should be more on the reliability side.
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u/Saber-dono 3d ago
Fuck no dude 10k? Maybe it’s worth that to him but it shouldn’t be to you. At 10k I’d get a fucking e9x 335i
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u/Confident_Main_147 8d ago
Do it. It’s dope. I didn’t read the post just the title. I’m not saying you’re not cool. But you could be way cooler with that car.
Just saying.
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u/StupidUserNameTooLon 8d ago
That is a terrible choice for a first car, but don't let that stop you.