my buddy 328i got to 401k before the engine gave out. and my 330ci zhp just hit 190k running strong, but damn 401k natural engine wear out is godly! Most new cars in this day n age don't even last 70k LOL old school bimmers best bullet proof motors just keep up general maintience
That engine is glorious. Maybe it’s me. I don’t understand why people say it doesn’t have torque. I’ve felt it does the job fine for daily and spirited driving. 😊
I think most of that people are americans who owned or owns V8 turbodiesel trucks. You can't compare the two, and avarage people care more about the torque than the actual power of the car. I only have 330Ci and it's amazing to drive, already pulls nicely from 2k rpm, even tho it is only 300nm maybe 320nm with a good exhaust system.
@@gergelybecsei6833 As an American 🇺🇸 I second big torque engines. They are a lot of fun in different ways. Plus modern performance engines are mostly about revs. (: Thank you for your comment. I appreciated it.
Not just you on the shift. I haven't had mine for a few years now, but listening to you shift, and when you mentioned it, I remeber doing that a few times when I would really get into it.
The prices are scaring me. I bought my manual coupe 2 years ago with 54.5K miles, great service history, rear subframe done by Redish, no rust issues at all and generally really clean bodywork. Some goodies too with all original parts included. £13.5K. It's been spectacular to me for these two years with very minor issues. It's now 56.5K miles and still completely clean, serviced and so on. Going by UK prices, I think I could get beyond £20K easily.
@@naycnay you could sell it for 40k easily lmao, especially with that low mileage. The prices are becoming ridiculous, I'm scared by the time I'll be more stable financially, this will be unreachable to me. Idk, I hope I'll be able to get one in the near future.
@@andresduques2013 Even now, I don't think quite that much. I'd be impressed if I could actually get £20K for it here now (Jersey). Yeah, I was a fledgling salaryman 15 years ago and really wanted an E30 M3. They were about 12-15K for a reasonable coupe example. Nowadays I wouldn't even consider an E30, let alone the M3. They just shot out of my league. But there is a lot, lot more E46 M3s out there.
Nov 2011 built. 20yrs ownership 170K miles. Paint and interior not as good as yours because it has become street/track car. Such a good car. Still love driving it. Very reliable in my opinion but needs lots of maintenance. Most of the repairs are due to the track use such as rod bearings, subframes, steering rack leaks, wheel bearings/hub... Keeping it forever. MPOWER
Thanks for the kind words! I got the angels eyes from a company called Kholaty. Unfortunately, they're no longer around. You can look into the angel eyes guy, I've heard great things about his product
ive had new bmws..m4 and m5 f90 but do love my mint 60,000 m3 e46. Black grill and angel eyes are massive no no to me ruins car. Keep stock no need for naff spoilers and add ons. E46 much nicer styling then the e90 or F series, timeless.
hey, nice car! I've been searching for a nice one. probably going to get one by the end of the year and currently just doing my homework. would you be able to tell me the ball park budget to do the "Big 3" maintenance in Canadian dollar? I'm also Canadian, from Toronto. Thanks!
Hey thank you and good luck on your search! I'd say budget around 8-10k for the Big 3 parts and labor. Thing about those jobs is, you'll end up doing a bunch of other stuff "while you're in there". For example, the subframe job, you'll be changing out subframe and diff bushings.
Nice video! Thank you for talking about the subframe and rod bearing issues. I think any M3 E46 will have its issues. Repairs cost money, but I don't think anyone is thinking about they are out having fun driving it! Recently drove a 2020 330i. I was really impressed by how BMW was able to create such an incredibly boring car. Might as well buy a Camry. I think the M3 E46 is such a better car then today's 3 series.
The 135 and 335 probably have a LOT more torque and can make stupid power pretty easily. Haven't personally driven them but heard lots about them from their owners
Great video, and nice car! i have the same car with 126.000 km, do you think i need too replace the rod bearings soon? As far as i know the car has never been on a track.
we have no red bearing issues in europe with the E46 M3, the issue with the subframe is rectified by the dealers under warranty they all got repaired by the dealer. The engine is as reliable as you make it, if you maintain it conform the service book it never breaks down if you treat it right, drive it warm etc. This is a very good car and only going up in value. and i want to add, because people always complain about the expense of maintenance, let me tell you this, that this car was never cheap to buy to begin with, there is a lot of expensive parts on this car specifically made for this car, so maintenance will also be expensive. many people buy cars like these neglected because they cant afford a proper maintained nice clean example, and then whine and complain how bad it is, that it leaks oil, that it is unreliable. thats how these cars get a bad reputation. but really they aren't, these where never cheap brand new, so dont expect it to be cheap to own one :)
You have some valid points but some others you're wrong. Subframe rectified by dealers under warranty? Complete bullshit. No rod bearings issues in Europe? Again wrong. Yes they are expensive cars to maintain because yes they were expensive to buy in the first place, but if you're saying you own one and haven't addressed the subframe and rod bearings because you think warranty has covered them, you're the one neglecting to maintain your car
tp_e46 mines 160 k miles 04 , apparently it was a supposed to grenade by now hasnt bootfloor supposed to be fully torn out I don’t think my car was driven smooth for the full life either . Dramatic internet and idiot owners and bad poorly serviced cars. Oh headgasket also supposed to be gone by now , anything else ? On original vanos also . internet has written the full car off apparently 😂
I was wondering about rod bearings. Is it a problem with the rod it self and it's going to have to be addressed every 100k or so miles or once you do it you are you good to go for a long time. So you recently replaced them,how long till you plan on replacing again.
I've heard people say they plan on replacing them every 100k miles. Personally, I'll probably start monitoring copper levels around that mileage mark and see how it's doing
The only way to get the full experience from this car is to go SMG. No human has three hands and three feet. The SMG enables continuous throttle/brake control with both hands on the wheel, enabling optimum control of the line, speed, torque, acceleration, and deceleration ALL AT THE SAME TIME. I’ll beat you on the track with my SMG every time, even though you’re a better driver.
@@tp_e46 Ah my mistake, I assumed North American section 1. I'm looking for a similar setup here in the US, hopefully I can find decent Euro headers and section 1. Although honestly I have way more things that need work on the car before I get to the sound lol
G80 is all about speed and Hp. BMW is becoming AMG. Not a drivers car anymore. It still puts down blistering lap times but won't be as enjoyable to drive as the E46 M3.
Various factors to consider. Shop rates and the parts you plan on using. Plus there's the "while you're in there" repairs. Safe bet is to budget anywhere from $3-$5k CDN
Hey dude, I’m also 5 years into ownership and drove it 2 years as daily, now it sits in my garage for sunny days. Mine is now at 137k km’s. Around 100-120k I had to do a lot more maintenance, Aside from the rod bearings, I also needed to Replace the differential, the gearbox and the drive shaft between them. The Vanos on mine is still The original one and I still need to do the subframe reinforcements. If you need to do the Diff, I strongly suggest that you swap the internals for the M5 V10 diff (yes it fits) and chance the ratio to 4.0 or 4.1 (this really boosts corner traction and acceleration) Never sell it!
@@tp_e46 the internals of the M5 E60 fit in the housing of the M3 E46, I did the same. The M5 diff is design for loads more torque and the diff is simple more advanced. Makes the rear more playful and more controllable at the same time
Interesting information. I'm coming up on my 3 year ownership. My car is solid but I do need to have my vanos addressed cause its ticking/marble sound. Had the rod bearing done, but the previous owner had it done aswell back in 2012. after 70k miles the bearings looks good, it can reach 130k if you warm the car up before going past 3k rpm. I had rod bearings done as a preventative maintenance, now by 2022 I'll have my Vanos rebuilt cause it's making that marble in a can noise around 2k and 3k rpms. Only drove the car for 10k miles in 2 years and a half
Warm up procedure is key to making those rod bearings last. But I feel you on the vanos. While mine isn't making any noises, I want to get it done next year as a preventative measure
@@tp_e46 also make sure you use the right Oil. Cheaper oil 10w60 could also cause a rattling vanos. I use Mobile1 Extended Life 10W60. I have read a full 10W60 test article comparing different oil brands, this one came out on top and I haven’t used anything else since.
I just did a DIY using this glass and it worked perfectly. Just need a cheap soldering iron, solder and like 15 min of your time, it's only a couple wires to swap over: www.ebay.com/itm/363181762564
@@tp_e46 Denmark, we have insane import taxes on cars. I could go to my neighbour countries germany and sweden and get the car for under half the price.
There's SO MANY varying factors when considering how much the big three will cost. What parts are you using? What is the shops labor going to cost you? Are you doing it yourself? Are you doing other maintenance items while you're in there? Realistically you're looking anywhere between the 5-9k area
Nov 2011 built. 20yrs ownership 170K miles. Paint and interior not as good as yours because it has become street/track car. Such a good car. Still love driving it. Very reliable in my opinion but needs lots of maintenance. Most of the repairs are due to the track use such as rod bearings, subframes, steering rack leaks, wheel bearings/hub... Keeping it forever. MPOWER
Your review was just a joy to listen to. Your E46 M3 looks stunning, glorious exhaust setup too. Greetings from germany :)
Thanks man! Really appreciate those kind words 🙌
Greetings 🖖 from the USA.
Do you ask like American 🇺🇸 cars in Germany?
@@WarriorsPhoto I enjoy the american muscle cars here in germany
@@mkruger51 Much appreciated! (:
My 2002 got 260,000 miles and still drives great
Whoa nice milage! These cars can go for a long time if maintained properly
Wow. Mine has 170K miles but probably a third of that miles are hard track miles
my buddy 328i got to 401k before the engine gave out. and my 330ci zhp just hit 190k running strong, but damn 401k natural engine wear out is godly! Most new cars in this day n age don't even last 70k LOL old school bimmers best bullet proof motors just keep up general maintience
@@Auhbseluhte woah that’s a lot of miles but Fr tho bmw makes great engines people who say otherwise are just hating
Mines at 402 000 km (Canada winter driver also)
Doesn’t get old! That’s exactly right. Love the E46 M3 🙌🏽 sweet car man
That engine is glorious.
Maybe it’s me. I don’t understand why people say it doesn’t have torque. I’ve felt it does the job fine for daily and spirited driving. 😊
I think most of that people are americans who owned or owns V8 turbodiesel trucks. You can't compare the two, and avarage people care more about the torque than the actual power of the car. I only have 330Ci and it's amazing to drive, already pulls nicely from 2k rpm, even tho it is only 300nm maybe 320nm with a good exhaust system.
@@gergelybecsei6833 As an American 🇺🇸 I second big torque engines. They are a lot of fun in different ways.
Plus modern performance engines are mostly about revs. (:
Thank you for your comment. I appreciated it.
Appreciate the love you gave this M3. I hope it's still doing great.
Thanks man! It has been great, check out my latest walkthrough video to see where how it sits now
Thank you for making this video. Great insights. Your car looks really nice and I hope it serves you well for a long time to come :)
dude!! really!!! is one of the most gorgeous M3 I've ever seen!!! the car of my dreams!!! your car reminds me why I love these cars!!
Thanks for the kind words!
love the sound. great review.
Not just you on the shift. I haven't had mine for a few years now, but listening to you shift, and when you mentioned it, I remeber doing that a few times when I would really get into it.
Stunning e46 m3 🇬🇧
Really nice example! Love my '04, and you're spot on in regards to the rod bearings. That's next on my list of the big 3 PM services to complete.
Thank you! Yah definitely need to look out for the bearings, don't want to grenade your motor
The “BIG 3” is flawed. It’s “THE BIG 3 + 1”
The “BIG 3” is VANOS, bearings, head gasket.
The RACP is the “PLUS 1”
i love my 04.5 carbon black m3, 105k miles extremely reliable. Best M car I've ever owned.
Most normal 3series are gone, but these S54s are still shining strong on the streets;)
Agree, it’s a magnificent engine, a joy to rev.
Love my M3 too.
Seriously appreciating in value here in the UK.
Not just UK. They're creeping up in value everywhere
The prices are scaring me. I bought my manual coupe 2 years ago with 54.5K miles, great service history, rear subframe done by Redish, no rust issues at all and generally really clean bodywork. Some goodies too with all original parts included. £13.5K. It's been spectacular to me for these two years with very minor issues.
It's now 56.5K miles and still completely clean, serviced and so on. Going by UK prices, I think I could get beyond £20K easily.
@@naycnay more like 30k min all day
@@naycnay you could sell it for 40k easily lmao, especially with that low mileage. The prices are becoming ridiculous, I'm scared by the time I'll be more stable financially, this will be unreachable to me. Idk, I hope I'll be able to get one in the near future.
@@andresduques2013 Even now, I don't think quite that much. I'd be impressed if I could actually get £20K for it here now (Jersey).
Yeah, I was a fledgling salaryman 15 years ago and really wanted an E30 M3. They were about 12-15K for a reasonable coupe example. Nowadays I wouldn't even consider an E30, let alone the M3. They just shot out of my league.
But there is a lot, lot more E46 M3s out there.
nice car and good review but I could care less what you think about the g series styling and yeah BMWs are expensive.
Nice setup bro.. I might do this exhaust setup on mines
You'll love it
Nov 2011 built. 20yrs ownership 170K miles. Paint and interior not as good as yours because it has become street/track car. Such a good car. Still love driving it. Very reliable in my opinion but needs lots of maintenance. Most of the repairs are due to the track use such as rod bearings, subframes, steering rack leaks, wheel bearings/hub... Keeping it forever. MPOWER
is it reliable if it needs lots of maintenance?
What a beautiful thing
Did you cut the shroud for more airflow ???
Serious head turner my friend! By chance what angel eyes did you go with- manufacturer/part number
Thanks for the kind words! I got the angels eyes from a company called Kholaty. Unfortunately, they're no longer around. You can look into the angel eyes guy, I've heard great things about his product
I am about to buy one this weekend if everything goes well
Best of luck man!
ive had new bmws..m4 and m5 f90 but do love my mint 60,000 m3 e46. Black grill and angel eyes are massive no no to me ruins car. Keep stock no need for naff spoilers and add ons. E46 much nicer styling then the e90 or F series, timeless.
Love E46 M3, i have one… Nice review!
Whish colour code pé Ink name? I love this paint…
Thank you! Color is called carbon black.
197k on my E46 M3 Running strong daily driver
What type exhaust is it ?
hey, nice car! I've been searching for a nice one. probably going to get one by the end of the year and currently just doing my homework. would you be able to tell me the ball park budget to do the "Big 3" maintenance in Canadian dollar? I'm also Canadian, from Toronto. Thanks!
Hey thank you and good luck on your search! I'd say budget around 8-10k for the Big 3 parts and labor. Thing about those jobs is, you'll end up doing a bunch of other stuff "while you're in there". For example, the subframe job, you'll be changing out subframe and diff bushings.
When is Ontario getting rid of the front plate on cars man!? Takes away the look of a nice front grill.
Nice video! Thank you for talking about the subframe and rod bearing issues. I think any M3 E46 will have its issues. Repairs cost money, but I don't think anyone is thinking about they are out having fun driving it!
Recently drove a 2020 330i. I was really impressed by how BMW was able to create such an incredibly boring car. Might as well buy a Camry. I think the M3 E46 is such a better car then today's 3 series.
For sure! I think once you have the peace of mind about repairs, you enjoy the car that much more
@@tp_e46 Have you driven other cars, like the 135, 328, or 335i? Or even the 330ci E46? How do you think they compare to your M3?
The 135 and 335 probably have a LOT more torque and can make stupid power pretty easily. Haven't personally driven them but heard lots about them from their owners
What spoiler add are you running on your front bumper. Appreciate you doing your update.
Are you referring to the front lip? If you are, it's from Status Gruppe
Best bmw 🖤🖤
car looks mint.
Thank you!
2023 years and years and this call still looks "modern" and sporty
Great video, and nice car! i have the same car with 126.000 km, do you think i need too replace the rod bearings soon? As far as i know the car has never been on a track.
Double check whether or not it's been done under recall and when. If it was early in its life, I'd say do it for peace of mind
Thanks, yes it is probably the best thing to do, guess i make a appointment with the dealership soon😅
Uhh I wouldn't get them changed at the dealer. Find a specialized shop in your area to do them
Dont have much of a choice, only the bmw dealer guess i have too pay a little more, thanks for replying👍🏻
we have no red bearing issues in europe with the E46 M3, the issue with the subframe is rectified by the dealers under warranty they all got repaired by the dealer. The engine is as reliable as you make it, if you maintain it conform the service book it never breaks down if you treat it right, drive it warm etc. This is a very good car and only going up in value. and i want to add, because people always complain about the expense of maintenance, let me tell you this, that this car was never cheap to buy to begin with, there is a lot of expensive parts on this car specifically made for this car, so maintenance will also be expensive. many people buy cars like these neglected because they cant afford a proper maintained nice clean example, and then whine and complain how bad it is, that it leaks oil, that it is unreliable. thats how these cars get a bad reputation. but really they aren't, these where never cheap brand new, so dont expect it to be cheap to own one :)
You have some valid points but some others you're wrong. Subframe rectified by dealers under warranty? Complete bullshit. No rod bearings issues in Europe? Again wrong. Yes they are expensive cars to maintain because yes they were expensive to buy in the first place, but if you're saying you own one and haven't addressed the subframe and rod bearings because you think warranty has covered them, you're the one neglecting to maintain your car
tp_e46 mines 160 k miles 04 , apparently it was a supposed to grenade by now hasnt bootfloor supposed to be fully torn out I don’t think my car was driven smooth for the full life either . Dramatic internet and idiot owners and bad poorly serviced cars. Oh headgasket also supposed to be gone by now , anything else ? On original vanos also . internet has written the full car off apparently 😂
If you dont mind sharing, how much did the rod bearing job cost you?
Depends on parts and the shop you use. Budget from $2k-$3k CDN
I was wondering about rod bearings. Is it a problem with the rod it self and it's going to have to be addressed every 100k or so miles or once you do it you are you good to go for a long time. So you recently replaced them,how long till you plan on replacing again.
I've heard people say they plan on replacing them every 100k miles. Personally, I'll probably start monitoring copper levels around that mileage mark and see how it's doing
Do a Blackstone every 30k or so. If lead and or copper goes up. Put bearings on your watch list.
Instead of the spoiler, you need some wheel spacers too :D
Getting new wheels with proper offsets so won't be needing spacers
The only way to get the full experience from this car is to go SMG. No human has three hands and three feet. The SMG enables continuous throttle/brake control with both hands on the wheel, enabling optimum control of the line, speed, torque, acceleration, and deceleration ALL AT THE SAME TIME. I’ll beat you on the track with my SMG every time, even though you’re a better driver.
I disagree with a lot of your statement,however, I do agree that the smg will likely be faster on track than most drivers with the manual
About your exhaust setup. So are you running catless at the time of this video? Euro headers and NA stock section 1 and 2 means no cats right?
Euro section 1 has cats in them. That's what I'm running
@@tp_e46 Ah my mistake, I assumed North American section 1. I'm looking for a similar setup here in the US, hopefully I can find decent Euro headers and section 1. Although honestly I have way more things that need work on the car before I get to the sound lol
If a set pops up, I'd say grab it. They don't come up often and are starting to creep up in price
Great review i'm a big fan of the E46 too. But to go as far as saying that the G80 is disgusting is a bit much I feel
Not a fan of the front end at all. But the rest of it looks good
G80 is all about speed and Hp. BMW is becoming AMG. Not a drivers car anymore. It still puts down blistering lap times but won't be as enjoyable to drive as the E46 M3.
@@2be1withU Its always been about numbers, cars evolve simple as that.
how much did those 2 major cons cost ??? rods and frame?
Various factors to consider. Shop rates and the parts you plan on using. Plus there's the "while you're in there" repairs. Safe bet is to budget anywhere from $3-$5k CDN
You like Your transmission ? Any issues any clutch replacement?
No issues with clutch. Only real issue with the transmission is it's a bit of bitch to shift when cold
Use the redline pack for the m3. Redline MTL and D4 ATF that will sort the cold shift issue.
Team Rasp!
Hey dude, I’m also 5 years into ownership and drove it 2 years as daily, now it sits in my garage for sunny days.
Mine is now at 137k km’s. Around 100-120k I had to do a lot more maintenance, Aside from the rod bearings, I also needed to Replace the differential, the gearbox and the drive shaft between them. The Vanos on mine is still The original one and I still need to do the subframe reinforcements. If you need to do the Diff, I strongly suggest that you swap the internals for the M5 V10 diff (yes it fits) and chance the ratio to 4.0 or 4.1 (this really boosts corner traction and acceleration)
Never sell it!
Thanks for the suggestion about the M5 diff! I would've never guessed it would fit. And yes, I don't plan on selling it anytime soon!
@@tp_e46 the internals of the M5 E60 fit in the housing of the M3 E46, I did the same.
The M5 diff is design for loads more torque and the diff is simple more advanced. Makes the rear more playful and more controllable at the same time
Interesting information. I'm coming up on my 3 year ownership. My car is solid but I do need to have my vanos addressed cause its ticking/marble sound.
Had the rod bearing done, but the previous owner had it done aswell back in 2012. after 70k miles the bearings looks good, it can reach 130k if you warm the car up before going past 3k rpm.
I had rod bearings done as a preventative maintenance, now by 2022 I'll have my Vanos rebuilt cause it's making that marble in a can noise around 2k and 3k rpms. Only drove the car for 10k miles in 2 years and a half
Warm up procedure is key to making those rod bearings last. But I feel you on the vanos. While mine isn't making any noises, I want to get it done next year as a preventative measure
@@tp_e46 also make sure you use the right Oil. Cheaper oil 10w60 could also cause a rattling vanos.
I use Mobile1 Extended Life 10W60. I have read a full 10W60 test article comparing different oil brands, this one came out on top and I haven’t used anything else since.
Suggestion. When it's windy place a sock on your mic so we can hear you clearly.
id kill for an e46 m3
✊🏼❤️
Fantastic car.... keep it forever.. maybe take off the front plate..
How much was rod bearing and subframe job?
A lot. Budget around 5k, parts and labor
@@tp_e46 cad?
Are you from Toronto?
Who did the job for you?
Nice car ! color?
Carbon black
g80 really does look like a toyota
from
behind
g80 has grown on me
Rear view mirror link?
www.mirrorjohn.com/
I just did a DIY using this glass and it worked perfectly. Just need a cheap soldering iron, solder and like 15 min of your time, it's only a couple wires to swap over: www.ebay.com/itm/363181762564
fuck this is my dream car but it costs the equivalent of 117.000 canadian dollars to buy a clapped one where im from.
That's insane. Where do you live that an E46 costs you 6 figures
@@tp_e46 Denmark, we have insane import taxes on cars. I could go to my neighbour countries germany and sweden and get the car for under half the price.
Bruh what kinda hoodie are you wearing 😂😂
dont say big chunk of money - TELLS US HOW MUCH
There's SO MANY varying factors when considering how much the big three will cost. What parts are you using? What is the shops labor going to cost you? Are you doing it yourself? Are you doing other maintenance items while you're in there? Realistically you're looking anywhere between the 5-9k area
I love the car man but I got a little upset when you were driving it like a p***y
Yours isn’t a face lift ? 03/04 didn’t get factory bearing recall . Mines due lol
Easily 03 build. Called BMW and they confirmed it had the recall done 🤷🏿♂️
If you look after this m3, it will take care of you🫵👍 and of course if its spot on you don't have problem to sell it
Nov 2011 built. 20yrs ownership 170K miles. Paint and interior not as good as yours because it has become street/track car. Such a good car. Still love driving it. Very reliable in my opinion but needs lots of maintenance. Most of the repairs are due to the track use such as rod bearings, subframes, steering rack leaks, wheel bearings/hub... Keeping it forever. MPOWER
You're completely right. They are quite reliable but do require a ton of maintenance. Glad you're still enjoying yours!!