I test drove an E46 BMW 330CI

[Throckmorton]

I've been planning to sell my 1996 328IS because it has so much stuff wrong with it and it seems like every weekend I'm working on it or taking it to the mechanic. But after driving that E46 I think I've decided to keep my E36... It just wasn't as much fun to drive.

Whereas my 1996 328is feels like a sports car (strangely close to the NA Miata and the 240sx I've had), the 2001 330ci felt more like a luxury car. It actually drove pretty close to a rental Mazda 3 I had a couple years ago. You can just barely tell that it's RWD. The shifter was nicer though, short throws and it snaps into gear. But the clutch travel was way too short, virtually like a toggle switch.

So while it's safer, more comfortable, quieter, cheap for what it is ($7500) and probably more attractive to the ladies, I don't think an E46 or newer BMW is for me.

Hellrot is probably too bright too-- Would look good on a Ferrari but I'm not sure it works for a German car. It just amplifies the douchebag vibe of the car.

 

[Throckmorton]

Oh I also drove a 2007 Z4 M... It felt freakishly like the C4 Corvettes I looked at before getting my BMW. Lots of torque and power, stiff shifter (no fingertip shifting), and claustrophobic black interior. I didn't think it was fun to drive. The speed is incredible though. I was glad I got to test drive it alone.

 

[manimal]

few things feel as good as an E30. An E36 is close. I really like E46s but they miss a little bit of the visceral feel that you feel when connected to the road by an extension of yourself. The E46 isolates me from that feeling. Next time im in chicago ill take some picts of my brothers e36 euro m3.

 

[GTaudiophile]

^Pics please!

The Euro-spec E36 M3 is perhaps my all-time favorite BMW.

 

[power_hour]

Does it really drive that bad? Like a Mazda3? WTF? I think your overstating it a bit. My 04 Mazda 3 was pretty fun for a FWD and I could throw that thing into a corner pretty good. It still is the one big thing I miss in my DD.

The 01 Bimmer you put up looks decent and a rather nice shade of Red, at least on my screen, anyway. The floaty feel might be explained by the lack of a "steering retrofit" offered by BMW. They offered it to owners complaining about a lack of feedback. And I wonder if it had the ZHP (Performance Package). Not sure if the short shifter was part of that package or not.

Sounds like your current ride just needs some TLC. You made the right choice.

 

[CraigRT]

^Pics please!

The Euro-spec E36 M3 is perhaps my all-time favorite BMW.

That and the E39 M5 are definitely mine.
I wanted an E36 so bad when I was younger. Love that car.

 

[repoman0]

How many miles? May have needed a bit of a suspension refresh

 

[Throckmorton]

Does it really drive that bad? Like a Mazda3? WTF? I think your overstating it a bit. My 04 Mazda 3 was pretty fun for a FWD and I could throw that thing into a corner pretty good. It still is the one big thing I miss in my DD.

The 01 Bimmer you put up looks decent and a rather nice shade of Red, at least on my screen, anyway. The floaty feel might be explained by the lack of a "steering retrofit" offered by BMW. They offered it to owners complaining about a lack of feedback. And I wonder if it had the ZHP (Performance Package). Not sure if the short shifter was part of that package or not.

Sounds like your current ride just needs some TLC. You made the right choice.

I wouldn't call it floaty. It felt very tight, like most newer cars do, but just didn't have the steering feel of the E36.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Oh I also drove a 2007 Z4 M... It felt freakishly like the C4 Corvettes I looked at before getting my BMW. Lots of torque and power, stiff shifter (no fingertip shifting), and claustrophobic black interior. I didn't think it was fun to drive. The speed is incredible though. I was glad I got to test drive it alone.

I am really trying not to get fanboy butthurt, but no kidding.... z4m compared to a c4?? Did you actually DRIVE the z4? Not fun to drive? I'm speechless. I have driven a c4, once, and it was NOWHERE near as tight and connected as my z4.

 

[repoman0]

I wouldn't call it floaty. It felt very tight, like most newer cars do, but just didn't have the steering feel of the E36.

If it was made between around June 00 and April 01 chances are it had the over boosted steering rack that power_hour was talking about. People complained about it back then and BMW fixed it for post April 01 cars and offered a retrofit for affected cars.

I love the steering feel of my 03 330i - nice and heavy, and everyone who's driven my car says the same thing. We've never driven an E36 though, but I have driven my dad's 98 Z3M that he used to have. I've read that the E36 feel is generally preferred over any E46 but the non-over boosted ones come close.

 

[ND40oz]

2001s had the really loose steering racks, needs to be replaced with the newer one with less power assist to fix the steering feel. It's part number 32136757651 that fixes the issue.