Car for my daughter to learn to drive

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Psi5

New member
My 15.5 year old is getting ready to start learning to drive and I am looking for a good, manual transmission car on which she can start. Am I crazy to consider an early 2000s 323 or 325? Want to keep it well under $10k and I am not familiar enough with the E46s to know if they are reliable enough for her. Assuming the car has been taken care of and maintained properly, any reason to avoid these? Any other suggested BMWs? Or should I just buy her a Honda Civic?

P.S. If anyone is selling a car they think might be a good match, let me know. Thanks.
 
318ti
You can find them for $3,000. Budget $1000 in maintenance and replacing worn out parts and you have a good dependable, practical car.
And personally unless you know who the previous owner was, I'd budget close to $1000 on any used BMW to bring it up to spec.
Of course I'm bias. :)
 
You selling yours? ;-)

Are they pretty bullet-proof otherwise? I'd be happy to find one for 3-4 and then put 1-2 into it to get it into shape.
 
I agree with John in VA . the E46 is a great car I bought my daughter a 2001 325xi for her first car and she loves it !! I bought it from BMW of Fairfax found it on their website under preowned cars then cars under $15,000 . They have a 2003 325i on there right now for $3700
 
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It needs a steering rack!! found one at rockauto.com $171.00-$365.00. Motor Mount about $20.00-$50.00 sway bar end links $15.00 each at eeuroparts.com
 
Psi5 said:
You selling yours? ;-)

Are they pretty bullet-proof otherwise? I'd be happy to find one for 3-4 and then put 1-2 into it to get it into shape.
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Never sell mine. I have 2 now. :) I'd get another but am running out of room.

It's as built proof as any other BMW.
Like all BMWs, you can't let them overheat.
Like most E36s, sagging headliner and door regulator problems.

But they are fun underpowered cars.
Do you want your daughter to have more than 138hp? :)
 
Other common problems with the E46 , power steering lines (leak),window regulators(silicon spray on the tracks helps sometimes ) and expansion tank, Not all of them have this problem but with that being said they are a very solid platform, They handle very good and not real complicated to work on if you have average mechanical skills . buy an ODBII scanner . Part sources I use for mine www.eeuroparts.com , www.pelicanparts.com , www.rockauto.com and http://parts.bmwofsouthatlanta.com southatlantabmw you can get parts for bimmers all the way back to the 1960's .
 
I'm 18 and I bought my '98 540i for 2 grand, but make sure that you have it inspected before you buy it. It costed me close to 3 grand to get it through inspection and registered for ridiculous things. I had to pull out perfectly good sway links and control arms as well as replace an entire windshield because safelite had shot that silicone stuff into it from the PO. At 166k miles the only things that only had to be replaced is the radiator/expansion tank/ fan shroud/ hoses and the clutch slave cylinder which was a defective part. I think a grand is a little low for a repair budget, but then again I'm sure you'll find a healthier car than I did.
 
BOOBEAR said:
I'm 18 and I bought my '98 540i for 2 grand
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I had a 98 E39 540 as well but sold it when the cats started going bad ($1500/per at the time). It ate valve cover seals, water pumps, and radiators like they were snack food. Loved the car but put a lot of $ into to it - enough to buy a decent E46...
 
Thanks for the feedback. I'll keep my eyes open for a decent E36/E46 and if anyone comes across one or has one to sell, send them my way. I'd certainly feel safer having her in a BMW than most other cars (plus it'd be fun for me) but I don't want to get into my E39's territory where I am dropping multiples of the car's cost on maintenance every year.
 
razorrod65 said:
still looking BMW fairfax has 323ci manual trans $3981 . 122K http://www.bmwoffairfax.com/bargain/BMW/2000-BMW-323Ci-fairfax-267cbf450a0a00e04af9985d55fd2f5f.htm
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The car listed is being sold 'AS-IS'. This car does NOT pass Virginia State Inspection, and may or may NOT pass Virginia State Emissions. The car is being sold in the condition that it sits, and no repairs will be made to the car by the dealer. All repairs and State Inspections will be the responsibility of the new owner, regardless of any oral statements made. Test drives are not allowed. You may start the car, and put it in drive and reverse only. We will do our best to describe the car in the condition it is currently in, but there may be issues/problems/damages with the car that are not listed. It is up to you to determine the condition and functionality of the car. You can NOT finance this car.

KNOWN Inspection Issues:
*Air Bag Light is ON – Fails VA insp
*Seat Belt Pre-Tensioner
*Front Brake Rotors – below VA insp spec – pads OK
*Rear Shocks – leaking – Fails VA insp
*Guibo Joint – Drive Shaft Bushing – torn – Fails VA insp
*Oil Pan Gasket – leaking
*Valve Cover Gasket – leaking
*Transmission Shifter output Shaft Seal - leaking

AND that is what they KNOW. Imagine what they don't know?
Why would they even attempt to sell a car like that?
 
he was looking for a fixer upper !! I bought a fixer upper there and i fixed it myself and now have a great E46 325xi
 
R3411y said:
Does it have to be from a dealer or can it be a used car sale?
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I don't think it really matters if it is private seller or dealer . He said he was looking for an E46 but has to be manual trans . I bought mine from a dealer because I know there will not be any problem with the title , leans, misprint number ,seller sign in wrong place, forged co-cowner who didn't want to sell- that actually happened to me one time a long time ago. I have messed with graigslist a few times a lot of scams and spams . For older BMWs I can find them at dealers . I am not scared to turn a wrench so I am fine with fixer uppers . BMW of Fairfax is my #1 first pick and BMW of Tenafly is #2 , Tenafly always has good deals even if they are not fixer uppers but they are in New Jersey . In the last 2 months I have seen 2 E46s on Tenaflys website that only had 50,000 mi on them . Surfing the web for used bimmers is one of my favorite pastimes
 
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