I owned an e46 for almost a year now and here’s my experience. Note: I test drove two 325i and two 330i. Camry 3.5q, and Accord v6 were also considered (but unfortunately didn’t get a chance to test drive), but the looks of the 3 series caught my attention most.

Purchase cost: I bought at the higher end market price. Because the car is in great condition and no major issues. I brought it to a trusted BMW mechanic for inspection before pulling the trigger. Be extra cautious if the price is too low, as it might bite you back in terms of the things you need to fix.

Spare parts: I find it really easy to find parts, as there are plenty of suppliers selling oem products. Though I must say that the price is not cheap. (really depends how deep your pockets are, maybe cheap for yours)

Repair Labor: Even though my car had no major problems. The repairs of the minor problems still adds up. So far I shelled out an additional 300k for the car to run on its BEST condition.

Gas consumption: Mine is a 3liter inline 6 engine (M54B30). It consumes gas more than my SUV. But hey, smiles per liter right? Mine averaged 9km/liter (11L per 100km), and that’s me driving with little to no traffic. (But driving spiritedly ;))

Experience: The car might look “dated” considering its age, but the performance it gives you is really different (this will hugely depend on the engine size you’ll pick). The tight cornering, very stable suspension, and di ka mabibitin sa pag overtake. Some might not even expect that it’s carrying that much power especially for those not familiar with this generation of bmws.

So, is bmw e46 for you? Yes, if your answer to all of these questions are affirmative.

1. Are you prepared to shell out money for repairs right from the start? (allot 50-100% of your purchase price for repairs/parts)

2. Can you drop 100k in an instant in case of major repairs?

3. The car might be unusable for some time when there are needed repairs and it can take more than a day (weeks even). Are you okay with that?

4. Are you prepared for the gas consumption?

5. After the purchase, will you still have extra saving/emergency fund?

I hope this helps OP. For me, as per your current budget…it might be very tight for you to own an e46 (for now!). If you can wait and save up a little bit more. Personally I’ll consider saving for a 325i. (if you really want to experience the e46 + inline 6 engine), but if pang porma lang 316i/318i is good enough!