Monday Motoring Classic: BMW 325Ci
Thu, 22 Jun 2023
Mention BMW E46 to most people and they'll instantly think of the M3. With good reason too, because although it was quite a different beast to the E36, it was one of the greats.
It's worth remembering though that the reason the M3 was so good was because the humble-ish saloon that it was spun off was pretty good right out of the box.
The E46 BMW 3 Series moved the game on significantly. Chris Bangle had a hand in the design, it had aluminium in the suspension, Valvetronic engines and the best chassis in the class.
It was the brainchild of Wolfgang Reitzle and as head of product development at BMW for a decade his time coincided with some of the firm's most convincing products.
Before the BMW M3 rocked up in 2000, the coupe variant was available with a variety of engines all the way up to the 2.8-litre 328i but is relatively rare, so instead we'll look at the more popular BMW 325Ci.
Its looks have aged well. At the time of launch it was seen as a bit blunt and, well, German, but judged by some of BMW's contemporary offerings it looks comparatively stunning. Even the facelift versions are barely altered.
Most versions you'll find will be in Sport trim, which means a deeper front bumper and side skirts that make it look a bit more like the BMW M3, while SE versions are that bit more discreet.
Inside it's yet another solid and ergonomically sound BMW interior, and for some it's peak BMW too before the iDrive turned up to leave early adopters scratching their heads.
A chunky three-spoke wheel, white-on-black instruments and the driver-focused layout gives off all the right vibes and should put you in the mood.
Enough preamble, let's get to the good stuff. Under that long bonnet you'll find the 2.5-litre M54 six-cylinder unit which put out 189PS, enough to hit 0-62mph in just over seven seconds and hit close to 150mph.
But it's not just the outright speed, it's the fact that you get that wonderful straight-six growl and the response that only a naturally-aspirated engine can deliver.
You might need to look a bit harder to find an unmodified example, but we can't blame anyone for wanting to hear even more of that delicious noise.
In terms of ownership, the good news is that the engines have steel liners so there's no Nikasil issues to worry about.
Things to watch out for include suspension ball joints, coil springs and rear subframes, but engines and transmissions are pretty tough if looked after. Ignore BMW official advice and get the fluid changed in autos.
Rust can still be an issue unfortunately with wheelarches being the most likely area to suffer, thanks to inadequate wheelarch liners, so take a close look.
Money-wise you don't need a fortune to get a good one. The first decent example we found was a 2002 Sport auto with the good wheels, all-black leather interior and a reasonable 165,000 miles for £2,000.
For another £1500 we found a 2003 car in a luscious dark blue, 100,000 miles, full history and five months MOT, which for us is the sweet spot between improvable and a basket case.
Even at the sensible end of the higher price bracket we found another 2003 car with less than 60,000 miles in M Sport trim for £7000.
You're also spoilt for choice when it comes to specialists, so you can swerve past your local BMW dealer and spend more on fuel than just keeping it on the road. Find a BMW 325Ci for sale
