RichieL

I am narrowing my search for a £4,000 car down now!

I really like the looks of the BMW E46 Coupe. The 2.5 and 3.0 fall into my price range but I have not driven one so dont know what they are like and plus I am not used to RWD cars.

The Audi S3 looks good but not as nice as the E46 Coupe. I like the fact it has a Turbo and good MPG so I have read, but also read they are basically a MK3 Golf chassis?

Any ideas on the above or any other good reliable cars I could choose, really dont want anything with spoilers all over it as I am now 41 years old!!

RS 5tu

iTrader: (2)

Personally if it was me i would have the E46 only it would be a 330D with a remap
or if just choosing the above i would take the S3

MikeyRobbo

Couldnt tell you much about the 2, but what i can tell you is if it was my choice id be picking the S3!

Wouldnt the chassis be based more around a MK4 golf? The S3 8L came out around the same time as the MK4 golf and usually VAG cars are basically equivalent across the range.

imnoteasy

my daily is a 330 m sport convertible e46, great inside and to drive

good on fuel on a run, around town, can make you cry, a fair few things to get checked on a e46, but look on e46zone to get good advice

skippy,rst

Ive actually had a s3 and a bmw 325 coupe, i used to always prefer my s3 to be honest just looked nicer there is something about them, my bmw was fun great toy, too but died badly into a lamppost :-(...

gavt123

iTrader: (2)

ive had both and both were awesome cars if i got offered one or the other for free i wouldnt be able to choose

imnoteasy

heres mine, these can be had easily for your budget

skippy,rst

RichieL

Thanks for the replies!

These pics are fantastic, just shows that lowering an already lovely looking car and putting the right wheels on can make them really stand out.

What is the average MPG of a 325i/330i or an S3?

gavt123

iTrader: (2)

averaged this with superchip, panel filter cat back and front mount cooler



and got about 28mpg in the beemer although the beemer seemed better on a long run

zippyobrien

iTrader: (2)

You must drive like miss Daisey.
My best mate averages 17 mpg in his s3. Cat back, filter and stage 1.

gavt123

iTrader: (2)

that day i did lol wanted to see what i could get it upto followed the speed limit though no less

jameswrx

I'd go S3 for the turbo factor, you've also got the potential to add more power easily.

gavt123

iTrader: (2)

when i wasn't driving like miss daisy lol, my bro filming me in a car park

RichieL

4WD spin........

What would an S3 do top end and 0-60 times with a remap?

gavt123

iTrader: (2)

would have gone longer but the ex was going to puke lol

with just a remap i got the s3 to 162mph on the clock not sure about 0-60 times though

325ci got to 145mph and strated to struggle

imnoteasy

330 hits 155. Depends what your after, are you looking for mainly town or motorway, or a bit of both,

If I do both, I can get 350 miles to £70 around town down to 200

Robs Frst

S3

Can achieve some nice numbers on the BAM engine.

RichieL

I do around 250 miles a week. About 150-170 of those miles are A roads and the other is town driving.

I am after something with good performance yet not going to kill my bank balance to fill up every few miles!

I have also looked at Scooby's but think they can look a bit 'boy racer', not saying I don't like them though as been in an STI and that was quick!

I do love the look of the E46 BMW Coupe though......Thing is they are RWD and having say a 200bhp as my first RWD car may not be such a good idea?!

vaughant

iTrader: (1)

Don't forget the Audi is 4wd so handles and grips really well.
I'm going for one next myself.
Can't put beemers down though as their top,top motors and some very nice ones out there.
As for economy you'll be pretty close on both but with the Audi your just starting at 225bhp iirc so to get 280 etc is easy peasy,that's gonna be a tough ask in the Beemer,your at e36 m3 power then,iirc the 330 is 200 bhp.
For tuneability go for the 330 d as stated,plenty round for £4000 but out of the choices above the s3 just shades it.

gavt123

iTrader: (2)

I think you would enjoy the audi more for point to point bmw was more of a cruiser although you could really push the bmw without getting into trouble

skippy,rst

http://s151.photobucket.com/albums/s...t=MOV00019.mp4

skippy,rst

a vid of my s3 vrs a impreza wagon turbo, i had a full de cat exhaust, huge front mount, full forge pipe kit, forge dv,and remapped my awesome gti, run 13.6 @102 mph. then the clutch died so i fitted a solid lightened flywheel and a kevlar paddle clutch the car still drove the same .

RichieL

Bloody 'ell mate that is quick. Interesting you say about the Impreza as that was the other car that had crossed my mind. Been told no matter how you drive them they eat fuel and parts are meant to be very expensive, a simple service can work out to cost mega money, how true this is I dont know though.

skippy,rst

cheers mate, well after my s3 i bought a 98 jdm impreza, didnt spend that much on it think it owed me about 4k in total, and it never let me down in 3 years, and used to run 13.2 quater miles, it was a bit more heavy on the fuel side of things, but not crazy really.

steviecossie

I'd be going for an s3 if it was my choice

RichieL

Just thought!! A Civic Type R go for around 4k these days. They are meant to be ultra reliable, dont know about MPG though but cant think it would be that bad.

skippy ,rst ...... So the Impeza was not that bad on fuel? The engines look like they could be difficult to work on and how hard/expensive would parts be to source, say like an alternator, starter motor etc??

skippy,rst

I didnt find it that bad, i used it everyday for 3 years and didnt cost me that much, they are easy to work on i, cam belts general servicing is all easy, i dont know about price of parts but there will be no difference give and take to s3 parts,

PileOfRust

ive always been told the e46 330i is roughly 240hp standard, 325 is 195ish

stevecfrst1

My experience of 325's and 330's is that they are stupidly slow imo for the size of the engine, they just feel flat as a pancake to me. Ive always liked s3's but dont know much about them although ive been a passenger in one years ago, id definatley have one over a 325/330 though. Id think either car would be similar on fuel you'd be looking at low 20's round town

bazpro

i had a bugeye impreza with full decat,filter and a remap and that used to get around 25 to 28 mpg going to work and back.
parts werent to expensive as there is that many been broke you can get second hand bits really cheap.
the bottom end went on mine though when it was just on idle and thats what put me off getting another

Westy

iTrader: (1)

Can't comment on the Audi.. But

I have a 325 m sport, first rwd car I've owned and can honestly say, I love driving it ! Great cars

Westy

iTrader: (1)

I sold the type r to get the BMW. The Beemer is in a different league IMO don't get me wrong, the type r was a great car and NEVER let me down in the 5 years I owned it.. Totally depends what you want. I wanted a bigger car, hence getting rid

RichieL

Few of my friends are telling me to get a 206 GTI 180 or a Celica Gen 7 190. Reviews of the Celica sound good but I think the BMW or Audi will shine quality.

imnoteasy

a manual 330 sport, is a fast car, better on fuel than an auto and more fun, but the s3 is a special car, its an s version, were as the bmw, is well still a bmw

Oranoco

206GTi is a slow car even in 180 trim and the chassis isn't up Peugeots normal hot hatch efforts. Wouldn't touch one.

E46, S3 or Civic Type R are all sensible options imho. Love the S3 but if you get a bad one you'll be cursing it. Dare I say it being a big Audi fan but I think the S3 is starting to look dated compared to the E46

Twizz

My uncle had a GTI 180, and before that the GTI (think it was the 137/8 BHP one) - hes now moved to a Seat Leon FR (he keeps commenting on the quality and the feel - says he never knew what he was missing...)

I'd go for the S3, purely as I'm bound towards VW/Audi/Skoda/Seat... What about a Seat Leon Cupra R? Or a VRS? (those 130 PD lumps in them can be remapped close to 170BHP... then you can play with everything else...)

RichieL

Seat Leon Cupra R......Now there is a car I had not thought about, thank you! Think they are 210bhp as standard?

Oranoco......Funny you should say that mate as I was thinking just the same. The E46 Coupe still looks really nice, sleek and classy. I am going to need a car with a good grin factor yet also one that will draw attention from the women as I am just recently single!

CosworthGuy

Ive just sold a 2001 bmw 330ci M sport for £2250 so very much in your price range. Noce car 224 bhp they are. It was auto with sports auto amd manual overide. Never been in a propper manual but would imagine they are good. Bulletproof engine and they come with traction control as standard so no catching you out unless you turn it off then it down to your driving skill

Oranoco

A nice E46 with a private plate to hide its age and most women will see the BMW badge and be impressed. Women are fickle creatures usually.