Need Advice on Purchase of 2002 325i

[Steven G]

Hi,
I am considering trading my wife's '95 325 5 spd cabrio for an E46 2002 325i sedan 5 spd. Any comments or things I should watch for on the 2002? Thanks for all advice.
Steven G.

[Evan]

Steven, the E46 should have all maintenance records plus a factory warranty. There should be absolutely nothing wrong with it. That being said, take close look at the maintenance books and CarFax. Check for any accidents or paintwork. Check to see how often the oil was changed.

Is this a lease car... are you buying it from a dealer? Dos it have factory warranty? What's the mileage?

[Steven G]

Steven, the E46 should have all maintenance records plus a factory warranty. There should be absolutely nothing wrong with it. That being said, take close look at the maintenance books and CarFax. Check for any accidents or paintwork. Check to see how often the oil was changed.

Is this a lease car... are you buying it from a dealer? Dos it have factory warranty? What's the mileage?

Well the car is at the VW dealer. They've had this car for over 90 days and now they are ready to send it to the wholesalers. Not sure if it was a lease or not. I will contact the BMW dealer tomorrow and get maintenance records, as well as check if there is any warranty remaining.

I heard something about oil changes being free for a while when the car was new, but I'm not sure about it. It has just under 55,000 miles on it, original paint silver, Harmon Kardon (sp?) stereo, black cloth seats - no leather, but my kids prefer that especially in the winter.
Thanks.

[Jjcarr]

Hi,
I am considering trading my wife's '95 325 5 spd cabrio for an E46 2002 325i sedan 5 spd. Any comments or things I should watch for on the 2002? Thanks for all advice.
Steven G.

The control arms on the e46 wear out quickly. The ones on my 2000 323it went out at 45k miles. There was a slight clunk when going over a rise (I had a steep driveway that showed the issue easily). Also, if you're getting the 5spd you might as well plan on getting the CDV removed. It was absolutely infuriating to drive with it on, made it very hard to feather the clutch properly, particularly in rush-hour traffic.

Those are the only issues that I'm aware of.