Guido Porkchop

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the boards here and will be looking to purchase a car...as early as this weekend. I currently drive a 2005 Tiburon and am looking for a stronger car that is reliable.

These are my two options:

2002 C230 Coupe Kompressor with 77k on the clock and a 2001 325i riding on 94k. The Benz is going for $10k and the Bimmer is listed as $8800.

Which should I buy? The Bimmer has a lot of miles, but I called BMW and they told me it was regularly cared for at their shop. I'm not sure about the Mercedes, but the listing says it's is accident free....which can be a good start.

Pros? Cons? My friends tell me to buy the Bimmer, as does everyone on e46fanatics.com. I've heard their argument, are they right?

Like I said, I'm looking at reliability. My car has 140HP, so anything more is plenty for me...It's going to be a DD and not a track car or anything of that nature..

Thanks in advance!

laneshift

Like normal, you will get biased answers from respective forums, giving exception to a select few people who actually have/have driven both cars. I believe Frank plays around with bimmers and benzes enough to tell you all about them.

Though I'm no expert, my neighbor and I often converse and he says that his 325 is running smooth, but he's very afraid of what may become of his electronics/transmission. That's all I know about it.

Good luck. I'm sure you'd enjoy both, regardless.

XsuperbeeX

avoid the c coupe... unless the usual problem has been solved... dont know which specific ones but one of them is the pano roof i think... lucky mine doesnt have any problems... about the bmw dont know much... so cant judge...

holycaoAMG

I have no experience with the beamer, but i can tell you the Merc is gonna be a pain in terms of reliability.

If your looking for a reliable car, those are not the cars you want. But if your looking for that European look and 'feel' and dont mind spending a lil more keeping up with its maintainence and whatnot, id say go aheand. In the end, all that really matters is what you like and what makes you happy.

Im a true MB enthusiast, but considering between the two cars, id take the BMW. Many can agree it handles better and offers better road feel for that sportier connection on the road beamers have been known for.
Many car magazines/reviews says the 01 325i's competitor, the C320 (which i have) still has some room for imrpovements, in performance and handling wise and i dont see why not.

MW_ATL

Although I have had no problems with my 02 Coupe..and love it, @ 104K, they *could* have some expensive problems.

There is a problem with oil leaking from the cam sensors, which can mess up alot of stuff. It is an easy fix, if caught early (apparently) luckily mine was under an extended warranty. There is also a radiator problem that some cars suffered from that could cause transmission problems.

That being said, if the radiator issue is not a problem, and the cam sensor issue is not present and corrected after you get it, or has already been fixed....using mine as an example (every service done more or less on time, not really driven hard), it is an excellent and enjoyable daily driver that provides some fun tinkering opportunities -- and is somewhat unusual to see on the road (at least compared to the Bimmer).

I am sure that someone that knows the Bimmers well can give you the "horror" mechanical problems to look for like I mentioned above for the Coupe. We bought it for my wife new, and I was not a big fan at the time, but it has really grown on me as a reliable and fun car to drive. I took it over as a DD at about 65K on it and have no complaints. I can eek close to 30 mpg out of it on the road if I am gentle with it (combined mileage over my 38 mile mostly highway commute), but I usually get less.

Either choice could be a fun DD. Enjoy.

samaritrey

if you want a reliable car i would not recommend either if you don't have the cash to keep it maintained and for breakdowns. if your heart is set on a German car i would go with a v6 Mercedes because they seem to have less problems the then older 4s. from my understanding the 2005 4 is ok but the older ones can have expensive problems. my family use to be a bmw family until we had lots of problems with them from 1999 my to about 2003. then all of us switched to Mercedes and had really good luck with them. my c320 has not had any major problems since i got it at 86,000 miles. it know has 136,000 and runs perfect. you have to have the cash to maintain it right though. oil change every 10k or so, trans flush before about 75k, spark plugs around 100k, and be ready for a water pump or alternator dying. i would say that it really doesn't cost much more to maintain then any other car but if you have a failure of a critical part it can get expensive. i will say that a lot of people with 2001 c class had lots of problems and that i seem to be one of the lucky ones. i do love my car and plan on never selling it but i bet others have different opinions of the 2001 c320s. no matter what you chose the BMW or the Mercedes both have potential problems that could be really expensive down the road i think that it depends on which you like better. i bet you don't get that honesty form any BMW forum.

Guido Porkchop

I'm pretty impressed with the level of honesty on here..I greatly appreciate it.

How much more expensive will it be to repair a car like this than a Japanese sedan or SUV? I bought my Tiburon with 42k and have put on about 15k, not a single problem....I drive the car with respect and have been good about my oil change routine...so the car rides fine...is this the same case with these cars? I really have a tough time understanding why these cars are tough to own...

samaritrey

i would say it depends on what breaks. my j30 that i had before my c320 was a lot like my car in terms of reliability and cost to maintain. oil change, water pump, brakes, battery, tires, windshield. all cost pretty much exactly the same to fix at an independent shop. the c class will go 9-13k on the oil change that i pay $60 for. the j30 had 2 windshields the c320 has had 0 but has taken some really big rock to it. i actually want it to break because it has so many little chips on it. to do the brakes all around pads and rotors cost within $20 at an indy shop using oem parts. the j30 actually cost more. if you go to a dealership i took my kia to the dealer for new front wheel bearings and they wanted 800 to do it. i took it to an indy and they did it for 85. what kills you is that some parts are really expensive like the front and rear sam, some sensors and seat controllers. but i have not had any problems with those things so it is all on how lucky you are and how well maintained that car was before and after you get it. i had full history on my car when i purchased it. it was a 1 owner from Mississippi bought new on my birthday in 2001. went to the same dealership until they moved up to va and traded it in on a 2007 c350. i would recommend you spend as much time looking for the car you want and not jump on the first car you see. also maintenance records are your friend and make sure to get a carfax on the car.

one more thing put your location in your profile so that we can help you find a good dealer or a good car.

FrankW

played around and been around with enough E46 and W203...so I'm gonna be pretty straight forward.

reliability on both car will SUCK. Honestly I wouldn't pick either one. IF I had to pick, I'd probably go with the 325i just because it's more practical and will perform better overall. BUT it will also comes down to the inspection of both car.

2002 C230k coupe
Pros: good mpg and decent hp/tq. panoramic roof.
cons: an Accord has better standard features. it looks dated as hell if you don't upgrade the lights and wheels. most likely it has the tape deck which sucks. the M111k sounds like a lawnmower. mediocre manual transmission at best. electronic issues abundant.

2001 E46 325i
pros: sedan. not as good mpg, but still fair. now cheap aftermarket support. more tuning options.
cons: E46 built quality is really not that great. 2001 is not face-lifted. expect more rattle here and there. I'd be surprised if some of the trim isn't loose or broken already. VANOS are known to have issues which can be costly if you don't know how to DIY, but it's a hit or miss issue.

edit: $10k for a 77k miles 2002 C230k is overpriced. you can get a C32 for few grands more.

HellsAngel

reliability : 325 wins
quality : draw
fun : c230 is torquier & got more hp's
mpg : c230 wins specially if you buy an 2003
exhaust note : they both suck
looks : i can drive the 325 without any modifications while the coupe needs new head/tail lights
interior : all 325 (i guess) come with leather, you'll have to seach hard to find a coupe with leather
cheap modifications : tons of parts for the 325, none for the coupe
seats : bmw win by mileeeeees


the c230 is overpriced, i baught a c320 coupe last year : 2003 black + black leather, 78k, pano, auto, ... for 9000 & i think the 325 will maintain better its value since its a sedan.....

Guido Porkchop

I currently live in Wilkes Barre..

Thanks for the advice..another thing that kinda has been leaning towards the Benz is the FWD...the 325i has RWD and that could be annoying in the snow..

When you guys say reliable...do the things that break simply break sooner, or is the car just unreliable because it's always broken...in other words, is it like a Ford or Chevy where parts are just cheap and the thing breaks down all the time because it's poorly built? I've owned a Sentra and a Tiburon...the forums I participated in for both had users constantly complaining about how "unreliable" they were...but I never had an issue...My car currently needs a new water pump..but that's regular maintenance...I wouldn't say it's unreliable..

Emin

Like frank said, I think your better off finding a different car. The C-class has many flaws that werent fixed till around 06. Im sure the same goes with the 325. Whats your budget/max price?

Guido Porkchop

10kish..I really am looking to just swap my car and may be spend a grand to cover what the trade won't match...

Should I go with an A4?

HellsAngel

both are RWD

Emin

Have you thought of getting a newer model Japanese car? I know im going to get flamed for this, but for 10k you can get a decent camry. Reliability wont be an issue at all and its great on gas as a DD

HellsAngel

i was going to say so, but he seems to want a german car

Taiwanese

This is my story. I bought mine new.

First year or two:
Alignment off
HID position sender unit repair
Left rear door seal
Trunk stuck
Left rear window regulator
All fixed under warranty

12/07 AC broke
After requesting help from MBUSA, they pay for compressor and I had to pay for rest of the parts and labor.

Existing Problem:
Faded LCD screen in the dash when weather is hot.

If you want reliability, buy Honda or Toyota. MB is not as reliable but MB gives you status, handling etc.

My $0.02

samaritrey

one thing i will say is that very few of the problems really leave you stranded on the side of the road. they are usually more just annoying little things that **** you off.

MW_ATL

One other highly important factor in the decision, I think would be the dealer or Indy shop you could/would have a relationship with. I am lucky and have a dealer that has been honest and dependable, along with gives me pretty decent prices on parts when I have a DIY/Mod project. However, some dealers just suck.

If you have a shop in your area that specializes in one and nothing for support for the other, that could become a significant factor to consider. Of course you are almost flying blind there because you can always find some people who have had bad experiences, but possibly you could get some PMs (here and the Bimmer postings) about local possibilities?

C230 Sport Coup

gack, 325i
Slow, fuggetaboutit.
Get the coupe!

jcnash

+1

I agree with everyone on the thread, that if youre looking for ultimate reliability and inexpensive to maintain, stick to Honda/Toyota/Nissan, but between the BMW and MB, I prefer the MB coupe.

Its more fun to drive, classy MB styling and unique (think of the number of 01-05 BMW's you see around on a daily basis..now think of the number of sporty MB's you see)

The 325 handles much better, but you wont even notice the difference much if its a DD. Try to find a picture of the coupe from behind at a 45deg angle at night with the lights on..youll fall in love.

Midnight Koop

if kept stock: the bmw should handle and feel better, and slightly look better

if modify: the coupe has the potential to be much better looks wise (bixenon, updated tails, etc....), and you can always lower and put sways to make it feel better.

sooo..

stock coupe < stock bmw

modified coupe > modified bmw

in my opinion

SeaCoupe

As someone with a high mileage coupe (190k) I find the C230 easy to work on and solid gas mileage. I can get 33 mpg on the hwy, and about 26 in town.

But as it has been said before, the Coupe has electrical gremlins.

The price is higher than I'd paid. I'd offer 8k. No more. And that is for a stellar car.

Ed

HellsAngel

33 mpg :@
my c320 does 18-22 mpg highway, 9-11 city !!!!

samaritrey

wtf you must drive like a bat out of hell . i can get 32mpg in my c320 sedan driving like mid 70's. and that is calculated by fuel used and miles not computer.