BMW E46 - finally at hand

People like premium cars because they are spoiled, beautifully finished and envied by everyone within a few meters. It is because of this last question that several terms have been attached to these cars - lawyers and golfers drive Jaguars, BMW drug dealers, Mercedes pimps and Audi money changers ... And if someone wants to have a premium car and look “normal” in it "?

It is enough to look for something small and not vulgar. For example, BMW 3 series E46. It used to be expensive and could be bought by a select few, but now it is relatively expensive and can be bought by anyone who can maintain it. But the best thing is that it has at least become achievable. This version entered the market in 1998, it developed the stylistic idea of ​​its predecessor and, in addition to winning people's hearts, also became less "hoody". Some time ago, I described the coupe version, because it was worth a little different snack. A sedan can actually be a hot car with big wheels that can tear anything that breathes on it, but… well, maybe, maybe not. He also has a second nature - an ordinary, calm and well-finished car. Best of all, although the first units are over 12 years old, they still look like they could be put into production at any time. Yes, something has already been done, it’s hard not to meet the E46 on our roads now, but compared to the Troika’s then competition, it still looks like from a different era. Initially, this generation competed with the Mercedes C W202, which looked like a godfather. In addition to Mercedes, the Audi A4 B5 also fought for a place in the lead - beautiful, classic and terribly boring. The situation changed a little after 2000 - then Mercedes and Audi released new generations of their models, but the E46 continued to be produced until 2004. But is it a good car?

It is there, but it is no longer new, so it is worth fixing it. If you evaluate it in terms of failure rate, then it is average. Rubber and metal suspension elements do not like our roads, tie rods often give up, and a multi-link system is not cheap and not pleasant to maintain. Electronics? There is not much of it in the basic, domestic versions, so there is nothing to spoil either. It's just that we love to import cars from abroad, and many E46s have a lot of elements that a direct city dweller would consider a luxury. However, popular accessories most often fail - the window mechanism and the central locking control module. It is also easy to find a model with automatic air conditioning - in fact, it is comfortable and looks beautiful, but pleases only when it works. The panel overheats and miracles happen with the airflow.

The car can still be appreciated in terms of aesthetics, and things are much better here. The materials used, the fit of the cockpit - yes, this is a premium class, because even after many years of "breaking" nothing creaks on our roads. There are plenty of body versions for this - in addition to the coupe and sedan, you can also buy a station wagon, a convertible and a compact van. Exactly - and there is a small glitch. Generally speaking, the Troika is a middle-class car, and since a small car was produced on its basis, it means that, in general, the car is not so big. And it's true - the wheelbase is just over 2.7 m, but the rear is a little cramped in all versions. In addition, the trunk, although well arranged and well finished, is simply small. Station wagon 435l, sedan 440l, it’s better not to ask about other options.

But a BMW is all about driving pleasure – and it really is. The suspension is set a bit harsh, but still retains a modicum of comfort, enough to avoid lateral bumps and nothing to complain about. It's true that we have a slalom ride, but damn it - the steering system allows you to feel the car well. I would also like to say that in this advanced technology, the gearbox also gives the impression that it was designed by Zeus, but that would be a lie. On the other hand, maybe he created it, because Zeus probably does not know cars. The fact is that it has a large gradation and squeezes all the possibilities out of the engines, but is not resistant to wear. Sometimes it's hard to hit "reverse" but I think nothing compares to a bug that BMW knows quite well when releasing repair kits - the jack won't return to neutral when fifth gear is selected. As a result, shifting into third gear feels like blind shooting, and the gearbox is inaccurate and ruins the fun. But much can be compensated by the engine.

"Troika" can be configured as an ordinary car for normal driving, and as a predatory car. There are many motors, but some of them, to put it mildly, are not very spontaneous. Gasoline units can be divided into these three groups. There are cars with the emblem "316" on the hatch. This means that the car has 1.8 or 2.0 liters under the hood, it looks scary, because it is a “beem”, but it barely drives - 105 or 116 km cannot provide good performance. The second group consists mainly of versions marked "318" and "320". If they have a 2-liter engine under the hood, then they will have a power of 143 or 150 hp. and this will be enough for most drivers for normal driving. They love to spin, hit 10 in less than 3 seconds, and are a good choice for those who see the Series 323 as a sedate limousine rather than a teleport to “the other world.” The teleport will be all versions from “170i” and above, which are at least 330km. In the top is the M version, which costs a lot of money and is, in fact, a completely different genre of this car. More mundane versions include the 231i 2.8KM, though it's still hard to find at a reasonable price. On the other hand, there is a model with a 200-liter engine with a capacity of almost 6 km. 280 cylinders in a row, 2.5Nm and velvet work after pressing the “gas” to the floor - it’s a pity that this engine is so quiet, but in terms of duration it can be compared to bathing in a foam bath - it doesn’t tire and even relaxes. It was equipped with something with the elegant German name doppel-vanos, and no invention will help the Germans to take over the world. Otherwise, it's a double change in valve timing - they improve the torque waveform, which is really felt. The motor develops its capabilities incredibly smoothly and from the lowest revs you have to be careful not to let the rear end scatter. One way or another, the project was appreciated - at one time he received an award for the best engine. The smaller 325-litre engine, badged "245i", also has similar power, but it has XNUMX lb-ft, noticeably worse rides, and isn't as responsive.

Of course, there were also diesels. I will miss you, but 330d is the best. 184-204KM, 390-410Nm of torque and performance comparable to Gierek's sports cars, it's hard not to love it. In addition, it is not problematic to use. Unfortunately, this bike is a rare guest on the secondary market, it is much easier to hunt the 320d 136-150km, which makes the “troika” a brisk machine, good for everyday use, and the 318d 115km - with this bike under the hood, it can race with forklift sidecars .

In this case, is it worth buying this car? Certainly. There are no cars without flaws, but the Troika is worth the price. And one more thing - it doesn't look like a drug dealer.

This article was created thanks to the courtesy of TopCar, who provided a car from the current offer for a test and photo session.

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