Hi all, i’ve found a very nice 323i that i want to buy as my next car, im an enthusiast for a long time so i know my way around decent maintenance and it will be looked after. However i will need to daily the car all year round. How reliable are they… and the main issue being rust, how much or an issue is this? the car i’ve found is an import from a hot country with only 80k miles, so assume very clean. I’m certain it’s rust free, if it is. how do i avoid rust before it’s too late?. Thanks. any advise or input is appreciated
They’re pretty reliable as long as you regularly change the fluids and maintain the cooling system. To maximize the lifespan of the engine, transmission, suspension, and differential you will have to drive it like a Toyota rather than a BMW. You can get 300k-400k out of these cars before something major needs an overhaul; of course you will only accrue that kind of mileage by doing lots of highway driving
Source: Brought an E46 325i at 153k miles and drove it all the way to 202k miles before a geriatric in a Tesla totaled it