2001 BMW 330

Rating from 3rd BMW

(5)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"We are a young family of 5 with a Prius and a 7-passenger SUV. Both very capable vehicles but neither are much fun to drive. I was in the market for a fun, stick-shift under 10-g's. The 2001 330 ci Convertible is the perfect car for me. I found one not too far away with 98,000 miles in the colors I wanted (Blue / Gray leather). The car looks great, almost new, and according to the BMW pre-purchase inspection everything is OK, other than some normal wear and tear consumables. They recommended front brake pads ($700) spark plugs ($400) and a fuel filter ($230) so for about $200 in parts they only want about $1,100 additional in labor. I am handy and plan to do almost all maintenance and repairs myself. I would suggest that if you are in the market for an E46 (1999-2005) find a good local mechanic if you are unable to do things yourself. The dealership prices are sky high and take the fun out of owning a fun car like this. The car is steady as a rock on the highway - I was cruising at 95mph. These cars are strong and important stuff like engine and transmission are fine but I found two things that the BMW dealer missed. First the control arm bushings are done. I will replace with the urethane variety and second I see the oil pan is wet. Could just be a bad plug or maybe a gasket. I hope. If you find one that you like, go for it. It?s a blast to drive"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Having fun

Rating from First time BMW owner

(5)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I recently purchased my 330xi and over the first couple weeks I have not had any major issues. I had to replace an oxygen sensor shortly after buying it, but other than that I cannot complain one bit about the car. The car handles superbly, feels tight to the road and provides extreme comfort and sound all in a beautiful BMW exterior. The engine roars to life and makes you feel like you are controlling a wild animal, but has the type of controls that just about anyone could handle."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

Primary use for this car: N/A

Rating from jhb

(5)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		4 out of 5

"Bought a 2001 330i manual transmission car with 110,000 miles. Replaced the shocks and struts with Bilsteins (including mounts and reinforcements), replaced spark plugs and valve cover gasket; rebuilt cooling system, replaced front control arm bushings. ALL of these things WILL need to be done before you get to 125K, but if you can do them yourself they cost no more than similar maintenance in a Honda, Toyota or American car. And the BMW is infinitely easier to work on. It is a pleasure to drive; can easily yield 31 mpg with a little bit of restraint by the right foot. Handling is superb. I bought my car for $8400 (exceptionally clean) and have invested another $1500, but I smile every time I start it up. Used E46 manual transmission BMW's in good condition represent one of the greatest used sporty car values on the market. Aftermarket parts abound. Youtube is full of videos to help you with repairs. But you probably will not enjoy it as much if you have to pay someone else to work on it. Look for an independent shop in your area...even if you have to drive two hours it will be better than going to the dealer! And don't ask anybody to sit in the back seat for more than an hour if they are taller than 5'8"."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from summer gal

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"one of the best cars I have ever owned, comfortable, smooth and over all just a really cool car, would recomend but do not buy the first one, look around."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Having fun

Rating from Tizzy

(4)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		4 out of 5

"We purchased this car used in 2007 with 48k miles and currently has 80k. The car is fast -we also installed a performance chip. Gas mileage is tolerable, about 26mpg hwy and 15mpg city. Only issues with the vehicle is the air compressor for the a/c leaks, so it must be charged every couple of months (but who cares, we put the top down). The back flaps of the convertible top constantly come undone -a nuisance, but not a deterrent (common issue). The engine top drains into the trunk causing the trunk to fill with water (poor drain design), because we leave the car parked outside now. Small trunk space -so prepare to pack light on trips (plus for males, major complaint for females). The greatness: it starts every time. It accelerates really quickly -just as fun as our '86 MKIII Supra and '06 Cayenne Turbo S. The seats are comfortable and the interior has held-up really well all things considered; we pile dogs in (mastiffs and pitbulls) and messy neighborhood kids. The audio is ok- if i wanted a better sound quality i would not have purchased a convertible. In all -great car to get you from point A to point B."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from Andys120

(5)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		4 out of 5

"After 5 winters in Arizona I finally realized it was time for another convertible. Since I've had pretty good luck with the 2000 BMW Five Series I drive during summers in NH it was natural to gravitate to an older 3 series Cabriolet and I was lucky enough to find a very nice, lightly used 330iC with good equipment and nice colors (black over red). I vetted the car carefully, ran a Carfax, a pre-purchase inspection and obtained service records. What a blast! This little car is just outstanding to drive with great power, handling and ride. Don't be afraid of older BMWs, if they are well kept, they're great buys and they're built to last (my 528iA has almost 140,000 miles) . I bought a really fun convertible for the price of a loaded Ford Fiesta!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Having fun

Rating from Grammi for 5

(5)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"Needed to upgrade my Mercedes SLK for a convertible with a back seat for grandkids. This car is perfect for me I got the sport package with a 5 speed. Acceleration and suspension is such fun Seats are super comfortable with lots of support Don't think i will drive cross country with people in the backseat but out to dinner it is ok for space. Love the trunk space for a convertible. Everything i was looking for BMW doesn't disappoint!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Having fun

Rating from Owner of BMW SUV abd sedan

(5)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I currently own a 2007 X5, when my job changed, and had to commute over 50 miles (one way). I wanted to keep the X5, so I asked my salesperson at the dealership to let me know when an older model 3series gets traded in. He called as soon as this 330i came in. Once the car was checked out and found to be mechanically sound, I purchased the vehicle. What a great car. Handles awesome (even in the pouring rain). A joy to drive; the steering is on point; car manuevers perfectly, and extremely responsive."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Work

Rating from norm

(4)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		4 out of 5

"Thanks to Cars.com I bought this BMW in the U.S. that I could not get in Canada. It rides beautifully, it is cheap on gas (28/gall) and it is cheap to run and service. The car may be a bit small for a large driver but responds great to commands. It has all the amenities that a larger BMW provides."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Having fun

Rating from BimmerFanatic

(5)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		3 out of 5

"330xi is an awesome car. All wheel drive is critical for Maine winters. 5 speed standard is a blast to drive. Tons of power from the 3-liter straight-6. Corners excellent, looks beautiful, and brings attention to itself. Love my new car. Granted, it's ten years old and has 90k on it, so perhaps at $8500 it's not necessarily economical in the sense that you get an old car with a lot of miles for a substantial amount of money. But you get what you pay for, and this is definitely worth it. Biggest problem will be the repairs...definitely going to be a large expense anytime it needs to be taken to the mechanic. Hoping to do a lot of the work myself. So far nothing but good things to say!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Just getting around