Overview & Reviews

A boost in engine displacement and technology, plus an available all-wheel-drive system keeps BMW's venerable 3 Series at the top of its game in the competitive entry-level luxury market. Larger wheels and brakes are part of the engine upgrade. Two-stage front airbags, reduced steering effort, a Cold Weather package and Dynamic Brake Control round out the major changes for 2001.

• Luxurious, powerful, exceptional road manners, available all-wheel drive for sedan and wagon.

• Pricey for their market segment, limited cargo capacity.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 243.00

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  Its a beast with feminan figure - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By Baryalai Arsala - October 28 - 1:07 am

  If you know how to fix it, buy it mechanics charge a lot.

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  This car is like a needy but beautiful girlfriend - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By Colin - September 1 - 1:48 pm

  Seriously. This car needs attention. Do not buy it if you are not willing to give it attention. Im not sure if I can make that any clearer. I purchased this car as a graduation present to myself with money that I had saved up working throughout high school when I graduated in 2011. My dad and I are both car nerds. I wanted something that was sporty and had a manual transmission and wasnt your typical Mustang etc. I settled on this car after finding a 2001 Sedan with the manual with ~63k on it. I will admit that the first ~20k miles were somewhat rough. We probably spent an additional $2-3k catching up on some maintenance that the previous owner had neglected to do, and the dreaded Check Engine light did come on more than I would have liked. Honestly, the vast majority of those repairs were things like oxygen sensors where we couldve just fixed it ourselves and have been done with it. This car really isnt terribly hard to work on. I am no mechanic, but Ive fixed quite a few things on this car, and its saved me a ton of money. If you dont feel comfortable fixing it yourself find a good independent shop in your area. The dealer will screw you out the butt when it comes to repair costs. I will say that the car has never left me stranded, and thats not something you can say about a 2001 Mercedes. Trust me. Like I said earlier. The car needs attention. Make sure to change its fluids and keep a watch out for weird noises, smells, and drivetrain peculiarities (read driveability issues). Doing this will eliminate over half of the possible repair scenarios people have described in these reviews. Im quite positive that the majority of those leaving negative reviews bought an older BMW expecting it to be just as great on maintenance as a Honda. It is not a Honda however, if you take care of this car, it will take care of you. Over the last 40k miles or so the only money I have put into this car is consumables (oil, tires, spark plugs, etc), an ignition coil ($75), power steering hoses (~$250), and a dirty injector. I would also like to point out that I would get the manual if I were looking to purchase another one of these, as there are a lot of complaints related to the automatic. The stick is way more fun, it makes the car quicker to 60 (by a full second!), and its pretty bulletproof. Nuff said. Now to the part about this girlfriend being beautiful, and Im not just talking about this cars good looks. This car is THE BEST car when it comes to driving. Not even a modern BMW rivals the steering feel and handling these old E46s have. With the manual transmission this car is sublime. The 330i is comfortable, its powerful, it handles, and its relatively quiet. Its not a drag car, but it is amazingly well balanced and fun to drive. Relatively good gas mileage too. In short, this car is so much fun. Sure, the interior plastics do have a tendency to be brittle after 15 years of sitting in the sun. Sure, parts are more expensive than parts for a Civic. And sure, there are cheaper cars to buy. What there arent are better driving cars. Ive had mine for four years and 60k miles, and the only car I would dream of getting rid of it for is an M3.

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  great car to have for a short time. - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By sadiej - April 9 - 4:09 pm

  I have had this car for 5 years now and it has honestly been amazing, until recently. I always have done all regular maintenance, such as oil changes… etc. Ive also always had it repaired at Euro auto shops. This car was cheap to purchase and can be cheap to maintain, just as long as you GET RID OF IT when it hits between 150-160k miles. Now at around 170k miles it has been in the shop every other month and spent $6000 in the past 5 months, after being every fixed the body shop says it should be good for a year, but a month later something randomly breaks. There hasnt even been any warnings that it would break down… again.

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  1st timer - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By rblaisdell - July 28 - 8:39 pm

  Must say i have a 2001 325xi and it delivers! It currently has just under 270000 miles with the original clutch. The power train purrs and while not at 200 ponies it performs. Yes I have the check engine light issues and the BMW plastics are horrendous,but it is a blast to drive. This was my 1st BMW and even though I have sunk about 800 into it in the last 2years it is worth it. If you go with quality non BMW parts to replace worn parts do so and enjoy the ride.

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  Love/Hate - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By m_n - December 29 - 9:50 pm

  Outstanding performance. 5 minutes into a drive you understand why Car and Driver has put it on their 10 best list for 22 consecutive years. Love love love the way it drives. But it is the 2nd most unreliable vehicle Ive owned, next to a Mercedes E320. Water pump, vanos unit, idler pulley exploded on me, this sensor goes bad, that sensor goes bad, constant check engine lights, power steering leaks, and on, and on. And it eats rear tires. The only saving grace is this car is very easy to work on for an average mechanic. Yes, it really is. I replaced the water pump in 1 hour and I have never replaced a water pump before. Non-dealer parts for non-M cars are reasonably priced too.

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  5.5 years ok to review now - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By cj - October 23 - 2:00 am

  purchased with 15k miles on her. First of all dealer maintenance is costly. I have learned to do a lot of diy jobs and that makes the cost of ownership reasonable. handles great and engine smooth as silk. the car has never let me down but i do all the recommended service. gas mileage on the highway gets me 30-31mpg.Many of these e46 models on the market now are worth more than they are selling for. bmws just do not hold there value well these days. My car runs as well as the day i purchased it and nothing leaks and for a 9 year old car with 125k i am happy. I gave reliability an 8 and not higher because i do a lot of preventative maintenance.

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  Good Reliable Car - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By mzurada - September 4 - 7:28 pm

  I really enjoy my BMW. The coupe is one of the most aesthetically pleasing cars to look at and I wouldnt change a thing when it comes to styling. The sports seats are firm and fantastically comfortable -- my back gets really sore from bad car seats and these are good enough to drive 12 hours a day. My car has a sports suspension which gives it superb handling but the automatic transmission makes my 325 a little underpowered so if you are into speed get the stick. The fuel economy in mixed city/highway driving is only about 22 mpg which is probably average for a car of this age with this type of performance characteristics.

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  2001 Xi Wagon - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By ARP - May 2 - 7:37 am

  I just passed 245,000 miles and am still using the original clutch, AC compressor, starter, window motors, engine computers and most other parts. With proper maintenance it has been a great car. I average about $300 per month in maintenance but keep it in perfect condition which is far cheaper than buying another new car. At 150,000 the entire suspension was replaced, new brakes and tires. It was like a new car. Still uses no oil, changed every 10K.

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  Cant beat the styling - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By 70dave - November 25 - 10:01 pm

  Bought this car for my wife for daily commuter with approx 90k on it. Bought it for the reliability concept since we had bought my daughter a 95 325i and loved it. It has the touring and sport options. Car was in very good condition for the year and serviced regularly. So far replaced water pump, window regulator, washer fluid motor. To me these are things that commonly occur with any vehicle with this mileage and is to be expected. You can get a piece of junk with any manufacturer. This car is a blast to drive and gets 27-29 mpg to boot. Cant beat the styling and when I do get to drive it, its usually too fast.

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  Who said BMW was reliable? - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By Picky Driver - June 2 - 9:17 pm

  Simply put, great piece of driving engineering. But, The Germans really need to figure out better electronic systems. I love my BMW, purchased it with 78,000 miles, and grabbed a 2 year extended warranty for 2,500. Totaling 19,500. THE FACTS - I researched the car vigilantly before I went to the dealership. Leaning towards not purchasing a BMW before I even step onto the lot. But, I wanted to drive the car, then make a decision. DO NOT do this if you are comparing the BMW to say a HONDA or Toyota. There is no comparison and is not fair. Beautiful to look at, a real treat to drive around in. WARNING!!! - I spent about 3,000 on repairs in 2 years. Lucky me, the warranty covered 90% of it.