Richard Hammond Reviews The 1999 BMW 3 Series 

+Josh Charlie I agree, even though i prefer the previous design from the mid 90s

It’s starting to look a bit dated now in today’s standards, it’s ageing well though still very pleasing on the eye. Personally I prefer the E90/E92 shape, especially with the msport body work. That still looks very modern when compared to new shapes. I prefer it over the newest 3 series.

I own one, it's fab (In fact I love it so much I've spend several times what its worth today in refreshing it mechanically), but the seating position is not great, feels like you're sitting on top of the car, not in it. I'm actually looking at having custom seat brackets made.

I'd agree, except doesn't the boot floor have a habit of collapsing ?

i never felt that way in my e46 with the oem sports seats nor with the recaro cs that are currently residing inside of it. lowest hight, completely forward and leaning back, my head is around the rear part of the side window ( coupe ) i'm sitting really relaxed and i have a full view on the road.

And still rolling!!!! Lol BMW's are ageless. I have an 2004, & it's the best car I've ever had. I would take mine over any new car these days. ❤

After waiting 17 years to be able to drive one I finally bought one🙏 always wanted one now it’s the 2nd one in the family

I like the way the 4 Series looks more.

@@triple-aries it didnt exist back then.

Joseph Briffa I know it didn’t. The OP said that this 3 Series is prettier than new cars today, but I don’t agree. I think the 4 Series, which is a newish car is prettier than this 3 Series.

Exactly. And that too after eating a bag of chips.

haha i feel same way

No way eating in a car :)

Yeah I have e46 coupe too and I hate it when people do it😅

It made me cringe watching hammond do that

I also have one. People often tell me that especially E46 modell looks much younger than it actually is. They are right^^

Christoph meister ha right! I get asked if my cars an 08 or 09 ha 2000

the Hammond is beautiful or the car :D?

@@ismailm970 lol

Ja

how old is that car lol

Rajiv Manderson 21 years old now

Not really.

@@dannnsss8034 yes really

​@@user-og8zx2fe4nyeah

I got a chance to drive a new 118 today with a tiny 3 cylinder turbo engine pushing 160bhp and 220Nm, the latter not being far off my old E90 with its atmo inline 6. It's nippy, but felt almost lacking in comparison

I also look good, and I'm even older!

​@@magg93😂

Like mine

What About Ride?

@@S500- its a bit on the firm side but decent

What engine do you have?

Indeed, I have two. Touring & Coupe.

Soon goin get the msport version after I sell my Focus

Good Idea to sell your focus.

BMW Reviews i have an 01 e46 no start no crank issue do u know what it can be?

starter motor maybe

316 to 330 😂😂 must feel good 😂

@@tomii1132_ it does

Ess stage 2 it

Look after it because it's an assured future classic. Have you seen what E30 325s go for these days!? 😮

@@soundseeker63 I’m taking very good care of it

Gregory Trane yeah unfortunately times change mate, around the period this video was made BMW were pretty much untouchable with the likes of the much loved trio of E46, E39 and E38. Much better than Mercedes at the time as they’d gone downhill

Some people say he also uses them for talking

Same bro

Compared to modern cars, modern BMWs especially, these are so pert and pretty. A work of art almost! Just a shame they rust so badly in the UK, you seldom see them around anymore but they were everywhere in the mid 2000s, and thats the main reason why.

but if they dont , the air inside the car haves no where to escape which will cause an presure buildup inside and mostlikely break a window

no no , i know the windows go down and up a little, i mean people touching the window as a handle to close the door ;)

yea , you are right :D they leave fingers and all

hahaaa I so get you

Piter Dimitrov and bcause the windows feels a little flimzy inside their mount

I have 164K on my 03 330i MSport, such a fun car, and is great looking

I think a new one is needed 😂

2001 330ci with 140k miles here, and still fine car that has cost me minimal problems or expenses. Recently purchased a 2011 E92 M3 which makes the E46 look and feel very dated, it's my fave M car, pretty much my fave car period--of all time....an absolute laugh to drive and I think spectacular looking as well although I wouldn't car what either looked like if they weren't just plain GOOD to great all around. Plan to keep the old one for daily and save the M for weekends and trips. :D

Bo McGillacutty I think we have different mind sets if you have a new version why drive the old one 😂🤦‍♂️

Theo Bell If I had infinite money I would, but I don't. It's a waste to drive the new one around town, in the rain, continuous heavy traffic or other sub-optimal conditions. I don't want to risk getting it doored, or otherwise damaged in conditions where it can't even begin to be tapped. I don't need to rack up miles just putting around in it on short trips, too many cold starts, too much wear and tear for too little benefit. Plus it loses some of it's 'specialness' using it daily. I put groceries, boxes of whatever, even bare root trees n such in the old one. Why would I want to drive a pristine, thoroughbred 'race car' for that? The M sits low and has challenges with certain steep curb cuts between parking lots and roads, on and on....it's far more specialized even though the footprint (shadow, the tire print is like 2 to 1, lol) size, shape, cargo cap., and such are similar. The two are in entirely different classes. One's worth maybe $4k and the other $35k. Old get's up to 30 mpg and is cheap to operate, other gets max of 20 mpg and that's the trivial part, tires are $1200 to $1500 (compare at around $400 for 330) and that's the 2nd trivial part. Get it now? I have all sorts of fantastic, less traveled canyon and back roads within easy reach where the M *really* gets with it and thrills me, the E46 is very good for those but it's a joke against the E92. The M has a good chance to stay 'like new' for quite a few years with less frequent use.

It wouldn't. Maybe a facelift coupe M Sport.. But not a 1998 with those lights.

You mean the orange indicator lights? ok, ill concede they look shit. But now you are nitpicking. The point of my comment is that it was a great looking car and still looks classy even today. Sure, pop in some clear indicator lenses, and some Led day lights. And what have you, a car that looks better than most new cars. And certainly looked a hell of a lot better than the next model after this one which was dog shit ugly with it's fat body and shopping trolley wheels.

DAGATHire yes its a timeless shape. i would think a 2006 E46 330i on a private plate would look new. aged better than the e90, and is the last driver oriented m3. something alpina is looking to fix.

***** It's unfortunately the pedestrian safety laws which have resulted in the trend toward bulbous front end car design these days. Like the new one now, it looks quite aggressive with that massive bulge on the bonnet etc. But it's a result of the pedestrian safety laws. The wedge shape is basically illegal now.

DAGATHire I respect that, but the new 3 series, in M Sport guise, definitely looks meaty. In the days of the E46, cars were seen more as transport, than now, where designers have to make cars look striking, because, meaning that the new 3 series has to look flash, and not timeless.

+warren6815 How do you know?

You can find the MOT history of any UK car, as well as any issues or failures its had. www.check-mot.service.gov.uk

warren6815 Cool, thanks.

It's sorn now as of march 2018

Gurbir Singh and still sorn

he looks like a proper twat

+soundseeker63 I disagree. I think the new 4-series actually looks a lot like older bmw's. If you take a close look, the E36 and F82 isn't that different in looks. And it is almost 30 years between them. The new 4-series looks absolutely amazing.

The only car in BMWs current lineup that has that old school grace is the 2-Series coupe.

Red Pill Intelligence Couldn't agree more!

I have to disagree. Even though the E46 coupe is my favourite "everyday" BMW, the E92 and the F32 with the M body panels are very handsome indeed.

Мартин Иванов 320i sucks dude get a 330i:)

wow that bad, i keep seeing these comments that even if it is in perfect condition you need to budget 1 to 2k euro a year for repairs , i am not used to that, i been driving Japanese more than European cars , and i thought oil change was expensive lol . i did own a VW Caravel , it was basically new 36k km on the clock , and during the 1 year i had it i drove it for 15k and drive shafts needed replacement, electrical problems with HVAC system controller , rust , doors didnt open , had a mind of their own, sunroof started leaking . on the other hand i had a leon Cupra and that was super reliable and i drove it hard for 3 years . so i guess it depends. but with the Japanese it is more likely you get better reliability , i never had any major issues with any of my Japanese cars and with the current Subaru forester , i thought i had strange sound coming from my timing chain tensioner , i ignore it and it went away lol . and dont even ask what went wrong with my 2002 rangrover , from 18k to 46 k , omg

At least until they put odd grille on new 3 and 4 series

Lot cheaper than that

+omgits rei Yeah I picked up my 03 with 70k miles on the clock for only £2k which is way less than that

$1800 max

Jay Williams u buy a 330 ci ore a 325 ci with that money? with 500.000 kms on clock , yes.

Smile everytime i start my 330i coupe 2002 e46 i'm loving it

my 328 doesnt look that bad. You might like it. It's making 228 HP at wheels; imgur.com/a/OnqeK3r

my 328 doesnt look that bad. You might like it. It's making 228 HP at wheels; imgur.com/a/OnqeK3r

FuckTheGov how's it been?

Got me a 1999 bmw 328i e46 sedan with 190k miles plus it’s the red sedan

+carolasmx its on youtube

Davis Brown couldn't find it bro, u got a link?

carolasmx here: google.com

Chris J my dad have not M3 but E46 year 1999

e30 and e36 look waaaay better

King Brilliant uff, what do you prepare

chockybones how's it held up?

I got rid of it...I just got bored with it, maybe if it was manual I would have liked it more. So now I only have my bikes '16 GSXR1000, 96 GSXR750 and the classic 85 GSXR750 ;-)

How much you buy it for?