E39 Touring VS E46 Touring: Which should you buy?
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- Опубликовано: 4 сен 2024
- IT'S A SHOWDOWN!... Between my 2 favorite wagons made by BMW, the E39 and the E46 Touring models. We're going to be comparing them and making a decision as to which is the better grocery getter/daily/family car.
Comment down below which one you would rather have!
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5 Series all the way. I'm on my second one. Carpet ride.
@@marcioreis2648 is doing good Christmas
Not true
5 series. Btw, im looking to purchase one in the near future. Any recommendations?
I love my E39 touring, would never leave it for a E46. The E39 looks so much better that nothing would change my mind.
I prefer the e39, more beautiful, timeless and in general a better car
E39 = more generic styling, blasé, antiquated technology, but at this point they both are. Just the e46 is not nearly as out of date technology or looks wise, as the e39. Still nice though ,
@@Onizukachan915 the E39 is a better platform, more torque, more horses, self-levelling rear suspension, unobstructed load area....
And the E39 is very home maintenance friendly. A traditional home mechanic can deal with most things without computerised diagnostics. Even if you do need computerised diagnostics there are lots of options (I use MaxiECU) to confirm your gut instinct about what is wrong.
@@Onizukachan915 generic? It’s a tasteful, understated and timeless design that makes modern cars look tacky.
@@Onizukachan915 the e46 isnt that good looking. E39 is much nicer.
its good if you want comfy highway cruiser, e46 is much more fun also better looking. E39 without m-bumper is just hideous, looks great with them tho.
I would also mention that suspension is totally different in both cars. E46 is stiffer & tighter, which makes it a better sports car, while E39 is like a fishing boat, closer to 7 series feeling, more comfortable, but not as precise as E46. If you like to drive aggresively deifinitely take E46, if you drive more like an old man choose E39.
Was surprised you chose e46 with that m5 lump in your e39! I love the style of both but as a 2001 330i owner for the last 13 years I'm an e46fanatic forever!!!
I’ve had my 2001 330i for the last 7 years and have loved it since day 1!!
These wagons are my favorite BMW's and probably the only ones i'd ever purchase
You can get e46 330x drive diesel and gasoline in europe and 330i rwd too
Easy answer. Buy both. I’ve had 5x e46 and 2x e39. As standard… E39 is more soft, good for long distance, more of a cruiser…. E46 can do the same, but is more fun to drive (less weight to change direction). But…. Never even thought about how to put the windows down and cup holder discussion? This must be US thing as I’ve never thought about that either… or ever had a conversation where cup holders was a talking point about any car.
Can’t go wrong with either IMO! When you’ve got em both your favorite is the one you’re driving!! But for highway cruisin, e39 all day!!
I’ve had/have both and they are both legends in their respective classes. The 5er to me more comfortable for rear passengers (especially with rear row vents) and very enjoyable as a cruiser; whilst the 3er feels more agile, nimble in traffic and ‘youthful’. Both top platforms though. 👍
Here in Europe the 330xi is also available. (not in the USA?)
I have one with M pack. The best car I ever had :)
I hope your channel grows. I wanna do this type of work and it’s cool to see someone successfully working on classic bmws.
Insert meme "it ain't much, but it's honest work!"
I have never even been in an E39 wagon, so I can't compare my E46 325xi. However, the smaller car certainly does have a significant amount of space inside for hauling stuff. On one occasion a couple years ago, I brought an eight foot long solid oak counter top home from IKEA and transported it INSIDE my 325 with the back hatch and window closed. I did have to recline the front passenger seat all the way down and rest one end of the counter top on the dash, but it fit inside.
Undoubtedly, one could do the same thing with an E39, but that's not my point. That is, that even for a rather small car, there is a very large amount of space with which to carry things inside. With a roof box for skis and poles, it's great for a long weekend trek for two or three adults to some distant slopes. Four people would be a little snug with all the gear required, but still doable.
On top of that, it has been very reliable for me over the 40K miles I've driven it over my seven years of ownership and now 265 000 km on the clock.
There is a ribbon thing to lift the floor in the back and mine has a hook to keep it open. And those two square speaker grills in the back "trunk" area are also for the sub woofers in the Harmon Kardon audio equipped cars like mine.
That S62 swapped wagon is nice.... BMW should have made those from the factory! (and they did with the E60!) Thirsty car though, not cheap to run.
If you are on a budget, the E46 is a fun car that is not too expensive to run, provided you are good at DIY. In the UK and Europe we got loads of different engine options from 1.8 to 3.0, in both petrol and diesel. The 330d was/is a great car and was one of the first "sporty diesel" cars from the early 00s.
Fahre ein Touring e46 M Paket FL mit 330D. Er kackt einige Autos auch mit Baujahr 2023. für Diesel der beste Diesel diesen zeit. Es gibt nichts vergleichbares
I have an e46 sedan and an e39 touring as well and I would like to add some things.
The e46 certainly was available with a 16:9 satnav unit. The very late convertibles from 2007 even came with voice control which some people retrofit to their e39.
Also as far as I know the e39 touring always came with the self-leveling air suspension in the back just like the e34 touring. Please correct me if I´m wrong.
There are some more things that really annoy me about the e39. There is so much more stuff that can break or is harder to repair. The e39 for instance has heated windshield washer nozzles which are likely to crack and start burning as they get older. Also the dampeners for the trunk lid are all build into the roof which makes it much more difficult to change them. The side skirts are full metal and part of the unibody and tend to rust alot more than the e46 ones which are shielded by a plastic side skirts.
The e46 sport seats are way more comfortable and hold you much better in place than any seats for the e39 touring (don´t know about the M5 seats though). The steering rack even in the straight 6 models is extremely indirect and feels very loose and sadly is not interchangeable with the e46. Compared with the half static half airride suspension, the e39 is only superior on straight and very bumpy roads over the e46 and not at all sporty as you would expect from any pre SUV era BMW.
It feels much more like a 7 series wagon. That to be fair is one of the upsides. The e39 is more similar to the e38 and so it´s better suited for retrofittings from the e38 like illuminated door handles. It also has a few options which were never available to the e46 like double-glazed windows, hydraulic trunk lid or pdc in the front.
If E39's rack is 'extremely indirect and feels very loose' then I'm curious what words you'd need to invent in order to describe the steering feel of my Dacia. You either have a tired car in a desperate need for replacements or a strong tendency to exaggerate ;) P.S. remember a 5-series is way bigger and heavier than a 3-series and even the M5 is not a sports car by any objective measures.
E34 never had air suspension. The early ones, 92, 93 got hydropnuematic rear suspension. I had one.
I agree, with your assessment, it’s bigger, softer, and that isn’t a bad thing.
However the e39 is also a clusterfuck of partial analog and digital systems, it’s half way between the fully analog e34 and the fully digital e60. It’s a real pain in the ass to diagnose, and to be frank, I was not massively impressed with any of the e39 sedans or tourings I drove or worked on.
The e46/3 unlike the 5 series/2 went straight to full digital systems. Basically the e39 e38 and e53 were the test mules for the change over.
@@Onizukachan915 using diagnostic software diagnosing the E39 isn't a problem. The E39 is also simple enough that that a traditional mechanic doesn't always need diagnostic software.
Air suspension was optional.
Steering rack may not be as sharp as in the 3 series, but still totally decent. Of course every single piece down there can cause loose feeling when worn out.
Windshield washer nozzles are plug and play interchangable with e60. You get a much nicer spray on screen! You only lose e39's intensive wash function (separate water hoses to the nozzles).
@@ucan92 Here in Europe the self-levelling rear suspension was standard on the E39 Tourings. I don't think it was available on the saloons.
I also prefer E46 instead of E39. That why I bought E46 Diesel Touring 2004 - so fast and cool (faster then 325 because it has turbo charger). Unfortunately it was available only on EU market. Greeting from Ukraine 🇺🇦
Just picked up e46 325xi wagon with factory navigation in canada.
Great content you're making youtube is lacking for the xi guys, cheers!
E39 touring for ever 👍🏻. I’m hoping that I will never get rid of mine.
@@ivareriksson6197 m54 b30 so yes 530i 👍🏻
Sometimes the choice isn't really a choice.
Before buying my 530D E39 Tourings I checked out the 330D E46 Touring.
The lower power of the 3.0 diesel in the E46 combined with the lack of self-levelling suspension ruled out the E46 as a tow car for our 1,800 kg caravan. Plus the self-levelling suspension makes for a more unobstructed load area.
The E46 also felt cramped, lack of head and elbow room.
For me it was a no brainer and I replaced my '93 520i Touring with '01 530D Touring.
not all 530d tourings have the self levelling rear suspension
@@FOXeye95 all 530D Tourings , other than some base models, had self-leveliing suspension. All UK 530D Tourings were SE or Sport spec. Base model E39 Tourings are extremely unusual.
@@grahamepigney8565 how can I tell wich spec I have on mine?
I have one e 39 touring for quite long times,I like it so much ,everything works excellent.
Dude you're killing it with these videos. You'll hit 5k subs in no time!
Thank you my friend! :)))
E46 all day! Don’t get me wrong I love the E39. But the 46 is just a better overall car. slightly easier to work on and more of a spirited drive. One of things that drives me nuts about the E39s, like you said, they’re heavy. Everything‘s heavy, the steering is overly heavy. The doorhandles to get in and get out are heavy. Everything in that car felt like it weighed 1000 pounds and unfortunately not in a good way. Also I am not a big fan of the older BMW keys. Awesome video dude! keep it up
The E46 325 was the largest engine for in wagon in the US market, and it was available with factory nav as an option.
That us really weird why they didn't offer the 330i Touring in the US!
It was quite a popular seller in Europe and the UK, especially with the M-Sport pack.
@@soundseeker63 I don't think tourings are very popular in the US, people would buy a small SUV or a minivan before a touring. Touring is mostly a European thing. Same as the E61 M5 Touring was never offered in the US.
Owned an e46 wagon for a while, it was nice but the storage space was not that big with two adults and two kids luggage. I like the added space of the E39
The last 31 august I bought a wonderful Titan-Silber 2002 E39 525d Touring with black leather interior and I love it!
So comfy, a timeless design and a lot of space!
You could get the E46 with a 330d (3 Liter Turbo Diesel) or 330i (3 Liter Petrol) Engine, both avaliabile as Awd or Rwd, atleast in Europe :)
I have a 2000 e46 323i , so mine is still on the "comfort luxury " feel side if you will. Obviously not as beautiful as the e39. So I lucked out a little.
I know both cars very well. The e39 is better quality. The e46 is sportier. Overall for daily use i would go for e39.
E 39 all the way . I'm on my second one . Classic ride.
in the European e46 we have exactly the same navigations as in e39, x5 e53
I have both !! E39 touring 6-speed 540i v8 & 6 speed e46 330ci coupe love them both one of the best 2 platforms of bmw ever made but of course the e39 is more luxury/ power etc 👌
That e39 would need some love... A lot of love...
I’m not sure the e46 has an advantage with fuel mileage because of the extra weight with the drivetrain. With a good set of snow tires I am hard pressed to get stuck in the white stuff we get in Wisconsin with my e39.
Well tbh I have no idea why BMW didn't include any X-Drive option on the E39. That was a massive fail imho. 3 Series had it, previous and next 5 series had it but no the E39 :/
Do you get 35 mpg at 75 mph? My (technically is now my kid’s) 325 wagon does.
E46 offers xdrive. E 39 doesnt. That was my bottom line.
Recentle sold, after 3,5 years - Turing(wagon) 330 xd M pack. 3.0 turbo diesel - over 400 nm of torque on constant all wheel drive and 200 hp is more that enough.
Good luck. Really miss my 46.
P.s. Got myself a e90 xdrive 3.0 gasoline now.
I have a BMW E46 330i Touring 5speed manual. They had factory satnav available from new. Mine came with a removable towbar and dog guard built into the parcel shelf cover. One thing that almost caught me out with the E46 touring is there's no keyhole on the tailgate and there's no latch in the interior to open the trunk. The only keyhole is in the drivers door. My almost ruinous scenario was the buttons on my key weren't working (common battery issue) and my drivers door lock barrel broke. Thankfully the car was unlocked and I just left it unlocked until I was able to order a new key. Then I had to order a new door barrel lock. If your E46 touring's battery dies, there's no way of opening the rear to get to the battery. Your best bet is charging from the contacts in the engine bay enough to open the rear hatch to access the battery, which is a pain.
I think the e46 is better
Yes. And the e46 pre facelift even more. Looks more aggressive.
I prefer the E39 😉 Have a great day ✨ Hi from France
e39 for life!
not gonna lie, I don't regret selling my 520i (M54) for a 330d a single bit
E46 wagon all day every day - but have to love the quality E39 platform
there was available navi in E46 (at least in Europe) - mono color screen with cassette player, color screen with cassette and the one with a big screen and cd (similar to the on 11:05).
e46 came with factory navigation not sure about the wagon but my 04 sedan came with it
Before watching:
I've put a decent amount of kilometers behind the wheels of an e46 320d, e39 523i and e61 520d...
All if them wagons...
The e39 is hands down the best car I've ever driven!
Style wise it's the E46 but a V8 rumble rules the day E39👍
Got E39 touring for a family car and E30 for summer car. E39 love it, takes too much petrol, but it's nice too have it..
Well ive got 330d facelift touring manual and my brother have now new painted e39 530d sedan facelift titansilber manual
Friend of mine had exactly that 540i (albeit with the factory V8). The man is not poor and over the years owned cars like a 745i, a 911 and a 550 Maranello. So he was no stranger to bills. But when he sold the 540i he said that the bills were just getting too outrageous, even for him. And he had to sell it for a disappointingly low price. I loved that car, but I -of course- am not the one paying the bills.
For me best steering for windows is in e46. I miss this in newer cars. Also for driving in tight corners e46 wins for me. I had both so i can say something. E39 i can feel it is bigger, maybe a little more comfortable. E46 looks more younger for me. But both cars are amazing. Maybe last real solid BMWs.
Couldn't agree more!
Hi. What should I choose between e46 and e39? for driving pleasure on long roads
@@AndrewTate-nf2id on long roads e39 for sure!
isn't the e46 that is giving the happiness on the long roads due to his dynamics?I need to be happy while I am driving, and e46 was doing that. I am scared that e39 will not give me the happiness due to no dynamics.@@younlgolko263
generaly not a touring guy, but i would choose e39. cause of the size and comfort
So nice to see them side by side. My das has the e39 il silver, tomorrow I am picking a silver e46 ehhehehe that s gonna be fun
Was just about to sell my e46 wagon..... this has made me reconsider!! 🤣
Sell it to me!!
I'm not sure how it was in the US, but in Europe we had a 330i Touring (Manual or Auto), and we also had the SatNav on the E46...
i’d choose E39 Touring + E46 4door/Coupe.
I have both and I prefer the E46 (330xiT 5spd). The E39 (528iT 5spd) is great, it is the last of the old/proper BMW, the E46 is the first of the new...and I prefer older BMW's. However there is something with the 330 that even though it has awd is still more of what I expect out of a BMW. The build quality is better, it doesn't break nearly as much as 5 and imo is designed better. I don't know maybe I'm just a 3 guy. There are great things about the 5 though...very smooth and comfortable, great gas mileage (28 mpg + on the highway at 80 mph) lots of room and visibility, handsome. I will be selling it as I rarely drive it anymore.
I have 2 e46 wagon's a 325i & a 325xi along with a 325xi sedan. I love these cars & I keep them meticulous in every way. I never thought I would own a bmw but after I bought the first 1 I soon bought 2 more within a year. I will have to say if your going to own a bmw you better learn how to work on them otherwise it's not practical. Great video I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Thanks for watching and also sharing your experience! I could definitely see myself owning a few e46 wagons 👌
@@TheBimmerBarn I really need your input on taking the Manuel transmission & the wiring harness for trans along with brake & clutch pedals. Can you think of anything else I need to convert mine from auto to manual? TKs
I prefer the e39 wagon because it's well made
The door slamming test answers all! lol
That’s completely debatable. Personally I think they are better than e36s, but then what isn’t? . Not even close to up to an e34 OR an e46 in terms of serviceability nor reliability. They are test mules for change like the e53s which are based off them.
Of course you can get e46 330i wagon, i just saw one today (and not only wagon)
I currently have an e46 320d saloon (sedan), it didnt come with any cupholders i had to buy an aftermarket chinese part also my rear centre seat doesn't have the cupholders either. a bit annoying but mainly trying to restore it to a presentable state without going over the top. the typical rusty arches and the odd check engine light here and there from the last owner fitting an aftermarket exhaust without fitting the oxygen sensor haha.
I love both and I also love my E46 Coupe. 😁
So....in terms of cost of ownership/repairs/reliability is the E46 a clear winner? I like a smaller car so E46 would be my fav...especially if it had a manual transmission.
Yes you got it! E46 a better daily, cheaper, smaller, compatible parts with sedan. E39 more luxurious, better high speed handling, more space.
@@TheBimmerBarn thanks
the commercial clip had me dying lmao
E39 👌
in europe, the smaller engine options on the e39 wagon come without the air suspension in the rear, i much prefer it that way.
my '03 520i manual with the 2.2liter M54 engine runs on LPG and thus even smoother than the regular gasoline 6 (LPG has 106 octane ;-) LPG also is cleaner burning and emits "only" CO2, just like your camping gas stove. 451 000 km and still silky smooth as a sewing machine, a true touring wagon. i love it. plus, with the rear seats folded down, i'm able to sleep in it if i have to.
I used to sleep in my old 525tds touring on "camping" trips because it was always warmer, quieter and more comfy than being in the tent :-D
I own e39 530Da Touring Invividual with cinnamon interior and carbonschwartz metalic. I love it but somehow I liked my ex-saloon more :D
Well... I own an E39 525i Touring (manual) and i've got the chance to try an e46 330i touring.
these are my experiences:
e46 engine bay is more cramped (and it is full of plastic crap), it is much-much worse to work on it. (in my country i have to work on my car if i want it to be done correctly (btw i'm an IT engineer))
So, in case of E46 there is much less space to work on the engine (which is... well... it is needed because these cars are minimum 20 years old and most of the gaskets are gone...)
Less space means more heat --> and the more heat eats the plastic parts and rubber tubes faster... (the plastic parts were in way worse condition in the e46 than in the E39. (even though the E39 has twice the miles than the E46...)
E39 suspension is just superior to E46. BTW the swingarms, and most of the bushings are the same between E39 saloon and Touring. There are a couple of exceptions, but most of the parts are compatible. If you just sit in an e39 you won't really notice how worn out it's suspension is, until you try one with brand new bushings and swingarms, because it just gets sloppier as it ages, and thats all. No strange noises (ok... when it is completely shot and nearly falls out of the car, there might be noises), nothing harsh, just it behaves/rides like a boat... (and that's actually the time to replace some worn out suspension parts... :D )
E39-es with i6 engines have steering racks, so there is not that much difference. E39 is probably heavier than E46 but it depends on the configuration (there are e46 configs that are about 1.8 tons, and e39 configs with just 1.6). But on the other hand the e39 trunk is bigger, and not only just that, but the weird shape of the e46 trunk is more of a limit, than the actual size.
In my opinion the e39 touring is just superior to e46 touring. E46 is newer, probably weight less, so it might be a bit more agile (as far as i now, to counter the bigger weight, the e39 tourings came with a shorter diff ratio), but the interior is kinda like some cheapo vw or opel/vauxhall/skoda etc. wich is just sad.
So the final verdict is that, there is NO WAY i would swap my e39 touring to any e46 tourings. :D
(i don't actually know the diesel versions, there might be bigger differences there, but i don't like tractor sounds, so for me the only way is petrol /gasoline :D)
12:30 when u give it to vallet he will also have ur key witch will also open it lol
Its funny how heavy the rear luggage cover is on the e39. Its soooo heavy. No idea why they made it that way. German engineering I guess. Great cars until it all starts going wrong at high miles. Unless you can afford to drop thousands into keeping it on the road it ends up being sold to a scrap agent. I had a e60 and after replacing the starter motor at less than 200 kilometers I decided to sell it sadly.
I've always loved the E39s. But so many horror stories out there. If you're not a mechanic; or, you don't have weekends to work on cars ... is there a 5 series you would recommend?
upupup the e39 built in phone works just fine for me 😂
😂
I have both of them in my garage 😃. The 530d Touring and the 330xd Touring. You have to take care of them very well and the investment needed litterly never ends 🤓. But it's worth every penny. You will be rewarded with a great luxury drive. Cars like this are not built anymore theses days unfortunately. Now it's all about recycling and lowest quality for maximum price to gain shareholder profit for the corporation, nothing else. I owned a 530d E65 and it's not to be compared with the E39, specifically on the interior materials in use. E39 and E38 were the best BMW's ever designed and built by BMW.
E46 had 16:9 navigation. Maybe not an option in USA
Both cars are amazing to drive and to look at... But e39 regular touring rear is ugly AF compared to e46. Rear lights are just too big and boxy for my taste. Mtech makes it look a bit better. Limo looks amazing tho. E46 also came with very interesting awd, no central diff, perma split 38%front 62% rear torque distribution. Sadly, petrol engines lack the torque on front wheels in extreme conditions. But e46 330xd with LSD... is a freaking monster. Not to mention the tuning potencial of these diesel engines(up to 500HP), thanks to forged iron engine blocks (vs alluminium ones nowdayz). In any case, driving experience of these cars is miles ahead of new, modern age crap. Btw if you have e46 or e39, I would strongly recommend you to swap steering wheel for "m" wheel. It just feels so much better. And its plug and play :)
I'd take an e39, because it just looks much better, more special !
which is more comfy on the highway
I have bought a E46 Touring and i can't be happier.
As You said, theres a lot of spare parts to make it just like i want, Eibach springs, M Steering wheel, navi, new interior etc.
It's a nice car to drive, its quite quick and comfortable, but at the same time suspension is tight and i feel really safe driving it.
Also they are really popular here in Europe, so I can find DIY instructions for most reapairs, not saying that You will need a lot of them, cause (belive that or not) they are really realible cars, that You can rely on daily basis.
E61 530xi ftw lol
I had an e46 touring and currently e61. Any bmw touring is worth it.
SO the M5 is just a longer version of the M3??? apart from the headlights, they look the same shape?
Very similar shape and proportions, but overall feels bigger inside the 5 series. And I prefer wagons but the sedans and coupe's have very different proportions and other characteristics. This was just a look at wagon vs wagon! Thanks for watching :)
@@TheBimmerBarn Thanks for reply. To be honest, the wagon looks ugly with so many glass panels and the unseemingly spoiler "protrution" LOL They should have made a hatchback on the M5, the M3 looks better
the series comes in 330 aswell
E39 FTW!!
Calling yourself Bimmer Barn and do not even know basics like which engine they come with in a video like this made me instantly leave the video 😀
Your e39 is quite beat up inside. What happened to the hazard switch looks like someone rage pushed it
lmao rage push, yeah its old interior falling apart from years of heat in the sun.
The real answer is get bothhh
Hello.LOVE Your videos ca-n YOU plsss do more junkyards videos 🙏❤️
That's funny you should ask, I was just by the junkyard today recording! Stay tuned 😉
E61😊
I dont know where u live or what research uve done before getting e46 325xi, cuz u get all off it for e46 wagon. *330d 330i
Did the e39 get double wishbone suspension like later 5ers?
MacPherson in the front, multi-link in the back
E39 touring all day!!!!!!
Great review 👍🏻
Thank you! Cheers!
Have you ever changed the ac in a e39 540it
So your a BMW guy that isn’t. You did little to no research. This is positive criticism by the way.
e39 hands down
Wow, so the E39 Is bigger t'han the E46, what a Surprise!btw the E46 has a silmilar ribbon to lift the panel in the trunk......and yes I have two e46.......and the Cup holder are Just for yankees.....I find them useless
E46 comes in 330d and 330i in europe
E54
Which one is better for gas
E46 will be more efficient city, both should have similar highway mpg with the same motor (M54).
@@TheBimmerBarn thank you
The e46 cluster with the chrome rings looks better than the e39 cluster. The rings under the needles is just cool. Also, the cluster straight line under them is just amazing attention to detail the e39 doesn’t have
So one is stock and one is not
Hi, what is the lengh of the boot ?
I failed to measure the length of each when I owned the E46 wagon, but it was definitely longer on the E39!
I thought they were only RWD only?
E46 wagons came in AWD and RWD! E39 only RWD. Thanks for watching!
Bro you was wrong so many times in this video lol e46 touring can be optioned with so much more than you think