[jandyrohnson]

all of those whom have experience with either or both -- please let me know which you believe to be the better value/better reliable DD car/overall more pleasing of a car to own as a daily driver. Obviously the ZHP (if one can find an unadulterated version) will be $2-5 thousand cheaper. Please no E36 or E46 M3 owners need supply their comments. We all know that both will handle better/out-perform and we both Know that the former mentioned will in the end be the better value/cheaper as a daily driver. Thanks for you thoughts!

[gt3fever]

they are both great cars and you can't go wrong with either. for me, I'd take e46 zhp over e90 consider 1. price is cheaper 2. handling is better than regular 3 series and if you do, please go with MT on zhp. It defines pure "driving machine" perfectly imo. GL on deciding OP hope that helps

[CrimsonIvy35i]

e90 330i in my opinion. It's a hgh revving 3.0 inline six, 260hp

[daheechang]

i think for just 2-5 thousand more, it's worth it to go for the e90 330i sport. i personally ahve the e90 330i sport and while shopping for my car, i did test drive several well maintained e46 330i zhps. the e90 had noticeably more power and it just felt smoother as a drive.

but if you can find a e46 m3 for around the same price i'd definately go w/ that

[Digital.James]

i say e46 ZHP. I love the look of E46s way more than E90/E92s. The perfect BMW in my book.

[jandyrohnson]

Thanks you so much for the replies thus far. Let me state my requirements: 4 doors, 5/6 MT, sport suspension. That being said I'm a mech engineer/electric engineer by schooling and prefer to get the e46 so I will have the extra $ to spend on building a car pc extra as well as a few tasteful/performance mods. Am looking to do some autocross and believe that ill feel out of place/noobie showing up in a "simple" e90 vs a unique zhp to such events.

[jandyrohnson]

Also am attempting to preditct my enthusiasm for the car 3 to 5 yrs from now. Will I feel too out of date with an e46 by then or will I feel proud to own a peace of bav history? Will the e90 look dated in 2012 with the entrance of the new 3 class?

[bavarian19]

I would go E90. As much as I love the E46 exterior, the interior is very outdated.

[GreekMaverick]

Originally Posted by Digital.James

i say e46 ZHP. I love the look of E46s way more than E90/E92s. The perfect BMW in my book.

+1 on the E90 Looks
-1 on the E92 Looks

Both great cars nonetheless

[b0bab0i]

E46 330i ZHP.

IMO E46 styling > E90 styling, when comparing modded & stock.

Plus if you want more power, they have turbo/supercharger kits for E46 330i's, not sure if they have E90 330i FI kits yet.

[Bill06E90]

Just pay attention to the E90 engine. Many models had an aggravating ticking noise coming from the engine on cold starts. I even had the head replaced on my E90 (covered by the dealership) to have the ticking eliminated. Note the red colored gasket on the engine shot. All said, I am very pleased with my E90 06 330i.

[CrimsonIvy35i]

Originally Posted by Bill06E90

Just pay attention to the E90 engine. Many models had an aggravating ticking noise coming from the engine on cold starts. I even had the head replaced on my E90 (covered by the dealership) to have the ticking eliminated. Note the red colored gasket on the engine shot. All said, I am very pleased with my E90 06 330i.

BEAUTIFUL......

[davidkaka123]

That is a good i dea, I am also looking for a like.I hope to find it

[MVF4Rrider]

E46 ZHP without question. Great daily driver with character. Interior is a far nicer place to spend time compared to the E90 (I've had both). Anthracite headliner is win...as are the beautiful M double-spoke wheels! Plus the ZHP is not very common. I always have an eye out for one.

[shendrick]

A couple of e46 issues. Have one with 50K miles and it appears to be pretty much bulletproof but there are some issues. First is the known e46 rear subframe issue. Don't know if this will bite people - but the suspension is stiffer than a stock e46 so there is more stress on the mounting points. Mine shows no stress cracks -- yet. Second, this car doesn't fit me well - I am 6'1". 3rd, although my e90 m3 is now my daily driver - the e46 zhp is far less hard edged - and actually would make a better daily driver for commuting. Can't compare to a e90 sport - although I did drive an e90 328 and it was a dog.

[Buegie]

I was looking at ZHP's as well when I was looking for my current car. Most of the ZHP's were priced almost the same as the 330's though since the package was relatively rare on the e46's. IMO it's not worth it for an older car with older technology

[E90330iS]

go for the e46! both are old cars now. but the e46 is a classic.

[GeorgeA24]

Thank you for sharing. Great idea. I love the E46 exterior.

Nexus Auto Transport

[last1left]

I would get the ZHP 6mt.

[W///]

Originally Posted by jandyrohnson

all of those whom have experience with either or both -- please let me know which you believe to be the better value/better reliable DD car/overall more pleasing of a car to own as a daily driver. Obviously the ZHP (if one can find an unadulterated version) will be $2-5 thousand cheaper. Please no E36 or E46 M3 owners need supply their comments. We all know that both will handle better/out-perform and we both Know that the former mentioned will in the end be the better value/cheaper as a daily driver. Thanks for you thoughts!

I'd go E46 ZHP, but only if you can thoroughly check the rear subframe for cracks. While the car is beautiful inside out, that issue can be a headache if it hasn't been addressed already.

[Chihuahua]

Guys, check the dates on the posts in this thread. They are literally SEVEN years old. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that our friend 'jandyrohnson' made a car-buying decision quite some time ago.

[Sassicaia]

E46 ZHP. Looks 100xs better then the e90, and might be the best non M 3 series ever made.