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e46 hifi options??


jediknight83
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Hi.

I just got a very reasonable insurance quote for an E46 so things are looking good for a purchace.. finally.

(insurance quote was £760 with direct line.. im 24 with 7yrs NCB)

Already know i want

Face lift

Dark grey with red or cinamon leather or Topaz blue with black leather

SMG (still not driven either but 90% sure i want to go that route)

sub 50k miles

But im not sure if i want to bother with the satnav / tv option or if i want the HK upgrade?

what were the different hifi options on a 53 / 04 plate car?

what were the actual differences with the HK upgrade hifi's? different HU or just different speakers, extra amp??

Is it worth holding out for a HK hifi or will simple speaker upgrades in the future yeild the same results?

How easy is it to hook an ipod up to the different head units?

thanks in advance

also bear in mind im not a fan of built in sat nav units... and would probably still use my Tomtom unit anyway

Nathan

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Result mate! You have been trying for a while. Im 23 but didnt have the problem due to company insurance. You will love the M3, a great step up from the S3. Once you get the hang of RWD there is simply no going back. Have to get yourself on track too!

In regard to Sat Nav. Do you have it now? Do you use it?? Probbaly answers your own question.

Sounds I have no idea on as the CSL came with a crappy mini-disk. I changed it all.

Either way, the spec you chose looks good, id stick with it!

169144-ok.gif

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no i dont have built in sat nav and even if i did get an m3 with satnav i doubt id use it much over the tomtom... but if the hifi is better with the big screen then that makes it worth while in my eyes...

also doubt id use the tv function.

I think it will come down to which is easier to connect an ipod to actually!

Also... i said im 90% sure on smg.. but anyone have any ideas where i can test drive either for a good ammount of time?

i doubt many dealers would want to lend me an e46 for a few hours now.. their priority would surely be the newer cars? and even then getting a long test drive without a track record of buying from a dealer would be hard??

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my advice would be, if you are 90% for smg, then find one you like take it out for the normal test drive, then do the deal/ deposit on the understanding of a few hour test drive to make sure, i have smg and it is just the thing for me, goto mtorque for some more info on smg

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[ QUOTE ]

You will love the M3, a great step up from the S3.

[/ QUOTE ]

To add a bit of balance, I think you'll find the M3 an interesting diversion from the S3, but not necessarily a big step up! znaika.gif

[ QUOTE ]

Once you get the hang of RWD there is simply no going back.

[/ QUOTE ]

Once you get the hang of RWD you might decide that there is a lot to be said for 4WD and that the benefits of RWD are primarily of most use on a track.......... (my experience of S3 -> M3 -> 911 (4WD) !!)

[ QUOTE ]

Have to get yourself on track too!

[/ QUOTE ]

Can't disagree here! ECLIPSe.gif

znaika.gifI think that the facelift was from June '03' so all '53' plate cars and beyond will have the revised rear lights (LED) and different boot handle - The facelift was pretty minor!

I think the change from SMGI to SMGII was slightly earlier than the visual facelift (my car was manual, so I'm less familiar with SMG), but I understand that the latest software was drastically improved over the original version.

I think the Harman Kardon upgrade gives the same head unit, plus better / additional speakers and a subwoofer that sits under the rear parcel shelf.

I didn't have Sat Nav on my car (budget wouldn't stretch!) but I think the M3 system was pretty good, and could incorporate speed cameras etc.

My car was Silver Grey with Black leather, but your choice of dark car with red or cinnamon interior is also nice!

Hope you find what you are looking for!

beerchug.gif

Sidicks

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All the hifi options are pretty poor on the M3 mate.

I would personally rather get a car with the standard radio and nothing else, then put in a BMW badged becker unit, and get a local place to put in some decent front speakers and and amp, this will give you an OEM looking install with a nice overall sound.

The BMW nav on the E46 is starting to feel very dated, there are also loads of people now offering double din fascias and fitting kits so you can add say the latest pioneer double din unit, this will give you nav, blouetooth phone and a much nice sound, while alowing you to match teh amber interior and keep it looking stock, all for under a grand.

But I would still go with the amp and speaker upgrade myself and use a TomTom when needed. If it were an E92 then yeah, the nav is worth maybe £5k more, but on an e46 I don't think it will command an extra £2500 for much longer.

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I certainly feel like the CSL is big step up from the R32. That by no means makes the R32 out to be a bad car, I loved it.

Agree that you may not like RWD, however once you can see ho much more it adds to the driving experience you will find it hard to go back. Precision in terms of throttle control and steering was never something I really thought about while owning the golf, I never had to! Learnt a few lessons the hard way with the CSL but boy how its changed my driving! Its good to experience both, but knowing RWD has now pt me off RWD.

Anyways enough about my thoughts. This is your day in the sun and you will feckin love the car! 169144-ok.gif

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[ QUOTE ]

I certainly feel like the CSL is big step up from the R32. That by no means makes the R32 out to be a bad car, I loved it.

Agree that you may not like RWD, however once you can see ho much more it adds to the driving experience you will find it hard to go back. Precision in terms of throttle control and steering was never something I really thought about while owning the golf, I never had to! Learnt a few lessons the hard way with the CSL but boy how its changed my driving! Its good to experience both, but knowing RWD has now pt me off RWD.

Anyways enough about my thoughts. This is your day in the sun and you will feckin love the car! 169144-ok.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

He's not buying a CSL & he's not coming from an R32. A CSL would feel totally different to both an S3 or an R32.

Moving from an S3 to a standard M3 would not be a huge performance leap. Also many S3's have been breathed on so very likely a 270ish BHP car. The driving feel will of course be different.

Please also bear in mind Wop than not everyone has their boat floated by drifting. It's fun to watch & kids love it but it serves no real purpose on road or track (in fact on road & track it's plain dangerous), so not everone falls in love with RWD over AWD. It's not better or worse, just different.

To the O/P, if the price is not overly different, get as many options as possible for your budget as if nothing else this will aid resale when you come to move on.

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[ QUOTE ]

He's not buying a CSL & he's not coming from an R32. A CSL would feel totally different to both an S3 or an R32.

Moving from an S3 to a standard M3 would not be a huge performance leap. Also many S3's have been breathed on so very likely a 270ish BHP car. The driving feel will of course be different.

Please also bear in mind Wop than not everyone has their boat floated by drifting. It's fun to watch & kids love it but it serves no real purpose on road or track (in fact on road & track it's plain dangerous), so not everone falls in love with RWD over AWD. It's not better or worse, just different.

To the O/P, if the price is not overly different, get as many options as possible for your budget as if nothing else this will aid resale when you come to move on.

[/ QUOTE ]

beerchug.gif

Sidicks

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[ QUOTE ]

thanks for the input. interesting it may not be a huge step up from the s3.

but its still a move i want to make..

i'll do a search on google now but if yo uhave links to the becker unit or the pioneer unit id appreciate it.

thanks

[/ QUOTE ]

the becker unit is a single din nav unit, but it is the sound quality that makes it, it has line outs too so adding an amp is easy.

I have heard one of these in a 330ci with Rainbow speakers up front and a focal 6.5" sub in the rear speaker locations, all being drivien with a Genesis Profile 4 Ultra amp, very impressive.

IMG_1684%20%5b50%25%5d.jpg

Terrible picture but shows it fitted in an E46...

beckere46.jpg

This is the Pioneer unit....

avicd3_orange_1_medium.jpg

A little more tricky to install however.

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[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

I certainly feel like the CSL is big step up from the R32. That by no means makes the R32 out to be a bad car, I loved it.

Agree that you may not like RWD, however once you can see ho much more it adds to the driving experience you will find it hard to go back. Precision in terms of throttle control and steering was never something I really thought about while owning the golf, I never had to! Learnt a few lessons the hard way with the CSL but boy how its changed my driving! Its good to experience both, but knowing RWD has now pt me off RWD.

Anyways enough about my thoughts. This is your day in the sun and you will feckin love the car! 169144-ok.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

He's not buying a CSL & he's not coming from an R32. A CSL would feel totally different to both an S3 or an R32.

Moving from an S3 to a standard M3 would not be a huge performance leap. Also many S3's have been breathed on so very likely a 270ish BHP car. The driving feel will of course be different.

Please also bear in mind Wop than not everyone has their boat floated by drifting. It's fun to watch & kids love it but it serves no real purpose on road or track (in fact on road & track it's plain dangerous), so not everone falls in love with RWD over AWD. It's not better or worse, just different.

To the O/P, if the price is not overly different, get as many options as possible for your budget as if nothing else this will aid resale when you come to move on.

[/ QUOTE ]

dint mention drifting Paul, but always nice to hear your thoughts! grin.gif

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[ QUOTE ]

I never said you did Wop, but pictures speak a thousand words, as do your tales.

[/ QUOTE ]

All I can do Paul my friend is give a personal opinion on the cars I have experience with. I can state what I like and what I dont. If you dont understand, or disagree that’s your predicament. I simply dont like the idea of the Quattro whores putting of peeps who may have actually liked a proper drivers car - before reading one of your threads. Like me you have quite a strong opinion!

The pics are in my sig, not my thread. I enjoyed myself, even if you think its juvenile.

ROLLEY~14.GIF

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1315936-art_20974_2_1.jpg

I love the way teh Audi boys show that picture all the time, if you see the whole series of pics you will see the RS4 trying to pull a Merc E63 AMG out of the ditch, the RS4 doesn't manage it, so they get the M3 in to do it.

But.............a picture never lies! grin.gif

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[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

I never said you did Wop, but pictures speak a thousand words, as do your tales.

[/ QUOTE ]

All I can do Paul my friend is give a personal opinion on the cars I have experience with. I can state what I like and what I dont. If you dont understand, or disagree that’s your predicament. I simply dont like the idea of the Quattro whores putting of peeps who may have actually liked a proper drivers car - before reading one of your threads. Like me you have quite a strong opinion!

The pics are in my sig, not my thread. I enjoyed myself, even if you think its juvenile.

ROLLEY~14.GIF

[/ QUOTE ]

& it's a proper drivers car why?? because you think it is or because your driving experiences are a tad limited/blinkered & therefore like you say it's all purely you opinion, as my observations & comments are mine. You prefer your CSL to your previous R32 & i can understand why. I prefer my RS4 to my previous E60 M5 & RS6, but is it a better car? no not really, just more capable of doing the things i want & need it to do.

Most modern cars are very good at the jobs they're designed for & markets they're aimed at, but that does not really make any car better than any other, just different.

I'm not favoured of any marque, but i know what i find fun & that's were we differ. You like ponsing around with your cars back end hanging out & i like to stay out of hedges. Neither of us is right or wrong, just different.

As said before, the driving style you display in your sig is best left to organised drifting events, as if i encountered such activity on a track day i was attending, the least of your worries would be getting evicted from the track. It's not big & it's not clever, no matter how much fun you think it is. I've seen many folk get hurled off an event for ponsing around.

Please DON'T state that any car is more of a drivers can than another car when you nor me for that matter are qualified to state that. Opinion yes, fact no.

Sorry O/P for going way off topic.

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[ QUOTE ]

1315936-art_20974_2_1.jpg

I love the way teh Audi boys show that picture all the time, if you see the whole series of pics you will see the RS4 trying to pull a Merc E63 AMG out of the ditch, the RS4 doesn't manage it, so they get the M3 in to do it.

But.............a picture never lies! grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

TBH, i though it was a photoshop, as i've never seen an RS4 in that colour before. Either way i'd not be pulling any car out of a ditch.

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[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

1315936-art_20974_2_1.jpg

I love the way teh Audi boys show that picture all the time, if you see the whole series of pics you will see the RS4 trying to pull a Merc E63 AMG out of the ditch, the RS4 doesn't manage it, so they get the M3 in to do it.

But.............a picture never lies! grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

TBH, i though it was a photoshop, as i've never seen an RS4 in that colour before. Either way i'd not be pulling any car out of a ditch.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was joking Paul, I am sure it is a pic of an M3 coming off the road. grin.gif

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[ QUOTE ]

thanks for the input. interesting it may not be a huge step up from the s3.

[/ QUOTE ]

I beg to differ, even a "breathed on" S3 will make around 250, 260bhp max. The M3 has a genuine 343 bhp and weighs around the same. That's nearly 100 bhp more!

I went from a modded S3 to an M3 to a CSL and the difference is noticeable whatever others say on here.

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[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

I never said you did Wop, but pictures speak a thousand words, as do your tales.

[/ QUOTE ]

All I can do Paul my friend is give a personal opinion on the cars I have experience with. I can state what I like and what I dont. If you dont understand, or disagree that’s your predicament. I simply dont like the idea of the Quattro whores putting of peeps who may have actually liked a proper drivers car - before reading one of your threads. Like me you have quite a strong opinion!

The pics are in my sig, not my thread. I enjoyed myself, even if you think its juvenile.

ROLLEY~14.GIF

[/ QUOTE ]

& it's a proper drivers car why?? because you think it is or because your driving experiences are a tad limited/blinkered & therefore like you say it's all purely you opinion, as my observations & comments are mine. You prefer your CSL to your previous R32 & i can understand why. I prefer my RS4 to my previous E60 M5 & RS6, but is it a better car? no not really, just more capable of doing the things i want & need it to do.

Most modern cars are very good at the jobs they're designed for & markets they're aimed at, but that does not really make any car better than any other, just different.

I'm not favoured of any marque, but i know what i find fun & that's were we differ. You like ponsing around with your cars back end hanging out & i like to stay out of hedges. Neither of us is right or wrong, just different.

As said before, the driving style you display in your sig is best left to organised drifting events, as if i encountered such activity on a track day i was attending, the least of your worries would be getting evicted from the track. It's not big & it's not clever, no matter how much fun you think it is. I've seen many folk get hurled off an event for ponsing around.

Please DON'T state that any car is more of a drivers can than another car when you nor me for that matter are qualified to state that. Opinion yes, fact no.

Sorry O/P for going way off topic.

[/ QUOTE ]

I love the way you asume you know me? You actually know very little, but I dont want to burst yor bubble, your obviously enjoying this! Ignorance is bliss right?? grin.gif

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