true but as an extreme example.. drive a mini 998 and an m5 the same...stevetigger wrote:I dont think he will drive a 318is any different to a 325iBrian28 wrote:Fine as long as you can guarentee that you won't get somebody else killed, woman died here a couple of months back when she met some tit coming round a blind corner too fast, out of control and on her side of the road.
Am i being stupid?
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Jhonno
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- stevetigger
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I bet you could try!Jhonno wrote:true but as an extreme example.. drive a mini 998 and an m5 the same...stevetigger wrote:I dont think he will drive a 318is any different to a 325iBrian28 wrote:Fine as long as you can guarentee that you won't get somebody else killed, woman died here a couple of months back when she met some tit coming round a blind corner too fast, out of control and on her side of the road.
Yes a bit extreme
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dodgydodger
- E30 Zone Newbie

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i am 18..19 on friday i have 1 yr no claims and am hoping to buy a sport i have seen 4 sale! insurance was the only thingholding me back untill i went to loyds tsb and they quoted me Ԛ£1400 so u no what go there try them and if its good buy a sport and if you decide you cant handle the power or afford the fuel then...sell it and get a refund on the insurance! you wont get it all back but wont lose a lot!.....and just dont go silly in the car.... just work your way up to driving it hard....i am a banger driver and have been 4 7 years and i can still lose it in spectactular fashion so ... we live and learn!
good luck what eva u do!
good luck what eva u do!
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Jhonno
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I'd give it a go.. n it would probably be the most fun 3 minutes i could end my life onstevetigger wrote:I bet you could try!Jhonno wrote:true but as an extreme example.. drive a mini 998 and an m5 the same...stevetigger wrote: I dont think he will drive a 318is any different to a 325i![]()
Yes a bit extreme
- Kos
- E30 Zone Team Member

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get an is, learn the characteristics of an e30 then up grade. a good is will not loose value. i got my sport at 18 and nearly killed my self!!! as much as you think you'll behave and "learn" how to control the car you wont. 170 hp and lots of torque in a 1980 RWD chassis + young inexperienced driver = possible bad accident especially with winters greasy roads.
i'm not being negative but even today being older and wiser and driving bm's for almost ten years you can still get caught out.
save the money and buy the bits you want for the sport ready to mod it if you choose to do so, half the bits you can change over eg lights suspension parts and interiors
i'm not being negative but even today being older and wiser and driving bm's for almost ten years you can still get caught out.
save the money and buy the bits you want for the sport ready to mod it if you choose to do so, half the bits you can change over eg lights suspension parts and interiors
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Ant
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Gotta agree with Kos here.
e30s require experience of RWD to be fully enjoyed, even the lowest bhp model is a handful in poor conditions.
Lets be careful folks !
e30s require experience of RWD to be fully enjoyed, even the lowest bhp model is a handful in poor conditions.
Lets be careful folks !
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Dan318-is
- Married to the E30 Zone

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im with ant and kos too
although im still struggling to see how they are charging you that, im 18 with a years ncb and am insured n my own policy on my IS tft for 1300 :S with nationwide
do some shopping around mate, but ffs dotn go from a ford to a sport u will die, the IS is a handful enough!
although im still struggling to see how they are charging you that, im 18 with a years ncb and am insured n my own policy on my IS tft for 1300 :S with nationwide
do some shopping around mate, but ffs dotn go from a ford to a sport u will die, the IS is a handful enough!
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d6dph
- Married to the E30 Zone

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reading all thats been said, all very good stuff, but i went from an almera sri to my 325i and have not had any real problems. it has been a steep learning curve but hell its been fun.
i'd say if you can trust yourself with a quick car, do it. lifes too short and you never know when its going to be taken from you.
Good luck with whatever choice you make, and please be carefull.
Dave
i'd say if you can trust yourself with a quick car, do it. lifes too short and you never know when its going to be taken from you.
Good luck with whatever choice you make, and please be carefull.
Dave

Go for a 316i for starters................then upgade as your insurance goes down....wether u have the money or not for that rediculous insurance....it doesnt make sence to pay that....after a year you will see it go down a great amount.
I did this and am now searchig for a 325i...

I did this and am now searchig for a 325i...

- stevetigger
- E30 Zone Addict

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If you can afford the insurance, get a 325i Sport
My friend got an E30 M3 at 18, paying like Ԛ£3k a year insurance but the laff we all had in his car! Was the best thing ever, I had an Orion, my other mate had a NEW Saxo and Wazza had a 325i Sport! The M3 was wicked, he kept it for a year had fun then sold it because he couldnt justify paying big insurance, but for the Ԛ£3k he did pay on insurance!
He had the utmost fun for a year. Well worth it in my opinion, I got a Sport after he sold it because of the fun we had!
I paid Ԛ£950 TPFT at the time and my Orion was Ԛ£560, nearly double but I tell ya, THe sound of the straight six, rear wheel drive....Electric everything barr seats! Was the best thing I ever did buying my first Sport.........Look at the smile on my face!

I have only owned E30's since that point on, ok ok I got a Vauxhall Zafira now but thats family stuff......I still have an E30
My friend got an E30 M3 at 18, paying like Ԛ£3k a year insurance but the laff we all had in his car! Was the best thing ever, I had an Orion, my other mate had a NEW Saxo and Wazza had a 325i Sport! The M3 was wicked, he kept it for a year had fun then sold it because he couldnt justify paying big insurance, but for the Ԛ£3k he did pay on insurance!
He had the utmost fun for a year. Well worth it in my opinion, I got a Sport after he sold it because of the fun we had!
I paid Ԛ£950 TPFT at the time and my Orion was Ԛ£560, nearly double but I tell ya, THe sound of the straight six, rear wheel drive....Electric everything barr seats! Was the best thing I ever did buying my first Sport.........Look at the smile on my face!

I have only owned E30's since that point on, ok ok I got a Vauxhall Zafira now but thats family stuff......I still have an E30
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japcarkiller
- E30 Zone Regular

- Posts: 266
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i went from a phase 1 almera gti to 325i sport. I must be strange but i don't think the sport felt much faster. used to piss omi off cause he couldn't waste me. having said all this e30's rule. I had a slag 325i slammed to the ground and that was more of a handfull than my sport. if you respect the car it will look after you. ie. if its wet don't be a cock and floor it on a round about cause it will slap you.
a 318is will also slap you and ruin nice shiny new alloys.(sorry omi)
in his defence he was avoiding a knob jockey.
i went down the tdi road to build up my ncb. horrible smelly black belching things that they are. Still the mpg was good.
giving your insurance company the value of your car every year is just mental though.
a 318is will also slap you and ruin nice shiny new alloys.(sorry omi)
in his defence he was avoiding a knob jockey.
i went down the tdi road to build up my ncb. horrible smelly black belching things that they are. Still the mpg was good.
giving your insurance company the value of your car every year is just mental though.
I have only owned E30's since that point on, ok ok I got a Vauxhall Zafira now but thats family stuff......I still have an E30[/quote]
LOL...Once you go e30 you never go back!....
Same here...from when i bought my 1st e30 3 years ago.....had it for 2years, sold it and bought another....316i mind!...cause of license drama!....long story...now when i sell this one...no doupt i will get another, as a matter of fact i am looking for my next one.

LOL...Once you go e30 you never go back!....
Same here...from when i bought my 1st e30 3 years ago.....had it for 2years, sold it and bought another....316i mind!...cause of license drama!....long story...now when i sell this one...no doupt i will get another, as a matter of fact i am looking for my next one.

I drove a 325i for about 6 months when i was 18 but had to stop because 1)it was time to turbocharge it, and 2)a few days after i had eventually turbocharged it my insurance policy changed. Basically NU found the loophole i was using.
Anyhow back onto the thread, i'd like to think i'm a fairly responsible driver most of the time, but at the same time I didn't just cruise everywhere. One time the back went around a rounderabout, but i caught it fine, made me sweat a bit afterwards though.
This may be because i've been to a rally course and coped well with the oversteer, or i may have just been lucky.
I think that perhaps a 318is is a very good comprimise, cheaper insurance but still plenty of fun. To start with you can always take it eay around corners and then boot it once you are going straight, but it depends how good your self control is.
Other than that get a shitter fwd wrongness like what i'm currently punting about in, 309 1.6i(115hp) group 8 insurance which costs Ԛ£500 a year to insure 19 1 yr ncb.
The choice is yours...
Anyhow back onto the thread, i'd like to think i'm a fairly responsible driver most of the time, but at the same time I didn't just cruise everywhere. One time the back went around a rounderabout, but i caught it fine, made me sweat a bit afterwards though.
This may be because i've been to a rally course and coped well with the oversteer, or i may have just been lucky.
I think that perhaps a 318is is a very good comprimise, cheaper insurance but still plenty of fun. To start with you can always take it eay around corners and then boot it once you are going straight, but it depends how good your self control is.
Other than that get a shitter fwd wrongness like what i'm currently punting about in, 309 1.6i(115hp) group 8 insurance which costs Ԛ£500 a year to insure 19 1 yr ncb.
The choice is yours...
hi mate go for a 325 i did woz going to get a 318is and dont get me rong thay r fast ish ..but went for the 325 av had it a week its a bit bad on petty but so much fun the power is grate ..my mate has the 318is he gets it sideway all the time so thay r fun and you will not regret it ..but my 325 woz up his ass the other day and he new it he ran out of steem lol soon as the 325 hits 4000 it just pulls like a bitch ..just remeber rwd take ya time matey ...let us all no wot ya get ha ha get 325 !!
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OllieB
- E30 Zone Regular

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I got my Sport at 20, never owned a RWD motor before. They are safe as you like, not very fast and easy to catch if the rear starts twitching. Only time you are gonna run into trouble is when you are giving it loads of cock action trying to be a hero (Especially in the wet.)
----------------------------------------
I'm too scared to drift properly......
I'm too scared to drift properly......
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Fushion_Julz
- E30 Zone Camper

- Posts: 1295
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- Location: Blackwater
I'm gonna be a heretic...
and say:
Get a decent, but cheap, rwd car..if you get something old (like a Mk1 or 2 Escort, for example) you can even get a limited mileage classic policy.
If you want a cheap to insure BMW, try a 1602...fun and stylish, too....
The lowest group on a BMW E30..a 316/316i is gp12 and as a new, young driver you will pay heaps for the insurance...
Plenty of good rwd motors that are cheaper to insure:
MG, Ford, Avenger/Hunter, etc...all are old enough to be proper classics, too...
and say:
Get a decent, but cheap, rwd car..if you get something old (like a Mk1 or 2 Escort, for example) you can even get a limited mileage classic policy.
If you want a cheap to insure BMW, try a 1602...fun and stylish, too....
The lowest group on a BMW E30..a 316/316i is gp12 and as a new, young driver you will pay heaps for the insurance...
Plenty of good rwd motors that are cheaper to insure:
MG, Ford, Avenger/Hunter, etc...all are old enough to be proper classics, too...
1987 Henna Rot M3 (was 195bhp CAT..now more and no cat)
2001 E46 330i SE Touring (manual)
2001 E46 330i SE Touring (manual)
Hmmm couple of problems...Fushion_Julz wrote:I'm gonna be a heretic...
and say:
Get a decent, but cheap, rwd car..if you get something old (like a Mk1 or 2 Escort, for example) you can even get a limited mileage classic policy.
If you want a cheap to insure BMW, try a 1602...fun and stylish, too....
The lowest group on a BMW E30..a 316/316i is gp12 and as a new, young driver you will pay heaps for the insurance...
Plenty of good rwd motors that are cheaper to insure:
MG, Ford, Avenger/Hunter, etc...all are old enough to be proper classics, too...
Pretty sure you have to be 21 to have a classic policy
a bmw 1602, i can't remember the last time i saw one, let alone one for sale.
If you want real wheel drive and you don't care if you put it in a lampost perhaps a sierra saphire 2.0l. Can get these for Ԛ£20.
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beavis2k4
- E30 Zone Newbie

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- Location: Lochgilphead, Argyll.... Scotland ;)
i was in the same position last year or just over i had a rover 318 sl DTurbo
slow as nowt but nice to drive, i had that for about 6 months, i then bought a 318is.... i loved it!! my pride and joy! but then this happened
http://www.e30zone.co.uk/modules.php?na ... highlight=
basically, real wheel drive, new to rwd cars, going bit fast...basically
after that i went back to my rover for about 1 month until it died then i bought a 320 which i regret.. i still have it, its rotting away in the back garden till i can get some money to fix it
i drove that for about 3 months and then put an advert up on here for a 325, which i got, and it puts a smile on my face every day!
as for insurance dont use confused.com they got me a quote of 2500 for my rover which i insured with tescos for 1750 or something and then got insured on my 318is....same price, then i got my 320, same price and then i got the 325 with 1yrs ncb, it dropped to 1100 but then i switched to direct line i am now paying 950 i am 20 with 1yrs ncb i never claimed my 318is and to this day i wish it never wanted to go bird watching as i would have saved a lot of money
Make of that what you will as i always babble on
slow as nowt but nice to drive, i had that for about 6 months, i then bought a 318is.... i loved it!! my pride and joy! but then this happened
http://www.e30zone.co.uk/modules.php?na ... highlight=
basically, real wheel drive, new to rwd cars, going bit fast...basically
after that i went back to my rover for about 1 month until it died then i bought a 320 which i regret.. i still have it, its rotting away in the back garden till i can get some money to fix it
as for insurance dont use confused.com they got me a quote of 2500 for my rover which i insured with tescos for 1750 or something and then got insured on my 318is....same price, then i got my 320, same price and then i got the 325 with 1yrs ncb, it dropped to 1100 but then i switched to direct line i am now paying 950 i am 20 with 1yrs ncb i never claimed my 318is and to this day i wish it never wanted to go bird watching as i would have saved a lot of money
Make of that what you will as i always babble on

m3ben05 wrote:Well the sensible part of me says go for a 318is but my heart says 325 sport any day, you will only regret it if you dont get one and end ep selling it after a while.
Im probably not the best guy to ask for sensible advice though, i bought my M3 at 19
ben m8 thats very very true at 18 i could afford a 325i sport and always wanted one but the missus i was with for the 3 years i wanted one wouldnt let me spend the Ԛ£Ã”šÃ‚£Ãƒ”šÃ‚£Ãƒ”šÃ‚£ on it lol so i went and bought a 318is and boy did i regret it!! the whole time i had it i wanted a 325i sport m8 in the end i fukked the bird off and bought one!! moral of the story same as bens saying m8!! dont always opt for second best sometimes it can make u regret it big time!! o and try absolutly every insurance company m8 3600 is definatly not the cheapest insurance quote m8 @ 18 surely!!

Hartge h35 e30... ( for sale in near future )
bmw 328i sport e36
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japcarkiller
- E30 Zone Regular

- Posts: 266
- Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 11:00 pm
in the event of your car being written off direct line will tell you its an old car and its worthless. they were only gonna pay out Ԛ£1900 for my old mint 325 sport. after months of phone calls i got them up to Ԛ£2500 but that was still way to low. the cheapest insurance isn't always the cheapest.beavis2k4 wrote:i was in the same position last year or just over i had a rover 318 sl DTurbo
slow as nowt but nice to drive, i had that for about 6 months, i then bought a 318is.... i loved it!! my pride and joy! but then this happened
http://www.e30zone.co.uk/modules.php?na ... highlight=
basically, real wheel drive, new to rwd cars, going bit fast...basically
after that i went back to my rover for about 1 month until it died then i bought a 320 which i regret.. i still have it, its rotting away in the back garden till i can get some money to fix iti drove that for about 3 months and then put an advert up on here for a 325, which i got, and it puts a smile on my face every day!
as for insurance dont use confused.com they got me a quote of 2500 for my rover which i insured with tescos for 1750 or something and then got insured on my 318is....same price, then i got my 320, same price and then i got the 325 with 1yrs ncb, it dropped to 1100 but then i switched to direct line i am now paying 950 i am 20 with 1yrs ncb i never claimed my 318is and to this day i wish it never wanted to go bird watching as i would have saved a lot of money![]()
Make of that what you will as i always babble on
i will never use direct line again because of this.
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beavis2k4
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 197
- Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Lochgilphead, Argyll.... Scotland ;)
I would say it was ok for me as if i did write off my bimmer (touch wood and all that) then i wouldnt claim if i didnt have to as i prefer taking the bus to work than forking out even more for insurance! 



