e30 325is or e36 328is

[e36boy]

Help ive wanted a e30 325 sport for a vaery long time. Ive recently been thinking of sacking the e30 idea and going for a e36 328 sport. I have started going toward the e36 idea because i have the feeling if i get a e30 i'll be constantly spending money on it, and have problems with rust etc because of its age, The car will be a daily driver and im not loaded so i have to take that into consideration. What do you guys think i should do but dont be biassed coz its an e30 forum, just your honest opinion. Both cars are similar in price also.

[Zayyan]

E36 will be more economical, quicker once the engine's derestricted, and easier to live with in general, especially on longer journeys.

E30 is better looking, has a better image these days as the council types can now afford E36s, and of course is far more fun

Your only answer would be to drive both and see how you feel about them.

[e36boy]

Cheers Zayyan. I have an e36 already which ive had for 4 years although its only 316i coupe for insurance purposes.

[rare]

I have started going toward the e36 idea because i have the feeling if i get a e30 i'll be constantly spending money on it, and have problems with rust etc because of its age

Its true. It probably will cost you more to look after and run. My car is a daily and I use it very often, but it seems to ALWAYS require work.

[cliffybabe]

Its got to be the E30 better lnes etc, also every chav under the sun is bombing around in E36's at present

[stuartgallafant]

I have started going toward the e36 idea because i have the feeling if i get a e30 i'll be constantly spending money on it, and have problems with rust etc

true, but not in full context

get a good one, and you wont spend anything on it. get a bad one, and you'll throw away a fortune. however, the same goes with E36's.

most people really looked after E30's, but no-one gave a shit about E36's. and i know first hand that E36's a far more expensive to repair and buy parts for when they go wrong. the electrics system are far more complicated (not something you'd wanna tackle alone) and theres loads of control units on 'em, just waiting to go wrong. and these are piss-takingly expensive!! and when they go wrong, they have to be done a proper BMW dealers coz the car has to be coded

your choice at the end of the day, its personal preference. but i had the same options as you, and look what ive got!!!

[cliffybabe]

see that what i meant

[stuartgallafant]

whatever!!! joker...

[cliffybabe]

whatever!!! joker...

[Dan318-is]

Like zayyan said, in true terms the e36 really is a better car if you look at it on paper. the engine is a thousand light years ahead of the m20 lump found in a e30 325i, and de-restircted iv read that 328s are barn stormers, even troubling e36 m3s with the right mods

If it was a daily, unless you love e30s hardcore, i would go e36 mate!

[Taz]

e30 4eva mate

they just look the best

get yourself a late 325i and drop a m50 in it! use it as a daily runner and chase m3's!

[MikeeMiracle]

If you find a E30 in good condition it hopefully will not cost you too much. As mentioned earlier they are increasingly being looked after and cared for so you can pick up a good one for not much money.

I just bought a E30 318is for £1800 and have taken it to my mechanic to be looked over. The only things he can find wrong are a few minor oil leaks which he can solve for £200. The motor was from a family who loved BMW's and had it serviced at a specialist garage of mechanics who used to work for BMW when the E30 was new. It would appear I have a more or less prstine car for £2k.

As for part prices....im picking up brake discs for £36 the pair this afternoon.

[Jhonno]

i bought a 316i coupe e30 nearly 2 yrs ago and all its cost is servicing (plus mods ive done to it) its been 100% reliable and very easy to live with day to day

just cause they are an older car doesnt mean they will necessarily need £Â£Ã‚£ spent on them (parts are cheap anyways) just treat them properly and keep em serviced goes a long way

[328touring]

I returned to an e30 325 touring at the beginning of the year after a spell with an e36 328 touring and honestly, the 328 was a great car but it drinks way more fuel around town, parts are more expensive and to keep up that all important service history with stamps from a reputed specialist cost me a small fortune. My last full service for the e30 inc all consumables etc cost me less than an oil change on the 328 at a specialist and has wanted nothing more than fresh fluids and petrol in the tank (so far!) in the last 7 months. E36's aren't cheaper to run unless you just want to rag it in to the ground!

[glenbat]

cant really add to whats been said, E36's are the 'flashy' car of choice now of young kids with a bit of cash, or council types wanting a bit of class. E30's although old and no where near as good a car on paper simply ooze class and IMO turn far more heads that an E36 ever will.
Had 2 E36 cabs which were cool at the time, but had the E30 cab for nearly a year now and gets way more looks that the E36's, IMO its so much sexier too

Plus you'll get a cracking E30 for the price of an E36 with nasty Halfords rims and same mileage

e30 allllllllllllllll day long

[e30bmlover]

e30......... lighter, better looking(you can tell straight away its a bmw, made them what they are today)
better build quality, the list goes on.......

e36......... early e36's suffered from shit quality interiors, vanos troubles, nickasil problems(think thats how u spell it!?!) heavier, drink more go go juice, more expensive to service+insure.

i would have a e30 anyday of the week, or if you really want a 328i, get hold of the engine and whack it into the e30! what a wepon!

[Fushion_Julz]

I have started going toward the e36 idea because i have the feeling if i get a e30 i'll be constantly spending money on it, and have problems with rust etc because of its age

Its true. It probably will cost you more to look after and run. My car is a daily and I use it very often, but it seems to ALWAYS require work.

Really? Then either you have a dog or the work you/your mechanic is doing is of shite quality!

I have 2 E30s and, regular maintenence aside (oil changes, tyres, etc) they are incredibly reliable and cheap to run!
My 325i is a daily driver...in 20months I have owned it I have done around 21,000 miles...It has cost me <£500 in bits and has needed: rear subframe bushes, front wishbone bushes, exhaust and tyres plus oil, plugs etc...

My M3 has done around 8000 miles in the last 14mths and it has only needed a water pump (£130) and tyres...

My mate has an Escort Zetec and that has cost him over £2k in servicing/parts in the last 24mths!!!
Now I call THAT expensive!!

Other BMW worth considering if you want cheap is a 6cylinder M30 E34...They are super strong, don't really rust and the engines/drivetrain last upto 500,000 miles...Even a later M50/52 engined 520/525 are decent cars and you can get a good spec 530/535 SE, for example, for <£1K
Fuel consumption is not substantially different to an E30 325 (E34 maybe does a bit better) and the insurance is less, too...
Not as much fun to drive fast, though...

[tim_s]

328is +1 for a daily and someone not wanting to do loads of maintenance.

ultimately out of the box the 328i has a far superior faster smoother engine, better steering and brakes, better seats, dash, heater, lights, more grip and more competent handling, is quieter and more refined to driver etc.

reliability i think its unlikely that a 16+yr old e30 will be more reliable than a late e36 - my bro and old man have e36s and they are way more reliable. this is over a period of a good couple of years, which is a bit fairer than short periods where both cars can be more or less maintenance-free.

bro and old man's cars between them (1999 318is 105,000 miles bought on 70k miles last yr, 1999 323i bought on 110k miles now has 150+k miles) have had: front ball joints, Z axle trailing bushes, fan resistor packs, lambda probe, rear springs, rear wheel bearings. both are fighting fit and uber reliable.

mine (minty 1990 318is bought on 70k FSH, now on 120k)
has had bodywork of a few hundred quid, rear TA/subframe bushes, rear top mounts, front top mounts, front ball joints and CA bushes, new p/s rack, new track rod ends (separate occasion), clutch slave cylinder, exhaust + front exhaust mounts (separate occasion), radiator, thermostat, water hoses, water pump, TPS + cam sensor + fuelling diagnostics, timing chain tensioner (well actually new guides and chain now too), diff and diff mount, prop centre bearing, front crank oil seal, rocker oil seal, steering U/J guibo, new alarm/immobiliser, new coil pack and prob more if i could remember.
atm it has a small knocking noise from NSR and the back box mounting bracket on the car needs welding.

oh and my fam have never had an e36 break down on them, mine has broken down twice, once requiring an RAC tow.

i'm not complaining, but mine is a really good example and demonstrates how an older car needs more maintenance work, simple as that really.

[Gouki]

having driven an E36, the E30 is better in terms of driving. My mate had a 328i E36, quick car very smooth but lacked character. He ditched it for an E30 cab and is happier with it felt its as quick as the 328i.

I've found there's little bits that go wrong with the E30's but they can fixed easily as the parts aint expensive.

E36 is all a bit too common and they lose their value. E30's seem to be holding out a lot better.

[e36boy]

Still not got a new car yet, but will be doin in next month or so. One thing i have found is that the e36 is hard to sell, I put this down to ther bein so many about. Decided im gonna get an e30 for sure, as i'd only regret it in years to come if i dont, coz i've wanted one for years. If it does start costing me loads to run, i can always sell it coz i know it wont be hard to sell on. Cheers for all the comments guys.

[deian]

I like the idea of an e36 328i, and i would agree they are better engines, especially being 24v, but 170bhp is still fun in a stock e30 325iS... and the e30's do look SOOO much better, it's fast becoming a classic, without being left behind too much, when it was out it was EASILY way ahead of it's time, even ahead of the e36 when that came out.

I also agree that servicing in general on an e36 will be more expensive due to it all being more electronical-ized with computers all over all wanting a special code. Big no no from me there.

And the e36's are getting a bad image these days, they are the on the boy racer's 'wanted' list. And I'd say they are more expensive to buy. You'd get a mint 325iS for the price of an okay 328iS.

Plus think of this, an e30 with FSH against an e36 with FSH (about the same mileage)... e30 would be a better buy as it's an older car... hence MORE newer parts. I believe every car goes through a stage of falling appart and needing LOADS of new parts all in a short space of time, chances are an e30 would have gone through this stage where as an e36 may be at or just before this stage. Thats why I go for high mileage cars with FSH, my current car has 193k and FSH on R reg. Runs like a dream (it's a Citroen 2.1td).

But for me... always a late e30 325iS just in case the time for deep pockets is happening on the 328iS you want.

Good Luck.

[Sharon]

If you have always wanted one then you just have to get one!
You would only kick yourself at a later date if you didn't.

[rare]

Really? Then either you have a dog or the work you/your mechanic is doing is of shite quality!

I dont think either is the case. If any one has seen my car they know its not a dog! And the problems have been unrelated, so I dont see it. In my opinion it is simply just because these cars are getting old now. Dont get me wrong, I love them,and thats why I spend so much time etc on my sport but you cant honestly expect them to be as solid and reliable as a newer car. Things get worn!

I think I will change mine for a 328i sport some time. No doubt I will miss my E30, and Im sure I will get another at some stage, just feel like a change after 3 E30's in a row!

[Fushion_Julz]

Rare: Of course things wear out...But they wear far slower on a car of the age and quality of the E30/E34 than on newer cars (E36 included)...

If you are replacing things that have just got to the end of their working life (say like a clutch @ 100,000 miles) then that will be the same on any car...

Also how a car looks...as in shiny paintwork, flash rims, etc...has no bearing on the mechanical integrity of the bits that make it go!
A rusty old shell could be very reliable with a decent motor, 'box and brakes whereas a car that looks "mint" could be an unreliable dog cos the owner has been spending his/her time polishing rather than on mechanical maintenence.

I agree with Sharon, though...If you have decided you WANT an E36 328, then you should get one...for the experience, if nothing else!
If, though, you're expecting a 150K miles car to be any more reliable than a similar mileage 325 E30, I think you'll be disappointed!
There is more to go wrong in an E36 and the build quality isn't as good....The last really good BMW (in build terms) was the E34/E32 ranges...
After that, BMW went for the volume market...very succesfully...building on their undoubted reputation for quality to sell cars at a premium price...But the quality suffered in the step up to mass market...
Of course, if you get a good E36, it will be better than a "Friday" E30...but get a friday E36 and you'll spend more (and longer) in servicing, etc...

Just my 2c

[rare]

Also how a car looks...as in shiny paintwork, flash rims, etc...has no bearing on the mechanical integrity of the bits that make it go!

Of course:) To be fair , I have put 25,000 miles on it in 18 months or so, so the majority of the stuff that I have done, ie bushes and clutch where just a matter of time.

If I had the money I would love to have both, and keep the E30 garaged and not use it as a daily. Perhaps in the future thats what I might be able to do.

[Fushion_Julz]

I have put 25,000 miles on it in 18 months or so, so the majority of the stuff that I have done, ie bushes and clutch where just a matter of time.

My point exactly...and how many thousands of miles before (if ever) had those bushes been changed previously?

Since an E36 (not compact) has many more rear suspension components, then you would logically expect even more work at roughly the same sort of mileages that the E30 ones need changed.

E30s...even M3s, although I don't use mine like that...are perfectly useable daily drivers. In fact, since 95% of parts (and all the essential ones) are still available and one the whole cheaper than (say) Ford or Vauxhall bits, I'd say it was actually cheaper to run an E30 318i than a 1.8 Escort!