E30 Zone

Hi All,

I don't know BMW's model number for the above, but I am considering buying one as a second car.

The majority seem to be diesels and with the bad press surrounding diesel at the moment, I think I would prefer to get a petrol one.

Must say I like the two door, but thing the 5 door might be more practical, but not so nice to look at...

Any known faults or issues with the cars or engines, please, as they have been around a while now?

Budget will be relatively reasonable, which will pitch me to the earlier models.

TIA.

Avoid all the 4 cylinder petrol cars as they have lots of issues.

Get a 130i (3 or 5 door hatch only) or a 125i (coupe of convertible only)

A 135i (coupe or convertible only) is also another possibility but they also have their issues

Thanks Barry.

What is your opinion on the dervs?

A 130i is a lovely car.

As said by Barry avoid the 4 cyl petrols, you'll be forever spending money on fixing it.

As for the diesels, if you went pre 2007, the M47 isn't that bad on an engine.

The N47 has plenty of dramas, timing chain issues being the biggest and most expensive.

Thanks Maxfield. The dreaded N47!

Cheers guys. To be honest, it's putting me off them!

The N47 isn't that bad. If it sounds quiet and runs okay, it'll be alright. Replacing the chain is a £1000 job but since done, they're a great engine.

N43 petrols are garbage.

Gert_8 wrote:Must say I like the two door, but thing the 5 door might be more practical, but not so nice to look at...

Are any of them actually nice to look at?

The styling reminds me of a rather clumpy shoe, but I'll admit that most of the ones I've driven have been fairly pleasant to drive, irritating computer gizmos aside...

Andyboy wrote:The N47 isn't that bad. If it sounds quiet and runs okay, it'll be alright. Replacing the chain is a £1000 job but since done, they're a great engine.

N43 petrols are garbage.

I've been seeing a fair few faults recently with the N47, had some noisy turbos, lots of EGR valves, DPF dramas and injectors
leaking which causes the rocker cover gasket to melt and leak oil which then gets pushed to the top of the rocker cover and melts the rocker cover.

Sounds like the issues are largely down to owners neglecting oil changes:

http://www.bmautomotivesolutions.co.uk/ ... t-problems

My wife has a 125i, fantastic little car, if it’s on the drive somehow it always seems more convenient to use than my road car! Also used it for some track days and that’s when you appreciate the rear wheel drive (a plague on BMW for changing the new model to front wheel drive).

My neighbour has 10 plate 118d for the last 7 years and also has had no mechanical issues.

We have now done 65000 miles in it and have no mechanical problems, yes the back seats have limited leg room and the boot is small but you cannot drive it without a big smile on your face.

Best car in its class without a doubt.

The 3 door 130i LE is very nice

I have a 2012 118d sport edition coupe, I bought it from BMW in the summer with a 2 year warranty and 2 year BMW assist thrown in, and I must admit it can be a little down on power when accelerating away from standstill but once on the go its good.

£30 p/a RFL, averages 55+mpg and a low insurance group made it a good buy for me.

We've just done the trip to Falmouth and back, circa 700 miles, all on a tank full of diesel.

I wanted a 135i, saw one, drive it, loved it, but couldn't justify the cost considering the miles I do, but when I saw my current one, it looked pretty good in my eyes, so took the plunge. 5000 miles later I really like it.