Looking for a fun daily driver... 325e? 325i? 325is? 318i?

[Joey Link]

I'm looking for a daily driver. Right now I'm looking for something classy but fun to drive. I work in alot of nice neighborhoods and don't want to appear as some young kid in a wannabe race car (I'm 23). I'm thinking of either a MKII Jetta or an E30 and I'd REALLY like the E30. I've got up to $4k to spend but I'd really like to spend less. Above all, I need it to be reliable. I think tastefully modded E30's look amazing and I've heard awesome things about them.

So I have a few questions.

1) Which model E30 would you guys recommend? The 325is seems to be the obvious choice but they're getting harder to find and they sell for $3k-$4k even with high miles (near 200k). Would I be better off purchasing a 325i and modding it? would it be cheaper and/or better than purchasing a 325is?

2) What're the differences in MPG between the different models?

3) How many miles are too many? How much life do these cars have in them? I see alot of them with high miles but I'm scared I'm going to be making alot of costly repairs if I purchase one, even if it's seemingly in good condition. There's a 325is here for $3500 with 197k on it, that seems nuts to me but maybe it's normal?

I've been looking for a clean E30 for a LONG time with no luck, I'm seriously about to just buy a Jetta but I KNOW I'll regret it :(

Any other input you guys have would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

[Jand3rson]

I'm looking for a daily driver. Right now I'm looking for something classy but fun to drive. I work in alot of nice neighborhoods and don't want to appear as some young kid in a wannabe race car (I'm 23). I'm thinking of either a MKII Jetta or an E30 and I'd REALLY like the E30. I've got up to $4k to spend but I'd really like to spend less. Above all, I need it to be reliable. I think tastefully modded E30's look amazing and I've heard awesome things about them.

So I have a few questions.

1) Which model E30 would you guys recommend? The 325is seems to be the obvious choice but they're getting harder to find and they sell for $3k-$4k even with high miles (near 200k). Would I be better off purchasing a 325i and modding it? would it be cheaper and/or better than purchasing a 325is?

2) What're the differences in MPG between the different models?

3) How many miles are too many? How much life do these cars have in them? I see alot of them with high miles but I'm scared I'm going to be making alot of costly repairs if I purchase one, even if it's seemingly in good condition. There's a 325is here for $3500 with 197k on it, that seems nuts to me but maybe it's normal?

I've been looking for a clean E30 for a LONG time with no luck, I'm seriously about to just buy a Jetta but I KNOW I'll regret it :(

Any other input you guys have would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Hey, alright! Another Oregon member. We're takin' over, y'all. :D

You should be able to find a good condition 325i for $3k easy, a little more for a nice 325iS. Check AutoTrader, and maybe Roadfly.org or Craiglist.org.

The MPG differences between the 325i and the 325e are negligable, it all depends on the condition of the engine, and if there are any mods done to it. I have an 86 325eS with a chip, and I still get around 26-29 MPG on the freeway, and about 22-24 MPG in town.

Mileage is a funny thing with these cars. There are people who have taken them to over 300-400k on the stock, orignal internals. The better the engine is taken care of, the longer it's going to last. The M20 was bombproof, with proper maintainence. 100k on an M20 is a baby, just entering it's prime. You're going to be hard pressed to find one with 100k or less, but you just need to look. My car has 219k, but only 79k on the head, and it runs like brand new.

There is maintainence to be done on these cars, not just on the engine, and unless you do the work yourself, repairs and parts car get pretty costly. Most German car shops charge around $70 per hour labor, and then add the cost of new parts. A lot of us go for used parts (on things that it's alright to go with used on, a lot of things are cheaper to replace new than you'd think).

A car with more than 150k is going to start needing replacement of parts, not only in the engine, but in the drivetrain and suspension. Things like the driveshaft and/or center support bearing, control arm bushings, tie rods, shocks/springs, engine and tranny mounts, etc. One of the things you want to be sure of is that the owner of the car you buy from has a good history of service records, that the oil and fluids have been changed regularly, and that the timing belt has been changed according to specs. Do your homework, search carefully, and you'll find that sweet E30.

[E30 Wagen]

any of them are good. it's all on how much you want to spend for a daily driver, if that's truly all you are going to use it for. I wouldn't get an 'is' if its going to be a daily driver though, seems like a waste.

they're all dependable

[Joey Link]

Eurospeed88 - Thanks for the info! Where in Oregon are ya? I alternate between NE and Gresham.

writer printer - Don't worry, I do plan on taking it out and gettin on it in the twisties as well. I just said daily cause I need that reliability.

[DarkWing6]

An is in the PNW is gonna be hard to come by and spendy at that. If I were you start with a nice i then do the upgrades to it that you want. Diff, interior, few cosmetics if you like. Those kinds of things. I spent 3 months looking for mine and ended up driving like 4 hours to buy it. Most people would say I overpaid, but it was worth it for me. I'll keep my eyes open for one up here for ya.

[Joey Link]

Thanks man, I appreciate it. I've thought about that as well, just purchasing an i and doin the upgrades myself. I imagine at 130k+ miles the LSD unit would be gettin quite tired anyway, and that's really the major benefit of the iS in my opinion since I'll probably be changing out the suspension anyway.

[Joey Link]

I found a local 2 owner 325i but its a 4 door :(

[Topper]

Don't forget about the '91 318is, a very nice car and sounds like it may be just the e30 for you to start with.

[Jand3rson]

Eurospeed88 - Thanks for the info! Where in Oregon are ya? I alternate between NE and Gresham.

I live in Bend. The name's Josh, BTW. If you're ever in the area, we should get together and have lunch or something. I'd be happy to give you ride in my car (nothing spectacular), and talk more about E30's. I'm a pretty big addict, so I'd be glad to lend any useful info.

[Joey Link]

Ok so I found a couple clean 325e's an a 325es. What's the difference between a 325es and a 325is besides the engine? What can be done to boost the output of the ETA engine and what would the output be once it's modded? Someone was saying something about putting an iS head on an ETA engine and then basically having a stroked iS engine, is that true? What would the output be then? is it possible to get around 200hp with the ETA engine? Did they improve alot between say, 1986 and 1991?

[golde30]

LSD do not get tired @ only 130k unless they are beat all to hell, and the rest of the car will show this also...

[motorprestige]

Ok so I found a couple clean 325e's an a 325es. What's the difference between a 325es and a 325is besides the engine? What can be done to boost the output of the ETA engine and what would the output be once it's modded? Someone was saying something about putting an iS head on an ETA engine and then basically having a stroked iS engine, is that true? What would the output be then? is it possible to get around 200hp with the ETA engine? Did they improve alot between say, 1986 and 1991?

yeah you can do the whole "i" stroker thing but its not as simple as putting an "i" head on an eta block but if you go through the whole procedure correctly and tune it well you can expect around 200 bhp and as mouch if not more torque... and the difference between the es and "is" is really pretty much the engine since both come with an lsd (the only selling point of the es imo...unless you like the aero parts) there were no major improvements to the eta engine since its inception in 84'... but if you get an eta engined car i suggest you chip it with a turner motorsport/jim conforti chip, major improvment you can mos def feel it...

[bimmer8604]

The differences between the i and the iS are soooo small, that it doesnt matter really. The big differences are obviously the suspension, but if you are going to change that, then who cares. The LSD, which you can find forsale here just about every other week or so. The seats, depending on location you can always get a nice set of sport seats for fairly reasonable. And rims, everybody changes rims here like their dirty underwear, so dont worry about getting rims.

I would say look for a nice, decent looking 325i, with maybe a few cosmetic flaws, and try and get it on the cheaper side. You can do suspension, the lsd, interior and what not all on your own, even if you havent really worked on cars. piick up a Bently manual, and do some research. Sounds like you can have a lot of fun with this project. Dont forget to check the Timing belt and water pump maintenance.


Kyle

any of them are good. it's all on how much you want to spend for a daily driver, if that's truly all you are going to use it for. I wouldn't get an 'is' if its going to be a daily driver though, seems like a waste.

they're all dependable

wtfm, whats wrong with driving an iS as a daily?

[motorprestige]

i agree it is in no way too harsh for street use... lol i drive mine everyday... and it is a 2.7 stroker...

[peteM3power]

Don't forget about the '91 318is, a very nice car and sounds like it may be just the e30 for you to start with.

I second that!

Pete