DD: e34 vs. e36

[Sean]

e34. They handle amazingly, look awesome, and are all aorund sweet cars. I would love to have one as a daily, alongside my E30.

Is it fact or fiction that the 540i V8's in the E34's have a history of engine problems? This is what my dad told me, so that's why i've always steered clear of them. (something about the nickelsel (sp?) block being bad?)

Personally, if I found an e34 535i w/ a 5 spd...i would do anything possible to get it. And, I DO mean ANYTHING.

E34 all the way! :)

[rwh11385]

Personally, if I found an e34 535i w/ a 5 spd...i would do anything possible to get it. And, I DO mean ANYTHING. :)

fellate at man?

Jeremy has one. dunno if swings that way though . . . how far is La Jolla from San Fran?

[Digitalwave]

e34. They handle amazingly, look awesome, and are all aorund sweet cars. I would love to have one as a daily, alongside my E30.

Is it fact or fiction that the 540i V8's in the E34's have a history of engine problems? This is what my dad told me, so that's why i've always steered clear of them. (something about the nickelsel (sp?) block being bad?)

Personally, if I found an e34 535i w/ a 5 spd...i would do anything possible to get it. And, I DO mean ANYTHING.

E34 all the way! :)

E36's handle better, look just as good if not better, and I don't know about the sweet issue :crazy:

[Sean]

fellate at man?

Jeremy has one. dunno if swings that way though . . . how far is La Jolla from San Fran?

HAHAHAHAH - no, bastard! :x

When i said anything...guess I shoulda been more clear - finanically.

E36's handle better, look just as good if not better, and I don't know about the sweet issue :crazy:

LOL, yea...I guess that's my opinion. My dad's M3 is fun to drive...but so is his 535i. Although the thing is falling apart (interior wise) they are awesome cars.

[mikeedler]

E34s are nice and "large" but the performance is not all that on the 535 cars I have driven, and they were all stick over here. I think they arte OK as a family car, but to me they are too big feeling to have a real performance feeling to them---- without the M motor. heck, all that weight and what 218 or so HP/PS. but they do roll nicely on the autobahn once you get up to 140mph or so. kinda float like an old LTD!

[Brew]

E34 no doubt. [My 2 cents]E36 are shitboxes unless they've been babied their whole life and have lower mileage.[/My 2 cents]

I just borrowed my parents' 525iT for a snowboard trip and, while its a bit weak on power, its a great all around car. Tons of room with the rear seats down, comfortable heated seats, good visibility, great foglights. It also handles very well IMO for a midsize station wagon.

[ColdAccord]

e34 touring will be harder to find, harder to find in good condition, then I'd have to do a f'ing tranny swap.

i would prefer an e34 touring if they came in stick, but im lazy and have too much shit to do already, not really looking to do a tranny swap too.

[Brew]

e34 touring will be harder to find, harder to find in good condition, then I'd have to do a f'ing tranny swap.

i would prefer an e34 touring if they came in stick, but im lazy and have too much shit to do already, not really looking to do a tranny swap too.

The 525iT did come in stick, but they're pretty tough to find.

[asubimmer]

The 525iT did come in stick, but they're pretty tough to find.

not in the US..some people have done conversions though

[Brew]

Shit, now that I think about it, you're right. I must be thinking about E39s.

Well, a 525iT would be a great canditate for an OBD1 S52 w/ a 5-spd.:)

[ZiMMie]

e34 all the way.

[EUfemia18]

I just Bought a 99' GMC yukon as a daily driver, fully loaded with remote car started and tow package,4X4, leather you know all the goods. I live in Maine by the way. So all in all that naswers no questions asked but seeing we were on the topic i decided to throw it in mix

[euro3]

E36=sport E34=comfort for 4

I decided on a E36. I convinced the wife that if and when I sell the M3, I still need a sporty ride.


E34s are great if you need to bolt down two kids seats and throw groceries in the trunk
E36s are a fair alternative to your E30

Since I've owned it, my sunroof only works when it wants to, and the passenger side window stopped working, but hey, I'll fix all that shit when the driver's side quits.

[Hornswoggler]

Before I comment here, I'll mention that I currently own both. I have a 1991 535i 5-speed and a 1997 M3 (5-speed, of course). The 535 has about 138k miles, and 113k on the M3. Granted, I have owned the M3 for 6 years longer than the 535i, so I know every single maintenance (and mods) done to it, where the 535 I just bought a few months ago from ebay and I could definately put together a list of potential things to fix-up on that car.

In a nutshell, I would take e36 > e34 in almost every single way. The only advantage of my 535i is the four doors and larger back seat for hauling ppl or lots of stuff. My e36 is a coupe, but even in sedan form I would expect the 535 to be larger. For me, I don't really like larger cars and prefer small and nimble (except for the rare occasion I actually need the space, like hauling spare tires or babysitting my sisters kids). The e36 seats (atleast my coupe) do fold down but my e34 rear seats do not. I tried finding a ski pass-thru the other day with no luck.

Things I don't like about my e34:
- rear seats do not fold down
- the suspension is probably tired and needs a "refresh". Even if I tackle that problem, it still feels like a heavy car.
- e34 is about 300 lbs heavier
- I don't have heated seats in my e34
- I like my e36 seats (vaders) better
- driver side door hinge does not stay open on its own
- Stereo is more difficult to upgrade in the e34 (from what I have heard)
- No cupholders in the e34 (not that e36 cupholders are great, but atlest its something)
- cig lighter in my e34 is loose and sometimes my V1 loses power. I don't know if mine is broke, or if it is a common problem... but annoying. Also, I have to have the ashtray out for whenever I use my radar detector.
- gas mileage sucks. i get about 17 mpg in my 535i, although I am a fast driver. My M3 I can drive the hell out of it and not only go a whole lot faster, but get better mileage at teh same time. I probably get 22 mpg in the city in the M3... on highway could hit ~27 mpg.


I definately prefer the handling in my M3, but should reserve any judgement until I drive an e34 with fresh or upgraded suspension.

Interior, I prefer the e36. Exterior, they are both nice and everybody will have their preference but I prefer my e36.

Hope that helps. This spring I plan on selling my 535i and start shopping for a nice e30.

[hamann318is]

I will own a M50 E34 someday.