E30 or E36?? needing some advice..

[Ambria_juliet]

Hey, im new to the forum and am selling my current car. Ive narrowed my bmw search down to two cars, a '91 e30 325i..or a '93 e36 325is. Im torn between the two as each has it's ups and downs. I need some advice on which in your opinion is better, It will help me out a bunch. This car will also be my daily driver. I will post pictures of each. So here's the gist...

The e30 is a cult classic with tons of personality, as well as having loads of potential. Has 200,000 miles on it. The interior is perfect, however it needs body work and a good paint job .. There are several flaws in the paint and a couple spots with surface rust, needs suspension and a/c doesn't work too great. Ive seen the listing go from 2800, to 3200, to now 3500..Others say its not worth that much, but I know good e30's can be more expensive.

The e36 scares me off just a tad bit, because of how cheap it's listed (2k), but the exterior looks great. The guy had the engine replaced in '01 so it only has 125k miles on it. He also states it's 20 years old so the interior is not perfect and shows no pictures of the interior. I have a feeling both the mechanical and interior aspects of the car needs work.







So what do you think??

[Ambria_juliet]

[slammin.e28]

The only e36 worth owning is an e36 M3.

All e30s are worth owning.

1995 and back e36s are garbage fit and finish, so I would steer clear (I say this owning an 1995 M3. Interior sucks donky balls.

[Holland]

At this point I would take the car in better shape. Both are around the same age, and while the E36 is a lesser quality car, they are mechanically solid. Maintenance and mileage are key here as one will be your commuter.

In short. The one that needs less work.

[Roysneon]

The only e36 worth owning is an e36 M3.

All e30s are worth owning.

1995 and back e36s are garbage fit and finish, so I would steer clear (I say this owning an 1995 M3. Interior sucks donky balls.

That is what I came in here to post. Any late model e30 over an early model e36.

[Ambria_juliet]

The only e36 worth owning is an e36 M3.

All e30s are worth owning. .

This is true.. Ive had a soft spot for that e30 since Ive looked at it. It may need a little work on small things but heck, I feel it's worth it. Also the guy with the e36 won't answer any questions about mechanical issues..at least the guy with the e30 is being honest...

[Javier h]

get a 98-99 e36

if you are going the E36 route.

[goldenbb]

The advice is spot on--E30 is a bit easier to work on. Only E36 I would buy is a 97 or 98, I thought 99 was E46 Javier? And you have to watch out for the stupid cracks and rips in the E36 unibody. If I didn't have a pickup, I'd get an E36 for winter driving.

[Poorboyz]

The only e36 worth owning is an e36 M3.

That how I feel about it as well

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[evandael]

The only e36 worth owning is an e36 M3.

eh, a late model 328is could be a contender.

[89is]

well you are asking an e30 forum....so e30

[einhander]

They're both old and beat, so get whichever needs the least amount of work.

[roznic]

The only e36 worth owning is an e36 M3.

All e30s are worth owning.

1995 and back e36s are garbage fit and finish, so I would steer clear (I say this owning an 1995 M3. Interior sucks donky balls.

right on the money.... wouldn't put it any other way!!

[Javier h]

E36s and E46s were offered in 99

At least in the U.S.

I believe coupes, verts, and M3s were offered as E36 in 99.

It was a transition year mostly.

The advice is spot on--E30 is a bit easier to work on. Only E36 I would buy is a 97 or 98, I thought 99 was E46 Javier? And you have to watch out for the stupid cracks and rips in the E36 unibody. If I didn't have a pickup, I'd get an E36 for winter driving.

[davesmystery]

I once owned a 95 318is and while the car was really solid, the shoddy interior quality drove me NUTS. Actually, it was the damn squeaky seats and those door panels that made me want to sell it. Other than that, it was a blast to drive.

That being said, since it's going to be a DD it depends on which car is in better condition (as others have mentioned), how much money you can afford to spend on it, and how much you know about working on cars.

In my opinion, the E30 is way easier to work on. I've only owned an E30 for a total of 4 weeks now and I've already easily replaced a lot of the common wear items just following the various DIYs and reading the Bentley manual. I vote E30.