best 3 series ?

[helalo]

im looking to buy a 3 series and cant decide between which generation i want. anything i can do to help me decide ?

E30, E36,or E46. i like them all, which car best fits for daily driving for a college student ? which one between them is most reliable and least to run into problems and easier to fix ? car will be manual, so no auto transmission problems and i know how to make sure the car has been taken care of before i buy it.

i wont be driving any 318 models, just 325is,328is,325i,330i models.

so far i found a 325i black on black e30, 280k miles, no mods, no issues except speedometer malfunctions once a week(faulty wire?). but the car is over priced, he wants 4700$ for it. isnt that too much ?

found a white 328is for 4500$, 96 model, 155k miles.

and plent of 325i and 330i here and there.

i dont wanna spend more than 6000$. and if i get an E30, i dont wanna spend more than 4k on a 325i, is this not reasonable ?:hitler:

car will be a daily driver, tracked maybe once a year, a lot of spirited driving here and there.

[Ray Smoodiver]

You might wanna look at the way E30 prices have been going recently before saying that 4K is too much for a 325i.

[ME30W]

You might wanna look at the way E30 prices have been going recently before saying that 4K is too much for a 325i.

What he said. You're going to be hard pressed to find a good, solid e30 for less than 4k these days. They are certainly out there, but will not fall into your lap.

Best bang for the buck right now is likely an e36, their prices are close to bottomed out and don't have the cult following like e30s do

[blunttech]

What he said. You're going to be hard pressed to find a good, solid e30 for less than 4k these days. They are certainly out there, but will not fall into your lap.

Best bang for the buck right now is likely an e36, their prices are close to bottomed out and don't have the cult following like e30s do

Thats good advice and true. That said I keep coming back to E30's no matter how many bmw's I buy

[Stanley Rockafella]

E21

[E30 Wagen]

E36s are the best bang for the buck. The styling isn't cult status but there are more used ones out there in better condition than your average e30, and half of the ones for sale aren't half-finished projects... They're all around superior cars anyway. Just take care of the cooling system, and replace it all with OEM parts, not cheap ebay stuff like I made the mistake of doing.

Good e46s are too expensive.

When it comes to making a decision, the prospect of using is it for a trackday and spirited driving shouldn't matter. Think more about dependability.

[CabbE30]

Comes to an E30 enthusiast site to ask which 3 series is best... Always makes me chuckle when these questions are asked, especially since theres about 3 dozen threads answering the same question.

Always will be the E30.

Sorry I'm not more helpful but OP search around in General Discussion there's tons of threads debating the differences. It's all based on personal preference. Most will agree that if you have a meaty set of testicles, you pick the E30.

[Shangsta]

For your needs I think an e36 is going to be the best fit for your budget

[dirtbag30]

craigslist always(sometimes) has good deals, you just may have to go out of your way to get it, search a few states away, somewhere you can go on the weekends to pick up. there still might be a fairly cheap e30 someone has sitting in a barn waiting for you.

[GillesBigCowboy]

Test drive a few different ones before you buy, if possible. For me, I drove an e36 first, and it was a revelation, but that one was too expensive... I bought the first e30 I drove, and I seem to end up buying most that I drive.
e36 is the most economical, but ultimately, buying a car is most satisfying when it is not a rational choice... If you want low cost reliable transport that sane people will be impressed with, buy a japanese car or a truck.
Just look underneath carefully, because rusty ones will break your heart.

[Julien]

tldr

http://jalopnik.com/bmw-has-been-building-the-same-car-for-51-years-1452240056

[Kevinl]

I will shock the world and say E36 they do everything better than a e30 not quite as robust as the e30 in some areas but great cars.

My E36 328i was the second favorite car i owned

[Raxe]

Comes to an E30 enthusiast site to ask which 3 series is best... Always makes me chuckle when these questions are asked, especially since theres about 3 dozen threads answering the same question.

My thoughts exactly.

[illest318i]

Most will agree that if you have a meaty set of testicles, you pick the E30.

[mtech325]

I usually don't post up too much on here, but I figure it's time to be a bit more active. I drive an e30 and an e36 on a daily basis. There are two trains of thought to consider. The e30 is a more raw car that puts a smile on your face because it's a rewarding car to drive. The e30 is definitely a more spartan car in terms of interior, but I feel the build quality is much better than that of the e36's interior. That being said, the e36 does have its benefits too. The most obvious is torque and gas mileage. The e36 is more of a "bolt on" car as well in terms of upgrades/replacement parts. The interior is more prone to rattling from deteriorating plastic clips and such. I have a daily commute of 70 miles round trip, and gas mileage is a lot better on the e36 (my 328 gets 27 or so on the freeway, while the e30 325 gets 23 or so based upon gas fill up calculations) (318's get good mileage, but no power!). Value for money, the e36 is better, but the e30 will always be the "better" car. Also, e36's still have the douchebag allure since they are cheap and quick (or so I notice around here). I know this was an essay and a half, but hopefully this makes sense. The best of both worlds is to get a 24v e30, but that may be out of the budget. Just my two cents on the matter, and good luck with your search.

--Joey