e34

[Razor2014]

Hi,

Anyone here ever did a comparison between an e30 and e34 when looking for a new car purchase?

I am in the market for an e30 but as we know the prices are very inflated right now (maybe not and they will never come back down) and seems like finding a well sorted one is hard to find.

I have been looking for other options and the e34 has come in to my radar. The e30 attracted my attention because of the following reasons:

loved the car, used to drive my friends when I was a kid, car was a brand new 318i, wasn't huge on power but loved to rev and blast to drive
light weight compared to the e90
simple and raw compared to all the modern technology in cars
should be easier to DIY repair then modern cars and don't need a $100,000 piece of dealer computer equipment to program the computer if something goes wrong or needs to be replaced (like battery LOL)
old enough to be approaching classic car status
rear wheel drive

As far as the e34 goes a lot of the above seems to apply, concerns are below:

Does it feel 300 - 500 lbs. heavier (depending on which model e30 - e34 you are comparing) or does it handle this extra weight well?
Does it feel too refined? I know it has airbags and some of the later models had more technology than the e30?
Are they as easy to work on as an e30 or more technology? Are parts as readily available at a fair price?
Apparently they are very reliable, e34 M5 may even be an option
If the added weight and slightly bigger size is something that one can live with is the value for money significantly better purchasing an e34 over an e30 because of the current e30 demand?

Besides the e34, what other cars would people suggest to look at BMW wise and even other brands if one was interested in an older, lightweight, rear wheel drive car?

Thanks for your time.

[shedby_budwin]

I don't know anything about e34s, but have been considering one to take some burden off my already tired e30. Looking forward to what the elder r3vers have to say!

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[Nick_S]

I own both currently. The e34 have a lot of the same character as an e30 but are quite different in how the drive. You can definitely tell they're a much heavier car if youre trying to drive spiritedly, they just behave like a heavy car. They are however much more comfortable to drive and have a lot more features and refinements over an e30. Noticeably quieter when cruising on the highway and IMO are a much better choice for a daily driver. I love my touring (except the dreadful auto trans) as a DD. I had actually thought about getting rid of both ans picking up a clean, newer e34 sedan as an only car but I don't think it would ever put a smile only face like the e30 does.

[JJe30]

I also have both and I really enjoy the comfort of the e34 for DD but yeah you can tell they are heavier/larger

[straight6pwr]

have had both.
e30 = love to drive it everytime you get in.
e34 = soul crushed everytime you drive because you wish it was an e30.

however, if you got a 5 or 6 speed e34 and added suspension upgrades, most of the soul crushing would be alleviated.

yes, the e34 is more comfy, but it really doesnt have better technology if you have a well-optioned e30. a few more features built into the electronics, but nothing exciting and very little is useful. (like the feature where if you forget to roll your windows up you stick the key in the door and turn and hold to roll them up)

[Dj Buttchug]

have both as well.

e34 is heavy. No getting around it really.
great road car.
great daily driver.
Quiet.
aesthetically appealing.
comfortably seats you and 3 friends
auto 525i's are slow
5 speed 525is are still slow.


I love mine. I never regret buying it and I sold a late model 4 door 325i to get it.

[Jaxx_]

I have a 535i and a 318i (m10) and I have to say that I think the 5 does feel like a real sedan compared to the e30. My E30 is super light and handles accordingly. The E34 has springs, shocks, and sways, but still doesn't handle a turn like my E30 with bilstein sports and H&R race.

I still think that the E30 isn't "grown up" enough to be a daily driver, at least for anything serious. The E34 is a car that you can actually drive around with a family. It's hard to describe exactly, but the E34 is much more refined than the E30. You can even feel it in the doors.


edit: I will also say that the 3400lb e34 almost handles like my 3100lb fwd volvo did, but it's still lacking power for 3400lbs with the M30B35.

[E30 Wagen]

I've been wondering what a e34 with a S52 swap would be like. I wish it was easer to find a clean yet cheap e34 to mess around with, dang rust belt...

[HennaE30]

I've been wondering what a e34 with a S52 swap would be like. I wish it was easer to find a clean yet cheap e34 to mess around with, dang rust belt...

Now that you mention it... Probably pretty sweet... It'd be badass with a euro S50 or An S54


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[Shock(/\)ave]

I'll be sure to weigh in on this thread once I take delivery of my E34 M5. :D

[enigmaticdream]

As a precursor, I've got two e30s an e34 touring. All are 5 speeds and all drive differently. For the most part though, the comparison should be between the 325is and the 525i.

87 325is
I've owned the car for almost 4 years. It has an e30 m3 suspension, h&r race springs, DSSR shifter, e30 m3 shifter, rebuilt head with a 272 cam and chip, 4.10 lsd, long tube headers, etc. It is a hell of a lot of fun to drive but it doesn't get great gas mileage. You can easily over take most cars on the road which is great for commuting in traffic. The car is nibble and easy to squeeze into tight spaces. I've had it as my daily now for almost 4 years and love it. My only real complaint is gas, but it is my own fault. It is a no bullshit car and delivers.

95 525i Touring
I bought the car as an auto tragic and it was fine. It is a boring as shit car to drive as an auto. I actually forgot my commute when I did drive it. Yes, THAT BORING. Since swapping to a 5 speed it is a lot better. The clutch and shifter bushings were replaced while doing the swap so everything feels tight. The car has enough getup as a 5 speed to be fun, but not enough to be able to fuck with people. The M50TU gets loads better gas mileage over the M20. I find the car to be more of a cruiser (which is what I've wanted thus far) than a sporty car like the 325is. You can feel the weight in the corners, but it isn't horrible. Upgrading to the Nurburgring rear sway helped a ton on it. It actually feels like a car vs a land boat.

I'd still pick an e30 over an e34 as a daily though on the sheer fact that it is more fun even if it doesn't get as good of gas mileage or is any quieter.

[SoopaGhetto]

Ive owned 3 e30s and Just recently acquired the e34. From the get go i was surprised by the e34. Not sure if it was the chip but it definitely have lots of low down grunt. On top of that, i was fortunate enough to find one lowered on vogtland springs and bilstein sport shocks and some other mods. Thing handles. From doing the Megasquirt mod, i was able to squeeze out more power and response which helped even more with spirited driving. It's very easy to work on and with more space to boot. (very subjective comment with the many options available, i have the m30 package)

As stated above, its a cruiser but can be a bruiser. The e34 is spacious; i have a newborn and the huge carseat fits in nicely. Ive always seen it as a bigger e30. 3.5L+ and 5/6spd if you get the e34 and you wont be disappointed.

[efficient]

i see a e34 down the street from my house in alpinewhite, sitting at a shop for a couple of months and I've been tempted to go and look at it but i can't have 2 cars right now at this moment

[SoopaGhetto]

Also want to note that the e34 has a steering box vs rack. To me it's a different feel (same with the e28) but it's not a bad different, just different.

[mtech325]

Like most have said before, the e30 is always going to be more entertaining on the basis that it's more nimble. The e34 however is a fun car but in a different way.

My friend has a 540/6 e34 that I have driven quite a bit and improved the suspension, so these are my comments on the car:

The car is noticeably heavier. The translates to sloppier steering. Some of this is based upon the steering box setup, which even when new/rebuilt, will never be as tight as rack and pinion on a 3 series.

I've noticed that braces certainly help the big body cars. The e34 became much tighter after adding a strut brace up front, and this particular car has a shock brace in back that is triangulated to the trunk floor (this helped quite a bit). The same about bracing can be said for the e24 6 series as well (tightened things up quite a bit).

The best improvement I've noticed however in handling of the e34 is a set of fat-normous sway bars. Racing dynamics front bar (28mm?), and e34 m5 touring rear sharpened steering up considerably (this is coming from bilstein/h&r setup with stock bars).

The freeway is where these cars shine. Due to the larger wheelbase, they are simply more planted and less twitchy than an e30 would be at speed. The car is more comfortable, but the tradeoff is driver feedback. The e34 is a great freeway bomber. For a daily driver, you can't go wrong, but hauling people/stuff around is just going to be SO much easier in the 5 series. Reliability is certainly a strong suit for the 5 as you see a lot still on the roads today (of course the same can be said about the 3 series as well). The e34 has a more modern interior than an e30, without the tackiness of the cheap plastic interior of the e36.

After all of this, you can't go wrong with either, but for me I still like the e30 better. Small car and sharp steering are just traits the 5 will never have.