325e vs 325i driveability

[JasonC]

Honestly you'll be downshifting either car to go up steep hills. Stock e30s aren't that powerful to begin with..

Eventhough I have 4.10 gears in my 325i. I'm still going down into 4th on steep hills on back roads. Now on the interstate and i hit a mountain, i can stay in 5th. But at 70mph I'm turning 3600+ rpms.

[325isman]

I prefer the 325i or 325is models but I also have 325es which is fun to drive as well. You will love driving an e30 whatever you choose.

[roguetoaster]

Well, considering that both cruise at different RPM, both have different gearing and powerbands (depending on the rear end ratio), so I'm not sure if there's a real answer here. Perhaps you are asking which one will climb a steep hill in 5th? If so, neither, but the 325i might feel more strained hill climbing in a lower gear as it will be turning more RPM.

Having had both I'd say that I enjoyed the gearing setup in a manual 325i more than a 325e, but neither lack poke, and both will handle regular driving with ease.

[ZeKahr]

Which car would you say has better driveability? (i.e. which one goes up steep inclines more easily?) I already know the 325i is faster in sense of 0-60 time, but I tend to keep my revs in the 2k-3k range for day-to-day driving. The 325e engine has much better low-end torque (170 lb*ft at 3250 RPM vs 167 lb*ft at 4300 RPM for the 325i), which I would equate with better driveability, but its also geared much taller than the 325i, which probably kills rear wheel torque. For all intents and purposes, I am referring to stock examples of both cars.