325e vs 325i driveability

[cheffy30]

I usually put the car in 'S' (3rd / no overdrive) around town, and dump it into D when I finish merging on the freeway... I might have to try this approach :devil:

mine has no 's' just 123D i start in 2 and click to 3rd at 5k.. she jumps

[Cabriolet]

IMO the eta has the best driveability.
i taught dozens of people to drive manual in my eta. it's hard to stall and is quite smooth in normal use case. the I engine is better for fun driving. but for smooth quiet power that has plenty of grunt the stock eta is a killer car.

my current engine is a m20b30 that revs to 7200rps. so i've got the eta torque and I top end power. with the 3.46lsd i can do 150mph in 4th gear.

[mach schnell]

IMO the eta has the best driveability.
i taught dozens of people to drive manual in my eta. it's hard to stall and is quite smooth in normal use case. the I engine is better for fun driving. but for smooth quiet power that has plenty of grunt the stock eta is a killer car.

my current engine is a m20b30 that revs to 7200rps. so i've got the eta torque and I top end power. with the 3.46lsd i can do 150mph in 4th gear.

I highly doubt you’d ever actually reach 150mph in your M20-powered E30.

[Cabriolet]

I highly doubt you’d ever actually reach 150mph in your M20-powered E30.

i would never risk it on the street but this is a really beefy m20 and it would not be stretch to get to 150. 176whp/185wtq and we are working on the tune to get to 200whp soon.

[E30 Wagen]

I loved my etas and I don't think they get enough appreciation for what they are. They had plenty of go for daily driving and I got really good gas mileage, so I'd definitely recommend one.

[rmdashrf]

thanks for correcting me there. soon i will have a getrag260 between her legs...
i have zero complaints about this auto except for the fact it will not stop working perfectly...lol

I'm a MT guy all the way. But a couple years ago I think I read an article on jalopnik that talked about the ZF and it made me remember it fondly for not being a PITA I have found every auto to be since then. Probably just bad memory, who knows, lol

Sent from my GM1915 using Tapatalk

[roguetoaster]

I highly doubt you’d ever actually reach 150mph in your M20-powered E30.

A track prepped M42 car with no engine enhancements and a 4.1 rear end got very near to theoretical geared top speed when it did 143 or so drafting an E36 at Daytona. So, a bit more power and better gearing for top speed, such as an M20 typically has, could allow you to hit 150 under ideal conditions.


However, the best speed I ever saw with a street car/M42/4.1 was 127 MPH approaching redline, and that's a significant difference.

[benwalsh91]

i chucked pretty much everything America has to offer at my 325e from the steep city streets of San Fran to Yosemite, it even went up pikes peak. it never skipped a beat and i never thought i was going to have to bale out the car and watch it disappear backwards down a hill.

either one you choose will be a great car nonetheless. just find the best condition car that ticks most boxes in your price range.

[e30strokr]

A track prepped M42 car with no engine enhancements and a 4.1 rear end got very near to theoretical geared top speed when it did 143 or so drafting an E36 at Daytona. So, a bit more power and better gearing for top speed, such as an M20 typically has, could allow you to hit 150 under ideal conditions.


However, the best speed I ever saw with a street car/M42/4.1 was 127 MPH approaching redline, and that's a significant difference.

drafting is the main key on that one



once you hit the air "wall" it takes quite a bit more to go any higher.. is not a "bit more"

[varg]

Yeah drag increases with the square of velocity and E30s are not exactly slippery.

[wworm]

Yeah drag increases with the square of velocity and E30s are not exactly slippery.

exactly

[digger]

a 2.7L alpina were in 14x top speed range. wouldn't be hard to get to 150. i wouldn't want to though except on a still day and excellent straight bit of road

[ZeKahr]

Thanks for the feedback all. I'm thinking of going with an auto Eta over the i (live in an area with lots of traffic so stick is not an option). I'll only get an i if I can't find an Eta in good shape.

I loved my etas and I don't think they get enough appreciation for what they are. They had plenty of go for daily driving and I got really good gas mileage, so I'd definitely recommend one.

I second that. I see so many ads on here/FB marketplace/Craigslist where 325e owners chuck the M20B27 and auto tranny out of their etas. I read an old Motortrend issue on Curbside Classic that said the B27 and auto tranny were a match made in heaven due to the ample low-end torque of the engine. Personally I'm a lazy driver (I barely rev the engine past 3k), so I figure the Eta is more suited towards my driving style.

[2mAn]

I have the manual and keep thinking I need to swap my auto eta but I have yet to seriously consider it... it ain’t broke so...

[roguetoaster]

^^
It bugs the heck out of me that people say a manual isn't an option because of traffic. It's normally only not an option for medical reasons or laziness, and with the right gearing it can be even better than an auto for creeping in traffic.

That said, auto plus eta will work just fine, even if it won't be too exciting or terribly efficient.