325e vs 325i driveability

[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.

[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]

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.

[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

[cheffy30]

The 4 speed auto is a ZF 4HP22. Getrag makes the manual 260.

I've had both and wish I still had the auto. It's the only time I don't remember hating a slushbox.

Sent from my GM1915 using Tapatalk

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

[nrubenstein]

The slushbox’s effective lack of first gear kills it for me.

For an old auto it’s surprisingly responsive.

That said, stick all the way. I’m waiting for my friend to clear his lift, then i’ll be swapping our “new” iX later this summer.

[rmdashrf]

The 4 speed auto is a ZF 4HP22. Getrag makes the manual 260.

I've had both and wish I still had the auto. It's the only time I don't remember hating a slushbox.

Sent from my GM1915 using Tapatalk

[2mAn]

that being said, i use the gears in the 325i auto like a manual a lot of the time. the getrag is a monster and will not break. i've been working that fucking auto hard for the last 18 years hoping it will shit the bed so i can get the manual...nope.

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:

[cheffy30]

i have one of each. the i is for sure beefier and faster all around but the eta is a perfectly fine car. drives around town with some pep and cruises the highway nicely.
the sad part is they are both autos (not for long though) the i will finally get a manual in 10k miles when i replace the timing belt and head gasket and the eta will get hers when i scratch up some cash in the late fall.
both are dailys.

that being said, i use the gears in the 325i auto like a manual a lot of the time. the getrag is a monster and will not break. i've been working that fucking auto hard for the last 18 years hoping it will shit the bed so i can get the manual...nope.

[Northern]

All about diff ratio, assuming stock-for-stock. 3.73 vs 2.93 is probably going to make the biggest difference

[2mAn]

If you’re keeping your revs up, definitely the i motor. An eta can be decent if you swap the rear gear, but it’s kind of tedious with the stock diff.

The big thing is this: The tall geared eta is going to float down the highway better. The short geared i is going to drive around town a lot better. What are you after?

Mine is a gem with the 3.23 Torsen. I am seriously tempted to swap in the G260 I have sitting in the garage, but I told myself to swap that in along with the M20 I plan to build

[lukeADE335i]

If you want more low end torque and drivability than either, with similar other characteristics and sound, then M30B35 swap all the way.

Fuel economy is a little sobering, but not that much worse than a 325i.

[laidback93]

325e vs 325i driveability

Someone once said that the e30 is a momentum machine and I tend to agree. At least in stock form.

My stock ‘iS’ is fine around town and the freeway for the most part.

However, it takes a bit of work to get back up to speed after a slow poke gets in front of you at cruising speed. This happened to me recently on a trip to Sedona on a mountain pass. It was the only time I wished for more power.

Okay okay, maybe not the only time I wished for more power. But I do love my little m20 though. She pulls hard for the mileage she has.

[e30davie]

i have a 323i 5speed, but i still have the 3.45 diff in it. Sits on around 2500 on the highway. It has enough power to be fun, but the longish ratio makes it very nice cruising along as well. the 325e and 325i are more powerful than mine so youll be right. e30 weighs nothing, id wager there is no worries driving them around highway or not regardless of what engine is in them (except for maybe that m10...just how slow is an m10?)

[nrubenstein]

If you’re keeping your revs up, definitely the i motor. An eta can be decent if you swap the rear gear, but it’s kind of tedious with the stock diff.

The big thing is this: The tall geared eta is going to float down the highway better. The short geared i is going to drive around town a lot better. What are you after?