Would you trade your E30 for an E36?

[rede30]

wow this is OG. e36's dont do anything for me. I can respect a clean ///m but thats it.

[James Crivellone]

I personally would never go to an E36.

I hate the front end, despise the interior, don't care for the engine selection, and most of all just hate how they drive, i feel very disconnected from them, and I've driven over 10 different E36's ranging from 1992 325i non vano's, to 99 M3's.

They can handle better, the suspension design is much better, and they are easily a better car for track driving, etc, but even then.

BMW lost the touch with the 3 series, starting with the E36 and slowly getting larger, fatter, and less of a drivers car... The only one that is similar to E30 class is the 1 series, which is overpriced and not even sold in this country.

I think the same about the E46 (of which i've driven a 328CI, 330CI, and M3) and the only one worth a damn was the M3, which was able to push that turd to a decent level of acceleration...and once again lost in the general crappiness of the interior.

E90 I lost all respect for, same with the E92... No Coolant Temp Gauge, the second BMW dropped basic instrumentation was the day I said screw it, they are designing for women driving to a soccer field, not drivers wanting to jump into a sports car and hit up a twisty road.

In terms of BMW favorites for me its easily E30, E34, E24, and E39. The E39 M5 is a work of art, as is the 95 540i/6 and E34 M5.

[cferb]

i voted yes, but not for the equivalent. i would trade for a 325iS because i don't like the 325i, thought about getting one, glad i didn't. but lately i've been wanting a bit more luxury, and a more updated look, i'm sick of the whole "your car is so old" thing, and the reaction they get when they find out anything about it doesn't have the appeal to me as it did when i got the car.

guess it's just in my genes though, my dad is the same way, i get sick of cars(and other things) really fast, and crave change basically.

[BigD]

Um... this isn't 1998. E36s ARE cheap. Some places you can get an early E36 for less than a decent E30.

So since money isn't the difference even in the real world, my NO is due to the weight and hence fun factor and price of performance. It's purely a toy car for me, my daily driver '05 4Runner is wicked comfort and power cruising. With the E30, for cheap I can have a light car with great geometry, a super fast steering rack, well worked out suspension and an S52 makes it fly. To get an E36 to be equivalently fast I'd have to do an M62+ swap and it still wouldn't feel nearly as much fun. I've driven several E34s on race tracks, including a highly modified M5 and that thing would GO in a straight line and with the right tires corner hard too but you can always feel that big weight transfer from wheel to wheel.

I also love how the E30 looks (well, like all older BMWs, lowered with clean, large rims). Together with the E34 I feel it's the last BMW that had character. I like the E36 in 2 door form and the E38 in short wheel base but they still look like the "any car". The others just went downhill. It started with the E39 which looks like a lexus. All the BMW since then have looked like just another jap sedan/coupe (some of them ugly as sin at that).

[cthulu703]

I have exactly the car I want. If I wanted and e36, I would have bought one. It's not even the second choice. E30-e28-e10- then maybe we can talk about an e36.

[Addissimo]

I voted no.

why?

FUCK THE E36.

thats why.

I'm doing a headgasket on my girlfriends 325is...

POS.

END

[Kilomph]

E36s are fucking bland as all hell. They're boaring as shit, and heavier.

[Hick]

e36's suck, nuff said

[E30Driv3R]

No.

[King Luis]

e36 styling hasn't really done much for me. the m3 is nice but not really my taste.
e46 is a lot nice, classier but still nice.
i love the head lights on the e30....same with the cuda and the older e55 amg and even the older porsches.

notice anything in common??

[dinanm3atl]

I have both... I don't know what I would sell first.

My m3 is such a fun track car if I had to choose one I would keep that M3 I think.


The e36 hating is insane :(

[smonkbmw]

i owned a 93 325 it is no where near the car that my e30 is or will be when im done with it. the e36 was fun for awhile but the lack of quality taken towards the interior is horrible. the car is much heavier and just doesnt handle as well. the only plus side is that everything is much cheaper for a e36.

[loonibab325i]

I would trade mine for a e36 m3, especially after just riding in one today, these cars are just insane!

[sumyungguy]

I sold my e36 325i sedan for my e30 318is

e30's just have more character.. when your comparing function, quality, and looks, that all depends on so many variables..

e36 get the ladies though :(

[dinanm3atl]

There are some things to consider. Having driven both.

1 - The e36 is hands down a better chassis. It might be heavier car but the chassis in the e36 is better. I hate to say it, but it is.

2 - Day to day? More fun to drive the e30 for sure.

3 - Both are about equal to work on. I mean hell my H&R Race on the M3 were 225 shipped from Understeer. I cannot find them for the e30 for less than 300.

4 - You have to compare apples to apples. For a daily driver? For a track car? For a racecar?


Also keep in mine the e36 M3 US Spec is a bored and stroked 328 ;)