Would you trade your E30 for an E36?

[jamiholzbach]

e30 vs e36

I've owned a 2002, two e21's, two e30's, and an E36. I liked everyone of them except the E36. It's junk, the headliner fell down like an old Chevy, the door panels came apart, and it drove like a tank compared to my E30(thank God I didn't sell my E30). I kept it eight months and then sold it for a loss just to get rid of it. I kinda wish I'd kept it for an M50/5 lug swap.

[golde30]

i have driven more than a couple e36 m3's, and while they are smooth and fast, they dont offer the same driving experience as my e30. once my e30 has the its coilovers and s50 all sorted out, it will be superior IM MY MIND to an e36 m3 in every way.

[02stu]

My car is 10 years old and its been around the world and its' interior doesn't have any of the early model E36 issues. No bubbling of the vinyl on the door panels, door panels are 100% in tact, no sagging headliner, no dead OBC pixels, no sagging glove box, no peeling gauge faces, no steering wheel rot. I seriously think everyone bases their whole judgement of E36s on the bad apples, the ratted out early models. Most 84 318i's you see are pieces of shit too!

Wow your interior is clean, although you've got to admit that is not the usual e36 interior .How are your seats holding up, looks like you've had at least one of the bolsters replaced on the drivers side seat.

e30 interiors are not perfect ether, there are some very cheap parts. For example the console that holds the rear ashtry and e-brake, or the glove box. On my 318is even 2 of the seat belt buckles have been installed backwards from the factory.

[Digitalwave]

The seats aren't as good as they look in the pictures. The leather is all original and there are wear marks on the bolsters, but they are clean and soft still at least.

[Jscotty]

My car is 10 years old and its been around the world and its' interior doesn't have any of the early model E36 issues.

Thats because your car is a WEDNESDAY car.

[golde30]

Thats because your car is a WEDNESDAY car.

hump car?

[Digitalwave]

It took me a second to get it, but I guess you could be right Scotty :)

[egk2]

My car is 10 years old and its been around the world and its' interior doesn't have any of the early model E36 issues. No bubbling of the vinyl on the door panels, door panels are 100% in tact, no sagging headliner, no dead OBC pixels, no sagging glove box, no peeling gauge faces, no steering wheel rot. I seriously think everyone bases their whole judgement of E36s on the bad apples, the ratted out early models. Most 84 318i's you see are pieces of shit too!

Give it some time, most of the usual quirks of an e36 will start to plague you, hopefully not but most likely will especially living in Florida. When I moved to Florida back when I had my black e36, everything started falling apart there, the headliner sagged, my rearview mirror fell off, the door panels all bubbled, the A/c took a dump, the tops of my rear seat backs started to look like old people skin. One thing I can say is that e36 dashes are durable as fuck because they never fade or crack.

[m3rob95]

i have gone from practally the best e36 to the best e30 ( ed's old car) and now i am driving an e36 again. e36s are more luxury but not as much say an e46, e30 is more sport/ aggressve. i think now i like both equally :)

[thereisnoyun]

Hell NO

the only reason I got an e30 is how it looked. The interior dash of the e36 is pretty hideous, besides its al about the classic style. Newer cars have no soul.

[gerlando]

I would consider trading my E30 for a nice E36 M3, but I'd rather get an E30 M3 for the racing heritage :)
That and there's already an E46 in the garage so I've got classic (E30) and comfy (E46) covered.

[DrMcDave]

i vote that we all get mcoupes and call it a day. I am actually considering selling my 318is for an e36m3 because i use the 318is for daily duty. I love driving it, but on long trips i start to dislike it. My IX is my toy that i mod so my IS is stock.

I am going to try to swing an mcoupe but the m3 is way more practical. It all comes down to whether or not i can fit a real estate sign in the back of an mcoupe. lol.

[MR 325]

Trade my E30's for an E36, I'd have to say no. This is based on never personally driving an E36 though, although I've been in a few. Don't get me wrong, there's some GOOD looking E36's out there and I have nothing against them, just not sure if I'd want one or not.

[Jonathan M3]

Since I have M3s of the E30 and E36 variety, I'll throw in my 4 cents...

When I hop in the E36, I feel like I hopped in a nice GT car. I'd have to say my late '98 E36's interior is a much nicer place to be than the E30's. Granted, my E36 is in fantastic shape and well above average. When I shut the door, it has that "closing vault" sound to it. Not one thing on the interior is broken, malfunctioning, or falling apart.
Now, when I hop in the E30, I feel like I hopped in something raw and special. The stock E30 seats grip me much better than the vaders, which adds to the special feel of the car. In the E30, the pedals, gearbox, and steering wheel have a more mechanical feel to them. But contrary to alot of internet talk, things feel cheaper to me in the E30 than in the E36, like the center console area, and radio/HVAC area.

When it comes to driving both of them, the E36 is the better daily/commuter car no question. Its much quieter, roomier, and more relaxing. The S52 is a great street car engine, torque whenever you need it and can get you going somewhere in a hurry. The lack of torque from the S14 can become downright annoying at times if you're driving in a sane manner. But when you wind it up and rev it to almost 8k rpms, the sound makes the hairs on the back of my neck standup, even though I'm not going as fast as the E36. It puts a huge smile on your face whenever you flog it. The S52 sounds nice, but doesn't have much personality. For me to enjoy the E30, I have to drive the piss out of it; whereas I can just cruise around in the E36 and be content.
When tossing them around corners, the E30 gives me the bigger grin. The E36 has higher limits and doesn't get upset as much, but this doesn't really add to my driving experience.

If I want to go out somewhere for an errand, meet some friends, or a trip; I always take the E36. Usually the only time I'll take the E30 is when I have no destination, I just want to go for a joyride.

Which one is better? It depends on what you want out of the car. If you're not going to be using it for anything other than pure entertainment, go with an E30. If you want a daily or something more useful for everyday things, go with an E36.

[rThor432]

I would consider trading my E30 for a nice E36 M3, but I'd rather get an E30 M3 for the racing heritage :)
That and there's already an E46 in the garage so I've got classic (E30) and comfy (E46) covered.

Yeah I would definitely choose the E30 M3 over the E36 M3, no question.

I've got the E30 and E46 in the garage as well. Dont feel like I'm missing anything. The E46 is perfect for daily commute, and the E30 is just a great sports car for fun.

I want to drive an E36 just to see how it compares. I've ridden in several non-M cars (323is and 328is) and I wasnt really impressed.