What do you guys think of the BMW E30 (325i) ?

[sugarwood]

I recently test drove an E30 BMW.

Since it was a test drive, I was hesitant to apply what I've recently learned from my 911 shift points in terms of keeping the RPMs above 3k.
If I did, the seller might think I'm beating on the car, because that high RPM sound is traumatizing when you're used to shifting at 3k.
I did delay upshifting if I saw a turn approaching, but I don't think I went over 4k rpm.

So, it's hard to tell what the car was really capable of.
What do you guy think of this car? Underrated? Overrated?

The E30 325i makes 168hp at 5800 RPM.
I decided to plug some numbers in and compare......

[BeyGon]

I would rather own and drive a 911 anyday, anytime.

[Rot 911]

You are comparing apples and oranges. 911 is a sports car. E30 at best is a sports coupe/sedan.

[oldE]

My recollection of the 325s is of a nice balance, excellent gear change, a bit of wind noise at speed and that lovely roll-on of the six. The "i" will seem a lot more impressive around 5k rpm.
I sort of thought of the car as "an upright 944 with rear seat room".

Best
Les

[911michael]

I like the E30 as a 2nd car option. Here are a couple of recent discussions for more opinions -

Anyone also own an E30 325ix?

Opinions on this 1991 BMW 318is-thinking of buying

[jcommin]

I actually like the E30. I started looking at for sale ads aand doing some research.

[rattlsnak]

its a great car and can be made to look really sharp!

[70SATMan]

I want a 323i....

Badly.

[ckelly78z]

My wife daily drives a 2003 BMW 325 CI convertable and loves it She has all of the options including nav screen , sport package, and heated leather seats. It's a fairly quiet car even with the rag top, but very windy with the top down in all 4 seats. I wouldn't compare it to my 86 944 because they were made for different purposes. Her motor is spirited, but not overly fast, I think with the magnaflo exhaust and Wilks chip, my Porsche could take the BMW. The car to get is the BMW 330 2 door of the same era, you get 224 HP and a 6 speed transmission.

[SiberianDVM]

E30s seem to be going up in price, while E36s are going down.

E30 was the car to beat in ChumpCar racing for a long time, until they won too much, and the rules got changed.

[nostatic]

Most of the E30s are pretty ragged. The clean ones are hard to find and go for top dollar.

[Nostril Cheese]

They are old.

[nostatic]

More than just that - most of them have been through multiple owners, many of whom drove them hard and put them away wet.

[lgb240]

I like the trunk space in mine

[beepbeep]

Get yourself a 318is instead. Its driveline is identical to 325i but has better balance due to lighter (and more rev-happy) engine.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by lgb240

I like the trunk space in mine

wow - that is damn cool. I don't think I've ever seen the wagon variant before.

[Nostril Cheese]

They were never sold in the US

[onewhippedpuppy]

More than just that - most of them have been through multiple owners, many of whom drove them hard and put them away wet.

Yup, it's like trying to find an unmolested Japanese sport coupe. Too many have fallen into the hands of morons and teenagers, or some combination of the two. As a result the few nice E30s are now selling for a premium, more than they are worth in my opinion.

[lgb240]

Originally Posted by Nostril Cheese

They were never sold in the US

or anywhere in North America.

Our (Canada) import rules are a little more relaxed than in the US. I've had mine for about 8 years now, German import.

[Rick V]

They are solid little cars as long as you keep up with the little things they always need. But as said, most are worn slap out or priced too high. I kind of miss mine, it was a great little beater