[A930Rocket]

I was wondering about the 323 and the 328 as well: differences, what to look for, etc.

Originally Posted by yellowline

My experience through 2 yrs/30k miles has been the opposite. The vinyl cove panels on the doors shrank, that's about it. The glovebox lid sag is fixable at minimal cost. I don't think it's any worse than a 70s or 80s Porsche and their dash cracks, cheap switches, cheap leather, etc.

I would suggest spending the extra $1000 and going for a 328 if you decide to get an E36. The VANOS seems to be less troublesome, you get much more low end torque than the 325, and you get the M3 transmission.

For price-performance-reliability, there is no better BMW than the E36 328/M3. A 540/6 or E34 M5 would be awesome, but are also more trouble and more $$$ when mechanical things go wrong. Much as I love the look and character of the E30, every one on the market is rotting, sold before you can pick up the phone, or overpriced for the comfort/performance you're receiving.