I have a theory when buying cars, you should either may a lot and get a new or nearly car, or buy cheap, and get a disposable banger, the midpoint is the danger area, you can fork out a fair bit of cash, but still be left with a pup. Not being loaded I usually go for the later option. This doesn't necessarily mean motoring has to be boring though, I've just bought a 1987 320i for £900 which has been very reliable, looks good, and still has a good turn of speed. The rear wheel drive handling is a novelty these days, although you do have to be careful in the wet not to put the power down too quickly or else the back end comes round to meet you. The sraight 6 engine is silky smooth, although not much happens at low revs, the power tends to kick in around 4000. The economy tends to depend on how the car is driven, press on and the juice will disappear quickly, but if you drive more slowly good economy is possible.
Build quality is as good as you would expect, all the electric toys ie . sunroof and mirrors still work fine, and the doors shut with a reassuring thud. I believe the body shell is a least partially galvanised so rust should not be a serious issue, things to look for are an original car that has not fallen into the hands on the Max Power brigade, I believe the engines are strong, but the gearboxes are a bit iffy, so make sure it shifts sweetly and does not jump out of gear. Spare parts should be readily available from your local scrap yard. The gearstick in mine, was broken, but I got a new one from the scrappie for £3.
In my opinion this E30 is a good model to buy, it has not reached classic status yet, so is still cheap, and should suffer fewer problems than the 2002, and arguably looks better and is more fun to drive than the bloated current 3 series for the cost of a decent stereo.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
BMW 3 Series - Saloon - Rear (RWD) - 6 Speed Manual, 6 Speed Automatic - 1995 cc - Max Speed: 130 mph - 143 bhp - Petrol - Available Trims: M Sport, Sport, SE, ES
BMW 1 Series - Hatchback - Rear (RWD) - 6 Speed Automatic, 6 Speed Manual - 1995 cc - Max Speed: 127 mph - 122 bhp - Petrol - Available Trims: M Sport, Sport, SE, ES
BMW 3 Series - Saloon - Rear (RWD) - 6 Speed Manual, 6 Speed Automatic - 1995 cc - Max Speed: 140, 143 mph - 163, 177 bhp - Diesel - Available Trims: ES, SE, Sport, M Sport
Not bad intro, but info on what the car has to offer would have resulted in a higher rating (eg comfort, ride, equipment, insurance costs etc.). If you ever redo this op, please let me know and I'll reread it and review my rating :)
Jul 26th, 2000
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