I'm in the market for a BMW, but I don't know a whole ton about them. Basically, my knowledge is a combination of some very brief personal experiences and general Wiki type info.

I'm looking for a fun daily driver to replace my truck with. It must be fun to drive. manual. decent amount of power. And must be able to sit 4 adults at least somewhat comfortably.

casually scrolling through classified ads, it seems like the best bang for the buck is an older BMW.

So, what should I know before I get really serious about my search?

Power is a bit of a concern since I don't want a boring daily driver.
Space is a concern too. While it is mainly just my girlfriend and I most of the time, occasionally we do have friends tag along. Never been a problem in my truck (4 door f150)
The general "fun factor" is a consideration as well.

Our other car is a 300zx. to give you an idea of what we're comparing it to.
That's why we don't want a corolla or something boring like that.



Given my budget, I was looking at the E36 generation.
Seems like the 95+ M3 would be ideal.
How does the 328i compare? On paper it seems like it would be significantly slower. Is the 2.8 liter engine really that much more "dull" than the 3.2? Or is there enough pep in the 2.8 that it is still an enjoyable drive?

Every so often, I will see a 2000/01/02 for sale for about the same price.
Other than looking different, is there a whole ton of difference between them?
Would a 2001 325i be worth looking at? seems to be lacking in the power department...


Assuming e36.....
How is the interior space compare between the coupe and the sedans?
From what I can tell, they are basically the same dimensionally, leading me to believe they would be the same inside.

The convertible has some appeal for the general fun factor. I know my girlfriend would love it.
Concerned about the back seat, is it useable? Wouldn't mind giving up some of the performance if the convertible is a "functional fun"

Anything I should be looking for when looking at these cars?
What are the different trim packages? one better than another? easy way to distinguish between them?

In your opinion, what is the best bang for the buck?

Anything else I should know?


Thanks a ton!!

 

When I was searching for a BMW I ws looking at the m3 and m5 I ended up buying a e430 4matic Benz. If you really want a BMW look into the 5 series. Great price, decent power, fun to drive and very stylish. Especially the m5.

 

M5 would be pretty cool, but it is out of my price range.
Same with most of the Mercedes that I would go for, they are also out of the price range.
What year benz did you get?
for me, benz don't get much appeal til 2000, and most of those are still out of budget.
I'd look at some of them, but unless they are hugely surprising, I feel like they would be lacking in the "sporty" department. They just strike me as the bigger, more cushy, "family" car that doesn't totally suck to drive.

 

I have a 2001 E430 4Matic 4dr. The m5 that I was going to buy was 01-03 style. What's your budget??

 

my budget = cheap

It kind of depends on how much I can get from selling my truck (2003 F150 Lariat Supercrew)
Some of the money needs to go other places, so generally speaking, about $5,000

That's why the older bmws had such appeal.
for under 5 grand, cars that can seat 4 people get pretty boring.

 

For 5k I would look into the 3 series BMW. Look at the E36 and E46 versions. Specifically the 328i and the 330i. You can find some for a decent price. Look between 96 and 03. Yes it's a 3 series, but they still pack a little punch. On Craigslist you can find some 5 series for a decent price.

 

1997 BMW 5 Series 528ia

This one here is not a bad price, but you never know what's wrong with it. If I was you don't rule out a Benz. They have decent prices

 

I think I saw that one.
not a bad deal at all, BUT, the engine that is in that 528i, is the same engine that is in the 328i, and the 3 series is significantly less weight.
So in my eyes, if you're only gonna have 190 hp, might as well go for the lighter 3 series.
From my perspective, if you're gonna go 5 series, (assuming M5 is out of reach) you gotta go for a 540i. get the v8, over 280 hp.
The only way you're getting to that power level in a 3 series is to get an M3.
Otherwise, you're just driving a bigger, slower 3 series. In my opinion anyway.
If an M5 was in the budget, I'd be all over it, but that would be a "step up" car from the car that I could buy now.

I've not ruled out a Benz. The more I look, the more I am finding things that I like, but, Being a sports car guy, that is what I'm gonna be looking for when looking at these cars. I'm not sure that I could get a sporty 4 seater benz for 5 grand.

 

spend the cash on a e36 m3 its well worth it. its way more then just the Displacement in the motor. You get Better suspension"bigger sway bars,stiffer springs",bigger breaks,way better interior, better body styling sure there is more just a few things off the top of my head. Also If you plan on doing simple bolt ons, Intake,header,exhaust,Shit like that id would Really also try finding a 95 its the only year they came obd1 And Take better to Bolt ons Without having to spend an arm and a leg on tuning soft ware. Oh only down fall is the 95 has a 3.0 and the 96-98 have a 3.2
My 95 had intake,And a catback exhaust and was chipped and i was neck and neck with my buddy with his 3.2 with intake & full exhaust "header back" No software.


On another note just keep your eyes pealed you will find deals that pop up. I got my 95 m3 for 4k from some old guy sat in his garage for almost 2 years he said before he put it up for sale. Car was actually in great condition for what i paid had a few lil things go bad but nothing major. Worst thing was the water pump went but it was like a 200$ 25 minute fix. And thats only cause i bought the nicest pump there was.

5 series are turds unless its a m5, Awesome Cars My roommate had a 02 m5 with Full bolt ons and clutch and flywheel And still till this day one of my favorite cars. but they will run alot more $$$$$

328i's aren't bad Alot of people do m3 cam swaps in them and with I,H,E,Cam swap and tune people make pretty much the same power as the m3's but of course less tq.

Hope this helps a little. Any questions lmk

a lil teasing for you
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesready/5842616471/http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesready/5842616471/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/jamesready/, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesready/5931928469/http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesready/5931928469/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/jamesready/, on Flickr

 

THe cheap cars will be Autos with over 150k miles. Because the transmission will be having issues. That is why 5 series are so cheap, due to the $3k repair bill for a Auto trans rebuild.
the cheapest 3 series will be a 4 cyl E36. The 318ti are not bad cars as long as they are manuals. They are not fast but they have a 50 50 weight distribution and handle great. They are pretty much the same under pinnings as a Z3.

The M3 E36 are great bang for the buck. But a cheap one is going to be ragged out and M parts cost more. Is in Suspension bushings etc. IMHO your better off spending more and getting a low mile cared for M3.

I have a few E34 5 series. My wagon has a S52 M swap with the manual. It a fun car to drive but only gets 14 to 17 MPG around town. The 5 series will have electrical issues, like power locks, headlights, etc. But all of this is documented on the internet and not hard to fix.

With gas going up you may want to really look at the 4 cyl cars if you are on a budget.
You can also find the old 320s from the early 80s cheap, but they will need work. THey are very basic and easy to work on, but they are SLOWWWW.