Decisions: ex-E32 and E85 owner looking for BMW
Discussion
I've recently decided to change the dull Passat for something a bit more lively. It needs to be practical and fun, hopefully economical enough after man maths, and reliable enough to get me to work every day.
Current choices are :
E34 with modifications (reliability would be the issue here),
E39 M5 (again reliability),
E36/46 M3 (but really dislike the image many current owners have put on this car, and should check what this has done to their insurance),
E89 Z4 35i,
E87 130i
E81 135i / E92 335i.
All of these would be in the region of £10k apart from the Z4 (15k+), and the E36 M3 / E87 130i which would be around £5k.
Based on all of this, I'm leaning towards the 130i (but it's slightly lacking in power and the interior is a bit dated).
Any thoughts from current owners or others having faced a similar dilemma?
Current choices are :
E34 with modifications (reliability would be the issue here),
E39 M5 (again reliability),
E36/46 M3 (but really dislike the image many current owners have put on this car, and should check what this has done to their insurance),
E89 Z4 35i,
E87 130i
E81 135i / E92 335i.
All of these would be in the region of £10k apart from the Z4 (15k+), and the E36 M3 / E87 130i which would be around £5k.
Based on all of this, I'm leaning towards the 130i (but it's slightly lacking in power and the interior is a bit dated).
Any thoughts from current owners or others having faced a similar dilemma?
Smuler said:
I've owned 2 on your list, E92 335i and E46 M3 and my first thought is that if you could go £15k+ for a non M (e.g. you said the Z435i) you'd go to that for a E92 M3?
335i is a great daily, anything below a 35i engine on your list I'd personally not consider because they're not fast enough.
The point at which I found my 335i lost to my E46 M3 on fun, came on the lovely twisty B roads. The M3 with LSD, better chassis is simply a different league. Plus a n/A engine is so much nicer in those situations. Thing is, you've some resistance to the image of the older M's and I know what you mean.
However, the E92, which I don't think has that image, has the newness/tech you'd get in a 335i but for the fun factor, of course the chassis, LSD and that screaming V8.
They seem to be around, below 20k now. example from A/trader
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
If you're not going to take the car on too many B road blasts, then perhaps the M isn't necessary for you in which case I'd say any of the 35i cars would be great.
It's all for the B-road blasts really. The E92 M3 is a fun proposition but I've heard horrors both from the running costs (MPG, insurance) and the maintenance (engine rebuild) costs. I'd like to keep it reasonable on running costs - but like you say there isn't much that will come close to an M. 335i is a great daily, anything below a 35i engine on your list I'd personally not consider because they're not fast enough.
The point at which I found my 335i lost to my E46 M3 on fun, came on the lovely twisty B roads. The M3 with LSD, better chassis is simply a different league. Plus a n/A engine is so much nicer in those situations. Thing is, you've some resistance to the image of the older M's and I know what you mean.
However, the E92, which I don't think has that image, has the newness/tech you'd get in a 335i but for the fun factor, of course the chassis, LSD and that screaming V8.
They seem to be around, below 20k now. example from A/trader
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
If you're not going to take the car on too many B road blasts, then perhaps the M isn't necessary for you in which case I'd say any of the 35i cars would be great.
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