Discussion
hello all.
been thinking of getting something a bit smaller so the guy at the petrol station doesnt rub his hands together when i pull in to fill up with gas.
always liked the older 3 series so i was hoping to find out some pros and cons of the E30 325i. are they fun to drive? are they quick? and are they built as good as my E34? how much will i be spending on a good clean FSH model? all comments gladly welcomed.
cheers tt
been thinking of getting something a bit smaller so the guy at the petrol station doesnt rub his hands together when i pull in to fill up with gas.
always liked the older 3 series so i was hoping to find out some pros and cons of the E30 325i. are they fun to drive? are they quick? and are they built as good as my E34? how much will i be spending on a good clean FSH model? all comments gladly welcomed.
cheers tt
Basically the same as the 5 series but smaller. The haynes manual covers both cars in one. Fuel consumption is around 30ish, mine gets mid 20s but then i've only done about 100 miles so far. Fairly quick, 175bhp and weighs just over a tonne.
£2k will get a really good 325iSE, 4k a mint 325i Sport.
£2k will get a really good 325iSE, 4k a mint 325i Sport.
I occasionally throw my 325 sport round the track. It's a hoot and you can really fling it at bends. Plus the fact that if I knacker it, it's not worth a fortune. Reasonably quick in a straight line (depends what you're used to).
Look out for rust (sills especially);
The 6 cylinder engine is fun, it is pretty addictive to rev it as it picks up after about 3.5k
Like most BMWs, they are well engineered and of course rwd, so they are nice to drive.
Look out for rust (sills especially);
The 6 cylinder engine is fun, it is pretty addictive to rev it as it picks up after about 3.5k
Like most BMWs, they are well engineered and of course rwd, so they are nice to drive.
tollytuff said:
£2k will get a really good 325iSE, 4k a mint 325i Sport.
is there much difference between the two? that fuel consumption, i guess, was round town? as i think i get between 20 and late 20s on the motorway in my 535i...
Not a lot. same engine, Sport has close ratio gearbox and limited slip diff, mtec suspension and bodykit.
Some of the 325iSE have most of the options mentioned - this is my car below:
They are fun to drive, and relatively quick, although certainly not as refined as a modern car. I typically get around 25mpg. Generally very reliable and easy to maintain - parts are readily available, and there are lots of specialists around.
I would agree with prices quoted - and would recommend the 325iSE - not as sought after, so better value than the 2 door sport, which are becming very sought after, and hence command a premium.
They are fun to drive, and relatively quick, although certainly not as refined as a modern car. I typically get around 25mpg. Generally very reliable and easy to maintain - parts are readily available, and there are lots of specialists around.
I would agree with prices quoted - and would recommend the 325iSE - not as sought after, so better value than the 2 door sport, which are becming very sought after, and hence command a premium.
tollytuff said:
hello all. <br/> <br/>been thinking of getting something a bit smaller so the guy at the petrol station doesnt rub his hands together when i pull in to fill up with gas. <br/> <br/>always liked the older 3 series so i was hoping to find out some pros and cons of the E30 325i. are they fun to drive? are they quick? and are they built as good as my E34? how much will i be spending on a good clean FSH model? all comments gladly welcomed. <br/> <br/>cheers tt
www.e30zone.co.uk/ has a good for sale section. you have to register but its free. There is a fantastic Hartge H26 tourer for sale for £5,000. One of only 3 H26 tourers around.
This is at the top end of the scale for what you are looking for.
2-3k should get a reasonable/good car. I paid ££,750 3 years ago for my E30 325i touring but it is mint with only 66k on the clock
This is something I posted on a thread on E30s along with other useful comments on E30s.
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=194319&f=140&h=0
Hope it helps.....
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=194319&f=140&h=0
Hope it helps.....
derin100 said:
If fuel consumption is really your primary concern...forget it! I had a 325i Touring (in fact, I liked the car itself so much I bought it twice...seriously, sold it and then bought the same car back 3 months later).
Ok, it was an Automatic...but it was seriously 'juicy'!
My 325i touring is getting about 27mpg which I thought was ok
The BMW autoboxes are no good so avoid them. Get a good 5-speed 325i, at least in the States in 1989 they went to a different design on the cam belt pullies so to change the belt you don't have to take the pulley off the crank, the belt should be changed at somewhere between 40 and 60K miles, this is not a 5 minute job but if you have a place to work it's not hard, just time consuming. Do not let the belt break or you will be changing the heat at least.
In the States anyway it's hard to find a good 325i, most are shagged. If MPG is of interest check out a 325e if you can find one, you will recognize the 325 (no i) and 325e motor by it's lower redline 4500 I think. This is actually a 2.7 liter engine and I have heard quite torquey. 325i tend to get around 25 mpg, while the e can get around 30.
I personally much prefer the 2-door cars but this is just taste. The rear seat is not really good for adults although I would ride there rather than walk in the rain...
The steering racks tend to fail on some cars.
Look in the rear wheel arches for rust. Look skeptically at a car with the add-on chrome trim covering the arches..
In the States anyway it's hard to find a good 325i, most are shagged. If MPG is of interest check out a 325e if you can find one, you will recognize the 325 (no i) and 325e motor by it's lower redline 4500 I think. This is actually a 2.7 liter engine and I have heard quite torquey. 325i tend to get around 25 mpg, while the e can get around 30.
I personally much prefer the 2-door cars but this is just taste. The rear seat is not really good for adults although I would ride there rather than walk in the rain...
The steering racks tend to fail on some cars.
Look in the rear wheel arches for rust. Look skeptically at a car with the add-on chrome trim covering the arches..
tollytuff said:
hello all. <br/> <br/>been thinking of getting something a bit smaller so the guy at the petrol station doesnt rub his hands together when i pull in to fill up with gas. <br/> <br/>always liked the older 3 series so i was hoping to find out some pros and cons of the E30 325i. are they fun to drive? are they quick? and are they built as good as my E34? how much will i be spending on a good clean FSH model? all comments gladly welcomed. <br/> <br/>cheers tt
I would argue though that the Golf VR6 is a better car for the money - despite being fwd, it's more powerful, usually better equipped and more fun to drive unless your 325i is the sport model with LSD etc (and I think that good ones of these are still more than £2k?).
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