Which BMW?

[SD1992]

I have pretty much decided that I want to buy a BMW this summer, but the question remains which one. In the real world, it will probably be either an E39 523i (maybe a 528i, depends on prices), an E36 323i, or an E46 323i.

I would ideally like to know the pros and cons of both, but I would love to hear from anyone that has any experience with any of them. I probably won't be spending more than £2000 on the car itself, so it will probably be an older, high mileage example. Of course, I will not touch anything that does not have FSH.

Thanks for any help!

[sparks_E39]

The E39 breaks often and costs a bomb to run, but its the best BMW from the late 90's. 528 same fuel economy and servicing as a 523.

[NLB]

I have a 2001 530 Sport, and my mother has a 1996 328 SE, both manual. They are fairly closely related cars, obviously, but feel quite a bit different; the 328 feels a lot smaller and lighter, and also feels “older”. Of course, the 328 is smaller, lighter, older, but the difference in feel is bigger than one might expect – so, if you want more of a cruiser, the 5 is better, and if not, not. The 5 can hustle if you push it, and does do very well for a big-ish car, but you are aware of the weight, and I think you need one of the bigger engines to handle the extra bulk – at your budget, a 528 would make good sense. The running costs of my E39 have been much higher than those of my mother’s E36 – and she is not a light footed old lady (well, she is an old lady, just not a light footed one..). This not really because the 5 is unreliable – it isn’t – but it is a more complex and more modern car, and just bigger and heavier, so generally harder on consumables. I’d be inclined to think that with a fixed budget of £2,000, you’d get a better E36, but some bargain E39s are around – drive each and see what you think, of course.