Is the E36 320i worth it?

[The Diabolical]

Good day fanatics, I'm in the market for an E36, preferably a 318is or a 323i. I have come across a 320i at a good price with mileage in the 290000km region and was wondering if it would be worth buying?

Also, is the fuel consumption good for the 320i vs 318is (6cylinder vs 4 cylinder weight and power)?

 

[danieljames]

I drive a e36 325i... to be honest the only 4 cylinder bmw I've driven was an E46 318i. Compared to my 6 it's a bit sluggish. The e36 is heavy so it's a bit off a donkey off the line. But once on the move they go nicely. My advice is go for the 6 cylinder. I'm currently averaging 9.7 l/100km and I don't necessarily drive miss daisy all day long. On a drive to wellington and back to cape town I averaged 8.8l/100km. Maybe the other guys can give more insight to the 4 cylinders

sent from... a phone

---

Don't bother with the 320....its a 6 so u might aswell get the 325 or 328i with extra power

sent from... a phone

 

[m0lt3n]

I had the 318is and would also say dont bother with the 320i. They sound nice but are marginally quicker than the 318is while having a lot worse fuel consumption.
So if you are fine with that, if its a very good deal and car is in very good shape then maybe, but otherwise, go bigger for a performance car like 328i or go the 318is route.

In my opinion the 318is is one of those exceptional cars that stands out above others of its time, it was very smooth, got very good mileage, had 340k km on mine and still no oil consumption, with pretty decent performance for what it was. I used to get a lot better mileage on mine than what my wife got in her 1.6 hyundai i20.

 

[Serano]

Yeah, the 320 is very sluggish. I drive a M323 and i have enjoyed it from the word go!

I would go with the 323/325 or 328. The motors are all the same, just minor differences. All respond well to breathing mods which give you small to medium gains and wont break the bank.

Thats just my 2c.

Goodluck though bud. E36's are great!
:thumbs:

 

[danieljames]

318is 110 kW.... If I'm not mistaken

sent from... a phone

 

[The Diabolical]

Thanx for the insight. I think I might hold out on the deal and keep looking for a 318is or 323i and possibly save enough money till then to be able to get the Motorsport versions. Pity 325i's are few and far between otherwise I would consider it if the insurance would be affordable especially since I'm planning to go back to school next year.

Serrano, what's your average fuel consumption?

 

[GPGrobler]

E36 323i - my friend bought one, he is very happy with the car and impressed with the fuel consumption. :thumbs:

 

[DieselFan]

What is "a good price"?

 

[Serano]

Thanx for the insight. I think I might hold out on the deal and keep looking for a 318is or 323i and possibly save enough money till then to be able to get the Motorsport versions. Pity 325i's are few and far between otherwise I would consider it if the insurance would be affordable especially since I'm planning to go back to school next year.

Serrano, what's your average fuel consumption?

I get about 11L/100km :fencelook:

That's everyday town and medium traffic driving.

Once i take her on the open road i get just below 10L per.

Its decent, but when i see F10 M5s that have a V8 twin turbo doing better consumption than me, it gets to me

 

[anton-sa]

howsit.
im a bit of a bmw nut myself, started my bmw-ness with a e30 325i,
then a e39 525i, then a e32 730i, then a e28 520i, and now a e39 530d and a e28 528i.. i recently sourced a used e36 320i for my sister who was expecting(now given birth and im an uncle..lol) it was a tossup between
a 318i or 320i, she got rid of her horrible opel corsa bakkie.

i had 40k of her money to spend... i did a lot of homework, and my findings were a really well looked after clean e46 was going to cost 55k and up..

so e36 it was. the 6 cyl being a stronger motor than the 4 cyl..generally more bullet proof... i ended up with a e36 320i, paid 37k.

id say on paper its perhaps a 20-25k car, therafter u pay based on condition.

in this case the car was a dads car, then his wife, then his daughter and finally looked after by the daughters husband...a pilot.. i got handed a whole pack of invoices, car has 220k km, has not ever missed a service and was owned in the same family since new. and it shows... car is a minter. unfortunately now my sister gets harassed with offers to buy the car...

look thoroughly, they are out there... if you're looking at e36 320i im assunming you're on a budget. just remember, a cheap bmw is actually a ridiculously expensive bmw in disguise.

forget about stupid book values and and and... look at the actual car in question, its service records, proof of work done, cleanliness of the interior will be a telltale sign of the owner(s) and often a good indicator how the vehicle was cared for...

suspension bits and bobs can QUICKLY add up... check the car out... put it up on a lift... look for oil leaks etc...

rather buy a older car that you can spend a bit on to put 100% right that
a newer one that depletes your budget.

my 2c

 

[The Diabolical]

howsit.
im a bit of a bmw nut myself, started my bmw-ness with a e30 325i,
then a e39 525i, then a e32 730i, then a e28 520i, and now a e39 530d and a e28 528i.. i recently sourced a used e36 320i for my sister who was expecting(now given birth and im an uncle..lol) it was a tossup between
a 318i or 320i, she got rid of her horrible opel corsa bakkie.

i had 40k of her money to spend... i did a lot of homework, and my findings were a really well looked after clean e46 was going to cost 55k and up..

so e36 it was. the 6 cyl being a stronger motor than the 4 cyl..generally more bullet proof... i ended up with a e36 320i, paid 37k.

id say on paper its perhaps a 20-25k car, therafter u pay based on condition.

in this case the car was a dads car, then his wife, then his daughter and finally looked after by the daughters husband...a pilot.. i got handed a whole pack of invoices, car has 220k km, has not ever missed a service and was owned in the same family since new. and it shows... car is a minter. unfortunately now my sister gets harassed with offers to buy the car...

look thoroughly, they are out there... if you're looking at e36 320i im assunming you're on a budget. just remember, a cheap bmw is actually a ridiculously expensive bmw in disguise.

forget about stupid book values and and and... look at the actual car in question, its service records, proof of work done, cleanliness of the interior will be a telltale sign of the owner(s) and often a good indicator how the vehicle was cared for...

suspension bits and bobs can QUICKLY add up... check the car out... put it up on a lift... look for oil leaks etc...

rather buy a older car that you can spend a bit on to put 100% right that
a newer one that depletes your budget.

my 2c

Thanks for the advice.:thumbs:I'm not looking for 320i I just saw one for a good price. I am on a budget but I don't wanna skimp out on important things hence I've been searching for a good E36 since the beginning of the year.

 

[Jethro91775]

I get about 11L/100 km in combined driving. Open road about 9 to 10. But traffic. Like 13 to 15.....
Btw. 1994 e36 325i

 

[Gordvisr]

Any BMW is worth it :thumbs: ( when looked after though)

 

[Rodney///Marsh]

I get about 11L/100 km in combined driving. Open road about 9 to 10. But traffic. Like 13 to 15.....
Btw. 1994 e36 325i

dude.. your car needs a tune... I get that on my M when I am a bit enthusiastic LOL

Jooooooookess

 

[Jethro91775]

I get about 11L/100 km in combined driving. Open road about 9 to 10. But traffic. Like 13 to 15.....
Btw. 1994 e36 325i

dude.. your car needs a tune... I get that on my M when I am a bit enthusiastic LOL

Jooooooookess

Motor was just rebuilt. Like 500km ago.

 

[anton-sa]

if you getting 11l/100 on a e36 325i then you are driving more on the conservative side. or doing 25-50% of your driving on freeways/highways

 

[Jethro91775]

Yeah I am driving a bit conservative. When I do drive like mad max. Lol. I can probably get out my driveway with half a tank of gas.

 

[Loom]

I can share my experiences with a 316i and 323i. I almost exclusively to town driving.

316i: 85kW, no rocket but sufficient for daily use. Fuel consumption is decent - can't give exact figures but it's much less than my 323i. When going back to the 316i from daily driving the 323i I actually enjoy the car. What is lacks in grunt it makes up with better consumption. Except for alloy wheels and an OBC with less functionality it basically has the same specs as the 323i. Really not bad as a daily driver for a car of that age.

323i: 6 cylinder sound track. Engine is much stronger than the 316i. Just don't take on any modern 1.6s. I've driven a 2013 1.6 Polo and think it would beat my 323i from 0 to 60. Running costs and maintenance are more expense with 2 extra cylinders needing food and taking care of. Long distance trips are much nicer with easier acceleration and less down shifts needed (I shift down any way :=) Fuel consumption pays a hefty penalty. I get about 7.5 - 8 km/l urban consumption even when driving like grandpa. Having said that, my car has a problem with hunting revs at idle. The open road gives about 11.5 - 12 km/l.

I used to tow a jetski with a dry weight of 298 kg (about 360 kg with fluids topped up, excluding equipment). Both cars had no problem towing it but I could feel the drag with the 316i.

I enjoy both cars for what they are. If fuel consumption is a main factor I would go for a 4 cylinder. I think the 318i or 318is would be your best best. If going the 6 cylinder route I would rather have a 328i. Consumption would be similar to the smaller ones but with more power.

As already mentioned, expenses can quickly add up if you get one needing TLC. Even a FSH does not mean that proper maintenance has been carried out. Good luck finding one!

 

[GPGrobler]

I don't know why, but it seems like BMW has never built a very successful 320i, except, maybe the E46? :thinking:

 

[Riaanv1]

In 2002 I had a 320i.

It was rather slow and drank it's load of petrol.

Wasn't a bad car...just slow. Felt like the flywheel was made of thick tungsten carbide.