''price question'' E36 325i

snowdog · 13 May 2008 at 09:37

Hello,

I'm wondering, how much should an E36 325i cost ? I'm interested as I wana compare prices, and I want to know if I'm being ripped off here.

A high milage but tidy example is around 2000€-3000€ here, is that too much or okay ? Need to know how much to put away monthly...

Seems like a nice car imo, just 900€ a year insurance for a beginner like me, 44€ a month road tax, and 190ish horses on a lowish weight car

, nice bang for buck and I like it's looks personally.

Ex-RoNiN · 13 May 2008 at 10:11

€2500 are £1985.

I don't know whether that is reasonable, I guess it's ok presuming that you can afford to get a new car within 2 years, as I doubt it will last that long if it hasn't been taken care off properly.

paradigm · 13 May 2008 at 10:28

I paid a little over £1,000 for one.

snowdog · 13 May 2008 at 10:42

Hmmm so E36's aren't reliable ?
I am looking to get one in 10-12 months, perhaps a bit later but not much later.
I would have thought bmw's were generally reliable ?
Mind that unlike in the UK, most cars here are used almost only on the motorway, I'm looking to get one from which the owner has confirmed it was used for 90% motorway travel...

paradigm · 13 May 2008 at 10:47

snowdog said:
Hmmm so E36's aren't reliable ?

Yes they are, very reliable infact.

snowdog said:
I am looking to get one in 10-12 months, perhaps a bit later but not much later.

The E46 is getting lower and lower in price all the time, I wouldn't state that you are "definately" getting an e36, as prices and your opinion may change a lot. But they are certainly reliable, well built, and so long as you get a decent specced one, ok places to sit for long journeys.
I would have thought bmw's were generally reliable ?

snowdog said:
Mind that unlike in the UK, most cars here are used almost only on the motorway, I'm looking to get one from which the owner has confirmed it was used for 90% motorway travel...

Even better, the engines go on forever so long as they have had regular servicing. Camchain not a belt, and generally the engines will do over 200,000 miles without a problem.

Ex-RoNiN · 13 May 2008 at 11:21

snowdog said:
Hmmm so E36's aren't reliable ?
.

Not what I was trying to say, what I meant was that as it is an oldish car (about 8-12 years old now?) you ought to get one that, as Fox said, was regularly serviced and taken care of, as otherwise if it wasn't looked after, you'd have to reailse that it would need replacement soon.

More about old cars in general than the BMW specifically.

[TW]Fox · 13 May 2008 at 11:23

Its not really an ideal first car.

paradigm · 13 May 2008 at 11:24

[TW]Fox;11677731 said:
Its not really an ideal first car.

I do agree with this.

Even with its "paltry" 192BHP, I've still managed to get myself into situations which, as a new driver, would have resulted in some kind of accident.

mjt · 13 May 2008 at 12:14

you really can't compare 2nd hand car prices in the UK to the rest of europe, well benelux/germany anyway

they are much cheaper in the uk
i've seen a mint e36 323i going for over £4000 in belgium :/

snowdog - you don't want a 325i as a first car. don't aim so high
start with something small and not particularly powerful
if you want rwd fun, get a 318..

[TW]Fox · 13 May 2008 at 12:15

Read over the guys previous posts over the last 6 months and tbh I'd worry about him in anything more than a Smart car.

snowdog · 13 May 2008 at 14:21

Your objections are, and were noted, I need a fast car to cruise Germany through and I want to have the odd trackday fun, when the worst comes I'll be driving my dads either 2.0 C5 or 1.6 rolla anyways if I don't buy my own, I'd like something a bit more sporty though for myself. Especially the rolla since it's LPG so for ''other'' commute like city driving or getting around the local places, I think I'll leave the bmw standing to save money on those kind of trips and only sue it when really needed eg. fast driving abroad. The BMW will only be used on motorways/autobahns really and perhaps the odd track day once a few months.

Not what I was trying to say, what I meant was that as it is an oldish car (about 8-12 years old now?) you ought to get one that, as Fox said, was regularly serviced and taken care of, as otherwise if it wasn't looked after, you'd have to reailse that it would need replacement soon.

More about old cars in general than the BMW specifically.

So I should get a truly bullet proof car like (buy instead of borrow) my dads rolla or a civic or something instead? From what I've so far experienced with cars, is that the workhorse of the house, has been pretty much abused, yet now stands at 430.000 km and drives on ( and isn't 8-12 year old, but nearly 15 year old), and never really gives any problems not fixable on site (sometimes the odd fuse blowing for example). I'd like to expect the same from my own car. And I'll try service it myself unless it's a tough job. If i'd have a manual for every repair and maintenance job, would an E36 be easy to fix generally ( as in, not all the rubbish under the hood cramped way too much, not too much boring electrics, etc ?)

The E46 is getting lower and lower in price all the time, I wouldn't state that you
I doubt for 2k-3k I get a 325i with fsh. The most expensive one even didn't have a service history, the owner did have a receipt from a changed engine though which has only run 92k when bought a month ago for example
are "definately" getting an e36, as prices and your opinion may change a lot. But they are certainly reliable, well built, and so long as you get a decent specced one, ok places to sit for long journeys.
I would have thought bmw's were generally reliable ?.

Prices here are higher, E46's start from much much higher ( eg. 7k euros for a 320d or 318i for the worst examples, at least 9k for a decent one).

[TW]Fox · 13 May 2008 at 14:25

snowdog said:
I need a fast car to cruise Germany through

You don't.

InvaderGIR · 13 May 2008 at 14:28

[TW]Fox;11679159 said:
You don't.

My thought too.

You'd like a fast car to cruise through Germany at high speeds, but you don't need one. If you are doing lots of cruising what you need is somewhere that's comfortable and a good place to be for long periods of time, speed isn't so much of an issue.

InvG

[TW]Fox · 13 May 2008 at 14:29

He posts this sort of thing all the time, he NEEDS to be able to cruise at 'high speed', he's going to do monthly trackdays blah blah blah yet...

.... he hasn't even passed his test yet. It's like everyone else who hasnt yet passed, they are all going to do X, Y and Z which ends up never happening.

InvaderGIR · 13 May 2008 at 14:31

Yeah, it's why I've given up looking at cars (especially after my Scoob thread

) until I actually have the money in my bank to spend on one. Whilst I have my license, and have for a few years, and have had a few cars, I'm not going to plan even two months ahead for what car to get, I'm going to wait till I'm in the position to buy.

InvG

mjt · 13 May 2008 at 14:39

you don't need a fast car
you live in holland where you can find policeman hiding behind trees with lasers
i got busted for doing 54km/h in a 50!

and anyway, even if you drive through germany, you won't be going 200km/h+ because you'll only have passed your test
i drove to the frankfurt motorshow shortly after passing my test, i did 210km/h and promptly **** myself due to not being able to stay in my lane on the narrow, windy autobahn

get yourself something cheap and reliable. anything with around 130bhp will be fine
anything more powerful is unnecessary

snowdog · 13 May 2008 at 14:50

[TW]Fox;11679184 said:
He posts this sort of thing all the time, he NEEDS to be able to cruise at 'high speed', he's going to do monthly trackdays blah blah blah yet...

.... he hasn't even passed his test yet. It's like everyone else who hasnt yet passed, they are all going to do X, Y and Z which ends up never happening.

Listen I aint gona waste driving upto 8 hours, when the journey can be achieved in 6, I aint going to do monthly track days, just once in awhile perhaps, as for the test, I have more than enough money for that now to take it even twice and I'm applying for lessons in not too long.

Evil Fox said:
You don't.

Yes I will, even my dad complains that his cars are too slow to keep at a comfy speed ( in his opinion ,150-160 kph) and tells me that something fatser would be ideal for Germany, especially in north east Germany, he had to sit in the slow lane last week because he couldn't keep up accelerating with the fast lane... I want to keep in the fast lane and be able to accelerate properly when the need arises, as I said I get a car to get from Rotterdam to Warsaw&area and sometimes Szczeczin asap, it's either a car or a plane, as if I'm gonna travel slow, I could have got a coach or train instead. A plane costs too much to travel a lot, so a car would be best, and would be more preferable due to not being public.

I know what you think and why you feel to need to repeat this to me over and over: I don't understand, I have not yet a made a decision, just a planning, it could change as several of you stated when I actually start driving, that time is closing though and because I'm nearing 18, I have my first financial bit ready to take lessons, and I'm now eager to start saving on the car itself.

foxy said:
they are all going to do X, Y and Z which ends up never happening.

It will happen if I get the €€€€, so far my money plan has worked out fine, and I hope to repeat my success, if I get the money and the age, afaik nobody is allowed to say what I can do with my cash. Thus it is me deciding.

But as I said, only a plan, so that if I hold to it, at least every thing has been thinked over.

I suppose we could speak again in a few time when I'm taking my lessons, I see anything else would be hopeless due to the disagreement we share, but atm:

thx for replying for the people than provided an answer to my question, appreciate it.

mjt · 13 May 2008 at 14:52

what you need then is a saab 9000

edit- this is a serious suggestion btw..

Born_2_Kill_83 · 13 May 2008 at 14:56

Get a TVR and get it over and done with quicker.

Think you need to stand up before you can run

[TW]Fox · 13 May 2008 at 14:56

I really dont know how to explain my opinion to you without being rude.

You seem to think your first car is something that is to be used to propel you along at sustained high speeds that a mere 130bhp car (Which will 'only' do 130mph) wont be able to do. You seem to think you'll be some sort of driving god fresh out of the box and even more amusingly you seem to think Autobahns are somewhere you can drive at VMAX for hours on end.

You are utterly clueless as to how driving works, what the needs are, what it costs etc etc. Thats not me being rude - it's just fact. We were all clueless at your stage

One minute you want a £500 E36 thats cheap to fix then you are trying to convince us all you are loaded.

Every post you make is riddled with bold claims, inaccuracies and things which bring a smile to the face of anyone who has had a license more than 10 minutes.

As for cost - have you any idea what the fuel consumption of a 325i is at 130-140mph? It's the wrong side of 20mpg. This means that, over a long journey, its almost certainly cheaper to fly.