should i buy an e30 as a first car?

[jjromero33]

Hi eveyone!
I'm new to this forum and I thought I'd ask you guys for advice. I need help deciding whether or not its a good idea to buy an e30 as my first car. I'm 20yrs old, I work and go to college and have saved about 4000 to buy a car and 1500 for maintenance after buying it. I did some research and if i do buy an e30 it would be preferably a 1991 318is because it's a 4cylinder, good on gas, not so expensive on insurance, and probably cheaper to maintain. ( that's what I heard, correct me if I'm wrong) I dont have a lot of experience with cars but I'm willing to learn how to do the basics myself by reading books, looking online, and asking here. I heard that this car Is great for that learning experience. I'm not looking to make quick mods to the car, just something that looks great, is reliable and fun! What do u guys think? Is it a good idea?
All help is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[Rudolph320i]

my first was an e30, i think they are great first cars if you are willing to do the work yourself

[Jacksone30]

Get a decent one and a little maintenance you will be happy

[heifetz17]

My first e30 was a '91 325iX and I loved it so much that I eventually came back and now have a '90 325i.

I would recommend a 325 over a 318 simply for power. It's nice to have the extra power when you need it or when you want to have fun. My 325i gets 20mpg with 50/50 city/hwy driving. If it were a 5 speed it would be a little better, so the gas mileage with a 325 can actually be pretty good if you don't have the pedal touching the floor all the time

[jjromero33]

is it just because of the power? is the level of maintenance the same?

Its because I'm going to be under my moms insurance and she prefers a 4 cylinder, because of insurance cost (from what i understand)

[Rudolph320i]

have a look at what insurance with 6cyl vs 4cyl difference really is. my 91 325i was less to insure than my 92 S10 pickup was.

[jjromero33]

ok, if thats the case ill end up going with a 325 thanks!

[dak1b]

get an e30!!! no regrets!!! there amazing cars!!! superb handling...hugs the road liek no other!!!

[RsKeyz]

My 325i gets 20mpg with 50/50 city/hwy driving. If it were a 5 speed it would be a little better, so the gas mileage with a 325 can actually be pretty good if you don't have the pedal touching the floor all the time

Ehhh.. I dunno if I would call 20 mpg pretty good. I get 26/7 mpg in 50/50 with the m42 and I wish it were a little better. I understand the power difference, but with the e30's it's only a 30hp difference between the 4 and 6. Personally, I'll take the extra 7 mpg.
As far as maintenance, they should both be about the same honestly. Although the m42 does have a timing chain instead of a belt. But even the chain system isn't without it's kinks.


I wouldn't let the engine size dictate your purchase. Find the best maintained e30 (88-91) in your price range and go from there. They are all fun cars to drive. And a well maintained one will save you tons of headaches in the long run.

[Tibs01]

I had one as my first. And another as my second.

[jjromero33]

Yea ive heard nothing but good things about these cars, which influenced my decision to buy one. At this point Ill probably be better off with something that has better mpg. It'll help me be able to go home more often and be more convenient.

[e30ls1 drifter]

My first car was a 1991 318is, i couldnt have asked for more!! it was an amazing an reliable

[Pistonbroke]

I wouldn't let the engine size dictate your purchase. Find the best maintained e30 (88-91) in your price range and go from there. They are all fun cars to drive. And a well maintained one will save you tons of headaches in the long run.

^This,
is spot on

Well said

[jjromero33]

Ive been looking twice a day everyday for a month on craigslist and I can't seem to find one that I truly want or is well maintained. I'm running out of patience and now that I have more advice I can't wait to finally get one! Lol

[Chantler2424]

DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!! I purchased a 1990 325i for my first car about one year ago and I can honestly say e30's are sex to drive, after some basic maintenance and suspension work, killer car. Im 21 and basically did the same thing you are talking about. Wasn't too mechanically inclined at first, but learned on this car. No regrets.

[convertible87]

Do it.. my first car was an e30 and in still driving it of course I'm only 20 but its my DD for now

[heifetz17]

Ehhh.. I dunno if I would call 20 mpg pretty good. I get 26/7 mpg in 50/50 with the m42 and I wish it were a little better. I understand the power difference, but with the e30's it's only a 30hp difference between the 4 and 6. Personally, I'll take the extra 7 mpg.
As far as maintenance, they should both be about the same honestly. Although the m42 does have a timing chain instead of a belt. But even the chain system isn't without it's kinks.


I wouldn't let the engine size dictate your purchase. Find the best maintained e30 (88-91) in your price range and go from there. They are all fun cars to drive. And a well maintained one will save you tons of headaches in the long run.

20 is good, 26/7 is great. It's true that a 318 will be leaps and bounds better for gas mileage. Personally, I prefer the extra power. 7mpg more, for me, would only be an extra day or so of driving, so not a big difference, really.

And for engine size, you make a good point, however I think you should buy the car that you want, not just settle for what comes up. My recommendation would be to drive both and decide which one is right for you, then wait for that one to come along. You don't want to buy a 4 and later wish you had a 6, or vice versa.

[1989 e3o]

Insurance wise the 90-91 models will be cheapest because of they have an air bag. I'm 19 and a e30 is my 2nd car (first one I bought tho) and I love it every day. The 2.5 doesn't get bad gas mileage at all and mine is an auto. I advice you to get a 5 speed and with a budget as large as yours you should be able to find a 91 325is well in range

[red88ix]

get an e30!!! no regrets!!! there amazing cars!!! superb handling...hugs the road liek no other!!!

Errrr, haven't you had your e30 for all of about 20 minutes? I hate to think what you will be like if the car turns out to be reliable too.

OP, this question comes up all the time. The answer is that there is not really a single answer. We had two e30's as first or nearly first cars in our family. Both were relatively reliable, safe for their ages, fun to drive and handled very well. Neither was especially cheap to keep doing all of that. Insurance was twice what we had been paying for an MG that all three kids drove at least for a few months. If you can turn a wrench or are willing to learn that moves the meter toward a yes. So does a job to raise the funds to have things done. Or rich and doting parents or grandparents. If you are just a typical kid with an allowance, soccer practice and an expensive girlfriend, you may find an e30 stretches the budget. Tje best advice that I have seen here is to drive several different cars. See what suits you (and your budget) and buy the best car you can afford while holding back some bucks for R&M.

[malic]

http://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/cto/3148832946.html
theres an e30 for you
its a nice one
great first car!

[strang3majik]

I'd do it. If you have some mechanical knowledge and willing to learn some, these can be great cars. I have the 325e with the m20...its slow but has enough low end grunt to make it fun and gets great gas mileage. Couldn't tell you exactly how well because I don't have an odometer, but, a $40 fill up will last me about a week driving as I do.

My 5.9 Jeep, $40 is gone in about 2 daays.

I'm 19 and this is also the cheapest car I've ever insured. With two vehicles on my own policy, the Jeep with full coverage, I'm paying $120 a month.

[heifetz17]

I'd do it. If you have some mechanical knowledge and willing to learn some, these can be great cars. I have the 325e with the m20...its slow but has enough low end grunt to make it fun and gets great gas mileage. Couldn't tell you exactly how well because I don't have an odometer, but, a $40 fill up will last me about a week driving as I do.

My 5.9 Jeep, $40 is gone in about 2 daays.

I'm 19 and this is also the cheapest car I've ever insured. With two vehicles on my own policy, the Jeep with full coverage, I'm paying $120 a month.

$40/week with an e isn't very good unless you drive a lot. I drive about 40 miles/day and can go about a week and a half with my 325i.

Also, that insurance payment is a bit high. I'm at $150/month for both my Bimmers and my Chrysler, my wife's Toyota, and our house insurance. Of course, it's a bit higher for teens, too.

[Dub-Dub]

I agree with a lot that has been said. I am glad you have the perspective that you will need $ for maintenance as soon as you get the car... cars at this level are not sold in top condition. There is always something that needs attention... I might even drop that ratio some... more like a $3-3.5k car and $2k in expenses.

When I buy cars I like to throw a lot of money at them when I first buy them to really set me up for a period of maintenance free driving. If you really maintain the hell out of the car, you can set yourself up for periods of hassle free driving... if you try to nickle and dime your way around maintenance then you will always have a problem on the horizon. Read up on here and GET A BENTLEY book and do all the "while I am in there" things and you will be happy in the long run.

You're in LA. I think there seem to be a lot better cars on the west coast than on the east, or at least it seems that way. Being away from the rust must help that. Don't let your location limit you... I've flown to buy cars before... if it is the right car, it is worth the weekend of effort to get it home, when balanced against years of ownership!

Buy the best car you can find. The cost between 325 and 318 is really negligible when compared with the overall cost of owning. You want a strong record of maintenence... any car can be power washed to look good. Also, when deciding between two cars, I always go with the one that has the things I cannot do in better shape (I'll take good paint over a new suspension, for I can redo a suspension). And if you want working AC, buy a car with working AC... save yourself the hassle and cost!

[justint5387]

I would get the 318 if you are just commuting, much better MPG. I have a 91 318is as a DD and I get about 28-30 MPG (25 miles one way, 90% fwy). 20 MPG imo is terrible if you are only getting 170hp in a sub-3000lbs car.

With an ECU chip, the car feels a lot better.

[jjromero33]

Thanks for all the help everyone!

OP, this question comes up all the time. The answer is that there is not really a single answer. We had two e30's as first or nearly first cars in our family. Both were relatively reliable, safe for their ages, fun to drive and handled very well. Neither was especially cheap to keep doing all of that. Insurance was twice what we had been paying for an MG that all three kids drove at least for a few months. If you can turn a wrench or are willing to learn that moves the meter toward a yes. So does a job to raise the funds to have things done. Or rich and doting parents or grandparents. If you are just a typical kid with an allowance, soccer practice and an expensive girlfriend, you may find an e30 stretches the budget. Tje best advice that I have seen here is to drive several different cars. See what suits you (and your budget) and buy the best car you can afford while holding back some bucks for R&M.

Yea, I'm more than willing to learn how to work on the car myself, at least the simple basics for now, until i expand my knowledge. As for the more difficult things that'll need fixing, I'm hoping my job will be enough to help me pay for. I am the typical college kid but my little extra cash will go towards the car instead of parties hahaha. That's why I'm taking my time to find the perfect car near my area that's well maintained, because i can't afford to be spending my money to travel and look at cars, and in the end not have enough to buy one.