E30 or E36?

[ATumolo]

Hello all, this summer I'm looking into purchasing my first BMW. My only criteria is that it's a stick and it's cheap so I'm looking at e30s and e36s. If all goes as planned I'm trying to do wheels, tires, and some suspension this summer and bring it to an autocross event or two. I'm looking for suggestions and expertise on whether an e30(325i) or e36(323i,325i, or 328i) is going to be my best choice. Any help is much appreciated.

[323i E30]

Welcome to the site!
Not 100% sure about the prices in the US, but the E36 will likely be your best option.
Also: the 6 cylinder engines that came with the later E36 have more low end power. That plus I found the E36 surprisingly easy to keep under control while going sideways on slippery surfaces.
The E30 has the 325ix though which has 4 wheel drive, but it will be more expensive.
No E36 can touch the E30 for daily driving imo, but for autocross and only criteria 'stick and cheap' I would definitely consider getting one.

[pizzaman09]

Welcome the forum!

I purchased an e36 328is a few years ago as a project. The car was pretty beat up, but even in its sad shape the entire package was just an amazing drive. I loved it so much that it prompted me to sell the e39 M5 I had to get something smaller, more nimble and begging to be driven hard to get every last bit of power out of. I was cross shopping Mini JCWs with the e36 M3, I ended up with an R56 Mini but do wish I had instead chosen the e36 M3.

I haven't driven an e30 but I suspect you can't go wrong with either the e30 or e36 as long as it has a 6 cylinder engine. The engine is really one of the things that makes these cars special.

At a recent autocross I attended, there were two lightly modified e36 M3s that were ultra competitive, even against the new stuff.

[ELVA164]

I didn't read your post, but as long as you aren't a teenager you should get the E30.

[BimmerBreaker]

E36 and spend that mod money on maintenence