A good friend of mine with 3 bmws says to stay the hell away from a 94 and at least get a 96, but the car seems to be in good shape, I’m taking it to be inspected tomorrow but I’d love to hear from you all your opinions on the cars reliability I’ve had enough cars that are problem plagued and I don’t want to bury myself in another.
It can definitely be Reliable, as long as there are no major issues with it, and as long as you're willing to get your hands dirty every once in a while.
Despite the low mileage, if things haven't been changed over the years, be prepared to replace the shocks, suspension bushings, and motor/trans mounts. After 23 years, a lot of the rubber in those parts are going to be bad.
^^^What testify said. Not sure where your friend is coming from or what he really knows about these cars. Both the M50 '94 and the M52 '96 up engines are very reliable if properly maintained. M52 has a little more low end torque but more restrictive manifold design unless modded. The '94 is OBD1 so less emissions controls and fewer things to trigger a CEL. Used to be more easily modded but that's no longer universally true. Some prefer ODD2 because it can help give more diagnostic clues. To each their own. No major problems with my '94 other than wear and tear from passage of time.
Cooling system should be your number one concern, I would not trust a car around that range until water pump, expansion tank, radiator, hoses and thermostat housing as well as thermostat has been replaced. But with that said, it really comes down to how well the car was maintained.
The reliability will be relative to how well or poorly the last owner(s) maintained the car. The mileage isn't an issue, I've never been hesitant to buy an e36 with over 100,000 miles as long as it comes with a decent service history.
My 1998 328i has been dead reliable with plenty of preventative maintenance along the way; Currently sitting at 196k miles. Never left me stranded or broke down and always starts first first go. its all about maintenance and fixing the things that come up when they break instead of waiting for a laundry list.
Mike
1999 750 IL (SOLD)
1990 750 IL (SOLD)
1989 325IC (SOLD)
1995 540I (SOLD)
1999 323 (SOLD)
1998 328I 195,000 miles and counting
2017 Ford Expedition Platinum
2016 Lexus RX350 F-Sport
300k on my wife's 93 325i. The previous owner beat the ever living piss out of it. And I beat the hell out of it as well. But I maintain it as well. 7 yrs and 90k in my possession and she's as good as the day I got her. Hell even better than I got her. As for reliability, its as reliable as any newer car. I would not hesitate to take my 36 on a long trip at anytime.
u should be getting the car very very cheap.
rust is number one for me. Then accident history and maintenance. I bought a 120k 94 325i and I replaced everything. Still runs great at 140k now. I also did a full M spec swap. I'd say you should consider how soon you need a car, how easy it is for you to come across a good e36 example (clean cars are now much more rare), your budget, and your aspirations for the car. The 325i should be cheaper too but not by much. OBD2 now is easier to tune, but a basic chip can net you some power gains. And there is FI if you think stockish is too slow. Another can of worms.
The most accurate answer is "it depends".
If the car was neglected, then sure, it will be a clusterf**k. If it was well maintained, you should not have many major problems.
Budget for the worst scenario: full cooling system refresh, oil leaks (pan, housing gasket, valve cover gasket), guibo, suspension and associated bushings.
94 + are the ones to go with. 92 and 93 had inconsistent parts used throughout the car. The parts like window regulator motors and alternator brackets are unique for certain build months and expensive now.
Alpine 318ic FTMFW!
My car is a July '94 build, it's fine. I really can't see how one can make a blanket statement that the car you are considering is something to avoid, especially when the miles are below 100k. It should be in near showroom condition.
I have a 4/94 325ic with 138k miles and the motor and trans have been tanks. I did overhaul and upgrade the cooling and suspension. The cooling system was still good when I removed it, but I'm sure it would of let go eventually. I put in a mishimoto aluminum radiator with silicon hoses and a stewart high performance pump. Parts weren't too expensive and it's an easy job, so you can diy it. I did upgrade to KW V1 coilovers, but of course you don't have to. I spent 1,300 and labor was under 500.
If you keep up with maintenance, these are great cars. The only thing is that the interiors deteriorate badly.
Wife's 94 325 bought 2010 with 144k
Now on 177K
No issues. Had thermostat, lambda and oil and filters only. Stop worrying. Everything breaks if you wait till eternity
No warranty of any kind implied or given and no liability for any loss, damage or injury, no matter how incurred accepted.
Bookmarks