Is a 97 328iC reliable?

[1966]

I am a happy owner of a 95 miata and my 7 year old has been asking me if I can get one with back seats so we can enjoy the car as a family. I am trying to find a convertible that seats 4 and that's as reliable, fun, and low maintenance as the miata.

I saw an ad for a 1997 328iC locally with 89,000 miles with a list price of 11K. I don't know much about BMWs but this particular car seems nice.
1) What should I expect in terms of reliability and upkeep for this model?
2) What are the common "issues" with this car?
3) What would be a fair price?

Thanks for any input.

 

[selavia]

First of, Welcome to the Board!! I'm surprised nobody has responded to your post yet. But anyway, welcome!

If you search the threads on this board you will find that many people have come on this board with very similar if not exact concerns.

The general consensus, it seems to me, is that the e36 3 Series has few standard flaws, and if you're buying one now, they have already been corrected; but here they are:

Water Pump, rear shock mounts, door panel vinyl/leather bubbling, control arms, ball joints, & auto transmission seem to be all over the place in terms of reliability (some people say they last forever, others seem to say 150k {Personally, I have a manual and I think a BMW with a manual is just more fun than an automatic}).

That's the "big" items, as far as I can remember.

THings I would look for are: make sure the car has been serviced meticuously (oil changes documented in the service manual, Inspection I & II completed and receipts to show it, etc), have a BMW dealer inspect the car (they charge anywhere from $50-100, well worth it though)

I bought a 95 318Is almost two years ago and I have absolutely loved it. I've only had one problem with it and it was a vacuum leak.

Also, I've driven a miata many times, and the 3 Series is much more fun than that car. You'll really feel and love the difference.

As far as price, I'm not sure if that's a good deal or not; I would look it up on kbb.com or edmunds or something. It sounds a tad below average price, but I don't really know.

It definitely looks nice.

One thing does strike my attention: the wipers. They are not supposed to sit like that; either he left them on, or something is amiss.

ALSO, CARFAX and make sure it hasn't been in an accident.

Anyway, hope this helps a bit.

Best of Luck,

Sean

 

[selavia]

Forgot, in terms of up keep:

Oil change every 5k if synthetic.

Every 15k: Inspection I ($100-300, depending where you go)

Every 30k: Inspection III ($300-700, again, depending where you go)


And to answer your question, sounds like a fair price, but try and haggle them down; we are approaching winter and you could probably get her/him to reduce the price.

Good Luck

 

[1966]

Thanks for the input. I'll do a bit more research on it.