Newb with a question

[jafish]

Hello, I'm new to BMW's as I'm new to this forum. I have a question that I KNOW you guys can help me with.

My wife and I have always loved the 3 series BMW's and I am currently in the market for a daily driver to replace my 93 Grand Am. We've been looking on the internet at the 93-96 325i and iS models (as they fit into our budget, and we both really like the body style) with both the 4 and 6 cylinders, manual and automatic (I'd really like to get a 6 cyl, manual). Now, my question is about any inherent/common problems (is there any) and gas mileage (mainly can I expect to get mid 20's or better, as long as I can keep my foot out of it).

The ones I'm currently interested in are as follows: 1994 BMW 325i Sport Package, 1994 BMW 325i, 1995 BMW 325iS and a 1993 BMW 325iS. Now, if there's anything I need to know about these particular models, please let me know. All of them have 100,000+ miles and are priced around $5k.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

BTW, nice website!

 

[epj3]

Get a 6 cylinder... gas mileage difference between this and the 4 cylinder is too small to justify a 4 cylinder. The price for those cars sounds just about right. Do you plan on doing the maintainence yourself? The automatic transmissions they used are pretty crappy and don't seem to last very long.

Few things you want to check (if you can afford to take it to a mechanic who specializes in european cars, it will be much easier to check):

-Rear subframe. If these cars are beat on, the subframe can actually rip away from the chassis of the car.
-Rear shock mounts. Same thing as above - but much easier to check. You will definitely want to install rear shock mount reinforcement plates - they are like $32 for both and take 45 minutes at most to install (easy if you have the most basic socket wrench kit sears sells...)
-Make sure all electronics work... sometimes it's hard to remember to check everything including the heater/ac/windows/sunroof/etc. But these can all turn in to costly repairs. Just make sure the heat works, and the blower work on all speeds.
-Ask when the water pump was last replaced
-Find out when the transmission and differential fluids (along with the motor oil) were last replaced - very easy to do yourself though. Took me about an hour to do both in my driveway, an oil change is about half an hour worth of time.

I assume you're going to do the work yourself... some little advice. The oil filters (cartridge type) are cheaper at the dealer than anywhere else, and come with new O rings and washers. I think it's around $8? You will stop worrying about gas mileage so much after a while... yes, you have to use premium gas, but the car will sound great when you step on the throttle, you won't be able to help yourself!

 

[Chazarelli]

-It might sound obvious, but check the interior panels of the doors, the leather has a tendency to pull away and form bubble looking things on the E36's.

-You might check the door handles, mainly the interior, see if the top corner is still in tact and doesn't take much effort to open. I would also check the door handle gasket on the outside to see what shape it is in, if it's crumbling away or almost obsolete you can expect the outer door handle to fail sometime in the future ($150 dollar part, $250 labor)

I know there is more but that is what I am dealing with these days.