E34 or E36?

[flagdent]

E341) What would be a good buy between e34 520 and 525 year 95 below?2) Which one has a good mileage? petrol consumption?3) Which has got an easier maintenance service?4) Any recommendations?E361) What would be a good buy between e36 318, 320 or 325 year 94 and below?2) Which has got a better mileage or petrol consumption?3) Which has got an easier maintenance?4) Any recommendations?E34 VS E36Which is a better choice for a 2nd hand car? Anybody can give any opinion? and an economical car with lesser maintenance and easy spare parts to get?Thanx

 

[535i]

Frankly, there is no such such thing as 'better than the other'.
Some ppl prefers the E36 and some ppl prefers the E34 ..

U want comfort - E34.
U want quick and nimble - E36

E34 is like a cruiser and E36 is like a sport bike ..
Having said that E34 is not a slouch either ...

Consumption - E34 is higher (compared to the same cc ie 2.5)
Maintenance - hmmm... subjective ..

Go for the 6 pots ie 2.5.

My 2 cents ...

 

[fabianyee]

test drive both and decide for urself which one would suit u better...

 

[535i]

Originally posted by fabianyee@Apr 18 2005, 09:03 AM
test drive both and decide for urself which one would suit u better...

Yup .. test drive both ...

Fab

U sig now very catchy aaa .... Dirty rascal u ..

 

[flagdent]

Lets say both has got almost the same 2nd hand price. Almost... Which has got a lesser maintenance for a standard car? And easy to get spare parts..

 

[535i]

As for parts , both a quite al-rite.. maybe E36 parts are easier to come by .. at a price.

If this is ur first BMW, u might be alarmed abt the myth of 'very expensive to maintain, parts very hard to get etc etc'. Not really .. from my personal experience. Parts are abundance ...

 

[flagdent]

Yeah... just checking out first the pros and cons... of course both e36 and e34 are different... but which is good and easy to care for a 2nd hand car for normal use without modifying anyhing. And comparing 318i, 320i or 325? Which would anybody recommend? As well as the 520 and 525.

 

[Juan Powerblow]

I have owned both, an E34 520i and E36 318i. I think the E36 is cheaper to maintain since parts are more readily available. The E36 318i is ridiculously "cheap" to maintain and its engine is very reliable BUT now that I'm driving a 6-potter, the E36 318i is not a street blazer. However, I was quite happy with the 318i's performance b4 tasting the spice of a 6-potter. The E36 328i is something else. The huge torque (280Nm or 188 Ib ft) makes it a very able performer even against the E46 325i. So, if you want power, go for the 328i but if you can settle for a solid, reliable and sound BMW, then a 318i will also still bring you lotsa of joy in owning a BMW.

 

[535i]

Originally posted by Juan Powerblow@Apr 18 2005, 09:29 AM
I have owned both, an E34 520i and E36 318i. I think the E36 is cheaper to maintain since parts are more readily available. The E36 318i is ridiculously "cheap" to maintain and its engine is very reliable BUT now that I'm driving a 6-potter, the E36 318i is not a street blazer. However, I was quite happy with the 318i's performance b4 tasting the spice of a 6-potter. The E36 328i is something else. The huge torque (280Nm or 188 Ib ft) makes it a very able performer even against the E46 325i. So, if you want power, go for the 328i but if you can settle for a solid, reliable and sound BMW, then a 318i will also still bring you lotsa of joy in owning a BMW.

JPB ..

E34 520 - no fight laaa ...

E36 325 vs E34 525 ... baru fair maaa ...

 

[fabianyee]

Personally I'd go for the E34.. hehehe.. Seem to have better build quality....

 

[Lionel_Koh]

I think the most important thing is u have to know what u want. Sport drive? comfort drive? budget? E34 is a solid car n if u go for single vanos engine,u won't regret. For E36,i personal prefer 325 with good perfomance n fair maintenance compared wit 328. If possible go for manual n u will enjoy u drive. Conclusion...............ask ur self what u what n what u like...........

 

[chaiks]

Originally posted by flagdent@Apr 18 2005, 10:15 PM
... but which is good and easy to care for a 2nd hand car for normal use without modifying anyhing.

Based on that question, the answer is e34. Trust me. e36 can get racuned by countless member here. e34 will look good even without mod.

Anyway, e34 or e36? I'll ask, how old are you? It'll make a lot of difference. I used to own a Fiat coupe 20v Turbo for over 6 yrs(been there done that). Jumping out of a test drive on an e36 328 to e34 525, ...and the rest is history. I'd guess age is definitely catching up, cos I'm still enjoying my e34 to date.

cheers.

 

[flagdent]

Some people were saying don't buy the e36 318i coz its not worth it... no power la... etc.... and some say they regret buying it... is it true?

 

[Daredevil]

Originally posted by flagdent@Apr 19 2005, 06:45 PM
Some people were saying don't buy the e36 318i coz its not worth it... no power la... etc.... and some say they regret buying it... is it true?

I supposed I'm one of those culprits who adopt the Dr Jekyl & Mr Hyde attitude depending on the situation. When I'm out on convoys and drives, I really regret getting the 4pot. Can hardly keep up with da boys in their bigger machines. But then again, when I'm out cruising alone, I kinda enjoy my ride. Looking at it gives me lots of pleasure. Having owning it for more than 5 years now, no complaints lah. If I wanted more power, I could have easily changed it a E36 325i of the same year without having to fork out much more (if at all I need to fork out). But no point lah......ekekek......

But if you're young, single and furious, go for the 6 potter. You'll feel the pain when some young punk in some souped up Wira or worse, kancil, blast you away on Feds Hwy. Hahahaha.....

 

[Juan Powerblow]

Originally posted by flagdent@Apr 19 2005, 10:45 AM
Some people were saying don't buy the e36 318i coz its not worth it... no power la... etc.... and some say they regret buying it... is it true?

To me and no offence to anyone, the E34 is beginning to look dated but then there are great examples like OSF's one which are very immaculate and solid. However, there's always added cost of maintenance with age and extended usage. I think it's easier to find an E36 318i which could be a second family car that's relatively used less and well taken care of. Cos it's relatively cheap to maintain an E36 318i, most of these are well maintained. I didn't find the E36 318i under-powered for daily usage. In fact, the solidity and "feel" it offered over my ex-EK4 Honda Civic made up for it. Then, there are those trips I made up to Genting where it was annoying to be persistently wiped out by those Nissan Sentras. Yet again, I took my ex-E36 318i past the double-O-O mark b4. There are many in this forum like DD who can well afford to upgrade to a 6-potter but yet he keeps enhancing his E36 318i all the time! Having been a proud owner b4, I can sense why. It's a very nimble yet solid and problem free car. Don't shoot me but the E34 can feel like a tank.

 

[Lee36328]

Aiyah..... i think u r overintellectualizing it...

simple really..... u see two girls on the street, both smiling at u, one blond and fair, one tanned and dark, one young and eager to please, the other mature and experienced..., how to choose?

Go for the one u LIKE.... which one STIRS ur shift stick, er... i mean ur soul... or if u can afford it, go for BOTH!...

Seriously, from the questions u r asking, u are choosing w your left brain... after a while, u will sell the car, because they are both a pain on the wallet if u are not in love with it...

both can be quite low-maintenance, provided u shower it w care. both can be a pain, if u neglect it.... from a financial point (if u insist on thinking logically) it makes no sense whatsoever, u are better off w a reliable, low-depreciation, low-maintenance jap box. if u do not LOVE it, don't get it... u'll kick urself later....

in the end, to know which car is suitable for you, you must know YOURSELF in the deepest sense.... what do u live for? what is the meaning of the car to u? what excites u? what gives u a deep sense of pleasure and satisfaction? answer that, and u'll find the right machine for u.

good luck, and enjoy ur journey of self-discovery...

 

[Daredevil]

True Lee36328. When I bought the car years ago, I was only looking at the badge....nothing else matters. And I bought the car with a mind set preparing to fork out more dough to maintain it...phew...thank God it didn't. Maintenance wise, it's cool.....basically just pour fuel and go type of car....the 4potter.

 

[Juan Powerblow]

Originally posted by Lee36328@Apr 19 2005, 03:01 PM
Aiyah..... i think u r overintellectualizing it...

simple really..... u see two girls on the street, both smiling at u, one blond and fair, one tanned and dark, one young and eager to please, the other mature and experienced..., how to choose?

Go for the one u LIKE.... which one STIRS ur shift stick, er... i mean ur soul... or if u can afford it, go for BOTH!...

Seriously, from the questions u r asking, u are choosing w your left brain... after a while, u will sell the car, because they are both a pain on the wallet if u are not in love with it...

both can be quite low-maintenance, provided u shower it w care. both can be a pain, if u neglect it.... from a financial point (if u insist on thinking logically) it makes no sense whatsoever, u are better off w a reliable, low-depreciation, low-maintenance jap box. if u do not LOVE it, don't get it... u'll kick urself later....

in the end, to know which car is suitable for you, you must know YOURSELF in the deepest sense.... what do u live for? what is the meaning of the car to u? what excites u? what gives u a deep sense of pleasure and satisfaction? answer that, and u'll find the right machine for u.

good luck, and enjoy ur journey of self-discovery...

Okeeeey... so which is the blonde and fair? and which is the dark and tanned? Both stir my soul worrh... k:

Fact is, the 4-potter is cheaper to maintain than 6-potter and I think the 4-potter can even be as reliable as a Toyota. I had mine for 2 years and with regular servicing and petrol, it started with aplomb everyday. The engine is just time-testedly robust. I would love to have an E34 if I commute on bigger highways everyday. But, in a pure urban environment with tight roads, tight parking and 16 traffic lights from point to point with bumper to bumper traffic jams, the E34's mass and weight can be overbearing. It does feel that it can repel a mortar attack though. The E36 however feels nimble and alert even in 318i guise. Rear passengers are more likely to complain about the E36's limited room compared to E34. Surprisingly, the E39 feels "lighter". Same thing with the Merc, the older generation felt clumsy, like a fat lady. It's latest incarnation is much sharper and manoeuvrable (speaking from personal experience).

 

[udm70]

E34 and E36 - My opinion.

For a 1996 E34 520i, you can buy for about 50k to 58k depending on condition
But for a 1996 E36 318i you have to pay about 62k and above.

When you compare the new prices of these 2 cars in 1996, the selling price of E34 is higher, but second hand value is lower. Also bear in mind, that it cost more to build the E34 as its a bigger car and has more features like comfort and etc. - mid size saloon. So I feel that buying second hand I would prefer the E34 which offers more value for money.
But if I want a smaller car I would go for the E36 which is more nippy compared to the E34. If I want comfort it would be the E34.

 

[Iqlima]

Normally 6 cylinder last longer than 4 cylinder.