What year and series BMW would make a good first car?

Question

I am looking to get a BMW soon, and I have heard good things about the E30 and E36s. Both being from the 90s, they would be in my price range.

Which year and series BMW would make a good first car, when taking into account reliability, and cost.

Also, how many miles should I look for on it?

Answer 1

For a first car-1990's BMW 318i.

Fuel efficient 4 cylinder engine. The only BMW 3 series with a 4 cylinder engine.

Answer 2

Really seriously BMWs even as far back at 1990 are expensive to keep running unreliable and are a "look at me I know nothing about what a tried tested and proven car is, BUT I look good"  

The best car for you is a 1985 to 1988 535i or 535is Still more reliable than a brand new BMW and the parts are cheap if you need some.    

Answer 3

i just got my first car and its a 1994 318i. Good car, efficient on fuel, looks the part and easy to drive. I would recommend it.

Just as some people have mentioned beware; no matter how well maintained they have been, old parts do break and they can be a ***** to fix price wise. My radiator recently went setting me back $700. Nice car but don't be surprised if some nasty shocks appear down the track (you have to deal with this with any old car).  

Answer 4

insurance will cost you about as much as nearly 4x as much as the car, you want a rubbish saxo or a clio

im gunna get a seat ibiza

Answer 5

I bought my first BMW as soon as I could get a loan, at the age of 18. THe first thing I did was go find a cheap BMW, under $8000. I found a 1998 328is, five speed manual, with 114,000 miles.

I think the 3 series BMWs are some of the best cars available for under $10,000 (used). My car was exceptionally reliable, handles well, sporty look and feel, and built to perfection. The thing about BMWs is this: yes, they are marginally more expensive to fix than ordinary cars, but because the build quality is much better, stuff breaks less often. If you are at all mechanincally inclined, save yourself some money, and do basic repairs/maintenence yourself, like changing oil and rotating tires. To put it into perspective, in one week, my radiatior blew, and my the radiator in my friends eclipse both went out. THe dealer gave me a qoute of $600, and my friends was $200. After my friend made fun of me and my car, I went online, bought the part myself, had it installed by a (trusted) local mechanic, and payed less than $400 total. Two months later, his radiator blew again, and mine is still as clean as the day I opened the package.

If you are looking to get a used BMW, I would most definately have it inspected by a BMW dealer, they won't miss anything when it comes to the condition of the car, they even told me the windows were dirty, and should be cleaned before I bought it!

Since the 3 series, I have since bought a 2000 BMW M5, and I can honestly say, the 3 series is more fun to drive on a day to day basis.

Answer 6

Check with your local dealer for repair history on various models. But be aware that these cars are expensive to repair, as with most any european car. Good luck!

Answer 7

any mid-late eighties 3-series with less than 200k miles [these engines will go 400k+ miles if timing belts, oil services are attended too.. if the bodies are not damaged and the cowl drains were cleaned periodically they will remain rust free. 2dr.sedan's w/o sunroof and with manual transmissions are the most desirable, avoid any with climate control issues.

by now these have had a succession of owners and service records will be suspect at best. so before any monies change hands have the car checked out by your family's trusted mechanic [this can and will save both heart aches and wallet aches]

there were many aftermarket speed parts available for this car but it was pretty good even in stock form.

Answer 8

Insurance might be killer if you're young, which is probably the case since it's a "first car."

Check out a site like driverside.com, they have ownership costs, car values, and other repair costs listed.  Just pop in the years you're interested in, and you can compare them.  I used it to compare a few used cars for my brother (he was deciding on a civic or a galant).

Anyway, if you're young just remember to drive safe since you will pay for it with your insurance rates down the road if you don't!  

Answer 9

BMW's are great cars only if they've been taken care of.  You probably want to find an older 3 series (probably an E30) that has been meticulously maintained by the previous owner(s).  Fair warning with these old BMW's though... no matter how great they've been maintained age does start taking a toll... and you will have to do maintenance.  Parts for these cars are not cheap and never will be (although they are readily available-- major components anyway).  The best way to cut costs is doing all of your own maintenance... if you do buy own get a Bentley manual (mine for my E32 has been a life saver-- and saved my thousands of dollars).  If you don't want to work on cars do yourself a favor and buy an older japanese car.  Don't let lack of knowledge stop you from working on your own stuff (if you haven't been brought up in an overly mechanical household)... buy the book and learn- that's what I did.  

As for reliability... my old BMW has had many issues.  Many.  A whole lot of issues.  But, in the defense of BMW... that stupid thing has ALWAYS started and driven.  It may have a million sensors telling me stuff that's wrong.... but it always starts and goes.