1997 BMW 3 Series 328i Coupe review from UK and Ireland
"I love it!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Auto box was reluctant to kick-down when throttle was floored (fixed by a fluid change)
Electric window motor failed
Door lock actuator failed
Heated leather failed
Thermostat failed
Both front ball joints needed replacing (these are almost a consumable on the higher-powered E36 models)
ABS and traction control gremlins.
General comments?
The car looks sleek and elegant, more so than its saloon brother. The beige leather makes the interior a very nice place to be.
It's brilliant to drive and pretty quick too, especially in Sport mode, but the car feels somewhat reined-in at higher revs. This is due to the fact that the car was deliberately limited to 193 bhp by BMW for legal reasons. I believe the car is easily modifiable though to be as quick as it should have been! It's still a powerful RWD car and needs to be treated with respect though.
Although in the grand scheme of things the car is not desperately cheap to run, (all the above problems cropped up in less than 18 months) none of it was very expensive to put right with the exception of the ABS/ASC problem I'm having.
Search for New and Used BMW 3 Seriess available in the UK
Click here to advertise your car
Recommended reviews
  | 1997 - 3 Series 328i Sport 2.8 petrol, straight 6 Quick, comfy, reliable daily driver |
| 1996 - 3 Series 328i Sport 2.8 Awesome |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2007 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.8 petrol Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 6/10 |
| Comfort marks | 10/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 106800 miles |
| Most recent distance | 112000 miles |
| Previous car | Citroen BX |
| Date of Entry | 19th May, 2008 |