Faults:

Fuel indicator.

General Comments:

Very comfortable to run, even with M-technics suspension.

Fuel consumption is quite impressive for a 1.9 petrol (about 10l/km).

Performance could be a bit better. Is slow compared to Hondas with smaller engines.

The car is reliable and driver's position is superb.

Handling is very nice, but you need to have your tires and suspension in good shape, otherwise it's a nightmare to drive it (RWD) in wet conditions. Don't let your wife drive it with the kids inside...

Plenty of room inside for a coupé.

Boot access is very restricted.

Faults:

Head light adjusters went bad.

Muffler rusted out on the seam.

Heated seats (bottom).

1st gear pops out once out of every 60-70 times.

Valve cover was leaking when purchased.

Accelerator cable faulty.

4cyl not quite as much fun as my 6 cylinder 325is.

4cyl revs high, which makes it still a hoot to drive.

They last almost for ever!

General Comments:

Very solidly built car.

For a convertible, this car is very quiet. If you have the hard top on, it is as quiet as a regular coupe or sedan. With the true convertible top up, it is still very quiet and it has a nice head liner.

I upgraded to 17" Performance Wheels and tires from the original equipment wheels & tires. It is like "Day Light & Dark". This car handles like a dream.

The ride was not compromised adding high performance wheels & tires.

Great gas mileage with the 4cyl; 24-26 city & 30-36 highway.

The convertible back seat is tight for a 6 foot tall built man.

Faults:

The on board computer unit plays up a bit and the aftermarket alarm is temperamental. Can't see anything else going wrong anytime soon.

General Comments:

After originally owning a normal 328i coupe and regrettably selling, I couldn't wait to find a good 328i Sport.

Having placed my 99 306 GTi6 up for a part exchange on a website, I almost instantly had a call for a straight swap on a 96 genuine 328i sport, completely standard with 151000 miles on the clock! I was a bit dubious about this offer, but still drove 180 miles to view it.

On first impressions, the bodywork was pretty rough in places, but mechanically A1. The reason for the sale was the young chap who owned it couldn't afford to run/maintain it! So away I drove with a huge smile on my face with a car considerably more valuable than the 306 GTi6 I straight swapped it with! What a deal.

I have had no trouble with the car, and have also traced all the history and found the engine was replaced by BMW due to the nickasil issue, and had only done 83000 (look into the nickasil issue if you are buying a 328i).

The bodywork can easily be sorted out for around £500. Overall though, if you want a true M3 alternative get a genuine 328i Sport. When I say genuine, it will definitely have a black headlining, BMW sports seats with the pop out leg cushion at the front, a LSD, a thicker steering wheel, full M body kit, 17 inch BBS split rims and Bilstien suspension (look under the car it will have yellow struts). If the Sport you have gone to look at doesn't have these things, walk away as 80% for sale are Sport/M3 replicas and the sellers know it. It will also say 328i Sport on the logbook, no exceptions!

Overall, if you are thinking of a 328i, get a Sport - the handling is so much more responsive than the stock 328i, which is a straight line cruiser. The 328i Sport is most at home on twisty fast roads, it has no body roll to mention, and goes when you point it. It's also easy to use every day as a cruiser, and you should be getting 30mpg.

The acceleration figures for the Sport were never published; the ones with LSD accelerate the fastest, and it is set up for launch control as standard. I have had this timed at 6.1 to 60 on proper timing equipment, compared to the 6.9 I managed in the stock 328i, and it will hit 153mph on a private road. So half a second faster than a e36 M3, and 2 mph of the top speed and about a £1000 a year cheaper on the insurance for me!

So all in a truly awesome car that I will be restoring and keeping for a long long time.