1987 BMW 3 Series 325 review from North America
"Fun and reliable! But betrays you during a rear end collision!!!!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The master cylinder needed to be replaced ($240).
Some electrical problems surfaced but eventually went away with the addition of new fuses.
Didn't collapse when I was rear ended, I absorbed most of the shock and it hurt like hell.
Parts are expensive, a new clutch is almost $500.
General comments?
This is a great car. Extremely reliable, fun to drive, and very fuel efficient. For it's high mileage of 183,000 (from the Earth to the Moon) the engine doesn't burn oil, nor back-fire, nor stall.
Very well built. Even at 100 miles per hour the car doesn't rattle nor swerve. At any speed it hugs the road and makes normal conversation possible without yelling.
The only problem is that this car doesn't collapse "easily" during a collision. I was rear ended a few days ago by a 2001 Lexus LS 300. It was a very hard hit. The Lexus did what it was designed to do; it absorbed the shock and crumbled to protect its driver (about $5000 damage). My car on the other hand directed the force of the collision on to me and IT HURT LIKE HELL! I suffered a neck injury and the Beemer only suffered a bent exhaust and a few scratches. Not even the lights were broken.
Recommended reviews
| Mediocre performance, poor reliability |
| This car is worth every penny spent on it and I intend on driving it to the max |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1987 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.6L inline 6 Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 181800 miles |
| Most recent distance | 183000 miles |
| Previous car | Oldmobile Cutlass Calais |
| Date of Entry | 19th March, 2001 |