1992 BMW 3 Series 325i from North America - Comments

Interior door panels come undone.

Break and ABS sensor lights come on even after breaks are replaced.

"Check Coolant Fluid" appears at start up even when full.

Bogs out on even small dips in the road with passengers in the back, even with new shocks & springs.

Over all this car is good. I wouldn't get this old of a car again. I like the look, feel, sportiness and fuel economy of this car, but when it's this old, you get too many problems.

"Interior door panels come undone."

Yes, the earlier e36's had that problem and was very common on all of them, even the much pricier e36 m3. It was these little glitches that caused many to appreciate the earlier e30 BMW series that was very tight, and virtually problem-free. I have had 2 e30's and even though I have had the chance to upgrade to an e36, I've always declined. Many view the e30 as superior in terms of fit and finish, ease of maintenance, and handling.

"Break and ABS sensor lights come on even after breaks are replaced."

Yet again, some of the poor designs on the e36 series. Though the froblem may just be a broken wire on the pad sensors... very minor problem.

"Check Coolant Fluid" appears at start up even when full."

the sensor is either shot (simple fix) or the wiring is broken... both very easy fixes.

"Bogs out on even small dips in the road with passengers in the back, even with new shocks & springs."

The suspension bushings are very intricate and important on all bmw's/ They are usually pretty costly to replace when they break down, esp when you replace them at a dealership... but when you do replace them, the performance will make the car feel like new, regardless of the mileage!!!.

I have had e30's both over 250,000kms and both were excellent performers. E30 Forever!!!

First of all, the E36 body style is a terrific design. I realize that the last of the E30 models were probably better-finished than the first of the E36 models, but the problems were easily corrected. I agree, the interior trimmings on the early E36 were not quite up to BMW standards, however they did upgrade the interior in 1994. My '94 has a perfect interior, noticeably nicer than the '92 and '93 models. The brake sensor wires must be replaced when the brakes are changed if the light was on before the brake job. If the light never comes on, replacement should not be necessary, as the wire is set down in the pads and only activates the light when it becomes exposed and completes the circuit. The coolant sensor should be an easy fix. I don't know what to offer on the suspension problems though.

While having the opportunity to have driven many BMWs, I once had the chance to drive a 1989 325is and 1994 325i back-to-back. They were both stock.

I'll agree that the fit and finish on the E30 seems better. The door panels feel like they're hewn from a large block of stone, for example.

Driving wise, however, the E36 trumps the E30 handily. The E36 seemed to carve its own path through corners and had a much more flexible power band.

I'm the proud owner of a 1986 951, 1992 Audi 100 and 1994 Saab 9000 Aero. The Porsche has incredible performance, the Audi great drivability in adverse conditions (with the Quattro system), and the Saab awesome practicality and acceleration. The E36 BMW, however, strikes a perfect blend of all these, compromising just enough of each to produce what seems a practical everday sports car.