1987 BMW 3 Series 325i from UK and Ireland - Comments

It's been generally reliable with only parts such as suspension and brakes needing replacement. There have been a few electrical niggles, but nothing that couldn't be cured by cleaning and vigorous shaking. It leaks oil because some fool replaced the oil cooler seal with filler!! And the rad leaks slightly, and I'm debating whether to pour that nasty rad sealer in.

It's a fantastic car. Incredibly well engineered, very fast and with a dreamy engine note. It's a lot quicker than I'd expected, but also handles far worse than I was expecting. Wet weather driving is a bit of a nightmare, and is a bit disappointing. Anyone who goes on about their E30 handling really well is just being biased. In the dry on a cross country chase, straight line speed is the car's forte. It's also a very heavy car to drive. Mine lacks power assisted steering so it's a bit of a brute around town at low speed.

But on the whole I'm very happy with it and would gladly buy another. Although I am going to modify it somewhat.

Sorry but I don't agree on the handling side - in standard form, yes it's a bit limp, but buy a KONI, JAMEX suspension kit and you can push that car like you won't believe. Maybe you need to take a course in performance driving - that car is mega fun when it comes to tight bends, chicanes, and roundabouts. The M3 E30 is an alltime record holder on handling and the 325i is not far off.

I wrote the original text and stand by my statement - Even with new bushes and Avo adjustable suspension all round the car is still inherently flawed - it has an aged suspension design and narrow track. It quite simply cannot go around corners as fast as many 'lesser' cars. In the wet the handling is very suspect, and driving lazily shoves the back out at surprisingly low speeds (I've tried it on Yokohama and Pirelli tyres).

As for taking a performance driving course - I work for a UK car tuning mag - As a result I have driven some fabulous cars from Caterhams to Skylines. I've drived Diablos and F355s on tracks and have driven the majority of the hot hatches of recent years, both modified and unmodified. I am not the best driver in the world, but have a lot of experience of RWD, FWD and 4WD machinery.

The car is undeniably fun, and in the right hands is an utter riot - But its handling is inferior to many. The steering whether powered or not is far too long winded for rapid corrections and tricky road conditions (S-bends and off camber corners) reveal the chassis's inability to reset back to neutrality.

I love the car but I do not drive it wearing rose tinted specs.

It's a fine handling car but can be tricky at times. The first thing you have to deal with is the weight transfer to rear as you hit the apex of the corner. Combine this factor with plenty of power, front-biased weight distribution and slippery conditions - you're in for big time opposite lock and fish-tailing. Typical of pre-90's BMWs. I'm just an average driver but I had lots of fun with factory sports suspension and Bridgestone RE71s. Much as I love the car, the truth however is that many front drive hot hatches (even of the same era) can easily demolish it in tight and treacherous conditions.

The goods news is that if you're not a speed demon, this car is also rewarding to drive gently at reasonable speeds. It has all the classic BMW hallmarks of charismatic engine, fine handling, reasonable comfort and thoroughness in design & engineering.

If you worry about the sometimes tricky handling, then go for the Touring which boasts 50-50 weight distribution.

Johan.

As far as I am aware, my 325i has no modifications and I think the handling is great. Granted, it can be a bit tail happy in wet weather conditions, but get that power on at the right moment then it's not too big a problem, get it wrong though then I would have to agree it is tricky to get back to neutrality.

Thankfully mine also lacks power assisted steering. If it had been fitted I would have taken the pump and belt off and put them in the bin as soon as I got the thing home. I have driven one with PAS and I personally felt the feedback was diabolical. I don't find it heavy at low speed (unless I'm stationary!)

I only bought this car because it was cheap as chips and the alternative would have been something like a 1984 1.1 VW Golf and I must say I was very pleasantly surprised as I had heard some real horror stories about them. I'm not biased toward the 325 because I've got one and I certainly don't drive it wearing rose tinted specs either, however I will admit I'm probably biased toward RWD vehicles in general as I feel they are bags more fun.

I owned a 325i from 1989 to 1994 and found it to be a great car with an uncannily smooth engine. It was a bit cramped inside, but I put up with it as the rest of the experience was so good. The ABS did play up a bit, but regular cleaning of the connectors kept this problem at bay. My only compliant really was the handling. In the dry it was OK and could just about cope with the engine's power. In the wet it was awful and the back end would do anything to avoid following the front wheels. I lost it twice in the wet which once ended in a crash. I tried fitting Pirelli and Continental tires, changed the shock absorbers and bushes and it was still terrible. I sold it in the end and bought a 525i which a complete revelation. I thought of buying another 325i a few years ago, but the wet weather handling put me off. Most the motoring press of the day thought it pretty terrible in the wet as well.

I disagree with the handling that you stated. I own an 87 325i from the states and it handles superbly, although it does have power steering. I agree with the wet handling it really tends to get sideways with not much gas at all. but as far as the handling I was very pleased with the way it handles, feels as though its on rails. I noticed that if you go into a turn under gas then let off it will get crazy, it seems better to keep a steady gas through turns to keep the back end low. well I'm done here.

Brendan.

But everyone knows that all roads are straight in the States!

Handling on the E30 325IS in stock form is reasonably good. I decided to go with SPAX suspension on my car. The car was lowered 2.5'' and has a very stiff ride. I also went with 17'' Rims and a nice set of Yokahama avs-100's. My car will outhandle almost anything I have driven. The only thing the E30 is lacking in is power.

On a side note... Not all roads in the states are straight. I don't know where you live, but in VT, there are endless corners that most cars can barely handle at the speed limit.

Cheers.

I loved my '87 325se for the 6 weeks I had it. Its handling was sublime.

The way it drifted into an unforgiving tree on a wet B-road 2days ago was beautifully gracefull.

Oh how I miss that car!

I had a 1988 325i and it was a cracking car, but I agree with all those who say it was awful in the wet. Understeer followed by snap oversteer with very little "seat of the pants" feel (critical in a RWD car) and surprisingly numb steering.

The M3 had heavily revised chassis settings and its revvy four cylinder engine made less torque than the 325i's big lazy six so it didn't give the back end such a hard time. It was a much nicer car all round (and was priced accordingly)

I purchased my 325i three months ago after falling in love with a 318i's design, and size, but hating its constant troubles. the 325i (convertible) has proven much more powerful, comfortable, and reliable. it seems that more mechanics know of the 2.5l engine rather than the 1.8. as far as the handling. What kind of other cars are you guys driving? sure, the 2.5l engine isn't much compared to a racing car or the M3s, but look with even 2005 technology. Most companies are just now getting closer to the horsepower for such a small displacement engine. 2.5ls aren't that big of an engine, despite the size they seem. (espcially when you guys compare them to 5.7ls and expect them to perform as such).

Handling in my 325 doesn't seem to be as quick and responsive as my Mazdia Miata or my old 318, but as a combination for sports luxury car, I think it does very well. I have noticed that at speeds over 75mph, the car is very "floaty" and hard takeoff in the rain usually results in tirespin, again, you can't compare this car to a porsche, or other car specialized for handling and performance. I also own a 91 grand prix and it hopes along every bump like a bunny. while this creates a VERY smooth ride, it also bounces around curves and will bounce right off the road. my 325 will stay firm and if you can drive correctly and handle the car, will not leave you disspointed. take any car over a water puddle and see that it will almost just as easily fly off the road.

I am not standing up for my 325. there are MANY complaints I have about the car, and I wish mine was newer personally in which some of these have been fixed. it is a decent car for its age and like barbra walters, ages very well. I also have an 88 mercedes sel class and this bmw is no comparison in comfort, speed, or handling, but my bmw is more fun any day.

I have to say I agree with you on this one. My 87' 325 doesn't handle any better then my girlfriends 91' cabriolet and I don't have to look at that stupid inspection light while I'm driving it. The steering wheel just isn't responsive enough and although it does go through turns exceptionally well I think many cars have catched up to it especially in recent years.

I agree with the initial guy's summary, I've had 4 325i (e30's) and a 325i (e36) and an M5 (e28). I've had 2 4 door's and a 2 door and now a touring.

The basics are. The e30 325i is well built / solid, the engine is strong and smooth and powerful, get a good one and it will pull 0-60 in 7 seconds and 135-140 top end, with loads of 3rd gear overtaking power, very good on the motorway, will cruise all day at 110mph.

However the cars flaw and in essence it's trade mark is it's wet weather handling which is poor. The tail will wag all over the place in the wet and even in the damp, irrespective of tyre choice. Lowered / sports suspension and correct camber adjustment helps a lot, and the car can be pushed around bends nicely in the dry, but even with the best suspension set up in the world this old chassis cannot cope with 170 bhp and loads of torque being delivered by that lazy 6 cylinder, and the wet will see you going sideways or backwards if you push too hard in the wet and are not quick enough with the opposite lock, and by too hard I mean attempt to use over 50% of the engines power before you have levelled this car up and straighted her out. That is really the point, it is why the car is so much fun, it has to be driven with respect, especially in the wet. You can't just floor it every where that's the point. In my experence all decent 1980's BM's are far too powerful for their chassis, that's why we love them. If you want entertainment buy an old 325i e30, if you want safety buy a volvo, if you want speed and handling buy a scooby or evo.

I have owned and driven many E30s over the last 10+ years.

I don't know what you guys are doing, but I've only had the car slide slightly maybe 3-4 times TOTAL in over 100k miles of driving a E30 in the wet.

You guys need to drive a little slower with your cars when it's wet. The E30 gives out a little faster compared other cars, like any RWD car. Tires also make a huge difference.

I drove through several snow seasons even on all seasons.

With dedicated summer and winter tires, this car is pretty solid. But don't expect to run a rally race in inclement weather with it and not expect to slide. My latest tires, the Yoko ES100, have been 100% solid in the rain.

Just picked up a mint 1987 325is (E30) 5speed with 110,000 miles on it. It is a blast to drive, and tonight on my way home from Penn State I hung with a late model (1998-2001) 740i up to 120mph on the interstate. So, to agree with a few of the previous posts, the power/speed is nice (probably due to the IS's 3.73 rear diff).

As much as I love the power of my "new" BMW, the handling does leave something to be desired... as the 1994 Honda Accord my E30 replaced was far more confidence-inspiring in the turns... in any weather (and we do have great curvy roads in PA). However, I believe my Accord's superior handling was due to an upgraded tire package, not a superior chassis/suspension to the E30.

The stock tire/rim package on my E30 is 195/65/14. Most sporty cars have tire widths of over 200mm for a bigger "footprint" and a cross section ratio of less than 55 (which keeps the tire from "rolling" as much in turns). Unfortunately BMW didn't seem to succumb to the idea of wide tires and short sidewalls as OEM equipment until the late 90's (a-la my father's '99 540i sport with 235/45/17's up front and 255/40/17's in the back to keep it in line).

I believe E30's have the stiff suspension and low stance of a well-handling vehicle; however, I think the E30's handling is limited by its poor tire/rim size combination. So, will somebody with a tire/rim upgrade let us know what you've found?! I can't wait to get some larger diameter wheels and wider tires on my E30... I'll be sure to re-post once I earn some $$ and make it happen!

Regards From Pennsylvania,

Rich