I had owned a 325es previously (before the Problematic 240DL Volvo), but since then I knew I had to have the quicker 325is version which was very comparable to the M3 E30. Overall, as long as the timing belt has been changed, the car will run forever. Getting 250,000 miles out of a stock engine is not uncommon when regular maintenance is taken into account.
Valve adjustments are common for all M20 power plants (used in the 325e, 325i, 325is, 325ix, 325es, and 325). After these are done, the car will usually run much smoother.
At 252,000km I had realized that the driveshaft had to be replaced/rebuilt due to the non-replaceable u-joints. The price of this can usually be pretty high, in the neighborhood of 400-500USD.
Overall, the car stands out among all other Japanese cars, as well as newer BMW's. It's design is so simple, yet attractive that most will think you've spent much more on this car!
If your interested in one, make sure to buy one with the timing belt recently changed, or at least with records of when it was last done. This will save you from having to purchase a new motor due to the timing belt failing. Make sure it gets replaced every 100,000kms, or 5 years, whichever comes first.
The only thing I noticed wrong with this particular review was the remark it stood above other "Japanese" cars. BMW stands for Bavarian Motor Werks (that is an e), in Bavaria, a state of Southern Germany. Historically, BMW's are extremely reliable and as another reviewer put it, the 325IS can be extremely dangerous in the hands of an irresponsible driver. My son is considering one wherein I ran across these reviews. I didn't know about the timing belt issue, but will look into it during our pre-inspection of the car. Thanks.
Hi, just a small thing about BMW- It really stands for "Bayrische Motor Werke", which in English would be "Bavarian Motor Works".
Andrew, North Vancouver.
Regarding previous comments: Officially BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke (Bavarian Motor Works). And further more, any car can be dangerous if in the hands of an in-experienced driver. Naturally, ANY rear-wheel drive car, needs to be driven with more technique and care under slick conditions.
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