E36 BMWs: Why They Are the Best Things Your Lack Of Money Can Buy

I have been the proud owner of this 1996 BMW 328i since May of 2013 (although I had not daily driven it until I got my license a month ago), and I am convinced that it may be the best "bang for the buck" in the used car market, yes even including the Mazda Miata. 

Most of you are probably thinking, "Well Julian, don't you think you'll be a little bias considering it's your first car and you're happy to even have any car to drive?"

Yes, yes I do. If you would like to put a stop to this madness, please shoot me an email at julian.garfield@gmail.com and I'd be very excited to review anything you may have parked in your garage. 

The E36 BMW set the bar extremely high when they were first brought to the U.S in 1992, and while there were many imitators soon after, nothing really captured the overall driving dynamics and comfort like the BMW's 3rd generation 3 series. And due to such high production numbers throughout the 90's, 20 years later they are a steal.

We picked up this example with 127k miles for a meager $5,000, and that would be considered pretty pricey for what you can truly find these cars for now. By paying a little more than what the average E36 may cost, the interior is great, and everything works exactly as it should with the exception of the right-rear door lock (I have to manually unlock and lock it). 

All of that being said, the car didn't make it home without breaking down. My father and grandfather ended up stranded in Deleware somewhere with a failed water pump, and luckily pulled it to the shoulder without further complications. The cooling systems in the E36 are infamous for being entirely made of plastic, and should be the first thing replaced if it has not been yet. But one aluminum replacement water pump later, and they are great cars in every aspect.

My car currently has Koni single-adjustable shocks and aftermarket springs, Ground Control camber plates and rear ride height adjusters, Sparco Sprint V front seats, upgraded air intake, a custom tune from Epic Motorsports, and a Bimmerworld 3" race exhaust that is guaranteed to make you giggle each and every time you start the car. Oh, and no more 15"x 5.5" Bottle Cap wheels, 17"x 9" TR Motorsport Enkeis complete the look quite nicely if I may say so myself. 

To top all of that off, despite being rated at 18mpg city/24mpg hwy from BMW, its tall gearing aids in it getting rather good fuel mileage. Including city and highway driving, 400 miles on a 16 gallon tank (25mpg) is easily achievable, and I have seen near 35mpg on multiple highway stints. The only trouble is resisting the temptation to hear the engine scream through the Bimmerworld exhaust at 7,000 RPM.

The car has a very nice profile, redefining the 3 Series into the "wedge shape" from the rather boxy predecessors, the E21s and E30s. The sedan provides plenty of room to easily seat 3 in the back row, and there is a surprising amount of trunk space considering it's relatively small size.

Wait, a BMW sedan, small? The overall dimensions of cars have greatly inflated over the years, and it shocked me too when my E36 is dwarfed by the newer Hyundai Sonata or Toyota Camry parked next to me. The E36s are also known for being exceptionally narrow, only one inch wider than the 1st generation Mazda Miata. 

My 328 hides behind a wild Camry at the grocery store

With a narrow overall width, a long wheelbase with minimal overhang, and a 50/50 weight distribution straight from the factory, these BMWs weren't designed with only comfort in mind. They have a very unadulterated feel while driving. Its drive-by-cable throttle response is far better than the electronic deliveries on the E46s and beyond, and the steering isn't unnaturally light or quick from any computerized aids. Any aftermarket suspension, while it may make the commuting a little more jarring, will give you a car that'll out-handle the vast majority of cars on the road today. Pairing all of this with a 5-speed manual transmission and the incredible sound of a free-spirited inline six, creates the purest driving experience you can have. 

Driving shouldn't be something you have to do; it should be something you look forward to doing. Somehow, that BMW manages to get me even the slightest bit excited to get up and drive to school every morning, quite the feat for a teenager who believes there is no such thing as too much sleep.

I do want to forewarn potential buyers to make sure you select a good example if you plan to use for daily use, there are many cosmetic complaints about E36s as they age, try and seek out cars with good histories of being garage-kept, and take good care of it once it's in your hands. If you currently are not sure how to open the hood of your car, then you're looking for something by the name of "Honda". The E36s aren't mechanically bedeviled, but they do need to be checked on and tended to from time to time as they approach high mileage. 

To sum things up, you can get yourself a comfortable, spacious, quick and sporty car that the whole family can fit in, that's pretty reliable, capable of getting 30mpg, and will turn heads with its glorious sound, for well under $10k. And for my grammar Nazis out there, the greatness of this car prevents that last sentence from being labeled as a sloppy run-on. 

The 5 Best Ways To Get Into Autocrossing

Autocrossing is a great way for enthusiasts around the nation to play with their toys at the absolute limit of grip, without having to think of the consequences of burying their car in the tire wall or getting in trouble with the law.

The best way to start is with what you already have, to see if you like it. From Miatas, to Mustangs, to Porsches, to your grandma's Buick, cars of all kinds can be seen on the grid of any typical Autocrossing event. If you're the one tearing it up in the Buick, it's only a matter of time before you begin asking others, "What do I have to do to be competitive?". I'm going to try and save everyone some trouble and pick out the best ways to start Autocrossing under SCCA Solo competitively without breaking the bank.

5. Toyota Celica GT/GTS

Debuting in 1999, the seventh generation Toyota Celica was Toyota's most recent sporty 2-door up until the long-awaited release in 2013 of the Toyota 86GT, or as we know them, the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S.

The car currently fits quite nicely into the G Street Category. Keeping modifications and cost to a minimum, an upgraded exhaust from the catalytic converter back, your choice of shocks (but not springs mind you), an upgraded sway bar on one end of the car, a 1" tolerance in either direction in wheel diameter, without altering the wheel width, and 200TW (or higher) tires permitted. That's the gist at least, you can read the fine print on your own time. 

Nowadays you can find used Celicas in the range of $3k for your higher mileage, not as "picture perfect" examples, to your $8k or $9k optioned-out garage queens. All said and done, the Celica pictured above is a $3700 Celica GTS with less than $3500 worth of goodies, and his nationals-winning Celica GT was done for less. And the less options the better, if you can find a GTS without a sunroof you'd have quite the unicorn, shaving some pounds (over your head) off the already quite nimble 2400lb curb weight.

Just beware, this sweet deal may not last forever, as class rulings have to favor cars that can still be bought off the showroom floor. The Ford Focus ST (which almost made the cut for this list) is a fierce competitor against the Celica that could possibly eventually force the Celicas out of Street competition.

4. Scion FRS/Subaru BRZ

Likely a shoe-in for the list, the Scion FRS and Subaru BRZ have made a big impact in the sports car industry in the short amount of time they have been around. How you ask? It's the Miata coupe that everyone had been longing for.

The Toyobaru has already taken storm in SCCA Solo, 61 of 1,161 drivers who attended the 2014 SCCA Solo Nationals were sporting BRZs or FRSs. So if you're looking to be the outcast, it definitely would not be the car for you. The "twins" have proven themselves in their street and street touring categories to be a contender for the championship, falling in "C Street" and "Street Touring Xtreme". 

You can get yourself a brand new 2015 Subaru BRZ or Scion FRS for around $25k, and while we're still sorta waiting to see where they settle in on the used market, it looks like most are around $17,000 or $18,000 for a first-year model. While it may not be the cheapest route, by getting a brand new car as your weekend warrior, it can dual purpose as a cool daily driver that you know the history of without the worries of reliability issues of a 10-15 year old car. You'll just have to get over seeing little cone scuffs on your brand new toy.

As for the build, getting your BRZ/FRS ready to take on the RX-8s, Solstices, and MX-5s of C Street could cost around $2500 after shocks, exhaust, sway bar, crash bolts, and other minor expenses. 200TW street tires typically run around $650 a set. Street Touring Xtreme gets a little more costly, allowing things such as ECU tuning, full exhaust including headers, and full suspension modification. This could range anywhere from $4-5k if done on the cheap end, to over $10k sparing no expense.

3. Honda CRX

The Honda CRX became a popular choice in both in SCCA Solo and Club Racing because it makes a very affordable, reliable fun sporty hatchback, which is exactly what the SCCA was founded upon.

The CRX has multiple places to play in the solo crowd, being competitive in Street Touring Sport, F Street Prepared (the 1st gen), Street Modified FWD, and E Prepared. Street Touring Sport is the cheapest way for the CRX to be competitive, pitted against the other Japanese icon of the era, the 1st generation Mazda Miata. The class, despite both cars not necessarily "packing a punch" under the hood, probably bring the highest level of awe between the capabilities of the CRX and Miata when put out on the Autocross course. 

Used Honda CRXs may cost you anywhere from $1500 to $4000 in good running condition, but the bigger issue is finding one that doesn't look like it has either been a home for a family of raccoon, or an extra on the "Fast and Furious" movie set. You want either the '88 or '89 CRX Si if you choose to take on the class, the '88 being lighter, but a slightly different suspension is on the '89 that some seem to prefer. 

The example in the picture is a $4000 1989 Honda CRX Si, and after installing all the goodies allowed in STS, including shocks that can cost as much as the car itself, another $10k can be invested before you're heading off to the Solo Nationals. Investment security is not an issue with the CRX though, as if major changes are made to the class it currently runs it, there are multiple other classes for you to be competitive in.

2. Honda CR125 Shifter Kart

Shifter karts are so fast, I finished the run with high-waters

Have you ever wondered what it's like to do 0-60 in under 4 seconds with your butt 1/2" off the ground? Maybe it's about time you considered purchasing a shifter kart.

Driving a shifter kart should be something that everyone does at least once in their Autocross "career". Partially because you realize you have to process things faster than you ever have just to stay on course, and partially because it gives the owners of said shifter karts a good laugh when your neck snaps back after shifting into 2nd gear. They have a great following in the SCCA Solo community as well, with over 30 class participants in "Kart Modified" at the Solo Nationals each year.

Once you try one,  and wrap your head around the amazing value that they are, it's hard to not go purchase one yourself. You can get yourself a complete shifter kart capable of winning the Solo Nationals for $3000, used karts are without a doubt the better way to make a purchase. Unlike cars, a 2005 chassis vs. a 2015 will make no difference when you're Autocrossing. On top of that, tires are $200 a set, a major cost savings when it comes to expendables.

So why isn't it #1? Sometimes spending less than everyone else and still running the fastest time of the entire event is just too good to be true. While you can sometimes go seasons with minimal maintenance, most things are bass-ackwards when it comes to knowing how to tune and work on a shifter kart. And if you don't know how to fix your problem, you are likely stripping the chassis of the motor and shipping it halfway across the country to get it looked at. Also, being the only class in Solo required to wear a suit, the 100 degree days can be brutal. But that is the LAST thing you are thinking about when you're flying across a parking lot at 70mph.

1. Mazda Miata MX-5

So yeah, I really wasn't going for shock value with this one. The Mazda Miata has been an automotive icon in all of its 25 years of existence, and here's why it is the best car to start Autocrossing with.

First off, they are one of the best handling cars out there. I know as a driving instructor, that every Miata I get into (LS motor swaps not included) will be a well-balanced, neutral car, that will not try and kill me. It teaches the driver how to carry momentum and therefore approach corners properly, and does not have any form of excessive understeer or oversteer. But, it'll do either of those things in an instant with the right (or wrong) inputs. Also, there are at least 7 different classes that one of Miata's three generations is a major contender; C Street (NC), E Street (NB), B Street Prepared (MSM), C Street Prepared (NA, NB, NC), D Prepared (NA, NB, NC), Street Touring Sport (NA), and Street Touring Roadster (NC).

The cheapest way to get yourself on course ready to go is an E Street NB, or 2nd generation Miata. With so many variations, it's tough to know which Miata is the best Miata for the class. Currently, it is speculated the the '99 Sport Package is the car to have, because it provides you with the best suspension and the least amount of options and/or additional weight. The '03 Club Sport is not permitted in E Street due to low production numbers. 

You can find a NB in decent shape for around $4-5k, and after shocks, sway bar, wheels/tires, and exhaust, you can set yourself up with the best components for $7-8k. It's an unbeatable value, and I wouldn't recommend any other car over the Mazda Miata as the greatest place to start.

Photo Credit: Perry Bennett (#2, #4, #5), Craig Wilcox (#3), AJ Aviles (#1)