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.