New here, thinking of buying 3 series

[2slow3]

Hey all, great site!

I am planning on selling my truck and looking to get a sedan. Love BMWs, always have, but am not really familiar with them. A dealer nearby has a '98 328i (is that the e36 I read about here?). 63k miles, 6 cyl., 5spd, pwr everything, for $16k asking price. Does that sound fair? Anything I should check that's specific to these cars before I buy?

Also, I'm sure this has been covered, but how easy are things like simple maintenance to DIY on these cars? I usually change the basics myself, change the oil, filters, plugs (BMWs have coils instead of plugs?), wires and all that stuff myself. Doable for a novice on a car like I'm looking at?

Thanks all for the info., and I'll keep reading!

future3?

[woobiee]

great choice and welcome

for 16k, you could prolly get a 95 M3, but a 328 is a great car, i had a 96 328i as my first car!

[donutchow]

16k sounds about right. check the blue book on it though. and see if it's still the original clutch, since that's expensive to repair. and try to talk them down to 15k if you can.

[Ski]

Hey welcome future3?..and yes that is a good buy!!

[2slow3]

Thanks all. I did check Kelly and Nada, and the retail price quotes came in from $17,200 or so to $20k, depending on a couple options I'm not sure on.

I'd LOVE an M3, but want to stay newer which puts them out of the current bankroll! :angry:

DUMB question, but what's the HP/torque rating for the '98 2.5 6cyl, I can't find it anywhere!

Thanks!

do you mean 2.8, because thats what the 328i is.......

[325i2NV]

IMO it is a good buy, what's the condition like?

If you know how to do regular maintenance on your truck then working on the bimmer should be not a problem. I recommend getting a maintence manual (haynes, or others) to help.

and welcome to the board.

[BlackTape]

bmw 3 series - BEST CARS MONEY CAN BUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Scarface]

i just bought my first bmw, a 92 325i and i love it...car handles great, accelerates nice, and is smooth...

[BlackTape]

e36 RULE

[cam540]

Sounds like a pretty good price and it should be an awesome car for you.

Now I see that you would like an M3, well I just got a 97 M3 with 75k miles for $18.5, maybe you could stretch the extra $$$, that should only equal about $50 more per month.

[AZ325Ci]

welcome future!!! glad to have you on board!! B)

the 328 is a great car.

[2slow3]

thanks all, seems like a great place to hang out. And yes, my bad, I meant the 2.8 6 cyl engine numbers . I'm seriously leaning towards the car! so we'll see what happens.

[2slow3]

Oops, just found it. 193 hp/206 lbs sound right?