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Rob_the_Sparky View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: E36 Buying Guide ?
    Posted: 15-September-2004 at 08:02

and model description.

Are these available on here somewhere?  I'm a little confused at the moment about the models, particualrly the 328i.  From the data I've seen the 328i seems to be pretty much the same performance of the 325i but with worse fuel economy and the 323i seems to be quicker and better economy than the 320i (although quite a bit slower than the 325/328).

I drive long miles every day and don't want to pay out too much in fuel but am looking for performance that won't disappoint after having driven 205 GTis for a while.  Fancy something a bit more sensible and rear wheel drive...(not too sensible!).

Rob

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-September-2004 at 08:42

Aargh, you're following me!

My 325i (it's an E30) does fractionally more MPG than the 1.9GTi and is supposedly fractionally quicker to 60 (assuming you find 2nd gear and don't just crunch for about 3 seconds  )

If anyone like old cars with big BMW engines, take a look at www.gt6.org.uk
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-September-2004 at 09:33

I don't know if there is an E36 buying guide availible but plenty of info on what to look can be found on this forum if you do a search. Two things to look out for are suspension bushes and nikasil

The 328 is slightly faster than the 325 because although it has the same power it has more  torque. From what I can gether it also should get better mpg. I get about 28mpg average, but on long runs it does 35mpg at about 80.

If you want performance then don't bother with the 320. If it was me I would go for the 328 or 325.

Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-September-2004 at 13:54

Hmmmm glad I came on here, not heard of the Nikasil problem before.  Just done a search and now rather wiser.

How common is the problem and is there a list of cars somewhere that could be effected?

Rob

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-September-2004 at 15:11
No, you guys are following ME! lol Get abck to teh 205 GTi Drivers & PSOOC forums
MattB

E36 328i Sport in silver

www.fotki.com/mattb106
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-September-2004 at 15:13

oh, you will find some good E36 articles on www.e36coupe.com.

I think the opinion tends to be now that if the car isnt showign the symptoms if nikasil then it's past the danager. A lot will have had new blocks fitted from as low as 30k miles by BMW. The problem was sorted form 98 onwards though.

MattB

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-September-2004 at 15:16

sorry to post again (yeah i know there is an edit function!)...

Mileage wise i could get upto 450 miles out of a tank on my 328i sport. That would be cruising mostly though. I generally get just over 400 miles with around a £45-50 fill up cost (60 litres odd). The temptation does get strong to gun it in third though as it goes so well from realtively low speed some which are quite illegal! The MPG is better than my 205 was doing though (and that was a 1.6).

 

 



Edited by MattB106
MattB

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16-September-2004 at 04:11
Originally posted by Rob_the_Sparky Rob_the_Sparky wrote:

Hmmmm glad I came on here, not heard of the Nikasil problem before.  Just done a search and now rather wiser.

How common is the problem and is there a list of cars somewhere that could be effected?

Rob

As far as I am aware all 6 cylinder cars from about 1995 to 1998 are affected. This includes 320, 323, 325 and 328. All E36 328s and 323s are affected up to the middle of 98 whereas only the later 320s and 325's are affected since they stopped making them in 1995.  

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16-September-2004 at 11:48
Originally posted by MattB106 MattB106 wrote:

I generally get just over 400 miles with around a £45-50 fill up cost (60 litres odd).

 

 

 

How do you get that much?  Does anyone else get about this?  I'm only managing about 350miles to a tank (and thats if I'm really lean on the pedal towards the end..)  I do a mix of Motorway and city which is roughly 50/50.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16-September-2004 at 12:03

320 6 cyl 2.0

323 6 cyl 2.5 (restricted) 170bhp

325 6 cyl 2.5 193bhp

328 6 cyl 2.8 193bhp (restricted, de-restricted 210-220bhp) but more torque

The 323 and 328 came out and the models were revised and some restricted to give another model. The 328 was restricted for German tax laws and kept below 200bhp.


328 Coupe Sport, Digital climate, full leather, OBD computer, De-restricted with M50 manifold, big bore throttle, chippeduk remap, custom cold cone intake and X-brace
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17-September-2004 at 07:50
If you want economy and still want to enjoy the ride, look at the 318is (not the 318i). This has 140bhp compared to the 150 of a 320, but it's lighter and less front end biased than the 6 cylinder cars. Early E36 318is had the M42 1.8 engine, later ones had the M44 1.9 with fractionally more torque.
Cheers, Neil
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17-September-2004 at 07:51

Cheers guys for the info, things are beginning to get a bit clearer now.

Rob

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19-September-2004 at 12:56
Originally posted by Pegsta Pegsta wrote:

Originally posted by MattB106 MattB106 wrote:

I generally get just over 400 miles with around a £45-50 fill up cost (60 litres odd).

 

 

 

How do you get that much?  Does anyone else get about this?  I'm only managing about 350miles to a tank (and thats if I'm really lean on the pedal towards the end..)  I do a mix of Motorway and city which is roughly 50/50.

I get about 330mls out of a fill up, £42 of standard unleaded.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19-September-2004 at 13:31
Originally posted by Peter Fenwick Peter Fenwick wrote:

Originally posted by Pegsta Pegsta wrote:

Originally posted by MattB106 MattB106 wrote:

I generally get just over 400 miles with around a £45-50 fill up cost (60 litres odd).

How do you get that much?  Does anyone else get about this?  I'm only managing about 350miles to a tank (and thats if I'm really lean on the pedal towards the end..)  I do a mix of Motorway and city which is roughly 50/50.

I get about 330mls out of a fill up, £42 of standard unleaded.

Cheers.. I'm glad I'm not alone in that.  Which leaves the question how does MattB106 get over 400miles to a tank out of his????

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-September-2004 at 03:29

Just adding my two pence....

1) I wasn't aware the 325 ever suffered with Nikasil problems.

2) I usually get less than 300 miles on a full tank in my 328i. Probably because I'm rather fond of kickdown on the auto 'box. Having said that, a recent long motorway trip showed about 40mpg on the trip computer.

3) Performance figures - and there's not that much in it between 325 and 328 - can be found here (Acrobat file)

http://www.totalbmwmag.co.uk/Buying/BuyingAug02.PDF

HF



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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-September-2004 at 08:22
I get about 320 - 350 from commuting to and from work (all stop start thru Manchester) and I can get about 400 miles on a good motorway run averaging about 90 mph.

I've found that there's quite a difference dependent on petrol. I sometimes seem to get a good batch and other times a poor batch resulting in higher or lower fuel economy. Generally Shell seems to suit my car a bit better than Esso or the local supermarket. I don't use Super unleaded or Optimax (although have tried these but no really noticeable effect) just standard unleaded.
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