Hi,

Just wondered what your opinion is on whether it's 'safer' to buy a slightly older car - e.g. 1993-1995 325i coupe than a 1996-1998 323i coupe - due to nikasil issue. Or is the benefit of the non-nikasil engine lost by the fact that it's an older car?

Any benefits/drawbacks that you know of either way?

I've had the same dilemma and went the direction of the older car (twice!).

My thinking was that a tidy car with a decent history was a basic requirement (to avoid the pitfalls that MBW1 listed) regardless of the engine.  The M50 engine, in either vanos or non-vanos versions, is probably the most durable and trouble free engine that BMW have made in the last couple of decades (as long as the cooling system has always done its thing properly).  The main drawback of the older cars is that even on specced up ones the creature comforts are minimal, the later cars are more likely to have climate, etc. (perhaps not a benefit if it doesn't work) but it has everything I need for a toy.

A lot of early cars are looking a bit ragged now but there pampered cars are still to be found if you are patient. 

My current one was bought about 6 months ago with a genuine 33k miles (verified with original selling dealer) and when scrubbed up it looks like it just came from the factory (the only 2 faults when I bought it were a non-functioning glove box torch and a blown illumination bulb behind the light switch - took all of 2 minutes to solve both).  10k miles later and the car has had 2 services and no faults or items other than the service schedule list to attend to.  It had one owner from new until 2007.

My previous one was similar, one owner from new until I bought it in 2005 at 70k and similarly pampered by the first owner.

Find one like these and they will give immense pleasure for relatively little money.  Condition and provenance is everything and worth paying a little extra for.

One thing to watch - I came across and old copy of CAP Data and it seems to indicate that there was a change to an alloy block for the M50 engine at the start of 1995 for the 320i and 325i, before the M52 engine appeared in the 323i and 328i so personally I confined my search for the 325i's to '93 and first half of '94 build cars.  The M50 got single vanos in late '92 and having had a non-vanos 325i some years ago would recommend the vanos version.

Have to agree with Dergside, having been looking for another 3 in the last few weeks have come across various wrecks that were claimed to be immaculate ! Last weekend found a 1996 328 coupe, one owner, Genuine 33k FSH etc. One minor issue, which were pointed out, Display sometimes claims brake light circuit failed, which it hasnt. Apart from that might look at fitting Parking sensors !

MBW1 wrote: The  Most H-K plate cars are just rough old pigs these days.

I hope you dont mean all the bmw range as i have a 93 540 original paint and very tidy for age. this also applies for a lot of 3's that are out there in very good shape