BMW E36 Is The SUPERIOR BMW

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The BMW E36 is the best BMW

Quick History

Replacing the E30 in 1992, the E36 was faster, heavier, larger, more spacious, and higher quality. This was the young successful person’s car at the time. Being in direct competition with the Audi A4, VW Golf GTI, and especially the Mercedes W124, BMW made a seemingly difficult task easy with the success of the E36. 1998 marked the end of the Generation paving way for the fourth Gen 3 series, or e46, in 1999.

Engines and Models

In the US, the E36 was offered as a sedan, coupe, and a hatchback. Sadly, the wagon didn’t meet the American market.

Starting from the bottom there is the 318I with the small, eco-friendly 4 cylinder with 138 hp and 19-27 MPG and had a slight displacement increase in 96.

Then there’s the incredible Inline 6 in the 325I and the 328I. The 325 has the M50B25 2.5L I6 motor with 189 hp and in 93 the M50TUB25 was introduced which is the well equipped high compression VANOS, or variable intake cam timing, motor.

In 1996, the 328I replaced the 325i with the M52B28 2.8l I6 motor, which finally offered OBD2 and has 190hp.

The 323I replaced the 2.5l motor in 1995 with 170hp.

Of course there’s the BMW M3 which was introduced for the USA in 1995 which has the well balanced 3.0l Inline 6 making 240 hp and 225lb ft torque. The m3 then in 1996 received an 11ft lb bump in torque and a displacement increase with a 3.2L I6 motor.

Click here to learn more about the engines and models

Modifications

Focusing more on the 2.8L, there’s a write up (click here to check it out) engine modifications to increase power. This fella installed M50 manifolds and a remap yielded nearly a 20hp gain, then he installed a modified exhaust and M3 cams which bumped the power up to 244HP. Those are some pretty impressive numbers.

The sound of these cars with an AM exhaust is pretty impressive.

And of course there’s a wide selection for visual and performance modifications that can turn this car from a great handling machine to a perfect missile in the corners.

Price

The prices are all over the place, but in Texas you can find a clean 323i with low miles for $4,000 and a higher-ish mile 328i for $4500. For covid prices, it’s really not terrible. However, my buddy was able to snag a higher mile one for 2k in Florida before the covid times. So, it might be worth it to wait until prices settle before trying to snag one.

Reliability

BMW being notorious for expensive repairs and engine issues, the E36 I6 motor is on the opposite spectrum. It’s not a toyota, but it’s a reliable BMW.

If the cooling system hasn’t been upgraded, then that should be on the top of your todo list. Replace the radiator, thermostat, hoses, belts and water pump with high quality replacements, which is usually cheaper and better than the plastic OEM replacements. Replacing all of this is very much doable by a diyers and affordable

The VANOS can go bad, make the car have less low end power, bad gas mileage and hear the Marble in a tin cup sound. Replacing the VANOS cam is not a job for a novice, but with enough research, you’ll be able to replace it yourself with some special tools. My buddys vanos, whom I lived with at the time, went bad around 220k miles, but that was after the car overheated multiple times from the previous owner and being somewhat beaten on.

Bad Wrap

BMWs get a bad wrap, mainly because they are German vehicles in America and there are a limited amount of German mechanics. Sure, but BMW has also made a number of duds that really impact the overarching brand. The I6 motor in these bmws are one, if not, the most reliable motors bmw has ever produced with examples lasting well over 200k miles. The interior is simple, yet sophisticated and the handling is something you wouldn’t get for a car at this price point. Although issues do pop up with these cars, it’s not comparable to other cars within their lineup.

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