Bottom line. Overall, the BMW E36 is a nice, reliable, comfortable, and high-performance car. Like most BMWs, this model also comes with a few problems that interested buyers should know about, but most of these issues can be done away with proper maintenance. Besides, the BMW E36 has above-average reliability and it is very practical. The inline-4 engines will go on forever if they are maintained and the only thing to look out for in the inline-6 engines is the oil level. These engines are slanted (like pretty much all inline-6 BMW engines) and if the oil level is allowed to drop near the minimum, they may suffer from oil starvation, and most gearheads who have owned a twin-cam BMW also know they always use oil. I have owned a 1992 & 1993 E36 and currenty own a 2003 E39. All cars were purchased new. The E36+SP+5 SPD has 100K on the odometer and is still in the fmaily. The E36 is a great car, but there is little value in spending money on major repairs when you can find a good-excellent condition E39 that will last many more years if taken care of properly. E36 is a great budget car and the 4cyl are less trouble than the 6 (no VANOS). They are not hard to work on. Down here there are plenty of used parts; not sure what it's like in A-squared though. There are tons of good DIY guides, with photos, on-line. E30s have different arches between pfl and fl models. That's why some wheel combinations can even look weird between E30s. If a small change like that can change the look of the car, asking how this would be done on an E36 becomes guesswork. The best way to go about things is to find pictures of an E36 you like and going from what the guy did. Miatas are still climbing in price but it'd be cheaper than either of those cars. Hell, for the cost of a good e36 or datsun you might be able to buy a decent miata AND a turbo kit. But at least you can get roll cages and roll bars for miatas, loads of suspension parts, control arms, end linksyou know, stuff that goes bad if you thrash a car. The B7 was in production the entire time the 6-Series was, getting updated whenever the 635CSi was improved by BMW. It was and still is a great car, which has shot up in value, potentially making both the BMW 635CSi and the Alpina B7 Turbo Coupé a good investment for the future. Related: Here's What Made The Alpina B7 Coupe Special e46 > e36 > e30 ive owned all 3 and honestly my favorite was the e46. reason why is because its just a perfect car( 330ci ) handled great, pretty quick , smooth ride, reliable, great interior, perfect body. the e36 is not bad of a car either i mean it handles great , its pretty quick , looks cool but its nothing like an e46 IMO. the e30 on the other hand is ehh its what ever to me. i had one Keep in mind as well that e30 M3s are far rarer cars. They didn't sell very well here in the US originally. 16,000 e30 M3s were built vs over 70,000 e36 M3s. They're just not anywhere near as rare. There are a few e36 variants that hold up pretty well due to rarity. -M3 LTW: 120 made. -1994 Canadian Spec M3: 45 made. 1jmX.

is e36 a good car