1 of 1 people found this review helpful
By jkoopman on 11/24/11 19:54 PM (PST)
Vehicle
1998 BMW 3 Series Coupe 323is 2dr Coupe
Review
I bought my '98 323is in September of '11 with 55,400 original miles.
It has been about 90 days and the car has been a pure joy to drive and own.
The M52 is the least powerful of the 2.5 I6 engines available but is still reasonably quick with a wonderful smooth character and a good amount of torque.
The balanced feel and handling put a huge smile on my face in every corner.
It is also comfortable and reasonably quiet on the highway inspite of its tight, sporty character.
This car was well maintained by its previous two owners and it shows.
I now understand why BMW calls their cars the "Ultimate Driving Machine".
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful
By DPhill on 02/25/10 00:33 AM (PST)
Vehicle
1998 BMW 3 Series Coupe 323is 2dr Coupe
Review
i always like the E36 since i was a kid so i bought one with 98,000 miles on the clock. it seemed that as soon as the odometer turned over 100,000 miles, it no longer wanted to do anything correctly. it needed fixing and the parts are expensive. i have spent $6k-$8k on this car in parts alone this past year. the check engine light always comes on; as soon as one problem is fixed another thing is wrong. i drive conservatively and i can not get more than 15mpg and it goes through back tires very quickly. the engine is very noisy and vibrates a lot. the power windows can not go up without help and the headliner is falling off. all in all: i can not wait to buy another car.
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By Japanese to German on 09/17/07 22:46 PM (PDT)
Vehicle
1998 BMW 3 Series Coupe 323is 2dr Coupe
Review
Whenever I think of a car for the rest of my life, it will be a BMW. I've had this car for one month and the ride is unbelievable. The tranny shifts so freaking smooth you'll think it's an autostick. Mine has 72,000 miles right now, and I swear it drives like brand new. It takes windy roads like it's on tracks, and I've already hit triple digits on the highway twice without noticing unitl I looked down at my speedometer! I think that shows that I've really been driving the heck out of this thing, and I'm still averaging around 25 miles to the gallon; over 30 when I'm on flat highway. I think Hondas and Toyotas and Nissans are great cars, but after a BMW, I'll never be able to drive one again.
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By Dell Sanders on 08/03/05 15:40 PM (PDT)
Vehicle
1998 BMW 3 Series Coupe 323is 2dr Coupe
Review
This car had about 40,000 miles on it when I bought it under the Certified Pre-Owned program - that has turned out to be the best car-buying decision I ever made. I LOVE THIS CAR !! It now has over 104,000 miles on it - I've driven it back and forth across the entire country several times and there was never a problem. BMW really has a way of making you feel at one with the car like no other carmaker seems to be able to duplicate. Maintenance costs have been average with no expensive surprises. Everyone is amazed at how clean the engine always stays, and at how shiny the original paint still is, although I've lived both in dry desert areas and very cold climates. Again - I love this car!
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By Jeff on 06/20/05 12:16 PM (PDT)
Vehicle
1998 BMW 3 Series Coupe 323is 2dr Coupe
Review
This has been a great car. I have 103,000 miles and never a problem. I plan on keeping it another 100,000,
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By falkonv7l on 10/24/04 00:00 AM (PDT)
Vehicle
1998 BMW 3 Series Coupe 323is 2dr Coupe
Review
And this one ROCKS!!! The most pleasant
car I have ever driven. I have the
sport pkg, constantly in contact with
the road yet the suspension is not
rough, the grip is amazing, the
steering is on par with a Porsche! This
is truly a drivers car. The chasis is
as stif as the day it was built (now I
have over 80k miles) Oh did I mention
it is a very good looking car as well!
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By Rob Towner on 09/28/03 00:00 AM (PDT)
Vehicle
1998 BMW 3 Series Coupe 323is 2dr Coupe
Review
A bad day at work quickly turns into a
smile on your face when you drive away
in this car. It has all the power you
want and at your pedal no matter what
speed you are at. Smooth suspension,
tight steering, easy shifting, and the
true meaning of the ultimate driving
experience. This is the best car I have
owned and would highly recommend to
anyone wanting the best of all worlds.
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By brian323is on 08/15/03 00:00 AM (PDT)
Vehicle
1998 BMW 3 Series Coupe 323is 2dr Coupe
Review
Excellent! There are not many other
words to describe this car. I am a
performance driver and this car takes
all that I give it and responds with a
smile as it grips the road and asks me
to push it harder. I have had no
major problems with the car ever and
it is still running strong. I have
raced the car a few times and have
been very happy with the results. I
ran a 14.5 in the 1/4 mile and the car
is bone stock. BMW really does build
the ultimate driveing machine.
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By C4Cabro on 06/25/03 00:00 AM (PDT)
Vehicle
1998 BMW 3 Series Coupe 323is 2dr Coupe
Review
This is a Great Car. Not is it just a
BMW it is a Dream Car. I love driving
Everyday. Just becuase i want to Drive
it. i highly Recommend it.
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By ArturoIsGod on 10/01/02 00:00 AM (PDT)
Vehicle
1998 BMW 3 Series Coupe 323is 2dr Coupe
Review
I bought my 1998 323IS back in February
2002. I love the syling, handling, and
the performance from the 2.5 liter
inline 6 is pretty good. Thing is it's
only got 60K miles on it and I've
already had to replace the catalytic
converter, the water pump, and the
serpentine belt. The thing vibrates
like crazy when at idle and seems to be
getting progressively worse. One of
the exhaust mounting brackets has
broken loose and it rattles under the
car. As soon as the extended warranty
runs out it's gone. Anyone know the
phone # for Acura?
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