1995 BMW M3 Consumer Discussions

BMW M3 Maintenance and Repair

• Re: New 1997 M3 Owner with questions [cnk79]

  Written by: roadburner on May 20, 2010 6:47:28 PM

  what is the ASC button? Traction/stability control what do I have? It is a 4 door. The 1995-1999 M3 is built on the E36 platform. Is there anything I need to know about this car like what problems they might have, what oil do I need to use, etc........? Keep an eye on the cooling system; you'll need to replace the radiator/t-stat/water pump in the 60K-100K mileage range. Use ONLY BMW ... Read More

Buying a Used 3-Series

• Re: 1995 M3 [fedlawman]

  Written by: roadburner on Oct 9, 2008 10:50:23 AM

  The Dinan parts and suspension are likely OK, but all the cosmetic do-dads will scare away a BMW enthusiast because the quality is questionable and it brings images of an immature owner with a high likelihood that the car has been abused and not properly maintained. My thoughts exactly. I'd bet the farm that the owner is a typical "bling it and brag" poseur.

• Re: 1995 M3 [prophecy210]

  Written by: fedlawman on Oct 9, 2008 6:54:20 AM

  It's hard to say without seeing the car, Depending on condition, complete maintenance records, personally knowing the owner, etc., a bone stock 95 M3 with 55K miles should fetch between $10K and $15K. BTW, some of those upgrades don't necessarily decrease the value of the car - but they don't increase the value either. The Dinan parts and suspension are likely OK, but all the cosmetic do-dads will scare away a ... Read More

• Re: Looking to purchase my first BMW [cotmc]

  Written by: roadburner on Mar 4, 2008 5:28:23 PM

  It reminded me of the previous generation 528i I owned several years ago. Exactly; I'm considering an M3 sedan for my family car, I consider it to be more of a hyper-fast grand tourer, much like an E28 or E34 M5. It certainly isn't an edgy corner-carving hooligan like the original(and still the best) M3. Maybe I'm too biased, but I thought my 2005 model was more fun to drive than ... Read More

• 330ci vs e36 m3 Review

  Written by: quattroporte12 on Aug 18, 2006 9:54:55 PM

  Was just reading a review of a 2001 m3 and saw this quote comparing the old one (e36)and 330ci. Thought i should post it...from edmunds.com reviews. "When the last BMW M3 was sold in North America (from 1995 to 1999), it was an emasculated version of the car available across the Atlantic. While Europeans were ripping about in 321-horsepower M3s, we made do with choked 240-horse variants. Sure, they were great-handling ... Read More

BMW M3 Maintenance and Repair

• Vin Decode

  Written by: beemer_girl_70 on Mar 7, 2006 4:18:06 AM

  My sweetie and I are co-owners of a used auto Dealership.We both love BMW's and we specialize in BMW's and their restoration. We have approximately 25 BMW's ranging from a 1970 model 2002 up to a 1995 740i, 2-1991 M5's, a 1997 M-3, 2-1990 525i's, a 1998 528i, and a 1989 730i. So we are familar with BMW's. We are looking at a 1997 BMW that is being advertized as an ... Read More

Audi S4 vs BMW M3

• Audi vs. BMW reliability and service

  Written by: carguy4life on May 13, 2005 11:47:59 PM

  I have owned an E36 M3 since 1995 and just this month traded in an Audi A4 owned since 1996. I have/had been ecstatic and happy respectively with the BMW and Audi. **RELIABILITY** The BMW has been more reliable than the Audi and less expensive to maintain. Known reliability issues with the E36 3-series include the cooling system and rear shock mounts. My second thermostat was installed at ~60k miles (the ... Read More