Used 1996 BMW 3 Series Consumer Reviews
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Good Fun Doesn't Come Cheap
Great engineering went into the design of 328i. Great handling, good ergonomics, lots of cool gadgets, unbelievable at top speeds, but expensive to maintain. Other BMW owners seem to have the same comments.
Great little coupe
Very comfortable highway car. I'm 6'3" 220 lbs. and I have plenty of room. It has plenty of power for the highway and is very agile in city traffic. The central locking system these Germans designed is a tough one to figure out. That's my only beef. The car is very tight, solid. At high speeds it is quiet and smooth. You definitely have to pay attention to your speed or set the cruise control otherwise you'll be traveling 80+ mph and not realize it. It handles like it is on rails but still maintains a smooth ride quality. This is my first BMW. I have owned 30 different cars over the last 30+ years. This car impressed me so much that I'll be adding another BMW to my collection very soon.
295k
I bought this car 6 years ago with 187k on it. I was a poor college kid at the time and it was a relatively inexpensive car. Well the past 3 years I have driven the heck out of it. An hour commute on the backroads of PA (terrible roads), and an hour commute on highways of MD. I've put 100k on it in those 3 years. I have had to replace a lower control arm, and the heater control unit, so about $500 in parts. The speakers have blown and the radio backlight doesn't show up too well. I nearly get 40 mpg and hammer it on the backroads and never ride slower than 80 mph. Great car! I would love another one.
Great Date Car
Found it on a used Corvette lot. Sat in both but found my old body liked the BMW better. Every woman in my life perfered the BMW. Drives and looks like a dream.Haven't had all the electrical problems yet except it says to "check coolant" from time to time, nothing wrong. Had to replace the low pressure power steering hose and the fan belt tensioner assembly. At 65K miles the tensioner pulley would scream at start up. Never owned a car that required that fix. The dealer spent close to $1000 fixing or replacing the top cable system.
It's amazing - but here are some issues.
Sport package seats are very stiff and also extremely supportive. You won't want to take this on a 3+ hour trip, but it's a blast getting to work each day! Also, remarkable in the snow with Blizzaks. The car is thought out very well, but the electric "glitches" can drive you nuts. Check engine light is aways on - but the performance exhaust and intake is probably my fault... Brake light indicator pops up from time to time, which I hear is a common issue. Everyone wants to race you from the stoplights - what's up with that!?! I have had only one repair in the past two years, and it was about $200.