Used 1996 BMW 3 Series Sedan Consumer Reviews

not the greatest

We got this car in 2008 with 199000 miles it lasted 4 weeks before the check engine light was on. we paid $1700 in repairs just to have the light come on again 5 wks later. we finally donated it in summer 2010 after pouring $7000 into it and still couldnt pass smog. atleast we got to claim it on our taxes right? lol

Dissappointed

I bought the car from a carpool co- worker with 97,000 mi. The car was in excellent condition and garage kept. The radio failed on me, the rear differential had a slow leak, the air conditioning dash unit had to be replaced. I also took excellent care of the vehicle expecting to easily get 180k mi or more. At 156k it just overheated on me, and needed head gasket repair $1800. Two mechanics have told me when this happens on my model usually the head unit also needs replaced $1K, and typically the cylinder cracks, coolant gels, water pump an issue. The BMW mechanic said I was better off to replace the engine $6K if I keep it. Now looking for salvage value after several years of pristine care. :(

The ultimate driving machine

Zippy fun to drive car! handling is excellent. pick up is decent for a 4 speed automatic, 4cyl car. In my opinion you can hang with any other sports sedan on the freeway with this car. One thing about BMWs that the owner must stay on top of is the maintenace. these are VERY sensitive cars and if you ignore the maintenance the end result will hit you in your wallet hard!

Amazing Car though not for everyone

Great car, love it but know what you are getting. Reliability: car will require some maintenance. Also reliability will vary with treatment more than some other cars, consider this when buying used. You will get electrical problems like brake light/check engine, do me a favor and don't buy/complain about this as it is not a "real" problem. Performance: depends on what you are comparing it to. Great compared to average cars: civic, grand am, saturn, etc. good driving experience corners well, accelerates, rear wheel drive which is completely under appreciated. Good blend of comfort and sport handling. But it is not a really fast car you will wish you had an M3 at times; though you can mod.

96 Bmw 328i