Disclaimer: If you don’t like BMWs, now might be an excellent time for you to explore the plethora of finely written, well-researched articles in Curbside Classic’s comprehensive library.
With that said, was it a “perfect” car? No, not at all. But, it was a really great car; its numerous virtues and few vices consistent during my 11-year ownership.
This is the story of my 1998 328is coupe, my “finest hour” of vehicle ownership.
A Picture on the Wall
For nearly 30 years, I’ve displayed a framed BF Goodrich (BFG) poster of a silver E36 BMW M3 coupe — sometimes in the living room, sometimes at work, now in my home office.
You may recognize the image; this was one of a multi-vehicle poster series from BFG. Each poster displayed a different performance car in a color-keyed, nearly monochromatic layout. Fittingly, the M3’s theme was silver.
I ordered one poster and received three (!) in the mail, which seemed like a great return on investment. Between the poster and Car and Driver’s irreverent raving over the E36 M3’s dynamic virtues (My favorite: “Even God wants one”), it became my aspirational car.
Memorable “Motorvation”
In early spring 2003, as I plodded along with the Solara, I test drove an Estoril Blue ‘99 M3 coupe.
My solo drive taught me many things:
1. This seemed like a lot of car for a daily driver. Being an inline-six, it accelerated smoothly, but also quite quickly and ferociously; I saw the potential for many future traffic violations.
2. By my metric, $32,900 was a lot of money for a car, even a lot of car like this one. Way more money than I was willing to spend in 2003.
3. It made the most interesting noises: the M3’s S52 3.2L inline-six’s induction and exhaust noise, with a side order of gear whine from the manual transmission, was both musical and mechanical, a combination I found pleasing.
4. It had the most interesting driving feel: the steering’s accuracy, quick ratio and substantial heft; the shifter’s slick, direct, and slightly rubbery feel; the clutch pedal’s high engagement point; the extremely stiff yet mostly compliant ride. The entire car felt tuned as one unit, and performed as such. The seat of driver’s pants had a direct hotline to the driver’s brain, and told the driver everything the car was doing.
While I was not foolish enough to engage in any test drive tomfoolery, physiologically I had obviously experienced something: by the time I returned to the dealer, my heart rate was elevated, my forearms were lightly fatigued, I was perspiring lightly, and my left leg felt a little weak. The M3 seemed hardcore to me, as it should have; it hadn’t earned all this enthusiast-mag praise by just talking the talk.
Once back in the Solara, I felt as if I’d just tamed the tiger, and was now returning from Dynamiteland to Dullsville in my transportation appliance.
Target Acquired
In June 2003, I gleefully kissed the Solara goodbye and bought an Avus Blue ‘98 328is from a local Toyota dealership for $17,000. It was a one-owner, 5-speed car with 47,000 miles, well-equipped in BMW’s typical nickel-dime style: metallic paint, heated seats, power front seats, sand leather, harman/kardon audio system with six-disc in-trunk CD changer, power sunroof, etc.
Sitting in the car the first time with the engine running was a novelty in itself. I felt like I was sitting next to a sonorous turbine, waiting to deliver its generous helpings of power and smoothness down the longitudinal center of the car, to the rear drive wheels. I never noticed this in the M3 (too much sensory overload, I guess). An odd and interesting sensation at the time, one that I acclimated to quickly.
While many months had passed since driving the M3, I still thought, What an interesting car, during the 328is’s test drive. The interior, particularly, was a point of interest.
During its product lifecycle, the E36 was maligned for not delivering a “luxury” interior for its segment. That may be, but I liked the rationality, if you will, of the interior — the seats were comfortable for long distances, instrumentation was clearly legible, the visibility was excellent, and the folding rear seatbacks delivered impressive utility. (We once bought a ‘50s dinette and four chairs while traveling; with the rear seatbacks folded and the table legs removed, we were able to easily fit the entire set in the car. How uber-utilitarian, ja?)
The dash controls, also, were alternately cryptic or pictographic enough to remind me that this car was designed in another land. The radio even had a weather band! Those clever, industrious Germans, they think of everything!
Similar to my feelings on the original Beetle, I rather liked the “foreign-ness” of the BMW, specifically the lack of cruise control status display on the instrument panel (one should know whether cruise is engaged without needing an indicator light), and the 1000/100/10/1 button nonsense on the onboard computer. Or just the whole onboard computer, period.
These quirks, and others, kept the car fresh to me for an unusually long time; several years passed before the novelty wore off.
On the Highway
The car’s dynamics itself kept the experience fresh as well. It was just fabulous on the road. Head and shoulders above any car I’d previously owned. The heft of the controls, substantialness of the structure, powertrain refinement, power delivery, ride/handling balance, everything. I had then, and still have now, no vehicle analogue; it was its own vehicle and did not lend itself well to comparisons to other vehicles. It was so good, at so many things, in so many conditions, on so many different kinds of roads. It just ate up miles, comfortably and entertainingly, without complaint.
I’ve never driven a car with an engine that so seamlessly transitioned from torque to horsepower as the RPM climbed; it easily went from around-town trundler to entrance ramp screamer — just press the accelerator.
The car was quite happy on the highway, clipping along in direct-drive 5th gear, delivering an ideal firm-yet-supple ride on most surfaces, even broken pavement. Need to get around some pokey tractor-trailers? Just step on the gas and away you go. No need to downshift. RPM were around 3,200-3,500 in the 75-80 mph range. I know it sounds like it would be noisy, but it wasn’t.
The funny part was gas mileage. We drove to North Carolina several times in the 328. One time, I checked our mileage and got 32.7 mpg. “That can’t be right,” I said. I couldn’t picture the direct-drive 5th gear delivering that mileage at I-95 highway speeds. So, I made extra sure I had my numbers right for calculating the next highway segment. Well, that 400-mile leg calculated out at 34.1 mpg (!). With the A/C on. Those clever, industrious Germans are tricky, too!
On the Backroads
On secondary roads is where the car would really shine. Going to my Uncle John’s house in Unadilla, going to Binghamton, driving to Volvo headquarters in New Jersey for training project work, making an early weekend morning Waffle House run to Pennsylvania, traveling through the Finger Lakes on Routes 5 and 20; it was nearly as thrifty as my wife’s Accord coupe, easily bettered the Probe’s driving experience while delivering more refinement, and was immeasurably more athletic than the Solara (and everything else I’d owned).
As newer models (from BMW and other OEMs) became more gadgety and complex, I lamented the industry’s move away from what I called “engineered goodness.” For example, my 328 did not have an electronically-controlled suspension. Instead, it had what I referred to as the “good” setting: one that the engineers decided was the best overall calibration. To me, it was the best; I never wished for a “sport” setting or a “comfort” setting; it was perfect as-is.
The Ambience
The 328 delivered a large percentage of M3-style excitement, but was likely much easier to deal with on a daily basis. Suspension: Taut but comfortable, athletic but not hardcore. Drivetrain: Made wonderful mechanical noises, delivered wonderful visceral sensations, but creamy smooth and eminently streetable. Steering: Heavy but not fatiguing. Brakes: Would stand the car on its nose if needed.
Like the proverbial fine wine, the 328 just got better with time. Mechanically, the car was largely evergreen: the suspension kept its firm, yet supple behavior; the powertrain kept its smooth, muscular delivery. The control inputs maintained their feel, although I suspect the shifter could have used new bushings in later years.
Overall, this car had real mojo, or soul, or whatever one might call it. I like to think that if Goldfinger had been filmed in 1998 instead of 1964, and if an Aston Martin was too rich for MI6’s budget, old JB himself could have gotten by just fine in a (blasphemy!) 328is coupe.
How Good Was It?
Well, it was soooo good that . . . it was my only car for over 11 years, serving as daily driver, fun car, travel car, utility car, and eventually, old car. As the rest of the country went SUV and pickup goofy, I happily stayed with my 328. It still drew admiring glances on the road; by 2014, nice-looking E36 BMWs were not that common.
Periodically, I’d test drive other cars: G35s, IS300s, GTIs, GTOs, Mustang GTs, E46 and later BMW coupes, etc. Nothing was appealing enough to get rid of my 328. And when purchase price was factored in (328is: $0 and incidental ongoing maintenance vs. competitor X at $31,900 or $29,400 or $34,500), I was even more convinced to stay the course.
Over those 11 years, I put about 80,000 miles on it: in snow and salty slush, rain, windstorms, sweltering humidity. My commute got much shorter at the end of 2008 when I got caught in a company-wide layoff. I was at first unemployed, then worked from home as a contractor creating automotive training materials for Volvo and Volkswagen. In those years of career instability, the 328 was, as always, the rock.
Time and Tide . . .
. . . wait for no man, as they say.
The 328 got older, as did I. A self-described “preservationist” at heart, I tried to keep the 328 looking and running its best. (Strategic applications of polishing compound did wonders.) It was an economical car to keep running, particularly by horror-story BMW standards. An independent garage in Victor, NY, specializing in European cars, provided good service and sage guidance as they identified genuine “need to do” vs. “‘nice to do’ masquerading as ‘need to do’” items. Just did the regular things: oil changes, brakes, tire rotations, for the most part.
The rear coil springs were replaced when one broke (a common, and less-fun E36 quirk). The garage did my lower control arms due to worn ball joints. One of the wheel speed sensors was replaced. I saved myself $500 + by asking my father-in-law to solder a new 99 cent resistor to my climate control board to resolve its erratic operation (another common, less-fun E36 quirk.) He happily agreed and earned himself a bottle of Crown Royal.
I have no “BMW = Break My Wallet” stories; the car required, in my opinion, very little, compared to the number of years of ownership and the enjoyment I got from driving it.
No Easy Fix
Cosmetically, it was a different story. In 2006, I had some touch up work done and it endured beautifully. In 2013, I had some more touch up done (at a different body shop) and it lasted about three or four weeks. I brought the car back, the body shop did the work again, and again it lasted a few weeks.
Disappointed, the body shop wanted to replace sections of metal to improve the durability of the repair; they’d cover the labor if I paid for the parts. I pondered it briefly, but decided to not do anything more. I added up some of the deferred maintenance costs (mainly an entire cooling system refresh — water pump, radiator, thermostat, overflow tank, hoses, etc.) and thought it might be time to move on. I’d never kept a car for 11 years and was unsure what was on the maintenance and repair horizon.
After 16 western New York winters, the body was only going to go in one direction. The headliner adhesive was failing (a couple of really humid summers had done a job on it), and a couple of the interior panels were beginning to separate from the door cards. (Another less-fun E36 quirk; my car’s interior held up longer and better than most.)
Presentation Matters
I freely admit I hold my cars to a minimum appearance standard. They need to be “presentable”: Not necessarily showroom fresh, but uniform in color and finish — no accident damage, bubbling rust, duct-tape fastening, etc. Same for the interior — no torn seats, split dashboard, stains, smells, etc. I don’t like driving janky-looking cars.
Now, there is a two-word solution for when one has a car with needs but is unsure how to address those needs: Park it. But, as I’ve discussed before, I’ve never liked being a three-car guy with a two-car garage. So, at age 47, still self-employed, still with a two-car garage, and possessing a 16 year-old car with deferred maintenance needs and cosmetic issues, I chose a different two-word solution: Trade it.
Why trade?
Several reasons:
- I wanted this car sent to an out-of-town auction where I wouldn’t see it again.
- I couldn’t imagine tolerating the teenagers that would want to test drive it, talking about “da madd drift car, yo” they’d make of it, gutting the interior, welding the rear axles, getting their hydro handbrake and coilovers on, etc. Absolutely not.
- I couldn’t stand the idea of it sitting outside in the elements, neglected. There wasn’t any financial room in my world then to entertain a “hobby car.” If I was going to get a different car, the current one had to go.
Once again, my wife tried to talk me into keeping it. But, my “practical” side said it was time. In August 2014, I traded it in on my next car, which will appear in a future installment.
The Rest of the Story
Of course, I was sorry I traded it almost immediately after doing it. I also had no idea that a year later, I’d have a good-paying job developing workforce training at the University of Rochester Medical Center, which led to a better-paying job creating automotive training, which led to an even better-paying management job at another automotive learning consultancy. All of which would have easily funded my 328 “hobby car.”
No one can read the future. For five years, I had gotten by, but not rich, as a contractor; in August 2014, it looked like I’d be doing that forever. In the meantime, the E36 market went berserk as every wanna-be drifter snatched up any available manual transmission E36 coupe. It’s much easier today to find a nice E36 M3 than a nice E36 328is coupe. Believe me, I’ve tried.
Much to my wife’s chagrin, I still bellyache about not keeping it. But, my feelings are so strong because my memories of it are so fond. Easy to own, wonderful and rewarding to drive, reliable, durable, confidence-inspiring; it was built before BMW became a “luxury lifestyle brand.” And it is, without a doubt, my favorite of the cars I’ve owned. Truly die schönste Stunde!
Related CC Reading
Classic CARmentary: 1998 BMW 323is
Curbside Classic: 1994 BMW 325i (E36) – Have We Moved On?
CC Capsule: 1997 BMW M3 – The Car I Want For My Midlife Crisis
Inline-six, manual transmission, two-door body, good wheels (both the original 15” and the later 16”), really nice combination of exterior and interior colors. Yes, I can fully understand why you’re still crying…
My sympathies. This was perhaps peak 3 series, and I’m not surprised yours didn’t break your wallet; these were still fairly simple and well-made cars, before BMW really went for the jugular in terms of increased production and lower cost as well as more complexity.
Ah, good memories come back from my short ownership of an E36 long time ago. Only a 318i but still offered plenty of fun, and I remember it was such a nice car to be in with the centerconcole slightly angeled and the orange dials.
A good E30 is easier to come by these days than one of these, as most became bangers and few saw them as potential future classics.
The moral of this story is your wife is always right. 🙂
Chris, this series is getting better and better as you head down a zig-zagging road of car ownership that resonates so well with me. Going from a Solara to an E36 is a quantum leap for all of the driver-related reasons you describe so well. I also get the reason for going with the 328is vs. the M3. It’s good to treat oneself, but let’s not get crazy about it.
I’ll agree that the E38 is peak 3 series; and I may well have wound up with one if my practical side (I am obsessive about the need own a car for 10 years in order to feel that I’ve made the most use out of it and am not being wasteful) and wallet had managed to get in synch. But as it was, I had two other cars (in succession) from the time that I wanted a BMW and eventually was in a position to get my current car. Fortunately, the car gods smiled upon me and allowed me to get “almost peak” 3-series in the wagon version that I also wanted. But yeah, it was all downhill after 2009 or so, and I’m rather sure that I’d never buy another BMW that’s newer than my 2008. Or one at all…although a Z3 Coupe may be somewhere out there now with my name on it (in the future). I donno….we shall see.
Can’t wait to see what’s next.
Enjoying the series so far. Not my favourite company as we are definitely living through the “Wallet” experience with BMW Motorrad. But if my arm was twisted, a car like you had would make the cut with me.
Nice, I like the colour a bit of a step up from a Camry, a mate has a Camry 3.5, it wouldnt come out of park last week so he borrowed my Citroen, now after extolling the virtues of his Camry for the last couple of years he is C5 shopping, driving dynamics and easy on fuel seem to have sold him again, BMWs are quite easy to get here, good ones not so much, a lot of them are maintenance deffered used imports out of Japan, you can do that with most Japanese cars they just keep going European brands like to see the tools now and then.
I had a an E-36 for five years, and even in boggo 318i manual form, it was a stonking car. I too liked that supposedly downmarket interior: in fact, I’m not sure why the buff books said it was a bit declasse. Being a bit under-done as a four, one had to flog it without mercy for anything resembling really swift progress, but that was about it for real flaws: point-to-point, it was a winner. The imperturbable feel of the body, the sheer stability at speed, the very decent ride, the superb balance and the fact that one could simply not over-drive the thing (for handling) on public roads, all this was incredibly appealing. I also greatly fancied the looks, which have aged well.
Alas, mine was not as happy as yours. A clutch, front struts, all the brakes, steering rack ends all cost large amounts, and the regular service items were awfully pricey. Having paid it off, I decided (and was advised) that about 110-115 miles was a good time to say goodbye to it, so I did. I miss it from time to time, and look up a few online, until I remember the anxiety certain repair quotes induced, and decide the fond memories are the smarter path to tranquility.
My finest hour was my ’87 Audi 4000 quattro, which I owned from December 1999 to August 2015. My job is 25 miles from home and not served by public transit, and at the end of my time with the car, various parts were becoming unobtainium. Also, my afternoon commute entails a stretch of stop-and-go traffic near downtown Seattle, and I wanted a car with automatic.
My Honda Civic gets me there and gets me back just fine, but I remember the Audi fondly.
We owned a Solara SE V6 and it was no way near as exciting as a BMW. I owned it for 110,000 miles. The only maintenance required was replacing the timing belt. I also replaced the battery and the tires. The last known owner had close to 300,000 miles on it. After that, who knows how many miles is accumulated. I don’t think you could say the same about the BMW.. and my wife and I agree that it was the best car we ever owned.
As a recovering bimmerphile, I owned a succession of these E36s – first a ’94 325i, then a ’99 E36/8, then a ’99 M3 Convertible. They were more capable but less durable than the E30s they replaced, and less performant but more durable than the E46 ZHP and E90 335i that came after.
I often think if I could find a well-maintained E36 M3/4/5 (4-door sedan, 5-speed manual) I could happily drive that car to my grave as it represents IME the prefect blend of good manners, good looks and sufficient performance. The E36/8 is still with me and absolutely will stay until my ticket gets punched.
My own experience with the one 6 cyl BMW we’ve owned was not a good one. While a wonderful driver (2.8L manual) it was not worth the price of ownership. That said this sure is a pretty one and very glad it was a positive ride for you. An E30 still appeals to me, and a 2002 to replace the ’75 that we once had even more so, but it’s not gonna happen now at my age (not to mention 2002 prices) …RA in Endicott