bmw m3/bmw e36 reliable?

[happydrocca98]

Hi everyone who owns an m3 well I just want to ask is the e36 m3 a reliable car and easy to take car of when it comes to maintenance and at the same time not pricey to fix when there is problems? or is it one of those cars where when there is problem there is a huge gap of money involve and I'll be paying alot to keep it running? I really need your guys input on it so I can decide if I should purchace the e36 m3 coupe or not in the fact that I just want a stable manual car to drive. also should I be practicing how to drive a stick shift on an m3 as my first car or should I practice it on a beater car?

[Mike (M3)]

i really wouldnt learn manual on a performance car. you could easily ruin the clutch which would be expensive..

practise for just as long as it takes to get to grips with a manual before buying an m3. it will honestly take you reasonably little time to learn stick, maybe a couple of months to feel confident, depending how much you drive. but dont ruin an M3 by learning on it! find an old car with a forgiving clutch rather thatn a stiffer performance one.

and yes, an E36 m3 is a great great buy on all fronts.

[Bavarian Boy M3]

The E36 M3 is a very reliable car indeed. It's a great buy for the money, too.

[xAUTOxRACERx]

The m3 is a very reliable car as of all the 3-series e36....No doubt it will be costly if you abuse it but if you are well maintained the prices are to bad for maintenance! Trust me once you drive it you will like it. Get one and one thing learn off another car first beause you can damage the tranny or burn out the clutch!

[fatninja19]

My only gripe is the electrical!!!!! annoying but fixed without too much hassle.. usually.

[kcap122]

sorry to ressurrect the thread, but at how many miles do M3's start to get kinda...idk, i guess OLD is the right word? I mean, when do parts start crappin out on you? I'm lookin to buy a e36 with maybe 80,000 miles, or whatever i can get for $10k

[Berniemac]

Just found these forums researching a winter vehicle. I have a '95 M3 with 75k miles on it (bought it around 60k) and have had no major issues other than new tires and the infamous 'brake light switch'. Right now, the valve cover gasket is leaking a little, but it came through the Inspection 2 with flying colors! No regrets! Do a search and make note of all the recalls (the usual stupid things) and ask the seller about them.

Bernie

[drewdeezee]

This is a great thread. It definitely eases the house hold belief that BMW is too costly to maintain. Do any other owners vouch for M3 high reliability and reasonable maintenance costs? Thanks in advance for any advice.