guido944

wich is a better car ? wich is faster and more reliable??wich one will have best value over the years ??thanks alot gg

TrevorW

Having owned both, and currently driving a 325is with vanos, the 325 is much faster. Reliability is kind of a toss up. 944s are said to be around the bottom of their value and appreciating while bimmers seem to be a little more erratic but hold their values fairly well.

Legoland951

E36 is faster, more reliable (no timing belt/balance shaft/rubber clutch issues), and parts are much more available/cheaper so I consider it a better value. The plastic headlight cover is garbage and will yellow over time while the interior pieces feel cheaper than the 944. They are generally pricier because they are at least 5+ years newer. Its a more even comparison between the e30 to the 944 n/a.

pcarfan944

Power wise the 325iS will run circles around a 944 NA. Handling should be on about the same level. As for reliability, my 944 has been pretty much bomb proof and very dependable. Off the top of my head, 1993 was a bad year for the three series as it was the completely redesigned and had some bugs. By 1994 they were much improved and any E36 from 1994 and newer should be very reliable and capable of running to 200,000 miles plus without any major trouble.

As far as which car is better, it depends on what your looking for. If you want a true sports car with great mechanical feel, intuitive handling and feel, head turning looks combined with great quality the 944 should fit your list. The BMW is clearly a GT car, so if you want something fast, comfortable, smooth yet still lots of fun, you can't go wrong with the bimmer.

Serge944

The 944 is incredibly reliable. It just happens to be incredibly maintenance intensive.

The bmw is probably a "better" car, but it depends on what youre looking for, as mentioned above.

Legoland951

Any Ferrari is incredibly reliably and happens to be incredibly maintenance intensive

joseph mitro

i've spent at least $8000 in maintenance and repairs on each of my 944s. i've spent about $700 on my bmw in 1 year of ownership and 11,000 miles. enough said.

my M3 handles better, accelerates faster, and looks as good as any 944 except for the 951 or 968.

pcarfan944

I've put about $2500 into my 944, but our BMW 635CSi has had about $6000 put into it. Both cars were bought in summer of 2003. BMWs come with no guarantee of being cheap to run either.

joseph mitro

true, but my understanding from talking with others is that the E36 is generally considered very reliable, even in high-performance trim.

guido944 - what you are looking for should determine which car to buy. the E36 is in GENERAL more reliable than the 944, more practical, but less fun to drive. the 944 will be more labor intensive but will put you in touch more closely with the road. neither car will retain any significant value.

KLR

It depends on what you want out of the car. A 944 could be over 10 years older than an E36, and so will be more maintenance intensive and less practical as daily transportation just due to its age. On the flip, E36s have issues with chassis electricals, a variety of minor mechanical things that are no big deal (e.g., waterpumps), and with rear suspension mounts tearing out if tracked with a modified suspension. They are very reliable cars and it's actually a bit of a challenge to find one with lower mileage these days (a good sign). Both have excellent DIY communities. As for value -- the 944 has long since hit the bottom of its depreciation curve. A car kept in the same condition as when purchased shouldn't drop much in value (nor is there much room for it too) if you are adding a reasonable # of miles/year to it and maintain it fastidiously. Early E36s (e.g., 325s) are pretty much at the bottom of their depreciation curves too, but most get driven as primary transportation and eventually depreciate to zero (e.g., are basically driven into the ground and never become someone's hobby).

Serge944

944s are more time than money... I put about 30k in the last year and have not had anything "break" or malfunction. Yes, I have put a lot of money into it (nothing compared to some of you guys though...) but that comes into the fact that it is a 250k mile project car and needs lots of worn parts replaced.

The clutch - although having that crappy rubber center - will last a long time before it breaks. Waterpumps are a maintenance item and go out in ~100k in a lot of cars. The only real problem are the cam/balance belts, which cost about $200 in parts to do.

These are solid cars - they're just made for able enthusiasts.

pcarfan944

The E36 is also a lot newer than most 944s, hence why they are more reliable. Porsches are subject to a lot more abuse, poor owners, owners ignorant to their preventive maintance needs or owners who don't care. Most BMW owners probably pamper their car and never miss a service. With that being said, the fact that so many 944s are still on the road despite all this is a testament to their quality.
IMO.

___________
Pat
86 944

Now typing my signature after every post.

yoyoguy2

i'd rather have the e36 as a daily driver, they're really nice cars, but they don't have half the sports car feel (even if slower) that a 944 does. my opinion anyway, not surprising that many on here have looked into them as well, they're great cars, my dad's got a 94 (auto though) that i steal every now and then for a drive.

Legoland951

Pcarfan944, though the 6 series are great looking cars (CSIs especially), they are not as reliable as the E36 by far. Didn't they stop making the last of the CSIs in 1988? Those 3.5 engines (same as the one in my E32 with 241k miles) are pretty bulletproof though.

Dieder

My friend and I have actively been trying to kill his '88 535IS. He swore he would never sell the car and would drive it until dead.... now he wants another BMW.

Odometer stopped at 248,575 miles. Over 2 years ago.

There is no signs of any problems in that engine. The car is a tank and is quite quick too!