...I own an e30. I found a good deal on an e34, 80k miles and stuff. So im thinking of getting it and selling the e30 and break even:eek:

But my question is, e30 owners love theyre cars....what are some reasons why people love theyre e34's?

i guess the same reasons why a E30 owner would love his/hers.

Timeless styling, good handling, solid power, and just a passion for their car.

BMW owners love their cars, and not just E30 and E34 owners. Give the E34 a test drive and see if you like it yourself.

to prove that you've grown up?

space
pace
quality
the "look"
bigger than an e30/36, but smaller than an e32/e38
fun to drive with 5 adults in it
ODBI
last of the built like a tank BMW's
chick magnet... OK maybe not
you can get an M30, M50, or an M60 in it, but unfortunately you can also get an M20

because it actually has a penis

not like every other new car on the road that just looks like its pretending to have a penis

to prove that you've grown up?


seriously? are you equating small with immature?

IMO the e30 is fun to drive, as was our e36 (even in 320i form)

frankly the e34 is like, well driving a slow, heavy, luxury car. enjoyable, yes. fun, no.

i'm sure the M5 is fun, but i'll take a lightweight car over a heavy car any day.

because it actually has a penis

not like every other new car on the road that just looks like its pretending to have a penis

hmmm... have to check the option list for that one, or maybe realoem.com :lol

seriously? are you equating small with immature?

IMO the e30 is fun to drive, as was our e36 (even in 320i form)

frankly the e34 is like, well driving a slow, heavy, luxury car. enjoyable, yes. fun, no.

i'm sure the M5 is fun, but i'll take a lightweight car over a heavy car any day.

no, I'm equating what people usually do with e30/e36's as compared to what people do with e34's.

the e30/e36 car culture is much wilder than the e34 car culture (in general). There is only so much you can do with the e34... as compared to the e30/e36

Not saying that I don't like the e30/e36... my first car in 1985 was a 325e.

because it actually has a penis

not like every other new car on the road that just looks like its pretending to have a penis

/thread kthxbai :D

hmmm... have to check the option list for that one, or maybe realoem.com :lol

cmon, it makes every "uber mad tyte JDM" car look cute and harmless when it parks next to it

big, durable, heavy, good handling, has style cuz it has more sharper edges than the e30.

engine is rock solid and starting up the motor is why we all are attached to our beasts

cmon, it makes every "uber mad tyte JDM" car look cute and harmless when it parks next to it

lol every car except a skyline or a STi. those things are still pretty manly vehicles.

just cause it's one of the 10 best looking vehicles ever designed period!

All I know is I love my E34.

There are fun to drive and always look sweet clean or dirty.

frankly the e34 is like, well driving a slow, heavy, luxury car. enjoyable, yes. fun, no.


You just gotta swap out the right parts and you wouldn't believe so much fun could be had in a 3400 lbs car.

I feel these cars handle pretty well. I mean yes they're heavy, but to today's standards they're actually relatively light...

keep it comin! but i think the e34 i wanted is sold......:(

Has anyone brought up the amazing smaller features for such fine cars?

Check the parked "You know you're in an E34 if..." thread!!


EDIT: dude where are you in NC? If you're local I could possibly let you drive this one, if you're not a rapist, killer, theif, or have bad taste in music.

seriously? are you equating small with immature?



frankly the e34 is like, well driving a slow, heavy, luxury car. enjoyable, yes. fun, no.

i'm sure the M5 is fun, but i'll take a lightweight car over a heavy car any day.

Maybe your E34 isn't fun to drive because it's a stock 525it/a :rolleyes. And e36 owners tend to be 16-25 year olds who think there the shit because they have a BMW. Although not all e36 owners are young and cocky and not all 525 tourings are slow and/or automatic.

Sheer driving fun. Thats all. They are so fun to drive. They have space for 4. (I have two kids.) Pretty inexpensive to keep on the road.

u should buy it so u can spend large amounts of green paper on it :)

but i love my E34 so im glad to spend $$$ on it

EDIT: dude where are you in NC? If you're local I could possibly let you drive this one, if you're not a rapist, killer, theif, or have bad taste in music.

I lol'd, same offer goes for my car... maybe:shifty

seriously? are you equating small with immature?

IMO the e30 is fun to drive, as was our e36 (even in 320i form)

frankly the e34 is like, well driving a slow, heavy, luxury car. enjoyable, yes. fun, no.

i'm sure the M5 is fun, but i'll take a lightweight car over a heavy car any day.
Ah but you drive the tank as well.

e30 is also nothing special in the fun to drive department... Too damn big. and to damn tall... you have to look to the z4 coupe or old 40's-60's british cars to get that true sports car feel.
Drove an e30 325i for a while in the mid 90's, and wasn't overly impressed with it. Seemed like a cheaper built small BMW... that was bigger and heavier than a 2002, and far less practical and convenient than an e34. I still think the e28 was a better car period wise, and far more usable without losing any tautness.

What 3's have in spades is film roles, a very 80s retro chicness, and cheapness. And they look enough like the e28... :)

What the e34 has is better comfort, more luxury, more ROOM, ease of maintenance, adult oriented styling that is not attention attracting... while still delivering good road feel and handling... but not all the NVH. The first 'modern' and revolutionary bmw (+ e32 of course), they still feel like classics... only muted enough to make them usable on today's roads, at todays speeds...


They are the GNX to the e30s Firechicken-hooded TransAm.

Lemme put it to you politely.
Would YOU put 300-400lbs of luggage in an e30, 2 adults and two children, drive across a 95+ degree desert, up over a mountain, for 19 hours straight, covering over 1200 miles in one shot, with average speeds of 80 mph, and arrive refreshed and cool without a single worry about the car (or your back) or enduring any annoyance from constant wind noise?
it'd be one hell of a stock e30 to pull that off

I have three.

90 525i M20 - My daily driver, good for grinding through rush hour traffic. OBC reality check tells me my average speed is 22MPH...so the M5 stays home.

91 M5....after hours time machine.

94 525i Touring M50tu - Wife's car, good for hauling kids, groceries and gear.

BMW hit the nail square on the head with the hammer when they compiled the e34. It was built during a transformation, when angel eyes and long sweeping lines started arriving. An e34 is a perfect mix of agile, white knuckle performance, with the "love to drive" feel, and the comfort, and luxury that you expect. It has deep roots in BMW history, and used the last of the bullet proof drive trains. It's true BMW engineering, and you feel it every time you’re behind the wheel. It's so easy to drive, always pushing for more, and never stumbling over itself. Its quality is surpassed only by cars that you and i dream of being able to afford, and yet, you wouldn't have it any other way. And still the lack of a cup holder tells you that the car is more then special, it’s amazing. :buttrock

ll the lack of a cup holder tells you that the car is more then special, it’s amazing. :buttrock

Who the hell needs to eat and drink in the car?

This why Americans are so fat

who can eat and drink when your going twice the speedlimit, on a single lane, mountain road, and your tires are blad?

who can eat and drink when your going twice the speedlimit, on a single lane, mountain road, and your tires are blad?


see an ultimate driving machine shouldn't be driven will drinking cola and eating a happy meal. the out come wont be to happy. im glad i don't have a cup holder :cool

while you say that, i do have a cupholder. The one's you've seen on ebay, where it sits in the middle console where the carphone used to be. I think its great when i have all the windows rolled down, and the sunroof open, to just cruise along, and have a sip of pepsi. It is also very good at keeping my stuff organized:buttrock

...why people love theyre e34's?
cus there good

Yeah, the Germans are always right. "Hey Franz, does das Bee Emm Vee need und cupholldah?" - "No! Only thing you do in car is drive and make sexytime!"

And so it was decreed.

....and make sexytime!" .
the standard 4door is a little cramped for that

It really does stand alone as far as looks. It seems like nowadays all cars have those swooping lines, high rear deecks, and light fixtures that wrap over the side to the fenders, front and back. i.e. new BMW's,lexus, honda, nissan, and every other freakin car. i have a 525 manual and it is quick enough. I will be chipping it for a little more juice though and that's only $270 for 22 more horse. It also handles great. mine has 108,000 on it and I'm pretty sure the suspension is original. Can't wait to see what it's like when I put in new shocks and springs and give the bushings the urethane treatment. do your homework and you can find a great ride for relatively little cash.

The question is why wouldnt you buy an e34?

And think about it if something goes wrong you know where
to look for answers!

Timing chain FTW.

see an ultimate driving machine shouldn't be driven will drinking cola and eating a happy meal. the out come wont be to happy. im glad i don't have a cup holder :cool
I have one, and we eat the happy meals in it routinely... :D

unfortunately none of MY drinks fit, so I lay my Mountain dew 24oz. down on top of the console box. fits nice, easy to get to... just have to make sure the lid is on.

I've never had a car that had a good cupholder so I'm actually used to holding the drinks between my legs... ahh cool and refreshing.

I've noticed it's hard convincing non-E34 drivers about the E34. Like trying to tell my best friend (with his '08 tC) that my car is actually better than his. He doesn't get it. The amazing E34 sickness that infects us all is something that settles in more and more with ownership.

I'd like to know how many people here were actually looking for their specific model when they bought their E34. Like most people here, I kinda ended up with mine and fell in love with it over time. I was 17 and just needed a cheap used car and found a great deal. I was like "whoa, a BMW, cool whatever"! I ended up with the 535 and still have it. As for maintenance, the only thing I've "had" to replace is a set of tires and a power steering hose since I was 17. Just trust us, buy an E34, and you will see.

I'd like to know how many people here were actually looking for their specific model when they bought their E34.

Me.
I actually was looking for a black on black with 18s... took me all of 2 moths to find one.

I don't have an E34 (YET), but if the handling and power of the E38 are any indication (and it's an even bigger "heavy luxury car"), the E34 is an amazing car. Seriously, IMO the styling is my favorite of any of the BMWs save for the E31 8-series. Pretty much all of the BMWs from 1989-1995 really stand the test of time in styling. They are timeless. Unlike so many of their competitors which when you look at them you say "oh, it's an '80s/'90s car.", That generation of BMWs manages to exude the '80s and early '90s style and attitude without dating themselves. Something you unfortunately can't say for BMW's later styles. The E36 3-series for instance. Even today's BMWs use styling techniques that will be dated in less time than the old E30s, E32s, E38s and E34s have.

Sorry for the 100pg essay, I'm just excited about the fact that I'm going to be owning one of my most favorite BMWs at some point in the future :D

- Patrick

I don't think anyone has mentioned that the E34 subforum is the coolest on the board!

For those of us who repair our own cars, the e34 and e36 are the most advanced BMWs that are still about 100% home serviceable. At about 3600 lbs curb weight, e34's are surprisingly nimble and very comformtable around town or on the long haul. My 535i 5 speed has the big six, an engine I love. The e34 is more of a practical, all around great car.

I have 3 e30's (two son's cars) and they are great cars. Great balance and a 2800 lb curb weight. Very easy to mod for performance and parts are cheap. I have an '87 325i with Super eta block, 19 lb injectors, M30 AFM, custom stainless exhaust, Mini 16" R84 wheels, e30 M3 4.10 LSD. This thing is FUN!! (but not something I could take to the airport to pick up a client).

I've noticed it's hard convincing non-E34 drivers about the E34. Like trying to tell my best friend (with his '08 tC) that my car is actually better than his. He doesn't get it. The amazing E34 sickness that infects us all is something that settles in more and more with ownership.

I'd like to know how many people here were actually looking for their specific model when they bought their E34. Like most people here, I kinda ended up with mine and fell in love with it over time. I was 17 and just needed a cheap used car and found a great deal. I was like "whoa, a BMW, cool whatever"! I ended up with the 535 and still have it. As for maintenance, the only thing I've "had" to replace is a set of tires and a power steering hose since I was 17. Just trust us, buy an E34, and you will see.


I've been looking at 535i 5 speeds for about a decade and always bought something else (like a 94 325is) - I loved the car, but thought people wanted too much for the decent ones. Went to look at one with over 160k miles and for sale at a body shop (what does that tell you) - the guy wouldn't let me leave till I bought it (down to $2500). I've had it for a bout 2 1/2 years and just bought another one (89 535i 5 speed w about 128k miles) LOVE THAT BIG SIX.

Because i can go round modern cars on the inside of roundabouts, with my tyres squeeeling under perfect control, foot to the floor scaring the living S**t out of my girlfriend, while texting on my phone :P
because its great
because when it breaks it keeps working but i know i have to buy an expensive part
because it has a straight 6 and a turbo
because i can put vegetable oil in it and drive to work
becasue it looks 3 years old not 14 years old
because when i drive alongside a carrera 3?!?!?? in trafiic, drooling at the car, i see the driver checking my car out!!

I'd like to know how many people here were actually looking for their specific model when they bought their E34.

I actively sought out my specific model E34 535 black on black after selling my dream motorcycle. Did research on BMW models and had always loved the E34 lines and knew it was the one I wanted.

I just sat (for months) and waited for the deal to come along, drove a number of them, almost bought an ACS model but the tranny was shot, waited, watched and one day an interesting add appeared online in a local craigslist type website. Immediately phoned, met the owner within the hour at the indy shop he serviced the car at and bought in on the spot (after talking to the shop owner - PPI)

I'd like to know how many people here were actually looking for their specific model when they bought their E34.

I wanted a 525 tds manual with leather
there was 2 available on autotrader in the whole of the uk
i loved the one i bought
i only found out later its a td not tds but never mind

because it actually has a penis

not like every other new car on the road that just looks like its pretending to have a penis


Sums it up.

You forgot to tell him to read the You know your in a e34 if..... thread..
That sums it up..

I have Both. I would say if you can swing it keep both cars. Its going to take you a month or so to work all the bug out of the e34. So use the e30 when the e34 is being worked on. DO you work on your own cars? IF so then Id say an e34 is for you. If your paying someone to fix the power seats. Replace all the front tie rods- bushings and control arms. It can add up fast.
With Gas at $3:35 a gallon I drive my 318ti most of the time. Or the Classic mini ( it gets 44 mpg) I use the e30 for track days and Autocrossing. I take the 5 out when I have either 4 to 5 persons to transport. If its just me I dont need to lug around a 5 series.
According to the computer I get about 14 or 15 around town in a 525 , 5 speed.

B

I've noticed it's hard convincing non-E34 drivers about the E34. Like trying to tell my best friend (with his '08 tC) that my car is actually better than his. He doesn't get it. The amazing E34 sickness that infects us all is something that settles in more and more with ownership.

I'd like to know how many people here were actually looking for their specific model when they bought their E34. Like most people here, I kinda ended up with mine and fell in love with it over time. I was 17 and just needed a cheap used car and found a great deal. I was like "whoa, a BMW, cool whatever"! I ended up with the 535 and still have it. As for maintenance, the only thing I've "had" to replace is a set of tires and a power steering hose since I was 17. Just trust us, buy an E34, and you will see.
Of course it's going to be hard to convince someone else that your car is better. People love different cars for different reasons. With that said, I know it's hard to understand why everyone doesn't drive an e34:stickoutt I actually wanted an e34 since the dawn of time really. Before I could even drive I had my mind set. I tried to make it my first car but got stuck with and s10 (garbo). A few months later though I found a job and saved enough for my current e34. I hope it becomes one of many BMWs in my driveway.:D

strange... i wanted an e36...... cost and lack of diesel option in the early ones put me off...
im so glad :)

You forgot to tell him to read the You know your in a e34 if..... thread..
That sums it up..

I have Both. I would say if you can swing it keep both cars. Its going to take you a month or so to work all the bug out of the e34. So use the e30 when the e34 is being worked on. DO you work on your own cars? IF so then Id say an e34 is for you. If your paying someone to fix the power seats. Replace all the front tie rods- bushings and control arms. It can add up fast.
With Gas at $3:35 a gallon I drive my 318ti most of the time. Or the Classic mini ( it gets 44 mpg) I use the e30 for track days and Autocrossing. I take the 5 out when I have either 4 to 5 persons to transport. If its just me I dont need to lug around a 5 series.
According to the computer I get about 14 or 15 around town in a 525 , 5 speed.

B


extensive tune up + oil change will be the solution for ur mileage.

as for getting an e34. i had a great deal, it was spontaneous, and it all happened when i was on my way to get a benz :confused but with proper maintenance, and a good budget intended for preventative maintenace u should be ok.

extensive tune up + oil change will be the solution for ur mileage.



It's not. If he has a moderately heavy right foot that figure is easily reached.

My car is EPA rated (2008 guidelines) at 16/23.

Maybe your E34 isn't fun to drive because it's a stock 525it/a :rolleyes. And e36 owners tend to be 16-25 year olds who think there the shit because they have a BMW. Although not all e36 owners are young and cocky and not all 525 tourings are slow and/or automatic.

do i qualify as owning a beemer at 16 thinking im the shit in an e34?:stickoutt haha

but really e34 is the sexiest body design ive ever seen (except maybe the 8) and if you dont get the m20 engine it is a decently powered car, handles very well, and is relatively easy to maintain

only buy it if you love it.

It has about 800 miles on the Oil, Same with the Plugs and Airfilter. Once in a while the check engine light comes on and its due to the OX sensor.
I drive it like an old lady.. Calm and coasting in Neutral when I can. SO its not due to the left foot. My milage can be in the 17 to 19 range in the city if I can keep moving. But In AM traffic when I am just sitting in traffic the Milage drops..
THe car also has 207 K on the bottom end and 800 on the head.

B

UPDATE: I got a few texts from the guy and he was on his way to the bank to get some cash I presume.

He's gonna buy it - our next member should behind the wheel of a young 80K black on black 1993 525i/5!

Hopefully he'll chime in soon with opinions/comments but most importantly PICS

Nice, we'll be able to have a E34 shoot up here.

Here is a photo of my $1200 e34.. Plus about 6 days of work..

www.keeperofcars.com\bmws\current\cimg0664.html (http://www.keeperofcars.com\bmws\current\cimg0664.html)

The other photos are of cars in the collection.
THe 2002 Mini S has been sold , and the red e34 was parted out.

Nice, we'll be able to have a E34 shoot up here.

Yeah dude it'll be sick! Three's company after all. his is a black on black so it'll be a pretty sweet posse of black-ass Bimmers. (I mean yours is a kickin' blue, but still dark enough) :redspot

Don't get me wrong, I love my E46, but the E34 will always hold a special place in my heart.

That car was ahead of its time, it still has things that you don't find on random econo boxes that my frriends drive, and it's pretty low on upkeep costs and easy to maintain. If the car hadn't spontaneously self-destructed at the worst possible time (and the fact that an amazing deal on an E46 came by) I'd still have it to this day.

Such a timeless style...

E34, gone but not forgotten...

Upcoming mods I was going to do was front plate delete, give it a drop, remove the pin stripe, touch-up the paint on the trunk, refinish the wheels, M5 rear license plate filler, euro bumper trim, 35% tint, chip it and be done with it... wish I could've done it all.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/blitzball2k3/CIMG0973.jpg

Maybe one day I'll get back in the saddle with an E34 M5...

NOOOOO!

The e34 i wanted is pretty much not going to happen, the guy(with every right) wasnt willing to take a deposit on the car...but well see on sunday if its sold.

NOOOOO!

The e34 i wanted is pretty much not going to happen, the guy(with every right) wasnt willing to take a deposit on the car...but well see on sunday if its sold.
There will be more. Don't worry.

dont sweat, theres plenty out there, there are always rich people who took care of there cars, trading in to buy a newer one. you'll find a good car, that was dealer manicured, and has low miles, if you look hard enough