While today’s sports sedan market is crowded with capable competitors, the standard by which other sports sedans are measured remains the car that almost single-handedly defined the segment:

Although boxy by today's standards, the e30 3-Series remains a handsome, well-proportioned car. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

the BMW 3-Series. Over the years, successive generations of the 3-Series have grown incrementally in size, sophistication and cost, but the early models are compact and mechanically simple, and can be a real bargain for the truly budget-minded sports sedan shopper.

The first-generation 3-Series was the 320i of 1977 to 1983 (the e21 body), a model that’s now sufficiently old in years and technology to be considered a classic rather than a realistic daily driver. For those seeking a rock-bottom introduction into the 3-Series experience, the models to look for are the e30-bodied cars of 1984 to 1991.

Although boxy by today’s standards, the e30 3-Series has clean, well-proportioned lines and remains a handsome car. It was offered in a whole range of variations such as two-door or four-door, 4- or 6-cylinder, rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, sedan or convertible, and even a few 'Touring' wagons. All were available with a 5-speed manual gearbox, or with a 3-speed automatic in the early four-cylinder cars and a 4-speed automatic in the 325/325e/325i and 318is. The all-wheel drive 325ix is fairly rare, but there were plenty of convertibles built (in typical BMW fashion the e30 convertible carried over into the 1992 model year).

The 3-Series came in a variety of body styles. The cabriolet was a perennial favourite. (Photo: BMW)

As an aside, BMW debuted the e30-bodied M3 in 1988, but this is somewhat of a collector car and commands a high price for its age — fun if you can afford it, but not necessarily a budget solution.

The 4-cylinder cars came in two distinct flavours: the 1984-85 318i was powered by the 101-horsepower 8-valve M10 engine, while the 1991 318is featured the much peppier 16-valve M42 mill, generating 134 horsepower. The early 4-cylinder cars are considered anemic and don’t hold their value well, while the later engine provides a much higher fun quotient and a good 318is will reflect this in price.

The 6-cylinder cars were the most popular and retain their value better than 4-cylinder 3s, but to further confuse buyers the 6-cylinder cars themselves came in two variations: 325i and the 325/325e. Both are based on BMW’s silky-smooth M20 inline-6. In the 325i it’s a 167-horsepower, 2.5-litre powerplant with BMW’s traditional free-revving character, putting maximum horsepower and torque (164 lb-ft) up near the redline. In the 325/325e it’s a 121-horsepower, 2.7-litre “eta” engine, tuned for fuel efficiency with a longer stroke, lower redline and taller gearing. The eta engine didn’t win many friends among BMW purists thanks to its low redline and modest horsepower, but with 170 lb-ft of torque available almost anywhere in the powerband it feels stronger than the numbers imply.

BMW's driver-centric dash and red instrument illumination set the 3-Series apart in its day. (Photo: BMW)

The car I drove for this review was a Cosmos Blue 1985 325 two-door with the 2.7-litre 6-cylinder eta engine, 5-speed manual transmission and 247,000 km showing on the odometer. The car came from the factory with a power sunroof, Recaro-style sport seats and cloth interior, alloy wheels, power door locks and power windows, but no air conditioning or on-board computer. It recently had new tires installed (195/60R14 Bridgestone Potenza G009 all-seasons), and service records indicated that the major suspension bushings, shocks, steering rack and timing chain had all been replaced within the past five years.

Whatever e30 you choose, one thing you’ll get (provided the suspension is all in order) is BMW’s excellent driving dynamics. The e30 was ahead of its time in this regard, and despite its age my tester exhibited crisp steering and nice balance (thanks to a near 50/50 weight distribution), maintaining its composure even while cornering on uneven surfaces. The ride, in typical BMW style, was firm but forgiving, with nary a hint of harshness on sharp bumps and expansion joints. Where the suspension did show its age is in body roll — during spirited cornering the 325 offered decent grip, but I found it leaned considerably more than modern sports sedans.

Several interior trim levels were offered. Base models got vinyl seats, others were cloth. Sports seats and leather upholstery were also available. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

Pushed to the limits, the 325 behaved predictably, with just a hint of initial understeer before all four tires started losing grip. Without any electronic nannies, tossing the car around in the wet will bring the tail out easily enough, but it doesn’t snap round quite like earlier BMWs used to — instead it can be easily gathered back in or, by feathering the throttle, settled into a controlled power slide.

Even in eta form, the tester’s 6-cylinder engine exhibited BMW’s characteristic silky growl, and I found myself opening the windows just to hear it winding up. Unfortunately you only get to wind the 325 up to 5,000 rpm before the rev limiter kicks in. That said, if you ignore the numbers on the tach, it’s hard to tell you’re in an eta car during normal around-town driving. Indeed, thanks to its big flat torque curve, the eta 325 actually felt more powerful in stop-and-go traffic than a 325i convertible I drove for comparison. To keep the 325i’s power on tap you have to keep its engine revved up, while the eta engine has grunt all the way down to idle. Where you do notice the eta’s modest horsepower is attacking steep grades at speed — when running the 325 up the steeper grades of BC's Coquihalla Highway there’s a moment of surprise as your foot hits the floormat and you wonder what happened to the seemingly endless reserve of power.

While the e30 3-Series is a relatively simple and rugged design, there are a few known weaknesses and wear points to look out for when buying one. First, the instruments can conk out thanks to the design of the service interval indicator, and this can be expensive to fix. Next, the interior fittings are not as robust as they could be, especially the seat cloth, and older cars should be checked for rust. Mechanically, look and listen for a loose cooling fan clutch, and check the boots at the ends of the power steering rack. If they are filled with fluid and leaking, it indicates a worn rack which can cost $1,500 to replace. One trick BMW uses to give their cars a smooth ride is to

The Touring model was popular in Europe, but only a few made it to North American shores. (Photo: BMW)

isolate the suspension components with rubber bushings, but these can deteriorate. Check the main bushings securing the rear subframe — they are often worn out, which creates slop in the suspension and costs about $500 to fix. Finally, if you’re looking at a 6-cylinder car, find out when the timing belt was last replaced. It needs to be done every four years or 100,000 km, and if it breaks it will cause major engine damage.

BMW’s e30 3-Series continues to represent good overall value, and there are still plenty of examples available very inexpensively (though beware of cars needing major work, as the cost of repairs can quickly outstrip the value of the car). For the best value, look for a later model car in good original condition with a solid maintenance history. Apart from the specialty M3, the 1988-onward 325is (s stands for “sport”) is the most desirable e30 3-Series, and one in good condition should provide driving pleasure and performance far in excess of its price.

Specifications (1984-1991 BMW e30 3-Series):

• Body Type: 2-door sedan or convertible, 4-door sedan, 5-door wagon
• Layout: Front engine, RWD or AWD
• Engines: 101 hp, 103 lb-ft, 1.8L, 8-valve SOHC I-4; 134 hp, 127 lb-ft, 1.8L, 16-valve DOHC I-4; 167 hp, 164 lb-ft, 2.5L, I-6; 121 hp, 170 lb-ft, 2.7L, I-6
• Transmission: 5-spd manual, 3-spd or 4-spd automatic
• Brakes (front/rear): discs/disc, ABS on some models
• Dimensions (L/W/H/WB): 4,490 / 1,646 / 1,379 / 2,570 mm (176.8 / 64.8 / 54.3 / 101.2 in)
• Curb Weight (2-dr/4-dr): 1,235 / 1,255 kg (2,723 / 2,755 lbs)
• Tires (stock): P195/65SR14
• Cargo Volume (trunk): 405 L (14.3 cu ft)
• Fuel Consumption (city/hwy, 325e, approx.): 11.2 / 8.4 L/100 km (US: 21 / 28 mpg)
• Direct Competitors: Audi 90, Mercedes Benz 190