BMW 530i E34 vs E30 325i vs Corrado VR6

[Kozy]

Out of these three, which would you own?

I'm a big VW fan, I've always wanted a Carrado, and the Vr6s are set to become future classics. Downsides are it's FWD.

I'd love to ventue into RWD, not being a massive fan of jap cars, BMW look to be where it's at, at first I was thinking E30 325i, but then the 530i with a V8 caught my eye. Massive, comfortable, and with a V8 rumble, plus looking pretty rude boy, they are my favourite at the moment...

Not sure how the fuel consumption would compare? The Corrado certainly seems the fastest out of the lot of them, but at the end of the day, it't still a FWD hatchback.

7.7 0-60 for the 530i isn't to shabby considering it weighs nearly 1600kg.

If I could afford one, it would probably have to be a Mercedes 190e 2.6 16v Cosworth though...

Anyone got experience of these cars?

[McReis]

The 530 V8 is the least reliable of all E34 BMW's. The 325i is a nice car with very decent styling and a great sound. Reliable if well maintained but expensive to run if misstreated.
The Corrado is probably the one to buy if you want to avoid depreciation.

The 2.5 16v 190, though having started with the 2.3 as a base, is not directly a Cosworth developed engine.

[Street_Dreamer]

Corrado VR6... Sexy, quick, cool, won't depreciate, good to drive. Also, consider a Merc 190E...

[Kozy]

What about the E34 535i Sport?

[Ferrer]

I'd choose the 325i. RWD fun with straight six power. A winning combination.

EDIT If you want an oddball choice try the Rover SD1 or the Alfa Romeo 75/GTV

[NicFromLA]

I like the way the 5 looks a little better, but a 3 Series with an inline 6 is always in style and McReis might have a point about reliability. I'd let the condition of the car pick it for me.

The Corrado is a neat car, but just not sexy.

[ScionDriver]

It's hard for me to say anything against the Corrado but I bet it gets better mileage than the V8 and probably cheaper to run over all, but maybe not...

[Kozy]

Having said that, the E36 M3 has also returned some acceptable insurance quotes...

Different league perhaps, but one I didn't think I'd be able to afford at my age!

[clutch-monkey]

i don't really trust a lot of BMW and VAG products for reliability...but if the E30 is well maintained, it'd be the one i'd choose.

[MadMax13]

325i, ive never liked the looks of the Corrado, dunno why, probably the ugly ass shape, heard they were pretty badass tuner cars though...

[McReis]

Originally Posted by Kozy

Having said that, the E36 M3 has also returned some acceptable insurance quotes...

Different league perhaps, but one I didn't think I'd be able to afford at my age!

It's a great car but, to be honest, I'd rather gain experience at the wheel of an Alfa 75 (great tip from Ferrer) and then take a step further lately.

[Kozy]

Are they RWD? Agreed the M3 is out of the question really, at least for another year.

I do love the e30 BMW looks, but sadly I think they're just getting a bit too old as a daily driver, unless they're an absolute minter, in which case I wouldn't want to drive it every day! Perhaps an E36 325i coupe is a good comprimise. I'll just have to ignor the massive w@nker image that goes with them!

[McReis]

Originally Posted by Kozy

Are they RWD? Agreed the M3 is out of the question really, at least for another year.

Most 75's have LSD, nice handling and are quite reliable. They are also incredibly cheap.
The perfect compromise between reliability and performance is with the 2.0 TS version. The V6 is sweet but there's the fuel consumption and the running costs...

[2ndclasscitizen]

Gotta be the E30.

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by McReis

Most 75's have LSD, nice handling and are quite reliable. They are also incredibly cheap.
The perfect compromise between reliability and performance is with the 2.0 TS version. The V6 is sweet but there's the fuel consumption and the running costs...

Who cares about fuel consumption when you have the Busso V6...