MotorWeek | Retro Review: '88 BMW E30 325ix

[@sixyears]

e30s still look good today.

[@SataniaMcDowel]

Amen

[@MrVideogiocatore96]

No its better alfa 75 for me

[@OhioGuy216]

@@MrVideogiocatore96 Alfa 75 is garbage.

[@MrVideogiocatore96]

@@OhioGuy216 you are garbage

[@davidwicker5904]

Indeed. Beautiful

[@antisocialist907]

Long live 1988. It was a great time to be alive.

[@thewiseguy3529]

I remember being a kid, seeing everybody with skis and ski rack on these cars. Amazing times to be alive. Great memories.

[@artaylor8920]

When comparing this car to modern offerings from BMW, they seem like two different companies, and it has not been a change for the better. Also, at 3:16, "That's where the battery lives!". Love it!

[@fatoputso7375]

agreed!

[@1400IntruderVS]

Their mission has changed a bit. BMW were not reaching to make all out performance cars like they are now. They just made good BMW's. Sound coachwork and a solid road manors was more their focus. Times changed, the World as a market opened up and competition took them in to another direction.

[@777jones]

BMW today is what Toyota was in 1993, a good, mainstream carmaker who makes boring cars.

[@1400IntruderVS]

777jones That is funny. Back in the eighties we thought of BMW and Volvo as solid but boring cars that cost too much and most Toyota's were throw away commuters that began rusting apart in a few short years.

[@rootsmanuva82]

I 100% agree! Growing up (I'm 35) I was the biggest BMW fanboy. Lusting after e30's, e28's, 2002 tii's and e39 M5's. Now I look at BMW and all I see is boringly styled, bloated X-Drive this, I-Drive that cars and SUV's. They're just so damn boring now. Are they fast? Of course they are. But you're so isolated from the road and the sensation of speed that it doesn't even matter. You're more of a passenger than a driver. I want old BMW to come back.

[@MaestroTJS]

Damn, that engine sounded really good. I also have to say I really like the understated looks more and more as time goes on.

[@borninhk1]

The precursor of X-Drive! A family friend of mine had this back in 1988. He is the reason that I got hooked to BMWs!

[@etxkevin7452]

This is probably my fav body style of all time. It just looks like a BMW.

[@bmw3-er]

My grandma has one when I was a little kid. This car made me a bimmerhead haha. Now I own a e36 for several years.

[@Rheinmetall120]

My daily driver is an 87 325is with 110,000 miles. It's just warming up!

[@PrimeTimeGrimester]

@2:48 Dude was buggin out when he got in the backseat like he was chowdered out on coke. Hey, I guess it was the 80s..

[@aquateen77723]

Lol! I was thinking why is he rubbing the interior all over like a madman.

[@nancyblanchard9175]

Hahahaha

[@feltongailey8987]

Then his buddy, the dealer, in the drivers seat operating the sunroof! Check out that stache.

[@MaestroTJS]

@coffeeinthemorning I think these morons really do think that. Compared to marijuana, which is another thing not everyone used back in the '60's or '70's like people seem to think, cocaine use was very small.

[@MrCarguy2]

0:40 "German manufacturers who hate gimmicks" things have changed A LOT since the 80's

[@pb5x5]

Just think of the daft sound effects in the electric cars they make.

[@BluePurpleRed]

Oh man, it's so funny watching these cars when they were brand new. Feels like yesterday.

[@TheDaikashido]

I've pulled stumps and pulled mustangs out of ditches; and plenty of trucks have pulled me out when I bury it. 280,000 miles and still pissing off everybody. Jeeps dont understand

[@ryansrides9714]

Awesome video motor week, love the red interior!! I love seeing all these classic cars in action!

[@patara1234]

E30 is a legend 3 series

[@777jones]

If only BMW made anything this appealing today. But they do not.

[@TheRTM]

777jones this is my favorite BMW body style. Wish they would bring it back

[@franksmith6683]

M2 maybe?

[@robo6548]

Lovely colour combo. I’d change my X5 for this gem brand new

[@dr.lyleevans6915]

I had an 05’ X5 4.4i back when I was a little younger. Also had a Nissan 350Z at the same time (one of at least a dozen performance cars I’ve owned). I am a quite capable driver; I raced competitively (semi-professionally) for roughly a decade. Anyway, I swear that 2 1/2 ton SUV (or, rather, SAV as BMW like to call it) would perform every bit as well as that 350Z would. Roughly equal acceleration (0-60: 6 sec), Top speed (155+ for both), braking, and surprisingly, handling! It blew my mind how high the limits were in that X5. With a new set of high-performance Michelin tires and a competent driver, I’m not confident the Z could’ve beaten the Beemer on a backroad. It truly shocked me. Not to mention the trick off-road electronic systems (downhill assist, differentials and whatnot). Don’t get me wrong, it’s not AM General Humvee or anything, but with a solid set of 33”-35” mud tires and maybe a modest 3” lift, I can’t imagine much outbogging it short of dedicated front, center, and rear diff. locked Jeeps and shit.

[@thebastardgentleman9821]

Timeless, sophisticated, exhilarating. Im bout to tap that exhaust pipe.

[@johnjones393]

Legendary. I never appreciated the e30 when they were new but they were incredible machines.

[@adriancsamson]

$33,000 starting price back in 88, daaammnnn.....

[@eightosaurusspelunk1598]

adriancsamson That would've been reeeaaally expensive back then

[@ricksays7133]

$69,391.56 in today’s market value. It was also made to be more durable than today’s BMWs.

[@marshalmagooo3899]

Could have had Celica and Land cruiser for the same price.

[@tn18977]

@@ricksays7133 In the mid-90s I had a mid 80s BMW, it broke down every 3 months on average. They're not as well made as your average Japanese car.

[@ricksays7133]

tn18977 Okay. I had an ‘87 325 in the early 2000s for 4 years. There were old parts that needed to be replaced. Yet with regular maintenance, it never gave me much issues.

[@mrpistonrecaro6483]

Such a beautiful car till this day. Love ❤️ e30’s

[@myducati748]

89ft stop from 60mph? That's insane!

[@davidsoto7114]

German hydraulic my friend

[@davidsoto7114]

Hydraulics **

[@toddrobertson1398]

This car was a beast in the snow!

[@mlee6136]

The guy testing out the backseat seemed to have some physiological issues 😂

[@brendancarlson1678]

Gravitationally challenged

[@fhowland]

Hahaha

[@taylorchristensen568]

This is the best car I ever owned

[@rond3367]

taylor christensen agreed, I had a 87 and it was bulletproof

[@Jiggashmu]

I'm considering buying one. Seems well taken care of and has had some motor work done to it. Should I buy it?

[@nighthawk0077]

"Imagine putting all the power down at once" - I can't...Also nice of you to hire a fugitive on the loose to do the interior shots.

[@502Chevy]

It might be just me but I think BMW sixes of that era have a beautiful exhaust note when under the whip.

[@Anirossa]

Had M50 engines as well as M20 engines I have now, prefer the M20 for their sound

[@danielcastaneda7801]

"... and a rear spoiler." *squints intensely*

[@ncboy64]

My '89 325iX was a lemon. Replacing the transfer case is costly on these cars. The wire harness to the computer was bad making the car run it had a mind of its own. Took BMW a while to figure that one out. I do miss my 325e though. I didn't know how they did it, making a small car drive like a big car. I hardly felt a thing while driving.

[@craigj1969]

That braking distance is still comparable to brand new cars!

[@Gazdatronik]

***** Older cars with the ABS that weighed less than todays cars were very good stoppers indeed. My '91 Oldsmobile full size wagon will stop in 128 feet from 60, which is as good as or better than every compact car made today.

[@jsiszero]

+Craig J Yes but safety...

[@craigj1969]

the drivers face would be the crumple zone on a car like this! :p

[@MGR99]

+Buck Futter Safety is for the incompetent driver.

[@jsiszero]

MegaRingstar Either that or in case you, a competent driver, gets hit by an incompetent drunk driver

[@brianrocha3803]

never understood how they think climate control buttons are confusing. they can't get any simpler than they are on the e30.

[@yuriyklimin1674]

Americans😂

[@dr.lyleevans6915]

Yuriy Klimin I know, Americans, am I right? I heard that guy they put on the moon was done by accident; darn Americans and their trampolines. What idiots!

[@ayva6ovay3gmail31]

@@dr.lyleevans6915 well a huge portion of them ARE idiots.. that's what they're without modern easy life

[@TheBandit7613]

@@ayva6ovay3gmail31 What are you smoking?

[@mediocreman2]

If you look at something like an Acura Legend of the same vintage, the BMW is more complicated.

[@SubieandFriends]

I would kill for this exact car What a bad ass looking car it puts new ones to shame...

[@scottieray]

Jorge Lopez I bet BMW could sell this car mildly updated and it would sell out.

[@KingCast65]

Same sticker as my '88 535is. That's a tough call to make honestly because you know those AWD goodies are going to need maintenance. Expensive maintenance.

[@gxdjoeybaby07]

Thanks for uploading this series of e30 reviews. Since you covered the m3 a long time ago, it looks like you've got all the important model changes covered.

[@bobonthis9520]

One of the nicest 3 series ever 😁

[@tuowl0564]

This would be such a fun, relatively practical (inexpensive to maintain) weekend car! I remember how popular they were in their day. Seemed like the ultimate 80's yuppie car. Whenever i see one around I'm still taken back by how tiny it is.

[@zacksstuff]

That starting price is equivalent to nearly $70,000 today. That's absolutely insane!

[@dougedoug2105]

Starting price “was equivalent” to that amount back then, 3 years later today is equivalent to almost 76K 😒😞😔😟😕

[@Juanknes]

Beautiful engine sound.

[@joeychaseable]

$33,000 in 1988 had the same buying power as $77,000 today.. Damn it boy, that was an expensive car!

[@skyblazer520]

Sweet classic, I love this car....

[@steveespinola7652]

Sweet looking car that I would love to own it today.

[@GeeEm1313]

Great cars. I remember all of the E30s I'd see back on the streets of Maryland.

[@ENDTIMEsVideoLibrary]

Had an 88 318i. It was so slow that Snails used to cuss me out to get out of the way. I also had a 95 325i which was pretty quick and I really loved. My 90 528 was powerful but loved to dine on gas.. I really like BMWs.. And Mercedes..

[@DirtEturban16]

This is why I love my car, 325ix ftw

[@nickmotsarsky4382]

+Ryan Miller awd sucks on low-power cars, sorry

[@DirtEturban16]

+Nick Motsarsky it's a 63:37 mix, 63% of the torque goes to the rear, it's better than anything I've ever driven in the snow

[@qmannnnn]

169hp might sound low, but at the time that was quite a bit. Even today, M20 E30s keep up with average family vehicles pretty handily. They might have another hundred horsepower but they've got another thousand pounds to pull around, too. 0-60 in 8.3 seconds is nothing to scoff at.

[@TheAmbasadaRecords]

Nick meant that awd has on average 5% more power loss on drivetrain than rwd.

[@dr.lyleevans6915]

Ryan Miller Old thread, but is it 63/37 static, or variable based on settings/traction etc? Also, what type of differential is it? I bet it truly is a beast in the dirt, mud, and snow.

[@madmike5144]

This is my dream car, i have one, but i want that 2-door pre-model.... Awesome video :) thanks for sharing it :)

[@TassieLorenzo]

$33,000!?!? in 1988. Unbelievable, what an outrageous price.

[@duro845]

to think nowadays 30k is nothing for a car. back then you were turning heads everywhere with a car that expensive

[@lfsracer79]

+geoff Yeah it's 66k in today's money.

[@vitezsavozdovca2692]

In Germany restored one is 35 000 euro. This car doesnt know for years. I have one from end 1986 4 door. Great car.

[@texan903]

@@duro845 $30k is expensive for a car even today, most cars are simply overpriced.

[@RagingBad]

Beautiful car!

[@gd2bking1]

Holy shit!!!!! Almost $90,000 in 2024!!!!!

[@davidsherrick898]

You probably won't find one today, for that price.. the '88 BMW 325 ix.

[@overworlder]

That braking was amazing

[@zech007]

Must be BMW E30 nostalgia week!

[@ms8000]

“German manufacturers hate gimmicks” ahhhh the 80s good times

[@jacobreed47]

This car still looks great here in 2019. Good job BMW.

[@dougedoug2105]

Lies

[@jeremyclarkson-69]

​​@@dougedoug2105that ram looks god awfully bad

[@dougedoug2105]

@@jeremyclarkson-69 So do those hideous sunglasses you’re wearing 😉

[@uranus1970]

I think John Davis is the most eloquent presenter ever.

[@SubaruWRXspdManual]

Good looking car. I'd have no problem driving one now in 2018.

[@detmer87]

Damn that thing sits high!

[@georgemorley1029]

Where it's meant to sit.

[@tmklancia]

Ed Jack I think it’s so they can fit the front diff

[@blackericdenice]

I remember when this car came out. I could not help but notice how jacked up it was.

[@MatrixDiscovery]

I would rock this car in 2015!

[@georgemorley1029]

This car will always rock. Same for the e36. My first car was an e36 compact. Great first car. Just enough power, great practicality for a young lad, reliable, handled so well. Immense fun. I'm now driving an e90 320d; it's great but it's very "antiseptic" compared to the organic and connected feel of these old BMWs.

[@dougedoug2105]

☝🏽Here, Take this L 👊🏽

[@lazarnedeljkovic5615]

Low profile. Ffs those are like modern suv tires

[@arttafil6792]

E30's are pure simple classic BMW'S!

[@randy438]

I wish I could go back and drive one when it's new

[@texan903]

My mom had the '88 325iS, one of the most unique on the road.

[@SubieandFriends]

I like the projector headlights for 88 it's amazing

[@dre32pitt]

LoL at "low profile" tires

[@thereallotharmatthae]

Much nicer than today’s cars still!

[@ianyeh75]

E30s are truly iconic. It’s so sad BMW has lost its ways. I used to be a big Bimmer fan, until about 2012, when they adapted their new “fugly” design language.

[@peterarsenault2671]

This generation BMW was really nice looking in my opinion. Sounds really nice too! I have a 91 Mercedes 190e Sport line 2.0 Euro spec but l like the look of this better.

[@rollotomassi8251]

When BMW still looked gooood......

[@omarimack194]

$33k in ‘88? That’s still a pretty penny now. I don’t want to think about how expensive that was then.

[@thetechlibrarian]

About 70k I believe. But there is other factors that don’t tell the whole story

[@Wesley_C]

325ix, I like this car.

[@GyroPyro121212]

Those 2.5s sound great!

[@babavickramadityabedisworl6691]

Sadly it looks better than what BMW makes today. I remember this model very well and they did drive like a true BMW.

[@davidaubin3902]

3:29 John: We know they'll use this and with great relish! LOL

[@davidhunternyc1]

Except for the gas mileage, the BMW E30 325ix is still a modern masterpiece. Simple. Intuitive. Timeless styling. Built at a time when German engineering and build quality meant something. It's the anti-Tesla.

[@MandusahRamirez]

My 2008 335xi 6Spd Manual has this same Color Interior & Exterior Combo as this 1988 325ix!! It’s exactly the same exact car 30 Years Apart!🤯

[@bradencurrie]

hahahaahh lost it at "we still wonder if bmw owners still use them" (the trunk tool kit)

[@qmannnnn]

I use them all the time. That spark plug tool in particular is super handy, especially since e30s run through spark plugs pretty fast.

[@Nawafjamali]

Whats the difference 325ix and 325i in engins

[@jameslemerond7581]

Nawaf jamali nothing. Except lsd is standard and of coarse ix is awd

[@Anirossa]

Ive used them to work on a Ford I had, hehe

[@FLJAMESFL]

89 feet from 60-0, damn.

[@dr.lyleevans6915]

What? That can’t be right lol

[@ldhorricks]

I loved this show in the day

[@darkliamoon1104]

I have a 1988 325 Ix with Vader seats and I have 1 question what is wrong with that guy in the back seat he moves so much lol 80s

[@vitezsavozdovca2692]

I have 325 ix end 1986 4 door. Great car,not much space back,but stil great one. I have full equipment,a really rare peace.

[@kyoakland]

Thomax 2000 coke

[@IcelanderUSer]

I grew up in Colorado and these were quite common back in the day.

[@joshknutson16]

the red interior thooo 😍

[@rootsmanuva82]

1988 "German manufactures who generally hate gimmicks...." 2015-2021: Drunk on gimmicks

[@CountryCarReviews]

3:00 that guy having a fit or something??

[@guinnessharvey4476]

Interesting that he rates this higher than the Audi equivalent. Hmm, not sure about that

[@gumballguy34]

The answer to digital displays is always YES

[@BoostedM20]

I hear that valve tick. Hehe M20 👍.

[@yuriypodgorniak2728]

Even for today's standards is still a decent car as long as it's in good condition 16 flat on the quarter mile not bad...

[@ftffighter]

Those are plenty good times for good passing power.. 8.3 seconds to 60 MPH is quick enough to have a good time passing a slow traffic jam lol.

[@talis84]

34k is about 75K in 2020 dollars... guess I shouldn't complain about the price of BMWs today.

[@incyphe]

$72,000 in 2018 money with manual seats. Love it!

[@Porsche996driver]

Reaganomics artificially raised the value of the $ to make imports so expensive. This would’ve cost only about $20k converted from DM in the US 3 years earlier. I was stationed in West Germany at the time.

[@richardpbogosian4799]

Beautiful interior

[@MetikalMan]

Surprising this wasn’t a sedan and wagon only affair.

[@warrenny]

3:07 sweet mustache!

[@MetikalMan]

Ugh, it would have been soo cool if the 325is got this body with the clean integrated bumpers.

[@johanbrand8601]

2:50 this guy needs his cocaine as soon as possible.

[@JosephByrne]

That elusive, "Oil pressure gauge," strikes again.

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

2 doors is a plus , not a minus

[@fhdz22]

Power sunroof?

[@Eduardolo1964]

BMW should relaunch the E30 with 6 cylinder engine as a Classic Serie. Such a wonderful compact sports sedan should not die.

[@suprastevio2264]

The dude at 3:07 looks like he just whispered "See ya' later gator", like he was cool shit with his sunroof lmao

[@dr.lyleevans6915]

Probably happy to leave that supreme weirdo from the back seat behind

[@richardprice7763]

Why did we never get the 325ix in the UK I wonder?

[@MPLFoster]

cool. now i want an ix...

[@bg-se7rq]

Loooove this whip 🔥👀😍