BMW 1996 3-Series Saloon

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  • Economy

    Value

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Bargain as a whole package.

    Costs

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Not much goes wrong but costs a lot when it does.

  • On the road

    Driving

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Slightly choppy ride, poor around-town performance at lower revs. Nothing much happens much below 2200rpm.

    Performance

    3 out of 5 3.0

    None at lower revs. Wakes up over 2200rpm on turbo. Economical, can do 50mpg @ 70mph.

  • Living with it

    Reliability

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Higher mileage cars wear out heater plugs.

    Image

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Cool until you start the engine, still fairly cool then.

    Comfort

    2 out of 5 2.0

    Good, fairly sporty ride, seats like hard benches, slightly heavy PAS.

  • Security and Service

    Security

    4 out of 5 4.0

    The sixes have deadlocked doors and immobiliser.

  • Problems and Ownership

    Problems

    Engine

    Cold starting misfire.

    Other

    Loud cyclic ticking noise from gearbox. A specialist said it is common to older BMW gearboxes.

    Ownership

    Did you buy the car new?

    Used

    Would you buy the same model again?

    No

    Did you buy from the same manufacturer again?

    Yes