Yes, I am aware I said V6 near the end. No, I didn't mean to. I mean, we saw the engine!

The sort of people who used to give BMW a bad reputation now drive Audis....

I'd take the sound of a straight 6 over a V8 most days. This car is the 80's equivalent of a modern day 330i m sport. Lovely thing. That instant MPG gauge is pointless, I've had a few BMWs with them.

I worked abroad for several years in the mid-80's, earned quite well, and when I finished in 1986, I rewarded myself with a new 325i, collected from the factory in Munich. The engine was great, a big powerful six. Loved it. The rest of the car ? Hhm. Just another car really... Reminded me of something German people would say... I can't remember all the detail..., but it goes something like... "Why do you Brits go ecstatic about Mercedes and BMW's...., here in Germany Mercedes are taxis, and as for BMW............ ". 4 weeks after I'd bought the 325i, I went out one morning and found that the special option rear gas shockers had collapsed overnight. And at a time when almost everybody who still made RWD cars had made rear-end breakaway progressive..., BMW hadn't. The rear end snapped on me a couple of times in the most mundane circumstances. Only kept the car about 15 months. Decided that the BMW 'thing' was very much about marketing.

Straight six beauty, always regret selling mine, oh the start up sound was just wonderful.

I had a bog standard 89 two door 325i. Steel wheels, keep fit windows and non of the computer stuff. I bought it from my pal for peanuts, drove it hassle free for 18 months then sold it back to him for the same price. Oh the days, oh the deals!! That 6 pot whine is beautiful, familiar and nostalgic. Great vid.

I love these. My mate had one in 1988. A dolphin grey 325i. It was chipped, not remapped like today. He acquired the car via a hefty finance loan. I bumped into him in 2004, he still owned the car!

Always liked the E30. It was the 3 series I grew up with. Agreed that they’re good cars given a bad reputation by the people who drive them, but they seem to have handed that baton on to Audi nowadays.

Cheeky bit of wheelspin. E30’s are gorgeous; I love its understated elegance, despite the plethora of rust on this car. Great video as always 👍🏽

I’ve had 2 tourings and they were love/hate kind of cars, constantly falling to pieces but always guaranteed to put a smile on your face, especially the noises. There’s something about the old 12v M20’s that we’re just more mechanical sounding to the later 24v M50/M52 engines.

If ever I manage to create enough garage space for a classic then this is what I fancy. Always have :) Thanks

never were a bmw fan but ive got to hand it to them, the E30 has that certain something... love your short road tests.

I had one of these mainly for that 6 cylinder engine sound. Enjoyed this video.

I’ve had the convertible on a J plate was one of the last ones of production light blue colour, Nice Vlog again 👌🏽

Hey Ian great vid again never mind the car you love what you do and we love you for showing yourknoweldge and nerdness ((steering wheel centre) like watching you and Mrs Hub Nuts antics

That car or the 5 series of the time are the epitome of BMW to me. I do like these cars for their simplicity. Wish BMW still made cars like this now. This 325i does sound wonderful.

My dad had one for a bit. He got it for a song with a bad clutch and differential issues. After those were attended to along with brakes, fluids, and some other deferred maintenance she was ready to go. If you find one in good Nick, treat yourself to test drive. The whole package is so well balanced

ian, you continue to be the best channel on youtube. This is exactly the kind of car I'd like to buy, might buy, have never seen a review of, but have always wanted to see an ordinary chap like you drive (no offence meant by that - still driving my ordinary chap LS400)

Yes ! Just about my favourite modern classics! I had an e30 316i and dreamt of a 325i back in the day

Brilliant straight 6 soundtrack, it reminds me of the 328i I used to own.

I Spied my first E30 from the top deck of a bus in Wolverhampton back in late 1982 and was impressed! Proper BMW!

I used to see a few BMW's of this shape , at the end of the 90s a fair few were lowered with massive alloys and k and n air filters as were popular back then . I preferred cars stock ,this shape always looked best in shiny black but that green looks great too ! - a great review Ian ! When you accelerated near the end of the video I thought the front of the car was going to lift up !

Love the third to fifth gear change Ian, nice review on one of those classic motors!

Great video thanks hubnut

I always liked the Touring versions - a handsome car. TG got 3 "identical" 3 series convertibles of this vintage and as it turned out time and owners had not been kind so they were not that identical.

My mates dad had a H reg 323i when I was at school in the late 80’s. I remember it had that gizmo that told if if bulbs where out, a trip computer & electric sunroof

My parent's neighbour had a '77 E21 automatic and I used to love the roar as it went up the road haha.

Hehe! Love these! A straight 6 model too. Don't know why I'm drawn to cars with boxy styling, especially 80s mercs and beemers.

The 'BMW Check panel' was quite a nice feature, I had an E28 that had one. It was out of sight with non essential warnings, pressing the 'check' button, illuminates all the LEDs and ensures each circuit is being correctly monitored.

The prettiest of all 3 series. One of my faves. Vastly nicer than any plastic fantastic new one.

Excellent engine note from that straight six.

I had one in the late eighties early nineties. Great car, leagues ahed in terms of quality, performance, reliability and build compared to most of the dross being put out by other manufacturers (particularly British) at the time. Loved it.

Dad had a 1981 E21 323i, the engine growl and transmission whine are very familiar. Seemed quick at the time, the engine sounded fabulous once above 4K. Was Opel Green and I guess an early attempt from BMW for a “sport” spec - 13inch BBS Alloys and rubber boot spoiler... was about 12 when he sold it for £150 (was MOT less and a bit sorry for itself as the replacement 2.0 Cavalier had arrived) Cried when it was driven away.

Thanks for the video! I like the E30, I used to own a 318i coupe in red :D

Proper old school B’mer , parents had a 535i straight six from the same era (1991 car) it was frugal and very lively , that reminds me of a smaller version, sounded lovely that straight six like that one.

Love it. For balance I don't feel you can beat a straight-six. I think the snappy rear end might scare me a bit though! The 2.0 engine would be enough for me. As an aside I love how these M-series engines get a bit clattery at low revs once they have a few miles on them. It sounds awesome. The roar at high revs also sounds terrific.

The side profile of these always reminds me of a Montego, and with the added rust, it's hard to tell the difference... :P

This is one of my favourite BMW's. Love the touring estate car version of this car as it looks more interesting.

BMW always made great sounding 6s, I still have a 523, keep thinking about getting rid of it, then press the throttle pedal and change my mind!

My eldest is 24 and that's his favourite car. Good lad

Great cars and no crap vanos or engine bearing problems ,handle great and good part interchangeability and nice and light,

Love these I had a 320 two 325s and a 325 estate in my time wish I still had one

Got to have a manual gearbox, had a 325i auto which was ok but sold it and now settled on an early 323i manual... goes like stink! 👌

I used to have an E36 320i M-Tech 2 Coupé in helrot Red it was a straight 6 also and I miss it badly. Nice Vidja HubNut ;)

Great car, It shows what perceptions can do, In that I had a chance to drive one of these back in the day when it was nearly new, and around the same time I also briefly drove a Sierra RS Cosworth (neither of these cars belonged to me, I hasten to add) at the time my daily drive was a Ford Fiesta 1.1!! Even though the “Cossie” had loads more power, The BMW felt faster!!! I love what you do on your channel and, as a nod to some earlier comments on this thread, I am proud to admit that you have at least one modern Audi driver as a subscriber, I know it’s not at all, HubNut! but I hope I am forgiven as I am way too old to drive like a hooligan 

This is when BMW was really cool to own, I had a silver 5 series and my mates dubbed it the Enterprise because of the huge front seats and all the dash lights.

Sounds great nice vid 😀

What a car,you don't see many of these on the roads no more(only the exibit ones)LOL,my brother had a two door like this and it was nice,this model had indicators as well LOL,awesome review.

When Mrs H gets a bit fruity, does she dress up as a headlamp wiper too get your attention?

I had a 1986 325i with dogleg gearbox, nearly killed myself and 2 mates on Foxhollies road in Hall Green after losing it in the wet-just missed a large oak tree.Absolutely awesome sound though.I drive an f30 320d msport these days-quick enough but lacks the appeal of a big 6.Great vid man!

What a beautiful colour .

Was my all time ‘want ‘car when I was between 18 and 23. A nice red one.

My Dad had one of those in the 80s. Great for going doing roundabouts sideways in the wet.

Don't need a stereo just open the windows and listen to that straight 6 engine that is good enough in my book great vid again brings back memories.i wonder if you still had the little white touch in the clove box

Sounds SO good. Had one as my first car...quite used up by then. Not sure I’ve ever seen one without air conditioning, must’ve been standard here.

watched video with my lovely new head warmer on very quick Thanks.

They were very flashy back in the day. I had a 318i brand new in diamond black, I was 22 and it was my company car. I went from that to a 325 sport a year later and bought my girlfriend (now wife), a 320 convertible, so I kind of experienced the whole range. They were tail happy but loads of fun, just don’t play with them on damp surfaces. I remember having a snazzy Panasonic telephone fitted on the middle console next to the handbrake. This car was a magnet.. if you know what I mean

This brings back memories of the e30 316 bmw I owned . l had my 1987 car for 10 years then moved up to a 325tds e36 touring and had that for 10 years. really well built cars but with the rear wheel terrible in the snow or icy conditions. I had some scary moments !!!

Love it! Hoonnut rather than Hubnut! 😊

This was the BMW that made BMW in the United States. The 1984-1991 3-series was the yuppie car for the upcoming generation of younger wealthy generation. This was a time when BMW quality was amazing and you could still work on your own car pre-computerized days. No plastic water pump impellers or dashboards that would fall apart in 3 years right after the warranty expired. The 2 door models were much more in demand than the 4 doors but still a beautiful forest green color nonetheless. No headlamp washers in the US spec models. Great video.

I'm very glad you drove one, its a shame it was such a tatty example though. It doesn't even have the right size tyres on it so your 0 - 60 may be inaccurate! The black painted wheels and "M" centre caps make me deeply sad, as does the roof rot. The UHR on the OBC screen basically means its broken or not connected properly. Also the "horn button" is a badge that hides the centre nut, the horn buttons are the three little knobbly buttons on the spokes! The light grey centre console, speaker covers, and knee roll panel are actually very rare. It should also have a light grey glovebox. The colour, Lagunagrun, is one of my favourites and is usually found on final run SE models. Its actually quite unusual to see it on a '90/'91. The headlamp wipers if present, wouldn't have worked anyway. They never do... You will also find that the headlight adjuster won't have worked, because its hydraulic. And old hydraulic systems never work... (With the possible exception of some Citroen suspension if properly maintained!) Believe the E30 was released in very early 1983, there were a handful on a Y plate before we went to A on the other end. E21's also finished on a Y. The Touring was actually born because a BMW engineer who had a 4 door saloon like this one was involved in a crash which caved the back of the car in, and he re-built it and turned it into an estate to help with family duties. He showed it to BMW and they loved it. It was the last bodyshape into production, in 1988.

That is a cool car! Lovely colour. Back in the days when beemers were interesting.

To be a proper BMW driver you need to enter the motorway without signalling and then cut across three lanes of traffic(without signalling), before you accelerate to 80mph in a 50 mph restricted zone.

Hey Mr HubNut, I’m the kind of person who drives BMWs, and I’ve had a Golf GTI for the past six years... never been in any trouble, not so much as a parking fine. I even use indicators and let people out of junctions... I’ll even allow people to change lanes!

Had a new one in 1985 C reg. Dealer said it was the second one imported in to the U.K. They came without the 325 badge on the boot. You had to ask for it to be fitted! Wish I still had it.

Loved mine !! On an E plate(September14 th1987) and in Zinnobar red , It was a bit earlier,than the tested car with chrome bumpers and the earlier high comp head giving 171 BHP , with 9.7 to 1 Compression ratio , -- later ones , as tested, had the plastic bumpers and 8.8 to 1 comp ratio giving 168 BHP ,touring was made till 1993 !! , great video by the way :-)

I used to own a silver blue 81 528i , a veritable tank and two other cars wrote themselves off driving into it without leaving any noticeable damage :)

Great cars I used to own an e30 318is in white probably the best car I've ever had and I still miss it to this day. I did find out it was put back on the road the other year I'd love it back

Oh now your barking up my street. I once owned a Dolphin Grey on an E reg. it was a 325i sport , I still claim this was the Best car I ever Owned . I really loved it , the Limited slip diff really made a Difference over the Standard version . And a Short shift gear box. By Today’s Standard it’s not overly powerful, The Searing position is just absolutely perfect , I fitted a MOMO steering wheel . And lowers the back slightly more than the front and I ditched the BBS wheels for AZEV A alloys with Goodyear eagle tyres . It was Very nice compared to the Sierra XR4i it replaced . My only problem was my Speedometer kept cutting out I had to rely on my RPM and Gear to gauge my Speed. I had big plans for it , until it got shunted up the arse and written off.

Probably the only BMW I actually like. Though 2 door base 316i (not the carb version) in white please.

Mate of mine used to have one, god was it fast! He's now got a later one, same-ish spec but doesn't feel nearly as urgent. Probably a good thing in his hands anyway...

Ive had several of BMW's straight 6's amongst other things but that noise always draws me back.

Had one of these ...E reg(87)...in a lovely red...bought it around 1990...kept it around 11 years,,only wanting service items,,tyres,,the odd battery...over that time...fantastic condition..when I sold it to a work mate,,who had it around 4 months,,when at a set of traffic lights...the car behind didn't stop...at a red light.(work mate was ok.....unfortunately car was written off...but yes...Great cars...

Ah, the E30. Very nice cars from the time that BMW made actual BMW's. The sound, the driving experience, the solid feel of the whole car. I had an '87 320i 4 door many years ago. Base trim level, but a very nice car with hardly any rust. Lovely.

This will get tons of views , e30s have a massive following

Sounds tasty! Missed the boat on these but always wanted one :) I remember balking at the price of 3 door sports when they were around £2500 10 years ago, what a fool.

I love Boston Green. I had a E36 M Sport way back when and it looked a million dollars after a coat of wax.

Thanks Richard uk Coventry England take care love

This looks like an SE model by the leather interior and the electrics all round. I had an 88 model of this very car in 2 door mode and also had an 86 pre facelift 318i E30...the 325i felt like a totally different car thanks to the engine and limited slip differential. I've had a few since then and it's still the best 'drivers' car that I've ever owned...I highly recommend a good example of these to anyone if they have the correct service history and are straight enough.

Lovely car - I had a 2 litre version of its bigger brother E28, bought at 3 yrs 30k miles and run until I gave it away many years later while still immensley sound. Compares very favourably to the earlier E21 3 series which I recall Car magazine said was "40 times as likely to be involved in an accident" than comparable power cars (dolomite etc.). This was apparently due to the rear suspension and its very poor reaction to the left and right hand wheels experiencing different levels of grip e.g. wet road drying at peak of camber or ice, whatever.

Ian hope you have they opportunity to review an e30 325is when you can put it through its paces. A well-sorted example is very enjoyable to drive spriritedly on country roads. Though not overly powerful, the torquey engine and responsive suspension delivers a lively driving experience.

My then boss bought a 325 Touring in 1988, I was astonished to find my head touching the roof when he picked me up in it on the only time I ever travelled in the thing. Unimpressed, I was much more comfortable driving home later that day in my Renault 4!

my mate at work borrowed that car for a while and ran it! I've been a passenger down some backroadsin that at....fairly high speeds!!

Something different, nice😊

My sister had a 320 of a similar vintage from New, lovely car.

I always thought these had the look of the Dolomite at the front :) I have always wanted a 750il as that V12 uses the 25e components into a siamised block making for a very serviceable V12 and with the Alpina modifications a close to a 2 ton up motor as well. Sadly the E30's were the shape of things to come when it came to blown gearboxes and blown headgaskets and needing a mortgage to get repairs which is why so many went to the scrappy as prohibitively expensive to repair either those two items.

One of very few cars from the eighties that can still keep up with modern traffic. The two door car is much more sought after and looks much classier than the four door. Good ones are rocketing in value now.

A friend of my had one of these brand new back in the day and it was brilliant. The difference in quality to anything British built was amazing but sadly age catches up with us all :-) .

the only bmw I had that sticks in my memory was a 333 Alpina, I had it while working at a bmw md, it got chopped in on a new ride so I jumped at it. seriously fun (smoked a few part worns) but I did think the steering was a low point, granted it was slammed, decked... ground scraping low, clean the whole roof from one side low. but it would reach a point when it seem to turn in too much and go all light and fluffy, but you drove it with a silly fixed 😁 grin

Looks for all the world like a Maestro.

The straight six is a beautiful sound...!!! 👂😁👍

Nice vid pefer the e30 and e36 Any time you drive a bmw 6 cylinder the foot goes down I was hoping you opened the glove box and showed us the rechargable torch

Liked before watching, I've owned 2 e30's. A 325i and a 318is I sold them both for peanuts years ago...... Oh the regret 😔 I had an e28 528i as well

Went belting up the A3 from Guildford towards London in one of these in my yoof. (69mph officer.....honest)........boy that thing went and sounded LUVVERLY..........

Loads of money! Lol I haven't heard that for years. I had an E30 a few years ago as a project. I use to get a lot of 👍 from boy racers. Watching your review makes me wish I still had it. 😔

Lovely car! It is worth saving. Still not too bad either. I think that color is Lagunengrün. Love that color! Indeed, very well remarked, they are really sluggish on retake up til 2,5 rpms. The 2 liter is really horrendous at this point... Torque on low end is really bad. You need a big M30 to overcome that, but unfortunately those engines were only available on the Alpina E30's and not on the standard ones where the 325i was the top of the line. However, there was a more torquey and economical version of the M20. That E30 was called the 325E. It's a 2.5 with longer stroke and revs much less. More torque than the 325, but the power of the 2 liter. Also, quite rare interior. Those are the "comfort" seats. Seating is a bit higher than the base cloth seats. The sport seats on the other hand are the ones you really do need when you are 6.2 ft or larger. And even then it becomes tight. Also, those cars have the 1/2 and 1/1 scaling on the fuel level meter on UK and US and JAP specced cars. On the ROW cars, it is marked in liters. BMW is quite famous for being quite funny on their scaling. it is 20,30,40 and then 55 liters. and on the type 2, like this one, there would also be a 60l marking just a millimeter next to it. An E32, for example, is 20 40 60 and then 90. On the E34 it is 20 40 60 80 and sometimes 50 is also in between. Always liked that. It is like they were laughing at you while you are driving it, because both the M20 and M30 engines do drink a lot! Oh yes, about the headliner check control panel: the "test" button needs to be pressed when the engine is running. A blinking reminder in the dash in front of the driver blinks saying "check". As soon as you press the button on the overhead panel, it "checks" whether all the bulbs/sensors work. If they all light up as long as you are pressing the check button, it is okay. Afterwards, once you are done doing so, and start driving it, whenever there is a fault, one the fault lights will come up.

If ever Chris wants to sell the car...I will be happy to make a offer!!!.Keep making these great videos...

While you mention that Triumph got there earlier with their Dolomites, perhaps as well to include the Triumph 2000 series which had a six cylinder, and the 2.5PI which was injected. All for an earlier generation of aspiring upwardly mobile males....So the market for such a car like the E30 was already established and recognised...

Love the e30 and miss my old one.prices are gone crazy here in Ireland .and e30s look the business

Shame your first e30 experience was with a tired one, been hooked on e30's since buying a 320i, first time I had been in an e30 and thought I had made a terrible mistake as it was heavy compared to my mk1 xr2, hit 4000 rpm and been in love ever since! Own a touring presently. Interestingly they were a home project by a BMW employee wanting more room for his young family, showed his boss and the rest is history.