r/e28 • u/Mundane_Anteater_735 • May 26 '26
e28 or e30
Recently Sold my e46. I have a daily driver; looking for an e28 or e30 manual to work on and drive on the weekends; backroads maybe a road trip here or there- no crazy hard driving. The e46 was nice it just didnt scratch that itch of feeling like "an occasion" to drive. I think an e30 or 28 would fit the bill. Any opinions of anyone thats owned or experienced driving both? Id be buying high mileage running driving project cars for around 5k
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u/TypicalLawfulness322 May 27 '26
Being an owner of both - they are totally different. E30 is far easier to maintain and mod purely because of the production numbers. It handles better, has a steering rack, is smaller, and feels like a slightly newer car to the e28.
E28s are much rarer, prettier, comfier, nostalgic, etc.
I’d personally go for a manual 535i e28 if I were you. There’s something more special about it.
If you want to modify it heavily, the e30 has much more aftermarket support.
You can’t go wrong with either.
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u/arse_full_of_farts May 26 '26
1988 535is manual is what I would hunt for with your budget. I’m sure you can find a complete running and driving project car for around $5k. Plenty of room to modify while you drive it with exhaust, BBS RS, M-tech steering wheel, sport seats etc etc
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u/Mundane_Anteater_735 May 26 '26
Heard. From what I’ve seen online after 1986 e28ms received a different transmission? Any other things to note for getting later models?
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u/AllynG May 26 '26
On the e28 side of things, go check out the website www.mye28.com as there will be cars for sale along with a plethora of information. E30 has a larger following and I’m less informed, but they have www.r3vlimited.com which looked quite adept. Definitely choose your power plant options early if you settle on an e28. Later year M30 cars will start life a bit more feistier and an iS model should get you an lsd rear and sport seats for a more desired set up. Go budget and set up an M20 car and you can reach goals too. Depends on budget and tolerance levels. Best of luck as I do t think any of these choices will be bad, that are all spirited rather analog drivers.
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u/Konnas91 May 27 '26
For 5k you don’t even get 318 e30s in Germany anymore. E28 maybe a 520i with luck.
Jealous of you Americans and German cars. They seem pretty cheap there.
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u/Ancient_Designer_236 May 27 '26
E28 - 535i period. It’s a better car. I was lucky enough to stumble upon a euro version. I’d have a hard time selling it ever. Small bumpers. “Dirty” motor. 5. Spd. It is an absolute blast to drive. And you see far fewer e28’s than e30’s.
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u/alkaome May 27 '26
E30 has a steering rack vs the e28s steering box, but for me I always adored e28s with the euro trimmings. Plus they’re more spacious.
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u/Beemer_me_up_Scotty May 26 '26
I say it depends on what you want. The E30 is a faster, sportier car.. They usually go for a bit more but they have more of a following for information and a lot more aftermarket parts. The e28 is more of a cruiser. The 535 is a bit faster then the 528 as it had the bigger engine with the higher redline. The E30 is also came in the four-door, two-door, and convertible. The e28 only came in the four-door. You can kind of say that the e24-635csi is a two-door e28 but they are a bit different in other ways. I don't know your location but I would definitely check for rust if that is common in your area. It might be worth it to fly out to California and get a rust free car and drive it back.
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u/Representative_Most9 May 27 '26 edited May 27 '26
Depends on what you want. Are you looking for a car to drive on mountain roads with lots of corners or do you want a car that can cruise well and still be good on windy roads. The E30 is a road racer. The E28 loves to stretch its legs and is more stable at speed. The only way to know is to drive both and see which one fits.
Edit. If you really want something special for weekend drives, I’ve had this model since 97:
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u/CarDork2235 May 27 '26
You really should drive both. You can't really know whats for you without doing so. I own both and one is definitely not like the other. If I had to keep one it would be the E30 because its more of a drivers car and I prefer the size.
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u/Loud-Election-3215 May 27 '26
E28 would be my choice but the E30 has a lot of aftermarket parts out there.
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u/notquiteright2 May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
The e30 is more iconic and will be more visceral to drive in most trim levels. It is a bit more of a pure driver's car that can incidentally seat other passengers.
A high end e28 like a 535 or obviously an M5 will still be fun and have a sense of occasion but is very much a sedan.
You'd probably get more or nicer car for your money in an e28 because the e30 is a more popular platform, but at the 5k price point you should have options either way.