BMW 325i E30 - Safety

jshall99

Hi all,

Recently an old BMW 325i caught my eye, and I love the car's appearance but have a few questions about safety. This particular car is a convertible from 1987, although I would also appreciate some more general information on the E30 generation (1982 - 1993) as a whole.

In particular, what is the history of airbags in these cars? In what year did they become standard, and were they dual or only on the driver's side? What about ABS and other safety features? In general, how safe would these cars be in a collision? Of course, I'm not planning on wrecking it, but I would probably be driving it several times a week through city traffic and would rather be safe than sorry.

Anything you could tell me would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

kyfdx

It's an old car. We had an '87 325i coupe, and I'm pretty sure it didn't have any airbags, though I might be mistaken. Either way, I wouldn't depend on a 30 yr old airbag to work.

No ABS, no stability control, etc, etc. They are well-built cars that are maintenance intensive, and a lot of fun to drive. However, if you don't do the maintenance/repair work yourself, they can be very expensive to own.

If you were old enough to drive cars in the '80s, then this car will probably be just as safe as it was, then. (assuming no intervening structural issues). If you've started driving in the last 15 years, then this car has almost none of the safety features you are used to.

It's main safety feature is exceptional handling and great visibility (especially with the top down. lol).
If it's an automatic, it won't be nearly as fun to drive. Make sure you are comfortable with the seating position, as the steering wheel does not adjust.

You might want to spend a year or two reading up on the E30, before taking the plunge on a 30 yr old car. Also, there are lots and lots of E30 convertibles for sale, so don't think you won't find another one. Solid coupes are much harder to come by.