Is BMW e92 any good in 2024?

The world first laid eyes on the face of the BMW 3 Series E92 in 2006. It doesn’t matter if you’re a car enthusiast or not; anyone who saw the E92 fell in love. And why wouldn’t they? The car looked ahead of its time with its amazing curves, menacing front-end look, advanced technology, and powerful engines.

The E92 came in both M and non-M versions. The non-M models included quite a few variants such as the 320i, 325i, 328i, 330i, and the impressive 335i.

While the 325i or 330i was a non-turbo version with a 3-liter straight-six engine, it still produced decent power for daily driving. It sounded good and drove well straight from the factory. However, the 335i was the twin-turbo straight-six, producing over 300 horsepower. And what about the E92 M3? Well, that’s a totally different segment; we better talk about it sometime later. But the question now is, is a regular E92 worth it by today’s standards? Would you buy a 150,000-kilometer 15-year-old BMW for daily driving in 2024?

Well, I did. I got my hands on an E92 325i in February 2024. It wasn’t the cleanest car, but it was certainly the cheapest! I was looking for a daily driver and had considered a small hatch like a Mazda 2 (lol). But being a car enthusiast, how could I resist the E92 when it was within my budget of around 8k? So I went for it! And it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made!

Before buying an old BMW, here are a few things to look out for:

1. Is anything leaking in the engine bay? If so, what is it, and how much damage might it have caused already? Is it worth fixing?
2. Any interior damage?
3. Any electrical issues?
4. Any significant accident history?

If you can find a car with these issues cleared, negotiate and get the E92. Because in 2024, you can’t find a better driving car that looks cool, is spacious, and fuel-efficient for under 10k AUD. Remember, this may be a 15-20-year-old car, but it’s a BMW. The Germans engineered the E92s to perfection back in the day. So I would say, yes, getting an E92 in 2024 is worth it if you can find a decent one. As they say, sheer driving pleasure!