e34 vs e28

[m4ff3w]

Anyone want to make any comparisons between a late e38 and early e34? Assuming similar mileages and conditions, which is more of a drivers car?

Is e28 to e34 as e30 is to e36 in terms of driving dynamics?

[F4Phantom]

my dad had e28 535 and i have e34 535. he paid 60k used when it was near new. back in the late 80's early 90's it was a real head turner. In fact it was more of a head turner then than new bmws are today because of the volume of them around. It was a heavy handling car, plenty of power and untill i drove a wrx was still one of the fastest cars i had been in. Anyway thats my basic overview.

[HDhandyman]

I don't think there are many here who would contend with the allure of the E28. They just aren't as bullet proof as the E34 anymore. In terms of appearance, the E28 has a signature look, but remains somewhat dated. E34s can still be transformed into a more modern look with the correct mods. If you pick up an E28 today, there is a lot that you need to check for, in terms of oil leaks and such. Still, for my money the E28 and E28M are amoung the most desireable BMWs.

[calmloki]

I have not sold my E28 533i. It has the garage, the station wagon has the curb. When i started the 533 the other day to back it out for pictures for sale it was .. eager.. much more the driver's car. E30:E28:E34 is pretty apt.
Tom

[Bill R.]

example, one of my friends has a number of m3's that he used to race. On the road courses, his early m3's to him feel more like a real race car but his newer m3's will easily beat the early cars. But if you have to drive it every day then the refinement,comfort and yes, speed of the newer cars becomes a big factor. The same thing applies to the e28 to e34 comparison. For short trips the e28 feels more like a "drivers car". But if you have to drive for any distance at all or use it every day then in my mind there is no comparison. The e34 to me is much more suited to be an all around everyday drivers car. I'm lazy, i've gotten used to refinements.





Anyone want to make any comparisons between a late e38 and early e34? Assuming similar mileages and conditions, which is more of a drivers car?

Is e28 to e34 as e30 is to e36 in terms of driving dynamics?

[nuclearfusion]

I had a hotted-up E28 533i for 8 years. Bilstein suspension with RD sways, SS strut braces front and back, big cam, Autothority ECU, custom SS exhaust, big brakes, short shift, Recaros, Euro lights, etc. etc. It was a lot of fun to own and drive. By nature the E28 chassis is more elemental than that of the E34. It's noisier, lighter, longer, narrower, more upright, etc.

Most E34s (except M5s and Alpinas) I have encountered are not nearly as dynamic-feeling as the E28 533i that I had. That said, most E34s are much more dynamic-feeling than the E28 528e with Eta motor, soft suspension, auto transmission, etc.

So the suspension/motor package makes or breaks an E28. I highly recommend a revvier 533i with the 5-speed that's been well cared for, or a later 535is (comes already with the Bilstein suspension, sport seats, spoilers, etc.). The E28 M5 is a scream to drive and positively addicting - maybe don't drive a good one unless you're prepared to buy it on the spot!

Enjoy!

Fusion

[NY535iManual]

This is a question I had been mulling over myself, so here are my thoughts.

I had an 88 535is that I drove for several years, which is now parked in my parent's back yard getting ready to be parted out. Last August I bought my e34 535. Both 5spds, diamondschwartz. My e28 had stock is suspension and 16inchers (PO did away with the TRXs, thank God), e34 has 18inch z rated wheel tire combo, billies, H&R springs, upgraded bushings, control arms etc... In some ways comparing my cars is apples and oranges, and I've never driven a bone stock e34.

-The e28 is slightly, but noticeably, lighter: Once I replace the heavy comfort seats with e30 manual sport seats the weight difference will be only about 40 pounds, by my calculation. The e34 carries its weight differently though, and generally feels better balanced.

-e34 suspension is more refined, turn in is sharper, most of the understeer has been dialed out, car is more "tossable" if that's something you can really say about a vehicle of its size. A lot of this can be attributed to the 18s etc, and this comparing the stock e28 sport swaybars to the stock e34 units.

-For whatever reason, the gearbox in e28 shifted much more smoothly. Clutch feel & travel was also far superior in e28.

-Engine management refinements in e34 made that version of the M30 slightly freer revving (even with the dual mass fly wheel) and gave it an even flatter torque curve than the e28 variant. Conforti chip in e34 really woke this engine up, and I think same would be true of e28. That said, my e28 was never chipped and I've been on the hunt for an e28 fly wheel for the e34 (Planning on selling the e28 engine/gearbox as a unit, so I can't use that one).

-Seating position and visibility in the e28 (with sports seats) is the best of any car I've ever driven, with the exception of the early 80s 911.

-The slightly newer ABS in the e34 has less discernable pulses than that in the e28. Brake feel is better, easier to modulate and stay out of ABS in the first place.

-A/C in e34 is 75% better than e28, BUT I never spent ANY time chasing electrical/electronic gremlins with the e28. Door locks worked 100% of the time, never worried about LKM or master relay.

-e28 is definitely more rust prone.

-e28 is noisier, all that trim etc, but it never bothered me. In fact, I hate cars that are "too" quiet, like most of the MBs and newer BMWs

Over all, I don't think its so accurate to say that the e28 is to the e34 as the e30 is to the e36. The e28 and e34 are MUCH closer, at least when talking about the 535. I do think a later model e34 540 would be pretty different in several ways.

In my view, the e34 was the last "old school" BMW. Starting with the e36 the cars have, on the whole, gotten much heavier, overly complicated, and bloated. They might be faster, but I don't think they're better or more pleasureable-handling.

[Toomas]

I had e28 M535i and now have e34 535i.
e28 is more fun, it had no body roll whatsoever (very very harsh ride for roadcar tho), once i did a line change in split second at 180km/h and it felt very under control and safe and just like i wanted, i guess some lesser car would have flipped over. She liked to kick her back like hell and i loved it. Also the acceleration was much better and she felt much more nimble overall.
The e34 is more comfortable and propably safer to drive, perhaps better built and i guess faster around the track.

Anyways i will buy some e28 again but only when i have enough money to afford a second car because well they are too old to be daily drivers specially where i live (salt is used to melt snow and its very bad for old cars body).

[m4ff3w]

Thanks everyone, good stuff!

[KenB]

I've had an e21 manual, e30 auto, e28 auto and now e34 manual in that order over the last 20 years.

They were all bone stock and each had it's good points as summarized by the previous posters. I've loved them all but the e34 is my favorite all around, to me it feels better balanced, the brakes are the best, and performance is sportier with the 5 speed (better than I expected from a 2.5 litre motor and weight of the car) It has enough of the old styling too.

[Toomas]

About the engine differences you have to keep in mind that euro e28 535 is 218hp, while US version is only like 180 or so while e34 535* are both 211hp.
And the euro e28 engine is much much more crisper and responsive than the e34* unit.
My e28 had much longer gearing than the e34 yet it still accelerated much better, i think its 4th gear was about as long as the e34's 5th.

*i dont know about the non-cat version because they are rather rare

[NY535iManual]

Toomas makes a very good point, but I think that accleration also depends on which diff. is in the car. I would be surprised if the e28 is really geared taller than the e34, particularly if we're talking about US models. Anybody have a late model e28 535i owners manual handy?

I've never figured out why, really, the dual mass fly was used in the e34. It was supposedly intended to smooth out a "rough idle" condition in the M30, but I never had that problem and I'm not sure how many people did.

I've driven e34s which have had the dual mass fly wheel replaced with a normal fly wheel out of an e28, and they really do rev a lot more freely.

[Toomas]

My e28 was euro and so is my e34, and i am dead serious that the e28 was geared taller. Just checked from realoem and it only lists 3,07 LSD for '85 M535i and '92 e34 535 has 3,64 diff.
Also the e28 engine is high compression and lacks those imfamous flat spots in stock form, it goes ok up to 3500rpm and then rockets to redline and by rocket i mean it feels like another engine.

About the idle, i guess they are pretty much the same, atleast i couldnt say that the e34's idle has improved significantly.

[Nick.Hay]

[QUOTE=m4ff3w]...which is more of a drivers car?
[QUOTE]

Hands DOWN, the E28 is the driver's car. More tail-happy, more 'feeling'. The E34 was such a huge step into the realm of the 'executive' market, and was always too 'refined' (in a luxury sense) to be a serious sportscar, or an inspiring drive... Less you buy 3.8 M5!!

You want something good fun to drive, but still of that calibre, get a late build E28 535i, manual with an LSD... and let the games begin!! :D

[Paul in NZ]

E34 for me....to me the e28 feels sounds looks and drives like a car that is 10 or 15 years older than an e34,which not surprisingly it is.....I like the e34 in that when you want it is a refined quiet powerful cruiser,and when you want it to be a little sportier...it is.

[Mendozart]

I've been driving both now on a weekly basis and they are both fun cars. The e28 is really starting to grow on me. But like Paul says the e34 is more refined, quieter and still can be sporty (sport mode). The e28 though is a manual and it's been fun driving a stick again. Not only that, my drums fit in the e28, including the 24" bass drum in the back seat. It's now my gigmobile.