I am seconding Igorioniaīs opinions, E30 is more playful than E36. More simple and less things to go wrong, easy to maintain. Not to say E30 is not civilized, compared to E21, it is easy car to drive.
Like it has been mentioned before, if you go for the E36, just take the 328i, 4cylinder engines in bmw range are just expensive water kettles. 320i is slowish, 325i needs more torq and 328i is just the best pick. There is really not a big difference between mileage, of course 328i can drink more, but then you are driving it like you couldnīt the others. Same speed, same driving, they drink similar amounts within 10%.
And if you dont mind a little bigger car there is always fives and sevens. M30 engines Alpinas are more trustworthy than any E30 M20 six nevermind fours, and in my opinion M20 is more trustworthy than the so called plastik-6s in E36, nevermind the fours.
I have E28 M30 engined five series, locking diff is so much fun, and the drifts are easier to control with a little bigger torquey car. E34 535i are cheap and so are those old 735i. Alpina guise it is 256hp, willing to play. 1.2tons is the weight of my car, so it is not even heavier than 3series, just more space.
But if you are willing to have that car for keeps, you never go wrong going the full //M way
z3 M roadster is the only car i couldnīt say much ++, but others are just
