I love cars both old and new. I've owned many BMWs so I think I'm qualified to give you some advice. The E36 and E3 are two very different cars. You obviously still have the build quality and solid feel that comes from BMW with both cars but the E36 is a new car with more of a sports car oriented feel. This is regardless of which E36 you own (I own an E36 M3. Even the E36 318s have more of a sporty feel). The E3 bodied cars are more of a touring auto, and a great one at that. The E3 is a much more user friendly car in my opinion. They have a legitimate back seat so people riding in the rear won't need back surgery after a day long trip. Even the E36 4-door sedans have a very limited amount of room in the rear. Other things come into play but the key is your dealing with two cars from two different eras. They are both great cars.