I would base on this decision on what type(s) of "fun" you are more interested in, from the perspective of model year(s). Older/vintage models can be alot of fun if part of the fun is tinkering with it yourself. OTOH, higher trim level contemporary 3-series BMW's are hard to beat on the overall fun factor, in a reliable, practical package you can put alot of miles on with minimal maintenance hassles.