I still own my '98 328i. I've had it twelve years. Had 20k miles when purchased, now has 190k. My repairs/problems:
1. Serpentine belt broke last year (common in all cars--$175 repair).
2. Wiring on trunk had to be fixed for brake lights ($250 repair).
That's it. 'Friggin amazing car. Would never own anything else. I updated to an '05 a while back, but my E36 is so awesome I couldn't bring myself to sell it. I still drive it because I get 34mpg on the freeway and I flat love the car.