Definitely go for it!

Yep, same tax from 1984 - 2008 (I'll leave the rant about that for later), which at the moment is €1080 pa I think for the 2494cc 325i

You could be lucky and bag a solid one for less than €4k, but I'd be going in with the mindset that it's rotted underneath and then you might be pleasantly surprised

A decent Touring or a Sport 2-door is probably going to cost a bit more, as there's strong enough demand for these from over the water now

An E30 318iS is a good compromise (ask anyone on here who drove mine, as I never had the chance )

I really like the 320i as that M20 in it is lovely, albeit with feck all power really

But honestly, the 325i is what you want. It's not super-fast in the modern sense (I know you're coming from an Evo!), but get the right road and they're seriously good fun. Quite small and narrow to thread down a country lane, great view out due to the narrow A-pillars, and sweet handling and feedback through the steering wheel

Just check for rust!!!