BMW 318i

From the mid-eighties to the late-nineties the BMW three-series was the epitome of success. Quick, glamorous and expensive, the three's beautifully aggressive stance let you know that beneath that pointed bonnet beat a powerful heart. In those days, the car was a status symbol of success. An estate agent or an insurance salesman driving a glamorous BMW three-series showed they were successful, that they knew what they were talking about, that they were good at their job; today, if a sales rep were to arrive in anything more fancy than a Vauxhall Vectra or a Ford Mondeo he'd be lucky to get ... more

I opted out of my company car scheme last year. Consequently, I spent a very long time trawling the market, looking to replace the company car that was about to be returned (A MB C-Class Estate). My life style was still the same so was looking for a car I could do 'cruising' higher mileages in for work whilst providing me lots of luggage space for 'activity' holidays few times a year. I looked at the following (in alpha order): Alfa Romeo 156 2.4JTD Sportwagon Audi A4 1.8TDi Estate BMW 318 1.8i SE Touring MB C220 Classic Estate MG ZT-T+ Saab 9-3 2.0i Estate Volvo V70 2.4 SE Estate (ex ... more

My wife bought this vehicle when she had to commute up and down to Newcastle every week. She covered at least 1000 miles per week. They are great cars to drive but have to be serviced regularly and correctly. Unfortunately, the car is now in the garage awaiting a replacement engine. It is a 1995 N reg 318i (1796 cc). It was only purchased because it was black and she had always wanted a black BMW. At the time I thought she should have bought the nice diesel version but that was dark green and a bit of a no starter. The colour not the car. The acceleration and the performance are second to none ... more

Having had a bad run of luck with previous cars (VW Beetle, Ford Sierra, Vauxhall Astra, Cirtoen ZX) in 1998 I decided it was time to buy a more reliable car and the obvious choice for style and reliability was the BMW 3-Series. I test drove a lot of 3-Series with various sized engines and eventually decided on a 1993 318i for insurance purposes. At the time a lot of people warned me against a 318 because of the 1.8 litre engine being seriously underpowered for such a car but I bought the car anyway. The 1.8 litre BMW engine (SOHC) is one of the best engines I've ever experienced in both my ... more

I know that the picture above is of a brand-spanking new beemer, but..... I am the proud owner of a 1993 BMW 318i saloon. It has 112000 miles on the clock, but you certainly would not think it by driving and owning it. Moreover at £3800, it was not that hard on the pocket to buy. It is dark blue, and I bought it in February this year, when it had 110000 miles on the clock. It was purchased from a local car dealer, who trades mostly in high mileage prestige motors. It is a smooth car to drive, and the driving position is the best I've experienced. This comes from someone who owned two Subaru ... more