BMW318iSE

Advantages: A prestigous car giving a feeling of safety and comfort. d
Disadvantages: Latest models not as well finished off as the earlier ones.

...My wife and I have owned a 3 series BMW since 1974. The first one was a 316i (1596cc)with manual gearbox. The car was completely reliable and very well made, and the paint finish was faultless. Servicing was every 6,000 miles, although perhaps more frequent than other cars at that time, the cost of the service was as cheap, perhaps cheaper than that of other foreign cars. The second BMW we bought, in August 1997, was a 318iSE (1796cc)with automatic gearbox, again completely reliable but the paint finish was showing signs of not being as well finished off as the previous model, especially around the wheel acrches, inner boot lid bonnet etc. The servicing intervals however were longer, every 8,000 miles and again the servicing price was competative, the BMW labour costs seemingly cheaper than those of a Ford garage. In September 2001 we...

ChoccyBoy 21.04.2003 · Read review
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Review of BMW 318i

BMW 325i convertable

Advantages: Fair price, electric roof, leather interior, CD player and, of course 'blindingly rapid'.
Disadvantages: Quite expensive parts, can tend to guzzle petrol depending on the speed.

...Two years ago my brother was serching for a car which had class, good looks, gave a good performance, a soft-top and space for his golf clubs. He found a mattalic purple BMW 325i convertable which gave him everything above. The only thing it didn't give him was the good performance - instead it's performance was excellent. The soft-top folded back itself - what would you expect? The car came with black leather interior, a CD player, alloy wheels, a standard BMW alarm system and lots more. Insurance can obviously be high for a quality motor as with the BMW 325i. If anyone was going to buy this car my advice to them would be that: *BMW parts can be expensive, although replica parts are available at a fraction of the cost. *It may be necessary to buy a wind-breaker, (which breaks the sometimes violent wind when the roof is down...

tom13 03.05.2001 · Read review
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Review of BMW 318i

Even The Indicators Are Optional Extras...

Advantages: Desirable, Reliable, Robust
Disadvantages: Arrogant Image, Price

..., and the driver was always happy to race the car to hear that happy wail. I always promised myself at least a 320, first by the time I was 21 and, when that dream wasn't realised, by the time I was 30. Sadly, fate intervened, firstly in the guise of finances -- or the lack of them -- and then later in the guise of the IS200, which was a more financially rewarding package based on similar ideals to the BMW, but when I reached the tender age of 31 I finally managed to get my hands on a BMW 318i SE. The model was a 2001 Y-reg and by now BMW had changed the way their cars were monikered. Originally, the way to identify a BMW's engine size was via the numerics that made up its name: the first digit (3) was the model, so you had the 3-series, 5-series, 6-series and 7-series; there was even, briefly, an eight-series. The last two digits represented...

markd_uk 04.10.2004 · Read review
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Review of BMW 318i

Uncertain

Advantages: Excellent engine and general design and road handling
Disadvantages: Quality not up to the name

...I bought a 318i 2004 model with the 2 litre engine, new, in Australia. This model is made in South Africa from parts sourced in Germany, I assume as well as South Africa and elsewhere? Initially it appeared to be a wonderful machine. The handling was superb, the ride supple and comfortable on Sydney's not very good road surfaces, and the breaking smooth and excellent. But wait, what was this strange rattle coming from the front windows? The glass was too small for the door, and after 4 returns to the dealer, eventually some Teflon strips were apparently inserted somewhere which more or less solved the problem. A friend had the same problem with his car! All was well until the first disk brake change at around 30 000 km. The new disks were simply not the same quality as the originals. The car developed a creaking sound as one...

drfreud 07.01.2008 · Read review
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Review of BMW 318i

carefully does it. What with a beamer

Advantages: style, elegance, sheer driving experience
Disadvantages: engine problems with 1.8 engines

...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. The breaking is excellent but be careful not to over do it. The main concern to new users is the fact it is rear wheel drive so they can be a little hard to handle at first. The local mechanic recommended putting a bag of sand in the boot to...

limmey 29.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of BMW 318i

A top notch compromise

Advantages: BMW quality, Appeal, Looks
Disadvantages: Not a load lugger, Pricey

...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-demonstrator) All of these cars are very competant. My main buying criteria were Drive, Equipment/Options, and Cost of ownership over 3 years - with a max £24k budget. As I was going to be taking out a personal loan (repaid by my car...

HappyHarry 08.01.2003 · Read review
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Review of BMW 318i

Underpowered? Not Likely!

Advantages: Power, economy, style, reliability, boot size and access.
Disadvantages: Slightly difficult to handle in the wet, slightly cramped in the rear seats.

...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 own car and in other cars I have been in. The car is really economical, I get an average of 40 mpg and I by no means drive in an economical style. When I bought the car it had 80,000 miles on it and I was concerned about the high milage but...

the_kidda 08.08.2000 · Read review
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Review of BMW 318i

Better Motor Vehicle

Advantages: Prestige, Spacious and comfortable
Disadvantages: Expensive to insure, can drink petrol!

...I decided to buy my approved used BMV 318i SE in November 2002 after a job change which meant I would be out on the road all day, 5 days a week. I previously owned a Renault Clio (far too small) and prior to that a 1989 BMW 525i. I've always been a big fan of BMW's since owning my first one, just for the comfort, prestige and drive and when it came to change my Clio for something more substantial, BMW came top of my requirement list everytime, especially ENCAP tests. I decided to buy an approved used and searched on the BMW site and found one in Chesterfield - some distance from my property. When I rang to enquire whether they could transfer it to my nearest dealer, they couldn't, however, were prepared to meet me halfway so I could look at the car. Well as soon as I saw it, I had to have it. The car itself is beautifully designed...

fluffyk 28.07.2003 · Read review
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Review of BMW 318i

Buy a 1993 model, they're great.

Advantages: Solid, reliable, they go on and on
Disadvantages: not many, jealous neighbour

...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 Imprezas! The car handles well, giving you the confidence to keep the throttle down in the twisty bits. It might not stick to the road as well as my old Impreza, but that's part of the fun of driving a rear wheel drive car. You feel totally connected...

alee136 17.05.2002 · Read review
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Review of BMW 318i

I've never seener cleaner beamer...

Advantages: Comfort and solid ride
Disadvantages: dark interior

...Having just received my somewhat neglected BMW 318 SE (Sept 2002 reg) back from its first major service I thought I would write in praise both of the vehicle and the local garage. Living in the country, once you have washed your car (on a Sunday afternoon along with all your neighbours!), and stared lovingly at its gleaming presence on your drive, your hard work is completely undone as soon as you turn the ignition and set off on your next journey. Hence my lack of enthusiasm for getting the hose pipe out, even on those rare occasions that there isn't a ban! And so after around 34k miles the on board computer advised me to take out another mortgage and prepare myself for the first "inspection" service. I called the garage on Thursday morning to ask for a slot, jokingly enquiring if one was avilable on Friday, to be advised that I...

idksolutions 26.02.2004 · Read review
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Review of BMW 318i