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 118D SE

Advantages: Great drive, fine balanced car
Disadvantages: Rear space poor and rear doors restrict access

...a keen driver and want a bit more oomph then I would highly recommend an engine remap. This takes the output of the engine up to 180bhp and torque up to 311nm and knocks spots off the 120d. This absolutely transforms the car. Many people believe, wrongly, that this compromises reliability, fuel consumption and will damage the engine. Totally untrue. It will be the best £350 you will ever spend. I was also suprised by the extras that were on the SE spec. Audi and VW charge for many of the optional extras that appear as standard on the SE spec, so whilst price may seem steep, when all extras added up, not a lot in it, plus BMW are open to negociations, despite what they want you to believe. As for fuel consumption? let me say that a 170 mile trip via motorway saw me average 50.9 mpg. Yes, I did take it easy, but arrived very refreshed...

pharmacy123 20.09.2007 · Read review
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Review of BMW118d

BMW 5 Series 530i Sport Touring - Apr 2004

Advantages: Comfort, power, smoothness of ride, after-sales service.
Disadvantages: Expensive to run and maintain, unconvincing in ice and snow!

...The car for the lazy driver as it does absolutely everything for you. There are no gears or clutch to think about as the car has an extremely smooth automatic gearbox. The cruise control permits you to set your speed and take your foot off the accelerator. Automatic lights and rain sensors mean that you don’t need to worry about the weather conditions or lack of daylight, whilst the BMW satellite navigation package takes you directly to your destination. The traffic master package even helps you to avoid traffic build up or jams! Entertainment is also catered for although, unfortunately, this model doesn’t have the Internet package; the radio automatically re-tunes itself depending on your location and the fully loaded 6 CD autochanger is sufficient for the majority of journeys. There is a hands free in built telephone...

wetherby.beans 19.03.2007 · Read review
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Review of BMW 530i Touring

BMW R1100RS SE

Advantages: Comforable; Reliable; just a great bike:
Disadvantages: Oil inspection glass means getting on hands and knees!!

...I first purchased my BMW in April 2003, it is a W plated RS1100 SE, had 3,500 miles on the clock and cost £5,500. If you read my Moto Guzzi review you will see that I came back into biking after a 35 year lapse, and although I like and still have the Guzzi, it developed a problem (no spark) and is currently garaged. Also I had a couple of occasions to call out the AA, in London to fix a few 'minor' problems. I decided I wanted a superior bike, a one which had received good reviews and would not only be reliable, but would just go on and on forever. The only bike I could think of therefore was a BMW, and not being a sports bike person or a Harley man (cannot get to grips [sorry about the pun] with the heavy clutch in commuter traffic, a problem with my hand!!!) I could not really see what else there was to offer. Though I must...

PhilipHales 23.09.2005 · Read review
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Review of BMW R1100RS

BMW 118dSE 5 door REVIEW

Advantages: Solid build, good performance, great drive
Disadvantages: Cost

...I had the good fortune to have this car for a week as a courtesy car and I was impressed! Didnt want to give it back in the end! I have always liked the look of the 1 series as it is quite different to any of the other hatchbacks. I was given a brand new 2008 118dSE Automatic in Silver. I believe with the extras this retails at around £20'000-22'000. The standard features were 5 doors, cd player, driver and passenger airbags, electric windows (front and rear), remote central locking and boot pop. The car also featured optional extras including air conditioning, 17" alloy wheels, automatic gearbox with sports shift and also rear parking sensor. Initially I was not looking forward to driving a diesel as I have only driven petrol cars for the past 10 years, however as soon as I started the drive was excellent. The keyfob...

CDub 10.06.2008 · Read review
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Review of BMW118d

BMW 323iSE - A CLEVER CHOICE

Advantages: STYLING, IMAGE, BUILD QUALITY
Disadvantages: LACK OF SPACE, EXPENSIVE SPARES/SERVICING

...My first taste of the BMW experience was behind the wheel of a 1999 BMW 323iSE. I immediately became addicted! The car was bought second hand from a franchise dealer, as a replacement for my tired Peugeot 405. The BMW had previously been used as a company car, and as such, had a high mileage (it was less than 3 years old, but had covered 67,000 miles). However, the BMW service history was complete, and as it had just received a major service, it would not need to visit the garage again for 15,000 miles. The specification on the car was good, though it did lack some desirable items - instead of leather (a 'must have' on a BMW) there was Anthracite cloth and the car had a manual transmission, rather than the sought after automatic. However, the original owner did opt for some non-standard items. The car was fitted with a genuine...

BARNEYM1979 03.02.2004 (05.02.2004) · Read review
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Review of BMW 323i

taking the tour

Advantages: accessories, ease of use, price
Disadvantages: for some the size might be a put-off

...has a clock and temperature reader. At any point in my journey I can just look down and check the time or when standing outside the school I can know just who cold it is! The wheels turn easily and smoothly. It used to be that some 4-wheel buggies were hard to navigate but this one has no trouble turning a corner. Just to give you an idea I was in town today with my usual Starbucks in one hand and piloting the buggy with the other. I purchased my Graco travel system from Babies R Us for £260 and there was a promotion to get the £100 accessories pack free. There are various Quattro Tour systems and at very different prices. I think the cheapest of which is around £150. The accessories pack made it so I had the buggy itself, the car seat, one car base, changing bag, foot cosy, carrycot attachment, and rain cover. Was a great deal and I saw...

znh3ra54 16.04.2009 · Read review
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Review of Graco Quattro Tour Travel System

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

BMW Sporty Diesel with Low Running Costs

Advantages: Good Resale value, sporty, comfortable, sleek
Disadvantages: Feels same as a much older model.

...I bought a 2004 model 320DSE recently and am pleased to report it is a nice executive car. The 320D range start with a basic model then the ES then the SE and then of course the Mtec Sport. The level of goodies you get with the car go up with each model but they all driver the same apart from the sports suspension on the Mtec. I decided the Se was probably the best value for myself with Climate control, electric windows , 6 speed manual gearbox, electric windows all round, and cd player advantages over the ES. This is the second BMW I have owned. the first being a 316 made in 92, and I must report it is amazingly similar to drive. The pedals are offset to the right slightly but this feels quite natural, the, the brakes are exellent, and the clutch is fairly light but has quite a long travel which I find takes a while to get used to...

lightheart 18.10.2007 · Read review
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Review of BMW 320d

BMW 530D Sport Touring 2001 E39

Advantages: Quality , Power , Style , Handling
Disadvantages: Slightly smaller than Merc E class internally

...? BMW have upped their game in both engineering quality and function and the fit and finish and body and paint are now second to none against ANY manufacturer.Add to this the outstanding fuel economy of the 530d ( 40mpg+) even when driven hard and enjoying the fabulous performance on tap and you have a winning combination. Having also tried the SE version of the saloon in 525 form I can recommend this as well . So all I need to do now is get them to make a Touring 7 series in a more acceptable style than the current shape with the 3.0D engine !!!!!...

motorgrass 18.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of BMW 530d