BMW 316Ti - any good?
Discussion
I presume you mean a 318TI and judging by the price you are looking at E46 based compacts.
They are pretty dam good by all accounts and as one of the few rwd hatches I am always amazed that they do not have a PH seal of approval
I have toyed with the idea of a E36 318TI as a <£1k cheap runabout as the ones i have seen appear in much better condition than your average 318IS coupe/saloon.
They are pretty dam good by all accounts and as one of the few rwd hatches I am always amazed that they do not have a PH seal of approval
I have toyed with the idea of a E36 318TI as a <£1k cheap runabout as the ones i have seen appear in much better condition than your average 318IS coupe/saloon.
Indeed, it is an E46 based car so not the tail-happy old model.
The 316Ti has a 1.8 engine.
I need 3 seatbelts in the back to get it past the Mrs.
I dare say I can get him down to £3k
This one though not convinced by "massive spec"
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
Not much in Wales unfortunately. there is a 325 Compact with much higher miles for less locally but that's it.
Oh and the car I must have can be no longer than this (even this is pushing it) for parking reasons.
The 316Ti has a 1.8 engine.
I need 3 seatbelts in the back to get it past the Mrs.
I dare say I can get him down to £3k
This one though not convinced by "massive spec"
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
Not much in Wales unfortunately. there is a 325 Compact with much higher miles for less locally but that's it.
Oh and the car I must have can be no longer than this (even this is pushing it) for parking reasons.
As has been suggested it does sound a very dear car. They are not worth the same kind of money as a straightforward E46 saloon. I wasn't even aware they did a regular 316 but I do see 318ti models on 51/02/52 plates go through auction regularly for around £1500 - £2000, and none of them tend to have done silly miles, I think generally because they're owned by woman. Trouble-free motoring I would have thought, had to replace a dodgy thermostat on one once but that's all I can recall.
E 46 316ti is quite nice actually, the E36 compact was a mish mash of truncated E36 body with E30 rear suspension and dashboard while the E46 version was all E46, with the added benefit of the first Valvetronic engine in the 316 version (the other petrol was the 325ti) which - unlike current developments - was actually more thrifty in reality as well as on paper. 
I'd have one as a runabout - it's likely no more costly to run than the usual Golf etc, and a cut above to drive - just as nice as all the other post '01 E46 with the added benefit of being the lightest and most agile E46.
Back then, punters didn't like the way it looked compared to a regular E46 saloon or coupé, but next to a 1-series...
I'd have one as a runabout - it's likely no more costly to run than the usual Golf etc, and a cut above to drive - just as nice as all the other post '01 E46 with the added benefit of being the lightest and most agile E46. Back then, punters didn't like the way it looked compared to a regular E46 saloon or coupé, but next to a 1-series...
As said before it does sound steep! I know it's an even older car but is opt for the latest possible 318Ti (01/X) which is a much better looking model to the newer compact and neither looks e36 or e46 but more of a illegitimate offspring. You can get a nicely Mtech 318Ti in some nice colours for under £2k.
from my experience the compacts are a very good car
well put together and well specc'ed
the biggest misconception about them is they have old fashioned suspension
they dont - they share it with the rest of the E46 range
only problem could be that 115BHP could be pretty gutless - and it seems pretty expensive
well put together and well specc'ed
the biggest misconception about them is they have old fashioned suspension
they dont - they share it with the rest of the E46 range
only problem could be that 115BHP could be pretty gutless - and it seems pretty expensive
I agree it seems expensive but, round here, you're looking at quite high prices for things as mundane as 03 Fiesta 1.4s. I think the scrappage scheme has driven old car values up and there are significantly less bargains out there in trader land. Annoyingly, there seem to be cheaper and better cars in Bristol which come up on the 30 mile radius search but it's too far to go for a runabout when the Bridge is over £6 on top of petrol.
LuS1fer said:
Indeed, it is an E46 based car so not the tail-happy old model.
The 316Ti has a 1.8 engine.
I need 3 seatbelts in the back to get it past the Mrs.
I dare say I can get him down to £3k
This one though not convinced by "massive spec"
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
Not much in Wales unfortunately. there is a 325 Compact with much higher miles for less locally but that's it.
Oh and the car I must have can be no longer than this (even this is pushing it) for parking reasons.
Anyone know what the additional window switches are for? They would suggest rear windows, but this appears to have those old fashioned 'flaps' on the rear windows.The 316Ti has a 1.8 engine.
I need 3 seatbelts in the back to get it past the Mrs.
I dare say I can get him down to £3k
This one though not convinced by "massive spec"
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
Not much in Wales unfortunately. there is a 325 Compact with much higher miles for less locally but that's it.
Oh and the car I must have can be no longer than this (even this is pushing it) for parking reasons.
Triumph Man said:
LuS1fer said:
Indeed, it is an E46 based car so not the tail-happy old model.
The 316Ti has a 1.8 engine.
I need 3 seatbelts in the back to get it past the Mrs.
I dare say I can get him down to £3k
This one though not convinced by "massive spec"
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
Not much in Wales unfortunately. there is a 325 Compact with much higher miles for less locally but that's it.
Oh and the car I must have can be no longer than this (even this is pushing it) for parking reasons.
Anyone know what the additional window switches are for? They would suggest rear windows, but this appears to have those old fashioned 'flaps' on the rear windows.The 316Ti has a 1.8 engine.
I need 3 seatbelts in the back to get it past the Mrs.
I dare say I can get him down to £3k
This one though not convinced by "massive spec"
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
Not much in Wales unfortunately. there is a 325 Compact with much higher miles for less locally but that's it.
Oh and the car I must have can be no longer than this (even this is pushing it) for parking reasons.
falkster said:
As said before it does sound steep! I know it's an even older car but is opt for the latest possible 318Ti (01/X) which is a much better looking model to the newer compact and neither looks e36 or e46 but more of a illegitimate offspring. You can get a nicely Mtech 318Ti in some nice colours for under £2k.
I would always go for the E46 model rather than the older car with the E30 rear suspension and dashboard, the old Compact was really below par for BMW on several levels - the newer 316ti (115 PS) would give its 318ti predecessor (113 PS) a run for its money at significantly lower fuel cost... doogz said:
So to save £6, you'll pay a few hundred quid over the odds for a ten year old car?
That makes sense to you?
It does if it's a fruitless trip and the nearer one can be significantly compromised on price. A quick search also suggests prices may be on the up - only one at £2500 of lower spec altogether (albeit newer but similar miles)- most over £3k. maybe people have caught on it's an E46.That makes sense to you?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/bmw/3...
That seems way over the top.
I've just bought a Leon 1.6 - admittedly it's a year older than this, and has an S on it instead of BMW - but it's done pretty much the same miles and cost me the grand total of £700.
Or, to put it another way, I got a car that will work perfectly well a run-around (in fact it's our only car) and compared to that BMW it effectively came with 23,000 miles of petrol in it.
Or a less prestigious badge. Oh, and it doesn't have a "leather clad armrest"
I've just bought a Leon 1.6 - admittedly it's a year older than this, and has an S on it instead of BMW - but it's done pretty much the same miles and cost me the grand total of £700.
Or, to put it another way, I got a car that will work perfectly well a run-around (in fact it's our only car) and compared to that BMW it effectively came with 23,000 miles of petrol in it.
Or a less prestigious badge. Oh, and it doesn't have a "leather clad armrest"
900T-R said:
I would always go for the E46 model rather than the older car with the E30 rear suspension and dashboard, the old Compact was really below par for BMW on several levels - the newer 316ti (115 PS) would give its 318ti predecessor (113 PS) a run for its money at significantly lower fuel cost...
Sorry, no it wouldn't, as the previous E36/5 318ti had the 16v engine out of the 318is coupe/saloonOP, I've had both an E36/5 316i and an E46/5 316ti, and much preferred the earlier car despite slightly less power. It was just much more fun to drive, and I got very bored of the 316ti soon after buying it. If you can afford the running costs, go for a 325ti though as it's a brilliant little car (don't listen to coupe owners who slag it off
). Likes a drink as a daily runner, but well worth itEither way, if going down the E46/5 route, I'd be looking for a post-2002 facelift Compact in Sport trim, as those Lexus-style rear lights are horrendous IMO
doogz said:
Sorry, what?
Are you suggesting that 10 year old 1.8L BMW 3-series are starting to appreciate?
Click the link and you tell me Are you suggesting that 10 year old 1.8L BMW 3-series are starting to appreciate?
- that's the full quota up to £4k in a 30 mile radius. What were they selling for before?As for Seats, I've just scrapped a Golf GTI which finally started to fall apart at the seams and am a long way away from sending any money VAGs way. I realise that maybe round where you are, you may get £700 jewels but in Wales, you get a lot of dogs, not really sure why. I've had my share of cheap cares - £400 Mondeo and that Golf as only £700 3 years ago but I am weary of constantly having to repair cars so would like something that might last a bit longer (emphasis on "might"). It is largely this latter test that has me rejecting a Clio 172.
At this rate, it will be a Fiesta. I'd have an Ignis Sport but for the fact it only has two seatbelts in the back.
I'd seriously consider looking a bit further afield for one. A 60 mile search from my postcode in the north west shows plenty of choice of 52 and 03 plate cars starting at £2,000, there's even a couple of 320tds in there sub £3,000 circa 100,000 miles. Must be worth the journey, surely?
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