Bimmer for a first car....
Discussion
In a couple of months I'll get my license and I'm thinking of getting a Bimmer. At first I had set my mind on a Vw Golf 3 Gti, but after spending half of my in the passenger seat of my bf's 316i I changed my mind. Before you start asking about insurance and so on I'd like to say I'm not in the UK and insurance even for noobs is cheap as chips. So the big dilemma is 318is or 320i both will be coupes both cost about the same both have climate control and both work on LPG. But even my mates 316i gives an abnormal town consumption of 20 mpg out of town it settles at 33 mpg. And next year I'll start uni in Germany which is 1500 miles away so I'd need good high speed economy. Please give me some headers on which I can base my decision.
Ah, the E36, quality vehicle.
Get the 318iS, which, IIRC is the more powerful 1.8? Nice car, plenty of power for a first car for sure. If you can afford the running costs then it will be a great car.
Bear in mind though, an old E36 is going to need a lot spending on it if you want it kept in decent condition for doing 1,500 mile motorway runs, e.g. suspension bushes, shocks, springs etc. will all be getting to the age of needing replacing.
Get the 318iS, which, IIRC is the more powerful 1.8? Nice car, plenty of power for a first car for sure. If you can afford the running costs then it will be a great car.
Bear in mind though, an old E36 is going to need a lot spending on it if you want it kept in decent condition for doing 1,500 mile motorway runs, e.g. suspension bushes, shocks, springs etc. will all be getting to the age of needing replacing.
Good point there Fox. Well it doesn't have to be dull to be reliable. I'm thinking more of a Mk 3 Golf or not that fun but reliable a Passat b3 although I'd like something rear wheel drive,I hate jap stuff, like a BMW's. The other day a friend suggested a Vauxhall Omega. My mate doesn't have any issues with his 316i except he changed his clutch and the occasional service.
6 months ago I upgraded from a Mk 3 Golf GTI 16v to an E46 330i Touring due to impending fatherhood and other than a larger fuel tank I don't think the consumption is much worse. My 18" tyres are of course much more expensive and if anything major goes wrong it is likely to be expensive but I was beginning to spend lots of money on my Golf.
If insurance is not an issue, go for it!
If insurance is not an issue, go for it!
All my friends say that I should get a Mk3 Golf except a couple of them who actually own a BMW they say that if I can afford it I should get a BMW. I've driven a E30 318i , a E36 316i , Mk 2 golf 1.8 a B6 Passat 2.0TDI and a 2003 Toyota Corrola 1.4 .Of all those cars I've come to the conclusion, even though they have totally different purpouses , that actually the BMW's handle and go better then the others even the Passat. My mom and dad think I should get some polo or golf but they don't bother limiting me 'cause they know I'm not going to listen to them. I'm looking for a RWD car cause I'm also in drifting.
I am also going towards the 318is but I can't just neglect the 6-cylinder in the 320i an that's my main dilemma. The 318is should give better fuel economy and I think equal to the 320i's performance in stock form. As for suspension and so on getting old I plan lowering it on coilovers and changing almost everything suspension wise , but that will happen as time passes.
Get the e36 318iS faster and better handling than a e36 320i the 320i sounds better but does not rev like the 318iS and doesnt have much torque either if you want to go 6 cylinder get a 328i as they have a fair amount of torque ( dont get anything smaller than a 325i imo) i had a e36 328i while someone i know had a e30 318is while the 28 was faster off the line when both cars were moving there wasnt much in it 328s can do around 30 MPG
I was looking at 325s and 328s but I just can't afford buying any of them since I'm still a student at high school and most of the money I spend on buying the car will come from my dad. Though if a lower priced 325 or 328 comes up in the time I'd jump at the opportunity of getting it.
An idea crossed my mind while I was out today. Since there are many people who have worked or work in the UK in Bulgaria there are also a lot of RHD cars,but I don't want one. So the big plan I hatched up is to buy a 325 or 328 from the UK (I have relatives there who can get it for me) and then convert it to LHD it'd a lot cheaper to it this way. Here a 328 starts from about 2000 pounds and a 318is goes for about 800-1800 pounds. Does anybody have an idea whether converting a car from RHD to LHD is so hard that a group of 4 mechanics school students can't do it ?
I'd imagine it would be a nightmare on a car of that value, very borderline about whether it was economical?
I would suppose it would need a new dash, new centre console, new wiper linkages, maybe work on the wiring loom, and some sort of work to the steering column/rack (sorry I'm by no means an expert)
To me, on a car of that age, it doesn't seem worth it! A decent 328i here will set you back £1K to £1.5K I reckon. A ropey old tired one can be much cheaper though and if you can fix it up yourself then I suppose you'd be laughing.
I would suppose it would need a new dash, new centre console, new wiper linkages, maybe work on the wiring loom, and some sort of work to the steering column/rack (sorry I'm by no means an expert)
To me, on a car of that age, it doesn't seem worth it! A decent 328i here will set you back £1K to £1.5K I reckon. A ropey old tired one can be much cheaper though and if you can fix it up yourself then I suppose you'd be laughing.
well I thought about it and it occurred to me why people drive their RHD cars here without converting them and the only answer that comes up is because it is a pain in the a**. So might just buy an 318is and after 2 or 3 years when I go to Germany I might upgrade to a e46 or an e36 m3.
Fox- said:
Skip the BMW's for a bit and buy something dull and reliable as your first car. Then you've got more cash left over for your second car, which can be something nice as you wont have spent all your money shovelling cash into keeping a 15 year old 3 Series running.
This is what I did and it works well. Worth the wait to get one with a proper engine too.Blue Oval84 said:
Or, to give the flip side to this coin, you could be squashed by a bus tomorrow, get it now.
Just wanted to add balance
In which case you could say that about every single potential purchase you'll ever make in your life.Just wanted to add balance
Save and get a 6 cylinder 3 series, you'd only regret getting a 318.
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