Advice on BMWs?
Discussion
Hi folks.
I am currently looking for a new car. I want something reasonably powerful (140bhpish) and unusual. I currently drive a Volvo 850 10v, which I love, but is using a bit too much fuel. I have owned an mx5 before, and really enjoyed the rear driven layout.
I love the idea of an e36 318is, but am struggling to find one anywhere near me (south east Scotland). There is one that looks a belter on ebay, but it is in London. Am I as well keeping an eye out for a 318ti and settling for that (same twin cam engine, some z3 bits I think) when I find one, or hold out for a 318is?
I have around 2k to spend and am not worried about mileage as long as there's a good lump of history.
Does anyone have an alternative suggestion? Needs good boot space, otherwise I'd be looking for another mx5. Have thought about a lot (even a Rover 200 BRM, just because it has a 'diff. And red leather. And a Rover badge)
Cheers!
I am currently looking for a new car. I want something reasonably powerful (140bhpish) and unusual. I currently drive a Volvo 850 10v, which I love, but is using a bit too much fuel. I have owned an mx5 before, and really enjoyed the rear driven layout.
I love the idea of an e36 318is, but am struggling to find one anywhere near me (south east Scotland). There is one that looks a belter on ebay, but it is in London. Am I as well keeping an eye out for a 318ti and settling for that (same twin cam engine, some z3 bits I think) when I find one, or hold out for a 318is?
I have around 2k to spend and am not worried about mileage as long as there's a good lump of history.
Does anyone have an alternative suggestion? Needs good boot space, otherwise I'd be looking for another mx5. Have thought about a lot (even a Rover 200 BRM, just because it has a 'diff. And red leather. And a Rover badge)
Cheers!
Agent XXX said:
don't do it. They're s
t.
Reason you can't find many e36 318s is because they've probably all broken and been scrapped.Utterly s**t car.
Definitive. Same story with the compact then? What's wrong with them? Never driven one, just sat inside and the driving position seems to fit me wellt.Reason you can't find many e36 318s is because they've probably all broken and been scrapped.Utterly s**t car.
Agent XXX said:
don't do it. They're st.
Reason you can't find many e36 318s is because they've probably all broken and been scrapped.Utterly s**t car.
What a bunch of bt.Reason you can't find many e36 318s is because they've probably all broken and been scrapped.Utterly s**t car.
ks. st is what way? Any high mileage car which has not been fettled will undoubtedly be a bit soggy.I have an E36 328 which is undergoing some updates. Good size, decent chassis and more fun than a new BMW IMO. I am expecting to chuck about £5k into my car though.
The design of the compact never did anything for me, but that's just personal taste. Didn't they also have old-school e30 rear suspension rather than the e36 z-link set up? (I might have misremembered that...)
The "is" engine is a nice peppy little unit and a very different proposition from the standard 1.8. Worth holding out for one, if you ask me.
ETA: A quick google search has pulled up this useful post from about 6 years ago:
Ignore the usual nonsense about the rear suspension setup which always surfaces when people talk about the Compact or the Z3 - funnily enough, it's never an issue when people discuss the E30! I very much doubt that you care what rear suspension setup you have when driving.
Anyway, don't expect the 318ti to wow you with its power, but it's adequate, especially if you're driving without passengers. I found the car quite nimble to drive with pleasant controls, particularly its nicely-weighted steering and gearbox. It can get a little jittery in the wet, caused (at least in part, IMO) by the shorter wheelbase, but it's no worse than any other small(ish) rwd cars in that respect.
In some respects it's nicer to drive an E36 than the E46, because they're a bit more "old-school" and you're less insulated from the road. This is of course a double-edged sword as the refinement is not so great. They're quite fun to steer down a nice b-road - better than the contemporary Focus IMO, which I realise is contrary to popular opinion (I've always thought Foci were overrated, and their popularity in the press stemmed in part from the general surprise and delight that Ford hadn't build Escort mk5, but this is besides the point!).
The 1.9 engine is the same as the 318is coupe, which always seems to get a better press. I'm probably a bit contrary but I prefer the looks of the hatchback - I suspect I'm in a minority there though! (not that I care particularly).
The interior is extremely durable and although totally un-exceptional to look at, it's functional and can hide mileage well. There's little in the way of toys so little to go wrong, the engines are robust and seem capable of big mileages, parts are cheap and running costs are low. The boot isn't the biggest but comparable to similar sized cars of similar vintage (Focus, Golf, Astra etc).
I had my Compact for 2.5 years and it was absolutely faultless in that time. I kept a pretty thorough blog on PH so check my profile for details. I'd definitely recommend one, with the usual caveats i.e. check for maintenance, check for rust (structural as well as body) and have a look at a few because there are plenty of dogs around (and that applies to the e36 in general, not just the hatch).
The "is" engine is a nice peppy little unit and a very different proposition from the standard 1.8. Worth holding out for one, if you ask me.
ETA: A quick google search has pulled up this useful post from about 6 years ago:
Bill Carr said:
drivin_me_nuts said:
My first BMW was a 318Ti. Sweet little engine, just loved to be driven hard and it seemed unbreakable. It can be a handful in the wet and TBO there isn't that much space in the boot and equiptment is basic at best. As a little run-around, it fitted the bill very nicely.
This ^^^Ignore the usual nonsense about the rear suspension setup which always surfaces when people talk about the Compact or the Z3 - funnily enough, it's never an issue when people discuss the E30! I very much doubt that you care what rear suspension setup you have when driving.
Anyway, don't expect the 318ti to wow you with its power, but it's adequate, especially if you're driving without passengers. I found the car quite nimble to drive with pleasant controls, particularly its nicely-weighted steering and gearbox. It can get a little jittery in the wet, caused (at least in part, IMO) by the shorter wheelbase, but it's no worse than any other small(ish) rwd cars in that respect.
In some respects it's nicer to drive an E36 than the E46, because they're a bit more "old-school" and you're less insulated from the road. This is of course a double-edged sword as the refinement is not so great. They're quite fun to steer down a nice b-road - better than the contemporary Focus IMO, which I realise is contrary to popular opinion (I've always thought Foci were overrated, and their popularity in the press stemmed in part from the general surprise and delight that Ford hadn't build Escort mk5, but this is besides the point!).
The 1.9 engine is the same as the 318is coupe, which always seems to get a better press. I'm probably a bit contrary but I prefer the looks of the hatchback - I suspect I'm in a minority there though! (not that I care particularly).
The interior is extremely durable and although totally un-exceptional to look at, it's functional and can hide mileage well. There's little in the way of toys so little to go wrong, the engines are robust and seem capable of big mileages, parts are cheap and running costs are low. The boot isn't the biggest but comparable to similar sized cars of similar vintage (Focus, Golf, Astra etc).
I had my Compact for 2.5 years and it was absolutely faultless in that time. I kept a pretty thorough blog on PH so check my profile for details. I'd definitely recommend one, with the usual caveats i.e. check for maintenance, check for rust (structural as well as body) and have a look at a few because there are plenty of dogs around (and that applies to the e36 in general, not just the hatch).
Edited by Gruber on Saturday 15th October 12:23
gonnagetyoursBenny said:
Debaser said:
E36 318is is a brilliant car. Good luck finding one in good condition though.
Is there a noticable difference with the compact? Nobody seems to have an opinion of them, staring to wonder if they are incredibly boring.gonnagetyoursBenny said:
You have to travel -long gone are the days when decent ones are around every corner. Mine was a 450 mile round trip.Coming from an 850, the BMW is more fun. But depends what you look for in a car. They are heavy but mechanical like most 90s German cars.
There are plenty of E36 track cars running around but if you expect any car to be trackable out of the box, that is unlikely.
£2k is Clio money which may be better if you don't want RWD. Personally,I like having the ability to oversteer at will :-)
Edited by SidewaysSi on Saturday 15th October 12:31
gonnagetyoursBenny said:
I'm a touch suspicious of an ad that says full service history and then includes a shot of the history only stamped up to a date 8 years ago, so I'd want to see copies of the rest of the history. I'd want to see evidence of genuine care, rather than just getting done the odds and ends needed to pass a MOT.But if it stacks up in photos etc, and if the seller will provide the missing info and hold the car for you, it might be worth getting a local specialist to go and take a look (Walkers Autotech aren't too far away and Andy knows e36s very well). And then if it's a good'un, get a cheap flight down and enjoy a good road trip home again.
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