BMW 316 or 318?

congo_90

I'm really undecided.. Around the 99/00 mark.

Are they really what they're cracked up to be? I'm only 18 i plan on buying one soon for when i'm 19 and 2 years no claims.. I would love an oul M but i'm afraid of the insurance company essentially putting their hands too far into my pockets. Are they reliable? known faults? Anything i should look out for?

I'm planning to buy not for speed as such but for the good looks of them (my opinion, they're sexy as fook) also its a step up from my Accent.

all commments appreciated even the bad ones!!

thanks

samsemtex

congo_90 wrote: »

I'm really undecided.. Around the 99/00 mark.

Are they really what they're cracked up to be? I'm only 18 i plan on buying one soon for when i'm 19 and 2 years no claims.. I would love an oul M but i'm afraid of the insurance company essentially putting their hands too far into my pockets. Are they reliable? known faults? Anything i should look out for?

I'm planning to buy not for speed as such but for the good looks of them (my opinion, they're sexy as fook) also its a step up from my Accent.

all commments appreciated even the bad ones!!

thanks

I know a good few mechanics and ive never heard them say they are a good car. 316 is horribly underpowered and 318 is not a whole lot better. My friend got rid of his 2001 316 after 6 months because it was giving engine difficulties. Constantly losing power on him. They arent all they are cracked up to be by any means. Unreliable, slow and pretty dull to look at in lower spec models. Great car to drive but certainly not worth the money as far as im concerned.

And let me reiterate this, they are very, very slow and underpowered. I know you said you dont care about speed but when you are overtaking and youve no power it will piss you off big time. If you are set on one get a 320i

Bandara

get a 320

caesar

OP two questions:

e36 or e46?
Saloon or Coupe?

congo_90

samsemtex wrote: »

And let me reiterate this, they are very, very slow and underpowered. I know you said you dont care about speed but when you are overtaking and youve no power it will piss you off big time. If you are set on one get a 320i

thanks for this info see this is what i need bearing in mind i'm coming from a slow slow underpowered korean machiene i want something with a little umph and a badge well known... I seem to be having trouble getting specs on the 320 so i'm looking around 1.6 (again insurance reasons)

caesar wrote: »

OP two questions:

e36 or e46?
Saloon or Coupe?

is the E46 is the coupe (2 door) then the E46 version

bazz26

Have you tried getting insurance quotes on both cars? At 18 I would guess you will find it expensive enough even on the lowly 316i/318i.

Presume it is the E46 you are looking at in which case both the 316i and 318i came with a 1.9 litre but in different states of tune. Both engines were terribly underpowered even back then. The 316i only had around 109bhp while the 318i only had around 118bhp afaik. Engines were upgraded in late 2001 with the facelifted model, 316i got a new 1.8 litre engine while the 318i got a 2.0 litre.

To be honest if I were you I would not bother with either of these at your age. Neither are the ultimate driving machine and your just taxing, insuring and fueling a 1.9 litre engine with the performance of an average 1.6 litre.

My advice would be to byde your time, look beyond the BMW badge and run something a bit more affordable for a couple years until your insurance comes down to a respectable level, then go out and get yourself a 6 cylinder BMW.

x in the city

wait until your older, save up your ncb and buy a 'proper' 6 pot bmw then.

in the mean time suck it up with something else. theres alot of cars out there, a honda accord 1.8 vtec would whip a bmw 316 for breakfast.

bazz26

This is the E36 (4dr from 1991 to 1998), (2dr coupe from 1993 to 1999):


This is the E46 (4dr from 1998 to 2005), (2dr coupe from 1999 to 2006):

congo_90

x in the city wrote: »

wait until your older, save up your ncb and buy a 'proper' 6 pot bmw then.

in the mean time suck it up with something else. theres alot of cars out there, a honda accord 1.8 vtec would whip a bmw 316 for breakfast.

the words honda, 18 years old and insurance go together like madeline maccane and strangers!

as for other posts saying hold off i really am sick of my current car its just basically crap.
1.8 is terribly huge. I thought (excuse my ignorance) but isn't there a modern 1.6 version of the 3 series available? again we're talking around the 99-01 brackets.

I wont be buying this car until i'm 19 by which time 2 years NCD, full licence should help me along my way. the crappy noise of my car at the moment etc annoys me i need even a few more horse power just to 'feel' like im drivin a car and not a glorified push bike pulled by a fat dog

congo_90

bazz26 wrote: »

This is the E36 (4dr from 1991 to 1998), (2dr coupe from 1993 to 1999):


This is the E46 (4dr from 1998 to 2005), (2dr coupe from 1999 to 2006):

the E46 seems to be a little more appealing but i reckon at the price range it mate be an E36 unless there is a signifigant power,performance,comfort difference. Comfort is important as i regularly drive from Meath to Wexford for personal reasons.

power is another top priority. My current car *can* overtake with some effort and a bit of driving skill but i need something that doesn't require that much effort.

sorry forgot to ask how do they handle in my original post?....... VITAL that they go well. Again no point pi$$in my money away on a high end car if she cant stop/corner

caesar

e36 Coupe 1992 -1999




e46 coupe 1999 - 2006


Personally I wouldnt go near anything other than 6 cyclinders. Maybe at best a 318is in the e36.

So op which are you thinking of?

EDIT: If you thinking of an e36, get yourself a 320. Whatever people say about fuel consumption in reality it wont be all that much worse than a 316/318. Your gonna have to push a 316 very hard to get it to go anywhere. The 6 cyclinders sound nice too

I hope to be in the market soon for an e36. Im 19 and I wont be looking at anything less than a 320. My insurance will be fine so I cant see why yours wouldnt be. I've 1 years NCB on my own policy.

bazz26

congo_90 wrote: »

the words honda, 18 years old and insurance go together like madeline maccane and strangers!

Old BMW 3 Series have a similar profile with insurance companies.

congo_90 wrote: »

as for other posts saying hold off i really am sick of my current car its just basically crap.

Nobody is saying don't change your current car, what we are saying is that there are so many better options out there than a BMW 316i/318i. No offence you see to be smitten by the whole BMW euphoria rather than the choice of car itself. Did you look at the Hyundai Coupe for example? They came in 1.6 litre.

congo_90 wrote: »

1.8 is terribly huge. I thought (excuse my ignorance) but isn't there a modern 1.6 version of the 3 series available? again we're talking around the 99-01 brackets.

The 1998 to 2001 BMW 316i had a 1.9 litre engine, from 2001 onwards it was 1.8 litre. Engine sizes didn't always follow the model badge. The 1.6 litre engine was introduced again only in the E90 from 2006 as an Irish special. Since the VRT changes it has been dropped. Again a 1.6 litre engine is dull and pointless in a BMW imo irrespective of whether you want speed or not.

samsemtex

congo_90 wrote: »

the words honda, 18 years old and insurance go together like madeline maccane and strangers!

as for other posts saying hold off i really am sick of my current car its just basically crap.
1.8 is terribly huge. I thought (excuse my ignorance) but isn't there a modern 1.6 version of the 3 series available? again we're talking around the 99-01 brackets.

I wont be buying this car until i'm 19 by which time 2 years NCD, full licence should help me along my way. the crappy noise of my car at the moment etc annoys me i need even a few more horse power just to 'feel' like im drivin a car and not a glorified push bike pulled by a fat dog

The thing is that the 316/318 in the years you are talking about is not that much more spritely than your accent. ive driven an accent and i know that anything will be better than it but you can definitely get a better car than the bmw for the money.

x in the city

and I would imagine a honda accord would be looked at a totally different perspective from insurance companys compared to a civic.

I dont care what car the op gets, im just offering advice, at 19 you will pay through the nose to insure a 6 pot bmw, well and good if you can do that.

but as others pointed out a 316/318 is a poor buy, the only bmw worth getting is the 318is which is respectable.

there is a whole stock of cars out there, and restricting yourself to a 'bmw' is a bit narrow minded one thinks

congo_90

caesar wrote: »

e36 Coupe 1992 -1999

Personally I wouldnt go near anything other than 6 cyclinders. Maybe at best a 318is in the e36.

So op which are you thinking of?

EDIT: If you thinking of an e36, get yourself a 320. Whatever people say about fuel consumption in reality it wont be all that much worse than a 316/318. Your gonna have to push a 316 very hard to get it to go anywhere. The 6 cyclinders sound nice too

I hope to be in the market soon for an e36. Im 19 and I wont be looking at anything less than a 320. My insurance will be fine so I cant see why yours wouldnt be. I've 1 years NCB on my own policy.

I thinkg the E36 is what i'm looking for she looks the part I dont know why it's one of those "just is" moments

bazz26 wrote: »

Old BMW 3 Series have a similar profile with insurance companies.



Nobody is saying don't change your current car, what we are saying is that there are so many better options out there than a BMW 316i/318i. No offence you see to be smitten by the whole BMW euphoria rather than the choice of car itself. Did you look at the Hyundai Coupe for example? They came in 1.6 litre.

.

With all due respect, I'm trying to get something european, jap. Hence the bmw. I dont like anything really about the coupe it seems more so a glorified accent with some extra power..


Basically I woke up a while ago and said right I want this bmw....(insert here) i have it in my head and ideally i would love the 1.6 for insurance/tax reasons but as other posters has said, to avoid i guess i'll stretch a little bit. There's something appealing a about these cars even as a child to me. ...

congo_90

x in the city wrote: »

and I would imagine a honda accord would be looked at a totally different perspective from insurance companys compared to a civic.

I dont care what car the op gets, im just offering advice, at 19 you will pay through the nose to insure a 6 pot bmw, well and good if you can do that.

but as others pointed out a 316/318 is a poor buy, the only bmw worth getting is the 318is which is respectable.

there is a whole stock of cars out there, and restricting yourself to a 'bmw' is a bit narrow minded one thinks

Sorry only saw this post now. as i said i think its nearly aesthetics. thanks for the suggestions but if i could, I would try avoid honda. I find that it hondas + young lad gain two things:

The unwanted attention of garda (even in a stock honda)
the unwanted attention of shams (just as bad)

samsemtex

congo_90 wrote: »

I thinkg the E36 is what i'm looking for she looks the part I dont know why it's one of those "just is" moments



With all due respect, I'm trying to get something european, jap. Hence the bmw. I dont like anything really about the coupe it seems more so a glorified accent with some extra power..


Basically I woke up a while ago and said right I want this bmw....(insert here) i have it in my head and ideally i would love the 1.6 for insurance/tax reasons but as other posters has said, to avoid i guess i'll stretch a little bit. There's something appealing a about these cars even as a child to me. ...

If your heart is that set on it then there is not much else we can say, but honestly my friend was the exact same as you about his BMW and i have never seen a man so disappointed with a purchase. If you like them that much why disappoint yourself with a bad version of it that will tarnish your opinion of the car?

congo_90

@samemtex,
Do you think i'd be best then with a 320? the difference in looks is only minimal and while i sound a bit girly in that sense. its the looks. they're seductive to me i dunno why.

while i'm here just a quick thanks to all who have posted so far. this is the sorta feedback i was hoping for to help me not make a bad decision! I wouldn't want to buy a nice shiny bmw only to be let down by a heavy right foot..

drunkmonkey

I haven't read the thread, but you should go for a 318is or M3....anything else is just something in betweeen....

samsemtex

congo_90 wrote: »

@samemtex,
Do you think i'd be best then with a 320? the difference in looks is only minimal and while i sound a bit girly in that sense. its the looks. they're seductive to me i dunno why.

while i'm here just a quick thanks to all who have posted so far. this is the sorta feedback i was hoping for to help me not make a bad decision! I wouldn't want to buy a nice shiny bmw only to be let down by a heavy right foot..

If you are set on getting one the 320 is definitely a better buy. Its only a 2 litre as opposed to an underpowered 1.9 in the 316/318 so the difference in insurance will be fairly small. The performance is considersably better and you will actually be able to overtake. And dont always assume smaller engines have better economy. You have to rev the life out of them to get any sort of performance and that drives mpg way down espiecially in heavier cars like the 3series. 320 would not be a bad buy at all

drunkmonkey

samsemtex wrote: »

e the 320 is definitely a better buy. Its only a 2 litre as opposed to an underpowered 1.9

A 318is feels a lot sportier to drive than a 320....

caesar

OP if your worried about tax and insurance why dont go older than 99. The e36 coupe was in production from 92. You can offset the higher tax and insurance on the 320 against the fact that you wont be getting hit with as much depreciation. My logic would be buy on condition alone, dont worry about whats on the number plate. There is so much rubbish around when it comes to these cars particualry 316's and 318's. If your happy to buy an e36 coupe go find yourself a well minded one.

Oh ya get yourself some quotes first, atleast then you will know where you stand insurance wise.

Someone suggested an 318is or an M3.....what?? there is massive difference between them.

drunkmonkey

Ok I know it's white but this car is a steal at this price..

http://www.carzone.ie/es-ie/search/BMW/3-Series/318Ci---/200842190527035/advert

congo_90

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Ok I know it's white but this car is a steal at this price..

http://www.carzone.ie/es-ie/search/BMW/3-Series/318Ci---/200842190527035/advert

see thats what im talkin bout! i could erm.. sit up all night about such cars! the only thing is its white and a convertable a defo no no in my books. She gotta be hard top and and not white or red (such messy colours)

Lumen

Warning - the following ramble doesn't address your OP.

As a 19 year old there are many, many cars I would choose over a big, heavy, underpowered 4 door saloon.

The reason you want to change from your current car is that it's boring as hell. And you propose to replace it with something else boring as hell. This makes no sense.

If it was me, I'd be trying to work out what the ultimate "low insurance fun car" is, then working around that.

I'm not sure how insurance works for older cars, but a new BMW 318 is in about insurance group 11, or about "halfway to hell". By constrast, the Suzuki Swift Sport or slowest Mazda MX5 is also IG 11; the Fiat Panda 100HP is IG 5.

If you can afford to insure the BMW, you can afford to insure the Swift or MX5, everything else about running the car would be cheaper, and you'd have loads more fun. If you can't afford to run those cars, the Panda would be just as much fun, and if you can't afford that (or aren't interested in driving dynamics) why are you looking at BMWs in the first place?

congo_90

@lumen. Thanks for the contrast there. It was a good insight as i was ironically offered an MX5 only last week for a cheap price but it was a tad battered.

Reason for going for the bmw is down to vanity of it really. I've been reading and re-reading this thread now and i'm still on the fence i'd nearly just go for the 318 cos the 320 is around 2.2L...

I was originally going for a 1.6 haha.

caesar

congo_90 wrote: »

Reason for going for the bmw is down to vanity of it really. I've been reading and re-reading this thread now and i'm still on the fence i'd nearly just go for the 318 cos the 320 is around 2.2L...

I was originally going for a 1.6 haha.

Well you already said in this thread that your thinking of an e36.....the 320 e36 coupe is 1991cc--->2.0L.

I think your getting mixed up with the e46 320 coupe which is a 2.2L

Omcd

OP, what about a Merc C180 ?

drunkmonkey

Congo, if your after a e36 the 318is is the best of the buch, the 320 might look better on paper...but it's heavier and geared differently....A 318is will out sprint a 320 evey time....it has higher torque and a shorter gear ratio....

Drive both and you'll see what I mean....318is is a 1.9 the 320 it s 2.0L (6 cylinder)

here's a few to go have a look at...leather is a big +

http://www.carzone.ie/es-ie/search/BMW/3-Series/IS-Coupe/200828189323703/advert

http://www.carzone.ie/es-ie/search/BMW/3-Series/318-Is-M/200843190554083/advert

http://www.carzone.ie/es-ie/search/BMW/3-Series/318-IS-M/200842190449740/advert

http://www.carzone.ie/es-ie/search/BMW/3-Series/318-COUP/200840190285770/advert

http://www.carzone.ie/es-ie/search/BMW/3-Series/IS-M-SPO/200840190256034/advert

http://www.carzone.ie/es-ie/search/BMW/3-Series/is-M-Spo/200840190290609/advert

http://www.carzone.ie/es-ie/search/BMW/3-Series/M-SPORT/200843190549865/advert

this looks well, but no leather:(
http://www.carzone.ie/es-ie/search/BMW/3-Series/318is-m-/200840190196331/advert

black leather here...
http://www.carzone.ie/es-ie/search/BMW/3-Series/IS-M-SPO/200840190256034/advert

things to look out for...

lift off the oil cap and radiator cap...look for any scum under them....check out the body work with a fine tooth combe....look for any speckels under the paint (tiny bits of dust) it could mean the car has been repainted or crashed....look under the door handels and around the window trim for any kind of paint over spray...also look in the boot, lift the spare wheel look for any sign of repair damage....check the back wheel arches gain for any kind of damage repair...

Make sure and test drive the car, it shoud feel tight and smooth over bumps...if it feels loose or there's any kind out knocking check it out with a mechanic....

bazz26

Omcd wrote: »

OP, what about a Merc C180 ?

But the OP is only 18 years old, a bit young for a Merc I think.

um7y1h83ge06nx

bazz26 wrote: »

But the OP is only 18 years old, a bit young for a Merc I think.

Maybe he's planning early retirement?! :P