M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
FAQ / REFERENCE => M42 Buyer's Guide => Topic started by: WARL0CK on March 09, 2010, 11:05:04 AM
-
Hi I am new to this site and would like some advice on the BMW E30 318is
I will be turning 17 soon and i have some cash saved for a car. Whilst looking at various cars on the internet, the E30 318is has always caught my eye.
After getting a quote i found that can reasonably easily insure this car for little more than 1000 GBP a year. Though I have read favourable reviews in general, I want to know if this is a good car to have as my first. I appreciate that its a 20something year old car and understand the level of maintainence that comes with it.
any thoughts appreciated
-
ive had 318is's for like 2 maybe 3 years now and LOVE them mine now rolled over 206,XXX miles and still runs strong!
even though im taking out the M42 they are VERY good running cars and will always last much longer than most people think!
jus some advice with this motor always check temp gauge water level and oil!!
-
Best vehicle ever.
-
Best vehicle ever.
+1
-
how good is it on fuel?
-
mine are verry good on fuel considering the mods that ive done. my semi stock 4door with a chip gets on avearage 30-33mpg on the motorway. id say 25ish around town.
-
my gas mileage isnt bad about the same as his^^ maybe a little less considering the way i drive and what mine has done lol
-
It's a good car to learn on too. Everything is easy to get at, there are plenty of parts cars around, the motor was made for a while, etc. It's a car that's easy to maintain and easy on the wallet.
Don't jump all over the first one you see. Take your time & get a good one. Rust in the a-pillar is common around here, as is rust in the frame under the doors. Avoid those cars unless they're a giveaway.
The usual e30 problems all apply, plus M42 stuff like vac leaks, ICV & CPS but they're cheap to fix. Fuel pump, plastic water pump, cam drive system are spendy. Overheating is the biggest problem...it'll crack the head very quickly among other issues are the problems you might run into.
You have another option...you should check out the diesel versions too. Not as much fun, but likely cheaper to run.
-
I might be wrong here but i didn't think they made a diesel version with an engine smaller than 2000cc. The only problem with that is due to my age insurance companies won't give me a quote on anything above 1799cc
-
I might be wrong here but i didn't think they made a diesel version with an engine smaller than 2000cc. The only problem with that is due to my age insurance companies won't give me a quote on anything above 1799cc
I wish the laws were similar here. Wouldn't have as many douche bags driving around.
The only diesel I remember is the 324d/td
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=1511&mospid=47279&btnr=11_0019&hg=11&fg=05
-
It's a very good car, I love mine. But it is almost 20 years old so expect to do some maintenance here and there as you would with any old German car. It's a ton of fun though, and it handles great.
-
ive never heard of insurance not giving you a quote because of engine size?!?! i think it goes more on how much it is to repair and how much power it has (from what ive encountered/read) so i may be wrong
-
I wish the laws were similar here. Wouldn't have as many douche bags driving around.
The only diesel I remember is the 324d/td
I wish we had tougher standards too. Nobody should be driving if they can't change a tire, or can't see. My pet peeve is the ones that can't afford insurance. We have to pay to protect ourselves from them and they're all but immune from prosecution. :mad:
You're right about the 324td/tds. I wasn't being clear enough. I was thinking of the e36 series diesels...318tds?
Alternatively, you could look for the lowly e30 316i or maybe even an e21 1.6 & 1.8. They're all fine cars, just not as perky as an M42.
-
I wish we had tougher standards too. Nobody should be driving if they can't change a tire, or can't see. My pet peeve is the ones that can't afford insurance. We have to pay to protect ourselves from them and they're all but immune from prosecution. :mad:
You're right about the 324td/tds. I wasn't being clear enough. I was thinking of the e36 series diesels...318tds?
Alternatively, you could look for the lowly e30 316i or maybe even an e21 1.6 & 1.8. They're all fine cars, just not as perky as an M42.
if your worried about insurance get a 320is :D lol
and yea i hate how i have to pay SOO much for car insurance when im pretty sure i can drive better than half the ppl out there, i mean yea everyone who knows how to drive will do stupid but its the matter that i can keep control of my vehical unlike a lot of ppl...
ive spun out on ice on a main 4 lane road (2 on each side) and i managed to keep from hitting the cars beside me and put he in the soft snow on my side!
they should do a cone test for drivers for insurance costs like an auto X
-
12yrs accident(involving another driver. ive hit a couple deer lol) and traffic violation free. insurance on my DD is $28.79 a month. however insurance on my work truck is over $150 a month.
-
Due to the age of our cars now, I dont think e30s are good daily drivers anymore...unless you have the extra cash (couple hundred) and time to keep up with maintenance and the occasional unexpected downtime when something goes wrong. If anything I would have a newer model car and a e30.
There are cars out there with better fuel economy and better performance. If I had enough money, I would own a mini. they get close to 40mpg and are as fun to drive...so that i've heard.
Also seeing as your not from the states, I would be all over the diesel action.
-
my e30's are fine daily drivers. even my 2002 is a fine daily driver. my wife has a mini S type and its fun but im not keen on a front driver.
-
Due to the age of our cars now, I dont think e30s are good daily drivers anymore...unless you have the extra cash (couple hundred) and time to keep up with maintenance and the occasional unexpected downtime when something goes wrong. If anything I would have a newer model car and a e30.
There are cars out there with better fuel economy and better performance. If I had enough money, I would own a mini. they get close to 40mpg and are as fun to drive...so that i've heard.
Also seeing as your not from the states, I would be all over the diesel action.
I agree with you 100%. The car is fun as hell but the loud cabin as well as the vinyl seats are getting to me. Hopping from my E30 to the wife's IS300 makes me realize DD's are meant to be comfy and smooth. The IS is boring as fuck but it's just as comfortable.
My plan is to keep this car and get myself a DD or keep the IS for myself and get the missus a new car.
-
It makes a fine daily driver IF... you find one well kept.
A well maintained model is hardly less reliable than they were when new. These cars were well designed, but designed to wear out parts. Find someone with full records and you will see how much they ate parts from the get go. On the other hand, find a badly maintained one and you are in for hell, same as any other car.
For those complaining of a loud cabin, try a few newer cars, my Subaru is WAY louder, so is a family members newer Ford Escape. yes, SUV's but still, loud. The New Ford Focus I rented was loud too.
New cars all have problems.
Many Subarus have headgasket issues, Toyotas were gelling engines and now the runaways. My old Honda was the worst car I ever owned for reliability. The Ford Escape I mentioned, has now gone in for paint TWICE due to peeling and the rear window washer if you use it, waters down the inside of the A pillar. The shiny new Focus I rented, worst shifting auto I have ever driven. I don't think I ever found a gear it liked. None are as comfortable as my IS was. In fact the Subaru is going up for sale any day now and I'm more than likely getting another BMW, I just haven't decided which, I have a few options (95' 540I 6speed anyone?).
If you are concerned, buy a cheap second car.
If you can't afford a second cheap car, maybe you should reconsider an e30 anyhow.
For the record, in the 2+years I had an e30,on a badly maintained one...
It had 129k when I got it and I put on over 40k miles.
What it had wrong when I bought it:
Fan resistor (common, cheap and quick)
Leaking steering rack (common, and sped up by using power steering fluid)
Bad gas tank (common, especially in a car from Michigan, a real bitch to change)
Air Conditioner was low on freon (cheap to fix, I used Freeze 12 to refil $40)
Tie Rod End (due to leaking rack, cheap, did a garage alignment)
What went wrong during that 40k?:
Shattered the oil pump (pan bolts)
Blower fan died (got a used one cheap, easy fix) This was a wear issue
2 wheel bearings were going out by the time I sold it. This was a wear issue.
I'm pretty sure that was it, the rest was upgrades or normal wear and tear.
I drove it like I stole it all the time. I never got below 24/25mpg even around town, on highway it could get up near 30.
-
I have a 2002 330i as well as a 1991 318i. I am a fan of precise driving mechanics. These cars are different.
The 330i is nearly 900 pounds heavier than the 318i. You definitely feel the difference. Positive is that it is like driving around on a granite slab but the ride is still somewhere between sporty and compliant. Negative is that it is less involving.
I’m enjoying the 318i more given the same speeds. What’s cool about the M42B18 and the E30 is that you feel like you are really flying even at semi-moderate speeds. I’ve never driven an e36 M42 or M44, not that I don’t want to. But the extra weight would probably make an impact.
I drove a co-worker's excellent Porsche about a year ago, after I did all my current prep on my 318i. If I were to drive the 911 as hard as I drove my 318i I would be in jail or out of a sweet 911 (or worse.) Going 80 in the 318i is really fun, but I’d have to do 120+ in the 911 to get the same involvement/thrill. I am not talking about feeling scared/racing or going at 10/10ths, rather just feeling like my driving plus the car are working well together, precisely. Freunde am Fahren, indeed.
The 330i I don't drive over 100 mph, it's an automatic and it feels less precise, so even though the engine and suspension are good to go well over 100 mph, I’m used to the awesome feel and turn-in crispness from the 318i. The 330i isn’t vague it’s just muted, less sharp. I have the steering rack from a z3 in my 318i though, made a huge difference. Car is extremely responsive now. It’s killing my power steering pump though.
So summed up: 318i isn’t a good track car, not a good cruiser, but an excellent street car; the motor is just too underpowered to win. The driving dynamics are there, just underpowered. The 330i is an excellent street car too, just heavier and plusher. I like it a lot, but I love my E30. Total cost of ownership is far better on the 318i too. In many ways I think I have two great cars. Adding the 911 I’d have all the cars anyone would need.