1997 BMW 318 Reviews

I'm pretty amazed how fast this car goes! And the grip is quite good too. In the winter the car is damn funny to drive, backwheel drive is definitly the thing! ;) There is plenty of styling to a BMW too!

Car is a '97 318ti Sport 5-speed (2-door hatchback)

Bought this car used about one year ago with 178,000 miles.  Previous owner took great care of the car.  Maintenance has been very inexpensive, and can be if you avoid the dealership.  Performance is about what you'd expect from a 4-cylinder, however it's a little enhanced thanks to the lower weight of the car compared with the coupe/sedan.  Handling is outstanding, at least compared to my previous cars.

Quality - overall pretty good.  The window regulators have been an issue, but that's common with the E36 (and other German cars I hear).  Interior materials could be better, but this was basically their entry model, so BMW saved money wherever they could.  Overall I'd give it an A-

Appearance - I love it.  I've always loved the boxy shape of the E36, whether it was the sedan, coupe, or hatchback.  I've surprised numerous people when telling them what year the car is when they've asked.  Straight-on shot of the rear isn't the greatest, but overall I like the car, and always have, even before I owned it.

CoO - Not very much.  Again, if you find an independant shop of do some work yourself, maintenance costs are minimal.  Take it to the dealer and you'll pay ($120/hr labor at my local dealer).  Mileage is fantastic, 27-30mpg in the city, 31-35 on the highway.  And being a 4-cylinder, it doesn't require Premium gas, only 89 octane minimum.  So where there's only 87 & 91 octane you'll have to spring for premium, but in most parts of the US you can get by with midgrade.

Fun - Tremendous.  I've never had this much fun with a car I owned (granted my previous car's weren't the greatest).  Took a trip to the Denver/Boulder area shortly after getting the car and had a blast in the mountains.  Left the car in 2nd & 3rd gear while doing some mountain driving, reaching speeds close to 60mph, and still averaged 35mpg.  The car handles incredibly, and I can't wait to get my summer tires (Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R's) on.

Overall - Wonderful car.  A tremendous buy if you can find a decent one cheaply.  Hatchbacks have never been popular in the US, and neither have 4-cylinder BMW's, but when you combine the two it's wonderful.  Add in the fact that you can easily swap in a 6-cylinder (including the S50/52 from the M3) and you have a terrific car for the cost.

I got this car two years ago by accident, was exactly what I had to spend and in really great shape, got lucky I guess. It has greta mileage, I LOVE the sunroof always wanted one, it is very comfortable to sit in and drives like a dream, I took it to mexico once and as soon as I crossed the border and was free of speed limits I discovered really what the engine can do, only 4 cylinders but can go pretty fast, the steering is great the stability is awesome, and it looks great, I love it!

BMW 318is MTEC edition, full MTEC bodykit, Big brake conversion, tinted windows, half leather, show condition

1.8, 19" oz wheels, 60mm drop scorpian back box, leather interior, m3 rear lights,angle front lights, and an electric hood. this was alovely car to drive but was a bit slow, got used to the faster cars i had, but overall was relible and clean.