Re: [bmw] E36 318i--How are they?

[Drew Mouton <drew@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I currently have four 318's of one flavor or another, and have owned a 
bunch over the past few years. They're not bad cars, and I wouldn't 
completely count 'em out, especially in terms of bang for the buck.That 
said, I think it all comes down to the age and tranny, more than the 
engine.

The E36 w/ auto trans up to 96 have all been, IMHO, slugs. I have a '93 
318is auto that looks great - two door coupe and all - but it feels 
like it has the power of a low-end Saturn. On the other hand, my '94 
318i Sedan with the 5-speed - which was cheaper - feels strong and 
accelerates when I punch the gas. I also find that the 318's with 
manual trannies respond well to swapping out the stock airbox with a 
straight-thru pipe and K&N style filter setup, while the automatics 
don't show much improvement.

That all said, I drove my friend's '98 318ti automatic and was really 
impressed. Evidently, in 97 or 98 BMW slightly modified the 318 engine 
- I think it went from M42 to M44 - and included some type of moderated 
or forced air induction system that pumps up the torque and HP 
somewhat. They also must have improved the tranny programming, because 
that car really hummed.

I'm personally not as much a fan of the 318ti hatchback body compared 
to the 318is coupe body, but the hatchback did seem to handle better - 
I'm told the aero and weight distro is better.

So, in short, for the money the right 318 is a great car - about like 
driving a slightly nicer, better handling Honda Accord.

But until I sold it recently, every time I got out of the 318s and got 
into my '93 325i with 5-speed and upgraded intake, exhaust and DME, I 
remembered why I love driving BMWs so much...


Regards,
Drew


On Sunday, March 14, 2004, at 08:05 PM, Matt Brannock wrote:


> Now that I'm in the market for a car again, I'm finally asking a 
> question that I've always been curious about:
> How is the E36 318i? Are they underpowered, or pretty responsive? I've 
> never driven one, E30 or 36, and
> it has always seemed to me like a 1.8 liter engine just wouldn't be 
> enough. What's the difference between the
> 318i and the ti? Any other comments you'd like to make about the cars?
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