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1.8 and 1.9L engines and 318 automatics

With Thanks  to all for your replies:
>I suspect the  difference between late model 1.8 and 1.9 liter
>engines is not very significant and probably more of a marketing strategy.
>Let me know if I am wrong.

If you can at all manage it, get a car with the new 1.9 L engine.  I
test drove a 1.8 L automatic-transmission ti and found the motor tinny
and slightly anemic at the low end.  The 1.9 L engine is considerably
quieter, has more oomph near the rpm basement and uses less gas.  Its
one drawback is that I think its motor control program needs a bit
more debugging.  The other day my engine shuddered a bit in 2nd around
2500 rpm, after high speed running on the Autobahn.  Earlier, it died
after being run for a while, shut down and then restarted a couple
minutes later.
With regards from John.
'96 318is

- --
John Firestone, Alfred Wegener Institut   [email protected]
 fuer Polar- und Meeresforschung             +49 (471) 4831 363
Postfach 120161, D-27515 Bremerhaven          ..  ...  .... 149 (fax)
GERMANY
- ----------------------------------------------------
and From "John G.Burns" <[email protected]>

I own an 318iS '93 with the 1800 M42 engine. I also used to have an
E30 318iS with the M42, nice engine if you're prepared to rev it.

The 1900 develops peak torque at 4200rpm, 300 lower than the 1800
hence more flexible. It has the same horsepower but a LITTLE more
torque. That's the good news.

Tha bad news in that in europe the 1900s have a higher final drive
ratio and are not so quick as the 1800s. I don't have a firm source
for this but I think I saw it on the digest a few weeks ago.

I'd drive both engines to see which you prefer. I'm happy with my 1800
but I'm getting a K&N cone filter next week so we'll how that affects
things.

Let me know how you get on and good luck.
- --
"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your
mouth in a meeting with the users and prove it." (Ancient programming proverb)