my 318is review

[dark_sounds]

hi all, some of you may now my latest aquisition is a 318is ... moving from the world of VW to the world of BMW.

i have always liked the old cars, ie mk2 golfs though this is nothing like it! kinda...

im so damn pleased with my purchase that im gonna spend some time writing the pros of the car and the cons...

bearing in mind the car spec is :
318is in lazure (sp??) blue with 161000 miles on the clock!!!

running....
IT RUNS SMOOTH AS! the gear changes can be a bit grainy, though doing 60 feels like 30 on my old golf. its so smooth, pulls like a brand new car... the pedels are all responsive, clutch bites brilliantly. its running is really stunning. the steering is not too light, but not at all heavy, it feels brilliant. im not use to power steering, only power steering ive had is from a nissan almera, and thats tooo light.

high speeds...
reaching 100 was no problem. pure effortless... the ride is smooth and comfortable when you want it to be, and sporty as well.. the recaros do a good job round corners.

interior/cockpit...
really classy, nothing rattles, or shakes or sqeeks, just soild build. good feel to it all. dash could do with being solid black, though am i right in thinking back to black will do the trick?

overall looks...
it has the modern functionality. electrics etc... but with the old skool retro looks

only let downs....
hmmmm,,, thinking hard... will apply to mine.... stone chips on fron bonnet... other then that.... hmm,,, not enough space behind the head unit squeezing in took patience due to chunky fuse holder for head unit... and let down of 5.25" speakers by your feet. but nothing a good set of door pods cant sort out. also am told trying to get any bass out of a e30 bmw compared to hatchys is hard due to the fact its a saloon.

insurance...
really good! roughly the same price as a mk2 golf 16v.

on the whole...
FLIPPIN FANSTASTIC CAR.... its enough speed to keep most poeple on standard roads happy. modern functionality, and excellent build.... honestly cant get my head round the fact its done twice the milage of my old mk2 golf, and feels, looks, drives SO SO SO much beter, feels like my first mk4 polo which only done 34000!!!! infact,,, feels better!!!

trying to think of ways to improve.... though its too hard to decide whether to keep it IS standard, as it looks so so tidy and neat. or to put an M tech kit on, lower it more? tint windows? im a fan of tints(depending how dark and what car) though not sure if i want to ruin its originality glory. ideaS?

hope this helps new e30'ers who just come on here like i did, and not have a clue about anything. can be confusing reading through to many posts. though if you considering a 318is... GO FOR IT!! you wont regret!!

[Kedge]

Good to hear your enjoying the car.

The 318iS seems to be building up quite a following recently, remember joining the old zone and there was hardly anyone on there who had one!

[japcarkiller]

yeah i like the 318is. If you wanna make it better there's loads you can do with out changing the look.ie. under the bonnet.
it all depends on what you wanna spend. A quick look on the zone shop should give you some ideas.
a mate of mine drives a 318is. he's gone for a big bore throttle body, full stainless zorst with manifold from blueflame. sounds sweet. he's lowered it and i think he's added m3 control arms or something. i'm not sure if he's added a zone chip as well.
all in all its fast.

nearly as fast as a propper 6 pot. lol still a good 318is turns in sooooo well a great understated car.

[Dan318-is]

yeah i like the 318is. If you wanna make it better there's loads you can do with out changing the look.ie. under the bonnet.
it all depends on what you wanna spend. A quick look on the zone shop should give you some ideas.
a mate of mine drives a 318is. he's gone for a big bore throttle body, full stainless zorst with manifold from blueflame. sounds sweet. he's lowered it and i think he's added m3 control arms or something. i'm not sure if he's added a zone chip as well.
all in all its fast.

nearly as fast as a propper 6 pot. lol still a good 318is turns in sooooo well a great understated car.

unfortunatly there is no zone chip for the 318is

[stevetigger]

Isnt there a 318is website??

[Dan318-is]

http://www.esatclear.ie/~bpurcell/index.html

[panesar_e30]

ive just baught an is too! picking it up tomorow, its bog standard in diamond black ! will have to lower it tomorrow.

not as quick as the golf, but alot smarter.

lazer blue is a rare colour just wht i wa looking for.

[dark_sounds]

really? i was looking for a black one initially., though up close the lazur blue looks fantastic. whats spec is yours? milage etc?

[squeal]

aquired a 318is recently for an absolute steel,a cant emphasise how understated a car it is for the money.so much so that i have kept that and sold my 320i!definately quicker and better handling,all in all-very impressed

[Dan318-is]

its my exhaust u c squeal

we need pictures lads

[dark_sounds]

ok heres a few piss poor pictures,,, im contemplating whether to go down valley park and go for a photoshoot at the infamous makro car park.. what u reckon? heres some of the pics anyway....






can not emphisise how clean the interior was kept. sportless and hardly worn.

[Dan318-is]

that is a rare yet sunning colour

[dark_sounds]

photos DO NOT DO JUSTICE!

you should be lucky enough to see it at ace cafe end of the month.. :)likewise ill be lucky enough to admire yours

[billgatese30]

lazer blue is fantastic omi's car looked awesome even though it had holes in the sills

he has 3 lazer blue ones now i think....japcarkiller should be able to confirm this?

[squeal]

yep mate-the exhaust has transformed the car as the old 'thing' was lettin the car down,i will get some pics on the next nice day we have-which may well be in 6 months in glasgow lol

[Dan318-is]

[eko]

dark_sounds

Enthuisiastic write up you have done there,sounds liked your hooked

I recently got my first E30 `is` and would agree with what you said.

I do like the colour of yours (but Black is better )suits it well.

A little lowering would improve it more.

Keep enjoying mate

[dark_sounds]

cheers eko.... i had an add in the wanted section for a black one,,, just couldnt find it... i agree black is best, though i have fallen for this colour cos its just different to what im used to ....

i get my student loan installment this month.. another 850
so hopefully will get some things sorted out for that...

noticed your in torquay,,, will be coming down there spring time.... got a mate who owns one of the many hotels there lol have good memories in torquay ;) though do also remember seeing loads of poorly modified cars :s

[eko]

well send me a PM when your coming down and you can call in for a cuppa

Where are you then?

Still loads of poorly modified cars round here,but think thats the case everywhere now

[dark_sounds]

lol cheers mate.

im in croydon (SE London) my mate who owns the place has the place named after our town we lived, Shirley its a sub urb of croydon.

he moved oiut this year so we spent summer down there with him.

and im very surprised to see that torquay is also group A in car insurance... so its one of the cheapest car insurence places in the UK.... compared to Group F croydon lol ... very very hilly in your area but very nice.

[eko]

yeah plenty of hills,but some cracking roads for a decent drive!

Insurance,very reasonable,i managed to get my is insured for about Ԛ£260 fully comp,in Manchester where im from that would have been more like Ԛ£800 i should think
But that said,dont really here of cars being stolen much here,but thefts from the actual car seems rife!

[panesar_e30]

will put pics up of my "is" tomorow. its got the 14"bbs on there at the moment but have rims in the garage for it.

debating wether or not to alpina it as i have a nice alp spoiler which came off my mates C2. along with the stripes.


lazer blue is different and havent seen 1 in that colour for a long time.

[eko]

panesar_e30 what colour is yours then?

[panesar_e30]

same as yours mate, diamond scwrtz black. its a nice drive, but the sport is the ultimate.

[eko]

Sport is next on my list i think,but not for a few months yet.

[panesar_e30]

we still got the silver sport which is parked in the garage. the 'is' will be for daily driving.

th only thig wrong with the car is the drivers side seat, boulster wear!!!

[E30Mark]

The iS posse !

Had mine for 3 1/2 years now! does me just fine.


panesar_e30 I've got some spare seat coverings for the 318iS, the spares have the black vinyl sides if your interested...

[panesar_e30]

any pics mark?

[E30Mark]

I'll try to get some tomorrow... don't hold your breath!

[dark_sounds]

big up the 318is possy! brrrrruupp brup!

[TheDutch]

I've been a fully paid up member of the iS club for over two years now, and still can't really think of anything else that matches it for all-roundness, including being cheap thus reasonably wreckable in case things go wrong as the RWD skill mountain is climbed.

BUT I've been wondering how long it's all going to last, has anybody racked up many more miles than the 161k as mentioned at the head of the thread? I ask as I'm concerned mine isn't as nippy as it used to be when I first got it (at a youthful 114k, now 135k) and is getting worn out. Whilst privately testing things earlier in my very private secret underground motorway I decided it's not seeking the redline quite as vigourously as before.

Quick survey - how does your iS reach the limiter in 3rd? I'm sure mine used to get there with gusto, but now it sort of sniffs up to it like I'd expect an old 8v to. Any observations are welcome!

That said, I can still max out at the book figure, get over 47mpg plodding at 60mph and scare myself silly around every corner in the wet, so it's not all bad news!

Neil

[hammoj28]

Hmm, mine seems to get up the revs really quickly. Never had it off the limiter though as I dont like doing that. Its got 108,000 miles on it though which aint much really. Love my is to bits!

[eko]

mine seems to go well too.
Took it to Plymouth today,about 70 mile round trip,sat at 90 all the way and used next to no fuel at all.
Touch throttle at 3 to 31/2 thou upwards and its instant.
Mileage on mine is 132k and it sounds sweet as a nut

[E30Mark]

My original engine died @ 148K current engine has 92K on it, and its lovely and quiet, and is still pulling well. Although I'm sure my original engine used to rev quicker, but that could be a figment of my imagination...

[dark_sounds]

at 161k well i havent had one lower. but this goes through 3rd like nothing! as i said,,, it genuinly feels better then a 1999 T reg polo which had only done 34thou!!!