e36 318is.....

Post Tue Oct 02, 2007 11:08 am

im thinking of getting an e36 318is..... yes i know most of your opinions on e36's! but i want a realiable car etc, so has anyone driven one of these?? are they slow? i had an e30 318i so it must be faster than that but is there a huge diffrence?

Post Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:08 pm

The E36 318is is a superb little car with an engine that is practically bombproof. Whilst they're not rocket ships, they're reasonably pokey with 140bhp and do 0-60 in about 10 seconds (the extra weight does rob it a little of the E30's character).

Most people who slate E36's have probably never owned one. I've got a 1997 "P" plate and its very well built and feels far more solid and refined than my E30. In the 5 years I've owned it its cost me two suspension bushes, a water pump and a viscous fan coupling in addition to regular servicing/tyres etc. It's now on 103K and is rattle and rust free and its by far the best car I've owned.

A decent and well looked after E36 still feels like a new car. I'd advise to go for as late a plate as possible as they tend to be in better condition and the later 1.9 engine does have a slight edge on the 1.8. Early E36's often look a bit scabby (check arches, wings and around the bootlid) but I've seldom seen a late one with tin worm. The coupe's electric windows are known to give problems in old age so make sure they drop and then go up again when the doors are opened and shut. All coupes had M-Tech suspension as standard and, providing this is in decent nick, should handle superbly. With a M-Tech kit fitted they still look the part. The 328i is the pick of the bunch but the 318is is still a very nice (and cheap to run!) car.

Post Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:26 pm

as above.

Drive and handle great.i sold my 93 reg for a 2001 golf gti turbo and regretted it hugely

P1ss poor mk IV was nothing compared. Get one

Post Wed Oct 03, 2007 11:42 am

Jase - forgot to mention check the balljoints as they're known to wear (usually a clunking sound and steering pull feeling when going over drains etc). The springs are also known to snap at the bottom coil (from getting coated in crap and rotting through).

Post Wed Oct 03, 2007 12:59 pm

All I'd like to say is don't get the auto. This is not a case of E36 hatred. My flatmate bought one and he absolutely adores it, but it is so slow. It doesn't sound great either, but the main thing is the lack of pace. He gets annihilated by my friend's standard 1.8 Mondeo Zetec. That said, it's smooth, fairly comfortable, and hasn't broken down yet. If I were on the lookout for one, id like to find one with the M Tec options from new Ã¢â‚¬”a eg, M3 Style bumpers and skirts, better seats, tasty steering wheel and gearknob and some decent wheels. The poverty spec IS's do look pretty bland.

Post Wed Oct 03, 2007 1:02 pm

G524 wrote:All I'd like to say is don't get the auto. This is not a case of E36 hatred. My flatmate bought one and he absolutely adores it, but it is so slow. It doesn't sound great either, but the main thing is the lack of pace. He gets annihilated by my friend's standard 1.8 Mondeo Zetec. That said, it's smooth, fairly comfortable, and hasn't broken down yet. If I were on the lookout for one, id like to find one with the M Tec options from new Ã¢â‚¬”a eg, M3 Style bumpers and skirts, better seats, tasty steering wheel and gearknob and some decent wheels. The poverty spec IS's do look pretty bland.

Fair point. The revvy nature of the M42/M44 is definitely best suited to a manual. Surprising how many autos are out there though.

Post Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:18 pm

i've never been that impressed with the M4x engine in an e36, and this is not e36 hatred as i really like e36s. my bro had a 99 T plate sport coupe one with the MTEC bumpers, half leather etc. and it was pretty slow. i did quite a lot of work to it that helped quite a bit though: cams, flowed head, eibach springs (brilliant mod on these) etc., then it was pretty nice to drive. had a stroker crank ready for it but never got around to doing it; this would have made it much better imo. it was noisy on the motorway and didn't do much better at all on fuel than his current 328 sport, sounded worse, though he preferred the way it handled. would be really nice as a 2l+ engine, think a 1.8/1.9 16v is just a bit underpowered for an e36. e36s are better as a six really, the m5x engines are really good, and the m52s aren't bad on fuel.

Post Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:47 pm

tim_s wrote: think a 1.8/1.9 16v is just a bit underpowered for an e36. e36s are better as a six really, the m5x engines are really good, and the m52s aren't bad on fuel.

Agreed!

Post Thu Oct 04, 2007 11:37 am

Jase, have you tried an E36 320i? The economy aint great, but a late manual or auto is such a flexible car and they sound great. The insurance wouldn't be too harsh in comparison to IS.

Post Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:42 pm

well ive been checking out the 325 e36 now which seems like a real nice car and has a bit more under your foot, but the only thing putting me off is the fuel useage, are these good on fuel? as i do quite alot of town driving i dont want it to kill me on fuel, is it much worse than the 318is on fuel?

Post Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:05 pm

jase wrote:well ive been checking out the 325 e36 now which seems like a real nice car and has a bit more under your foot, but the only thing putting me off is the fuel useage, are these good on fuel? as i do quite alot of town driving i dont want it to kill me on fuel, is it much worse than the 318is on fuel?

Ive got a 323i(strangled 2.5) and find it pretty good on fuel considering its size/weight.
Around town it averages around 50 miles per Ã‚£10.
On a run its much better

Post Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:46 pm

eko wrote:
jase wrote:well ive been checking out the 325 e36 now which seems like a real nice car and has a bit more under your foot, but the only thing putting me off is the fuel useage, are these good on fuel? as i do quite alot of town driving i dont want it to kill me on fuel, is it much worse than the 318is on fuel?
Ive got a 323i(strangled 2.5) and find it pretty good on fuel considering its size/weight.
Around town it averages around 50 miles per Ã‚£10.
On a run its much better

As eko says. Around town they're not the best (but what 192bhp 6 cylinder petrol is?) but are surprisingly frugal on longer jaunts. I'd say a 318is is probably about 5mpg better.

Post Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:50 pm

Minimum engine for the E36 is a single vanos 2 litre. The M42/44 is willing but ultimately overwhelmed in an E36.

Post Wed Oct 24, 2007 1:51 pm

i think im going to go for the 325 then coz i dont think i would notice the fuel consumption that bad

Post Wed Oct 24, 2007 7:58 pm

i have owned an e36 318is and the looked he tits

needed a clean and some tlc but i will tell you this i went from having one of these to a e30 318is and i iuld never go back the same engine but bouy

you loose all that e36 weight and what a diffrence the e30 was

more responsive

handeled beter

sounded better

and was easier o controll

an e30 318is DRIVERS CAR

A E36 318is POSERS CAR

i am ot slating them i like them but after you have drivwen both you will ONLY EVER want an e30

Post Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:04 pm

agreen wrote:
an e30 318is DRIVERS CAR

A E36 318is POSERS CAR

i am ot slating them i like them but after you have drivwen both you will ONLY EVER want an e30

E30 drivers car....agreed.

E36 posers car...rubbish

Horses for causes blah blah blah!
318is is not really a good review of the E36 is it?
I have driven plenty of E36 iS`s,both 1.8 and 1.9 and like Andyboy said above they are just to lardy to be dragged around by a teeny 4 pot engine.