new to the bmw scene lookind into 318is or 320i adviceplease

[dansi]

hi guys.im looking into getting a bm but vant decide which e30 to get 318is or 320i se having trouble findind 2door 320i's which 1 is best im only 21 so insurance is also agaist me.any advie would be great

[golf_killa]

IS is good if you can get a good one, but when things go wrong they can be expensive and the IS is known for being a bit tempremental! wouldnt know what the 320 is like.

I do know that the 318i is truly AWESOME though, and it just so happens that mine is up for sale at the mo hehe! sly plug, had to get it in If you may be interested giv us a pm

[jamesroools]

the 318is is pretty expensive to fix when it goes wrong, and its only a 4 pot, not to my liking or some other people, and as for the 320i, thats not liked too much either, i have a 320i cab and the engine is very sweet, done 150,000 and still sounds great, but its very very slow, if i were you go for a 325i, insurance wont hurt that much at 21

[golf_killa]

The thirst of the 325i must be like a shark in the desert! I'd love to get one but my 318i drinks to much.
I do love driving it though, probably a bit too much though, im a student and i dont half rack up the miles, cant help it though, driving is immense !!!

[kevin316i]

The 318iS has MTEC sports suspension as standard and alot of them come with other additions such as a sports interior, and is treated similar to a 318i by some insurance companies.
Power-wise the 318iS is about 136hp while the 320i is about 129hp, and you will get much better fuel economy from the 318iS. The 318iS also has a timing chain rather than a timing belt, so should be one less thing to worry about from a maintenance view, but timing chains do wear over the years if items such as the tenioner is not checked and replaced as required and regular maintenance not conducted.

However, the 318iS is a relatively rare car to find and even more difficult to find a good one. And some people love the sound of the 320i 6-cyl engine over that of the 4-cyl 318iS.

At the end of the day, you should keep an open mind and think in terms of an indivdual cars history and condition. A well cared for 320i is going to be a much better buy than a ropey 318iS.

[320Touring]

the 318iS (4cyl) is a great car-very responsive and sharp handling, engines can be a touch 'fragile' if not looked after properly.Good mpg too, if driven sensibly.Parts can be expensive though

the 320i has the 6cyl engine, so has a better sound, and is smoother to drive.Handling isnt quite as good (heavier lump up front) and performance is not as brisk.Fairly easy to get parts and the 320 as a car is cheaper to buy than a 318is

both should be insurable for yourself at around about 800 fully comp, if you have some ncb or at least no accidents.

as for things to look out for

Water leaks in the boot-check for them as they can cause rust that is costly to sort

Wet footwells can be caused by the heater valve bursting (easy fix) or by someone jacking the car in the floor (Pain the A$$)

Check the coolant tanks and oil filler caps for signs of 'mayonnaise' indicating possible head failure (not good)

Check that the gearbox engages cleanly and that there are no knocks or thuds from the rear (diff area)

Check the sills and rear arches for signs of rust, again its a pain to pay for it to be fixed

On the 320 check the service history to see if teh timing belt has been changed recently (every 4 years is good-otherwise when it fails it costs a LOT to fix)

But what i'd say is try driving examples of both and decide what one suits your persona,dont buy the first one you see and post up any further questions on the 'zone

[orangecurry]

don't discount the good old 318i - as long as it is the later M40 engine, that is 115BHP but 122lbs torque
the 320i is 129BHP but only 120lbs torque and is heavier that the 318i, so I know where my money would go if I was 21 (a golf mk2 <slap> oh shuddup about mk2 golfs already ...)

318i will be cheaper insurance, and there's nothing wrong with 4-pot engines - the E30 M3 has one. BMW have never made crap engines.

the 320i will sound a lot nicer, but as the previous excellent advice says, what are YOUR priorities?

look at who is selling the car and how they drive it - an old geezer selling his beloved car wins hands down over any boy-racer who's already done some mods (as they are unlikely to be as professional as the mods done by the Ladies and Gentlemen on this forum)

if you can find a 318iS that's been looked after, snatch their hands off; it probably won't depreciate, and will be easy to sell on later.

[320Touring]

as i said in my PM, the 318i is a good plan and orangecurry speaks the truth, infact i'm seriously considering buying one

but its really up to what you want-so give them all a try and get the insurance quotes in, then make a decision

GOOD LUCK

[Brianmoooore]

For cars in equal condition, the 318is is a far better car than the 320. It's like comparing the GTI models of other cars with the middle of the road family cars of the same model. But of course, the middle of the road version is likely to be in better order than the thrashed GTI.
You'll enjoy the 318is far more than the 320, but it's more likely to be a money bit.
The best way to buy E30s is to buy two. A fairly basic model in very good condition, and a well specced top of the range rust bucket or accident damaged, then combine the two.

[tomstickland]

I'd say that the 318is engine is just as smooth as the 6 pot 320.

[Karan]

I'd say that the 318is engine is just as smooth as the 6 pot 320.

its smooth for a 4 but its no 6.......

318iS rules!!! get one

ive had 2 and they were great

get one!