E36 318i - any cop?

Lashout_UK · 16 Aug 2010 at 21:23

Evenin' -doffs hat-

Recently started a new job and am doing a 100 mile commute at the moment, so have been poking around looking for something to pile the miles onto - and it doesn't have to be anything special, as I'll hopefully be getting a company car/s anyway.

I'm torn between a 525i automatic (E34), as I've had nothing but good experiences with these and would be extremely selective about what I bought - cruise, leather, AC and the right colour combination at least.

The other choice is an E36 of some form - I saw a very tidy E36 318i (later chain-driven engine, 5 speed, climate, etc) locally for £700 quid, done about 130k mind - but it seemed very solid and ready to go. I appreciate it's a little different from it's larger 5 series brother but it would potentially provide a more engaging drive for when I wasn't bleary-eyed and hacking back in the dark dim months.

Any good? I take two distinct routes on my commute, depending on mood - one is basically two motorway stretches, the other is across country with about 12 roundabouts

So what's an E36 like to drive, especially when sat on the motorway? Noisy? Comfortable? Spacious? The only downer to the one I've seen is that it doesn't have cruise but if it became essential it doesn't look like it's horrendously convoluted to add.

I've driven only one E36, a 316i touring with M-Technics bits - and I was quite impressed with it for what it was - but I only drove it for about 5 minutes

Chris Goffey seems to like them

I know a few people here have had them!

O/T I know it's not that interesting but it's not my only car, just a 'hack' I can have, use and not really have to engage brain about - and not worry about parking anywhere

InvaderGIR · 16 Aug 2010 at 21:29

Lashout_UK said:
So what's an E36 like to drive, especially when sat on the motorway? Noisy? Comfortable? Spacious?

I like them (biased opinion of course). Never really had a problem with the 328i on the motorway other than not really noticing my speed if it was empty as it's easy to go quickly without it being glaringly obvious...noticed this in the 318iS as well.

Considering some of your previous cars, not noisy (I'm thinking the old Rover and Triumphs).

I find it comfortable, quite often did ~200mile trips in the 328i without stops.

Spacious? Depends what you mean, certainly not a tiny car and can easily enough fit 4-5 people in one without them being too squashed etc.

The M44 with 140bhp in the iS seems to be a decent enough engine but I can't comment on the i as that's the M42 and 115bhp. Not really driven mine properly yet though, with it having no MOT or tax.

Lashout_UK · 16 Aug 2010 at 21:32

Yea, normally they've been a bit of a grey zone for me but I saw a very clean, simple, red one with very nice OEM alloys on it (not sure which ones, like baby M5 throwing stars with more spokes) - and it looked very sharp, usually they just look old and dated to me

I'd like an iS but I'd prefer four doors and the four door iS's are usually complete nails, or super high mileage. There was one I almost bought but at 170k I actually called it quits, especially with only partial history and little evidence of much done.

ZG002 · 16 Aug 2010 at 21:39

I owned a 318i for a little while, Was meh in the dry but quite fun in the wet lol.

used to do quite a few miles in it on motorway and town driving, perfectly fine for both really. Annoying indicator flash noise and watch out for abs light and elec window mechs failing.

-westy- · 16 Aug 2010 at 21:39

You can buy my Saab if you like?

Joshy · 16 Aug 2010 at 21:43

Without a doubt go for the E34! As you know, they are awesome barges!

I really dislike E36s. Don't get me wrong, everything is there to make it a good, competent car and I can understand why they have such a following, but I find them so very, very, very, very, very dull. They don't have that "magic" of the E30 which I found massively disappointing.

Not bad as a commuting car, but like I said, it sounds like an E34 would probably suit you better.

NickXX · 16 Aug 2010 at 21:44

318iS four doors are more expensive usually as they only made it later in the e36 production life IIRC.

Depending on how handy you are with spanners, the 318iS M42 engine is apparently very easy to drop into a 318i saloon. The M42 can be had for as little as £150 too (I have seen them go for as little as £30!).

The e36 is good to drive and fine on the motorway, R420 ran a 318i saloon for a few years. It won't be quick, but if it's in good condition it's not a bad buy and they are good fun to drive regardless.

My money went on a 1993 318iS coupe though

.

Lashout_UK · 16 Aug 2010 at 21:46

That's what worries me Joshy.......I get the feeling I'd have it for a week and just got 'meh', whereas I actually regret selling my old 525i (not so much the 540i, but that was awesome too).

......and a set of M5 turbines would make it 'ze dogs'

Cheers NickXX - I did think of you and your coupe. I don't think I'd be looking to do an engine swap on it though - not looking to get overly involved with something (have other soaks for my time already)!

I have a 525i in my sights but I might see if I can go and have a test drive in the '36 and go from there.

I'm guessing the E36 is pretty sensible on fuel?

EdGey · 16 Aug 2010 at 21:54

liking that last pic^

Scania · 16 Aug 2010 at 22:07

Another biased view some will think!

The 318i is good for what it is, a solidly built RWD German saloon.

It'll never set the world on fire from a performance point of view, that said, many (including my old 318i) spent their early years as repmobiles trawling the motorways.

Mine was a '92J reg with 125k & FBMWSH when I got it, first owner was my fathers business, the second was my Mum!

Sure it was a good one to start with, and over the next 50k & 3 years of hard use, it was very cheap to run, fuel & insure.

At the time my Mum had the e36, my Dad had two 530i e34's, one an i-6 the other a V8.

Undoubtedly a better car than the e36 but more expensive to run with it.

For motorway use, I'd opt for a 323 or 328i ideally, but I always enjoyed taking my 318i from Stoke to Taunton & back and it returned high 30's MPG to boot.

I always regretted swapping my 318i for my e38 728i (!) from a cost point of view, the e38 was absurd by comparison.

After a brief flirt with a Mondeo TD, I'm back with an e36 but the 328i this time.

As for handling, the 318i wins hands down compared with what I have now, my e36 is hampered by its big heavy engine & autobox ruining the balance that the four pots are blessed with.

Both will sit @90 MPH all day long, but the 4pot will be doing around 1500rpm more..

Much as I like the e34, if you do go for a Five, it has to be an e39 imo.

[TW]Fox · 16 Aug 2010 at 23:05

Every time you post about BMW's lately I have to bite my toungue R124, he's looking at a 700 quid 318i, for you to then say that if it has to be a 5 it 'has to be an E39' given the sort of money he's after spending is just utterly ridiculous. And before you trot out the age-old 'my Dad has a 400k E39 worth 20p' arguement, your Dad didnt buy his car for 700 quid.

Have to say for the intended purpose of this car I'd just get something cheap and economical yet still comfy, don't see the point in something 'interesting' at this end of the market if all you are going to do is stick 100 miles a day on it for a bit then move it on.

Scania · 17 Aug 2010 at 21:15

[TW]Fox;17176319 said:
Every time you post about BMW's lately I have to bite my toungue R124, he's looking at a 700 quid 318i, for you to then say that if it has to be a 5 it 'has to be an E39' given the sort of money he's after spending is just utterly ridiculous. And before you trot out the age-old 'my Dad has a 400k E39 worth 20p' arguement, your Dad didnt buy his car for 700 quid.

Have to say for the intended purpose of this car I'd just get something cheap and economical yet still comfy, don't see the point in something 'interesting' at this end of the market if all you are going to do is stick 100 miles a day on it for a bit then move it on.

The OP was the one who mentioned fives, if he really wants to get one, I was merely saying that an e39 is still the better car (even at the bottom of the market) imo.

The £700 price figure was for the e36, I don't think the OP mentioned a price for a five, be it e34 or e39. Or are you saying an equivalent price e34 is the better car than an e39? A sheddy e39 is still a better car than a sheddy e34? - You of all people I thought would see what I was getting at here.

Sure at this end of the market you have to be mad or clued up or handy with spanners (perhaps, all 3?) to even think of a sub £1k BMW be it a 3 or a 5 but given the OP has ran fives before I guess he knows whats what with them - thats a matter for him.

This is a discussion forum Fox, if you don't like my input, ignore me.

Joshy · 17 Aug 2010 at 21:34

At this end of the market (£1000-£1500?) an E34 will undoubtedly be a better buy than an E39.

Put it this way - It's been proven time and again that E34s are well established "Bangernomics" cars. It's also been proven that cut price E39s are well established liabilities.

NickXX · 17 Aug 2010 at 22:07

The bonus with e36s (although this might not necessarily apply to you as you have found one in particular - more of a general point) is that they are ubiquitous. This gives you a lot of choice in terms of buying one, but there are also a lot being broken - so there is an abundance of spare parts.

e34s are starting to become few and far between. All you need to do is take a look at PH: 634 e36s listed for sale and just 44 e34s. Worth thinking about if you want cheap and easy repairs.

[TW]Fox · 17 Aug 2010 at 22:13

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
Or are you saying an equivalent price e34 is the better car than an e39?

Absolutely. At this budget, you are looking at old cars.

An E34 at the same price is a better bargain buy - they are simpler, cheaper to fix and the ones that cost the same as E39's tend to be well tended examples whereas cheap E39's are heaps of complete and utter cack. E39's often require a load of cash spending to end up with a decent car at the end and at this end of the market doing that is a complete waste of money.

Scania · 18 Aug 2010 at 08:57

[TW]Fox;17183070 said:
Absolutely. At this budget, you are looking at old cars.

An E34 at the same price is a better bargain buy - they are simpler, cheaper to fix and the ones that cost the same as E39's tend to be well tended examples whereas cheap E39's are heaps of complete and utter cack. E39's often require a load of cash spending to end up with a decent car at the end and at this end of the market doing that is a complete waste of money.

Fair enough.

I does leave me wondering where the e39 gets all its praise from though, how many awards did the e34 win during its production run.... Not many iirc?

I had thought that a later supposedly superior car would logically be a better banger buy, clearly not.

O/T The cooling system finally expired on my Dads e39 over the weekend after a mere 262k miles.

Temporary bodge by the AA got him home so I guess it was not terminal!

thecomputerguy · 18 Aug 2010 at 08:58

oh no

paradigm · 18 Aug 2010 at 09:15

thecomputerguy said:
oh no

Most random post of 2010 award goes to...

[TW]Fox · 18 Aug 2010 at 09:16

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
Fair enough.

I does leave me wondering where the e39 gets all its praise from though, how many awards did the e34 win during its production run.... Not many iirc?

I had thought that a later supposedly superior car would logically be a better banger buy, clearly not.

What strange logic.

How good a car is as a banger-buy has absolutely nothing to do with how competent a car a perfect example is? There is no question that the E39 is a better car than the E34 but at this end of the market, condition rules technical ability - after all, you can't enjoy the E39's talents if you buy a nail with utterly ruined suspension thats falling to bits, can you?

What you've effectively done is be confused as to why everyone thinks the Nissan GT-R is great based on the fact that £20k buys a better Subaru Impreza :confused:

It happens with everything. A Mk3 Mondeo is a better car than a Mk2 Mondeo, but for £600, a Mk3 is a horrible buy and a Mk is better. A facelift E65 is better than the prefacelift example but for £10k you will buy a nasty facelift or a lovely prefacelift. I really dont get why its that hard to understand.

To sum up - never buy from the bottom of the market. A middile-top of the market E34 costs about the same as a bottom of the market E39 and as a result is a more prudent used buy at this budget. Because lets face it, if you don't mind pouring cash into a car you'd not be spending only a grand on the car in the first place.

I am honestly suprised you don't get this and decide instead to bang on about how obviously the E39 isn't worthy of the awards it won when it was a brand new car because 1k nails are not very good buys :confused:

Jonnycoupe · 18 Aug 2010 at 09:23

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
Fair enough.

I does leave me wondering where the e39 gets all its praise from though, how many awards did the e34 win during its production run.... Not many iirc?

I had thought that a later supposedly superior car would logically be a better banger buy, clearly not.

My guess is that its more desirable so £x means you can only afford a shed E39 rather than e34....

When do superior class leaders pop up as bangernomic preferences?