BMW 318i SE v BMW 320d (136bhp) E46??

dcr22B

Anybody got any advise on either of these cars? I'm looking at buying one or the other next year and I just want find out other people's opinions. I drive on average 12,000 miles a year (majority motorway mileage as I live just off the M1). However, I don't think buying the 320d would save me much in the long run as I would have to service it more regularly and the equivalent 318i is cheaper (especially when personally importing it from the UK).

Any opinions and advice would be very much appreciated.

Enright

The 318i is usually a better spec, but do check out your insurance first! the 3181 is a drivers car and i would suspect that it is often driven very hard, so if buying one get it well checked out. The 320d would be my preference but i do 20K plus a year and ecomony is important. Make sure you get a service history which ever one you buy

Preset No.3

The 318 is 143 BHP. My car is the 318ci and I would average about 30mpg. You could extend that out to about 32 mpg on motorways with the cruise control engaged. The 320d give a bit more, but not that much. However with the rising cost of petrol and diesel I tend to think that the 320d might be better in the long run. Also you will have a better resale on a 320d than a standard 318. Is going for a coupe an option? The day you buy is the day yu sell.

mike65

This is a no-brainer. Buy the diesel, people are paying as much as €1.30 for a ltr of unleaded, derv is usually 8 cents cheaper. Every time you fill up you save
€4.80 and thats before you consider the difference in ecomony.

Then there is the resale issue - diesels will hold thier value better and better as fuel prices climb.

Mike.

Anan1

Enright wrote:

the 3181 is a drivers car and i would suspect that it is often driven very hard

With the greatest of respect, I'm not sure that anyone could describe the 318i as a "drivers car"! IMO, anyone interested in driving would at least go for a 6 cylinder. A 318i will probably have had a pretty relaxed life in comparison to the more powerful models.

mike65

Please lets not go down that road. This thread is based on economics not utlimate performance.

Mike.

kdevitt

Preset No.3 wrote:

The 318 is 143 BHP. My car is the 318ci and I would average about 30mpg. You could extend that out to about 32 mpg on motorways with the cruise control engaged.

My 328ci gave me over 40mpg on the drive down to Galway last Friday using cruise control most of the way - I'd imagine the 318 should at least match that, and the 320d will better it.

The diesel will be cheaper on fuel, and easier to sell, and I'd take it over the 318 every time. Its also got heaps of torque which will make it a much more relaxed drive imo. Tax will be more and insurance will be more though - but I reckon it's worth the extra.

Anan1

mike65 wrote:

Please lets not go down that road. This thread is based on economics not utlimate performance.

Mike.

My point relates not to the merits of the car itself but to the way it may have been treated. In my opinion, a 318i is likely to have led a more gentle life then other variants (320d included), and is therefore likely to be in better condition. This will of course have a bearing on service & repair bills for the new owner.

Eoin

kdevitt wrote:

My 328ci gave me over 40mpg on the drive down to Galway last Friday using cruise control most of the way - I'd imagine the 318 should at least match that, and the 320d will better it.

The diesel will be cheaper on fuel, and easier to sell, and I'd take it over the 318 every time. Its also got heaps of torque which will make it a much more relaxed drive imo. Tax will be more and insurance will be more though - but I reckon it's worth the extra.

Are the newer 318s not 1.9 or 2.0 litre engines? I'd think the tax would be much the same. My insurance didn't go up when I switched from a 1.6, so that may not end up more expensive either.

Enright wrote:

The 318i is usually a better spec,

A better spec than the 320D? All the the 320Ds I checked out came with cruise control, aircon and multi-function steering wheel. I don't think the 318i comes with all that. I think the 318SE has a better spec than the 318i, but don't know how that compares with the 320D. Some 320Ds will have climate control as well, which I would have loved. The newer 320Ds will have in or around 150BHP, so keep an eye out for them.

On the fuel economy: I get a minimum of 40MPG on my 320D, and that's in 50% traffic and 50% motorway driving. The official figures say 49MPG, but I haven't got close to that.

dcr22B

Thanks for all the replies lads, would love to have a 320D myself even if I can't stretch myself to the 150bhp model. Not that bothered about spec in so far as most of the UK spec SE models have all of the essentials that I'm looking for (AC, MF steering wheel, CD changer and cruise control). Would like to get my hands on one with an M-Tech kit but I might just go with the 18" alloys instead and go from there. My budget could extend depending on finances next year and how much I get for my 1996 Mitsubishi Colt.

I've been told that high mileage is not a problem on the 2 litre diesel engine by a mate of mine who regularly services them on Land Rover Freelanders (he does howevere hate them on the Land Rovers as they have caused endless sleepless nights!).

Only another 5-6 to make up my mind

Eoin

dcr22B wrote:

Thanks for all the replies lads, would love to have a 320D myself even if I can't stretch myself to the 150bhp model. Not that bothered about spec in so far as most of the UK spec SE models have all of the essentials that I'm looking for (AC, MF steering wheel, CD changer and cruise control). Would like to get my hands on one with an M-Tech kit but I might just go with the 18" alloys instead and go from there. My budget could extend depending on finances next year and how much I get for my 1996 Mitsubishi Colt.

I've been told that high mileage is not a problem on the 2 litre diesel engine by a mate of mine who regularly services them on Land Rover Freelanders (he does howevere hate them on the Land Rovers as they have caused endless sleepless nights!).

Only another 5-6 to make up my mind

Forgot to mention I got a CD changer in mine as well as standard.

The M-Tech kit is not that expensive to fit aftermarket, so it's definitely an option to consider. You can a genuine kit delivered and sprayed for about €1300. MV2 replica alloys like the ones on mine cost around €1000, but you may find someone flogging theirs for much less in a year or two.

High mileage definitely isn't a problem - this is what diesels are for after all!

dcr22B

Cheers for that Eoin, my mate has a 150bhp model with MTech and MV2s but I just can't justify the price at the moment (it'd cost me near on €17k for a 02 plate once I'd cleared it). Having said that, I'm not that fussed about the power in the car as I'll be graduating from 1.3 Colt so anything is an improvement in that department. My girlfriend will be buying the car with me and her primary objective is that she wants something bigger than the Colt but not a family car (Focus, Golf etc.).

I've tried obtaining quotes on Insure.ie but no joy as yet. Can't understand why really as I'm 28 years old, 7 years named driving experience (no claims) and I've 2 years NCB in my own name.

SDunne4

dcr22B wrote:

Cheers for that Eoin, my mate has a 150bhp model with MTech and MV2s but I just can't justify the price at the moment (it'd cost me near on €17k for a 02 plate once I'd cleared it). Having said that, I'm not that fussed about the power in the car as I'll be graduating from 1.3 Colt so anything is an improvement in that department. My girlfriend will be buying the car with me and her primary objective is that she wants something bigger than the Colt but not a family car (Focus, Golf etc.).

I've tried obtaining quotes on Insure.ie but no joy as yet. Can't understand why really as I'm 28 years old, 7 years named driving experience (no claims) and I've 2 years NCB in my own name.

Try the AA 01-6179950, i'm 26, three yrs no claims bonus and i have full comp on a 02 150bhp 320d at a cost of 941 euro. Only have it two week, lovely car

dcr22B

SDunne4 wrote:

Try the AA 01-6179950, i'm 26, three yrs no claims bonus and i have full comp on a 02 150bhp 320d at a cost of 941 euro. Only have it two week, lovely car

Funnily enough, my mate works for the AA and he's told me to give them a try but as I won't be getting the car until February/March next year, I'm probably jumping the gun a bit in relation to insurance etc as by then I'll have my full 2 years NCB.

Thanks for the headsup nonetheless.

Rudolph Claus

Has the OP a full license?

dcr22B

Nuttzy wrote:

Has the OP a full license?

Yes, I've had a clean full licence for 8 years but I think what's restricting me is the fact that I've only had my own policy for the past 18 months as I was insured on my parents' cars as named drivers until I moved out 2 years ago.

opus

Anan1 wrote:

My point relates not to the merits of the car itself but to the way it may have been treated. In my opinion, a 318i is likely to have led a more gentle life then other variants (320d included), and is therefore likely to be in better condition. This will of course have a bearing on service & repair bills for the new owner.

When I was buying a 328 a few years back, the guy in the garage told me that 328's tend to have a relaxed life whereas people tend to drive 318's hard i.e. cane them all the time

Anan1

opus wrote:

When I was buying a 328 a few years back, the guy in the garage told me that 328's tend to have a relaxed life whereas people tend to drive 318's hard i.e. cane them all the time

That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Put yourself in the position of a potential 318i buyer. If you wanted more performance without spending more, you could get it elsewhere. If you didn't mind spending more, you'd buy a larger-engined 3. No, people buy 318is for the other qualities of the marque - image, build quality, ergonomics, safety etc.