BMW 318 Coupe

Irishrossoblu

I am considering getting a BMW 318 Coupe, round about '00 or '01. Have seen a few good deals, but as I got burnt with my last second hand car (Astra) I am trying to avoid it this time round. Are there any things that I should look out for when viewing/test driving on of these?

Thanks for the help

Anan1

Starting with the obvious, make sure it has a full service history. Don't just trust the stamps in the book, call the garages to check.

Idbatterim

i drive a millenium model 318 ci coupe, my brother just bought an 02 version. Do not buy anything older than an 02 in my opinion. From 02 on the engine went from a 1895cc 118bhp to a 1995cc 143 bhp. Also the specs of the 02 are higher, they pretty much all have air con, mfsw and sun roofs. The 02 are also the best value for money, I was looking at trading up, in most cases to buy an 03 over an 02 you are looking at paying 50% more and an 04 over an 02 almost double! Ho wmuch are you looking to spend?

Ferris

Try to get one with the 16V 2 litre NG4 engine as it has more power and uses less fuel than the 1.9 litre engine that went before. It was only available from '01 cars on. These cars had upswept indicators which is an easy way of telling which ones had the right engine.

Edit ^^ what he said

MarkN

Do yourself a massive favour and get a straight 6 320ci.

318s are for people that want a badge.

Irishrossoblu

Thanks for all the advice so far. As regards engines, they are pretty much all 1.9 manual petrol. As regards budget, and sue to the fact that I am living fairly close to the city centre, I am looking at 6-7k. I have to factor in insurance/tax also. As far as I can see, they hold their value quite well.

As regards checks, I am right in thinking that the AA will do a vehicle inspection for €250 ish?

Thanks again

Anan1

Irishrossoblu wrote: »

As regards checks, I am right in thinking that the AA will do a vehicle inspection for €250 ish?

Thanks again

I think it's more like €400. If I were you, i'd give AC Car Sales a call - they're a good independent BMW specialist and i'm sure they'd give a car you were interested in a once-over for a much more reasonable price.

Idbatterim

the bmw coupes have crashed in price in the last year like the rest of the car market! they are far cheaper now than when i bought mine last year! make sure to get a hpi check from a compnay like cartell.ie other than that just call garages to confirm service history, and take a good look at the car, amount of owners, is it a uk import etc. you normally get a good or bad vibe when inspecting!

Idbatterim

i drove a 320 the other day and they do drive smoother and they are obviously more powerful! but for most people getting the car and badge are the most important thing, especially if you looking at a budget of 7k, the 320 will cost E200 more in road tax, then the fuel and insurance! the other thing is that for every 320 coupe there are god knows how many 318's which means far more to choose from.

Pixelcraft

if you can insure & tax it, go for a 323/325. That's what I did and I'm delighted, I originally was looking at a 318. These cars are going very cheap now because noone wants the bigger engine.

Irishrossoblu

Thanks for all the advice again. What do you feel is a good and fair price to pay for a '00 coupe, with 65k on the clock? I feel under 6k is resonable. Am I wrong?

cianclarke

Pixelcraft wrote: »

if you can insure & tax it, go for a 323/325. That's what I did and I'm delighted, I originally was looking at a 318. These cars are going very cheap now because noone wants the bigger engine.

+1 to this, I've got my eye on a few nice 323ci's once I can find a dealer willing to take my trade in. 6 pot all the way.

I've been looking with over 4 months now watching prices, a 00' coup with ~60k will go for €6k, maybe private you might find something a little less.

Edit: You're looking at spending the same money I am, on the same car I am. I'd say a 318ci might afterall suit you better, y'know, cheaper road tax, and those 4 pots are fabulous engines, easily a rival for their 6 cylindered counterparts...

milltown

Ferris wrote: »

Try to get one with the 16V 2 litre NG4 engine as it has more power and uses less fuel than the 1.9 litre engine that went before. It was only available from '01 cars on. These cars had upswept indicators which is an easy way of telling which ones had the right engine.

Edit ^^ what he said

The coupés weren't facelifted until 2003 so no visual clues as to what's under the bonnet. Look at the tax disc if there is one, or lift the bonnet. The 2.0l is pretty much completely hidden under plastic covers, although you'd probably have to see both to know what I mean.

Agree with the 4 vs. 6 cyl arguments though. Had a 4, have a 6, and apart from the difference in road tax (divide the difference by 52 weeks and decide if it's a deal breaker) there's not much in it running costs wise but it's a much better drive. Good chance the 6 cylinder will be better specced too. I was shopping for an '02 318 and wanted beige leather and wood but couldn't find a good example. Ended up with a 320 with my leather and wood and a sunroof and xenon lights and a few other bits the 4 cyls didn't generally have.

Plus, you get a smug sense of self satisfaction whenever you see one with a single exhaust. Even if their car looks better than yours "it's not a real BMW"

If the jump to 2.2l is too much for your running budget then either 1.9 or 2.0 318s are fine cars but the 2.0 is a lot better than the extra 0.1l might suggest.

I envy you being in a buying position now. I reckon if mine is worth half what I paid for it two years ago I'm lucky. Insane value to be had nowadays.

Idbatterim

am considering buying a 320, but the mileage is around 100k, if the engine packs in, what would you be looking at cost wise for a replacement? ie. assuming i get it a a good price, how big whould the hit be if i had to take it?

Idbatterim

oh. this is to the op, cartell.ie do the below for E295

Irish History
Finance Check
UK History
Engineers Inspection

milltown

Idbatterim wrote: »

am considering buying a 320, but the mileage is around 100k, if the engine packs in, what would you be looking at cost wise for a replacement? ie. assuming i get it a a good price, how big whould the hit be if i had to take it?

I haven't a clue tbh. If it has a verifiable service history then I wouldn't worry about the engine too much. Irish people have this idea that engines are designed to explode once they reach the magic 100,000 mile mark. Have a read of the forums on E46fanatics.com. Say what you like about the yanks but at least they aren't nearly as hung up on mileage and model year as we are. Having said that, trying to sell it on in a few years time with 120k + on the clock will be tough work.

Cost wise, at that mileage you'll likely be looking at suspension wear mostly, bushings, shocks etc. Not big bucks but worth considering. Also, if the water pump hasn't been done at some stage I'd plan for a new pump and thermostat, for peace of mind.

Idbatterim

Idbatterim wrote: »

am considering buying a 320, but the mileage is around 100k, if the engine packs in, what would you be looking at cost wise for a replacement? ie. assuming i get it a a good price, how big whould the hit be if i had to take it?

There is no need for the typical Irish thinking of once a car gets to 100k its going to explode and take out half the county with it. If it has service history, FBMWSH up to a point and servicing by a specialist is to be expected as the milage gets higher then it should be good for plenty more miles. If you are doing a lot of miles it might be better to get something with lower miles but not becasue it will give trouble but after your ownership the mileage may get very high and make re-sale difficult. But if you only do average miles then dont be put off by cars around the 100k mark.

Edit: beatin to it!

thealltimelow

my mum had a 2L 01 and bast car she evar had

An Ard Ri

I had a 99 E46 318 saloon and now have a 04 320Ci M sport. The 3 series is a very good car, but if you are buying an oldish one, 00-02, there are a few week points i have noticed with myself and a few people i know who own them.

• The front wish bones tend to crack
• The air flow meter will probably go around 60,000
• The expansion tank will go around 70,000
• If the car is a UK import it is difficult to remove the suspension bushes because they salt the road, and these will need to be replaced, and removing coroded ones are difficult
• At NCT time, they will tell you that the brake lines are coroded, but this is not the case as they are aluminium and just need to be cleaned.

If you get one with a good service history then you will be grand. Fuel efficiency is good on long journeys and not so good around town. But they are great to drive. If you can stretch, get the 02 318 with the 2.0 litre engine or get a 320 with straight six.

jimboddb

Just had a look at carzone & cant see any for the kind of money people are talking about here. Any links for these cheap buses?

listermint

2.0 Lt Engine came in in Sept 01. So if it 2001 it can still have the 2.0lt engine . Check the tax / Door Sticker.

Wouldnt bother with the 1.9, as stated previously the 0.1lt does make the difference more refined and adds an extra 30-40 horsies.