07 316 yey or ney

Elbow

Local garage is after getting a 07 316 with decent enough spec in and i'm thinking about trading up, besides the usual, is there anything in particular with the 316's that i should be on the look out for?




Thanks

Owen

This'll be your new name :



I'm not kidding. I had one briefly as a company car. A Micra will give it a good run for it's money. You'll be attacking reasonable hills in first. Overtaking at motorway speeds is pretty much impossible too. It's a terrible engine for that car.

Reloc8

Agree completely. Tried one out and while it was a nice place to sit in it has no guts at all.

Elbow

I had a feeling that would be the case alright, its a pitty because its not poverty spec and money isnt bad on it

Owen

Yeah, they were released more or less specifically for the Irish market, with a few trickling into the UK. On paper it looked good, at the time tax was still expensive, so it gave the 3 series 1.6 litre tax, the BHP was the same as the outgoing 318, but there was no torque at all. Nothing. I had 3 friends and some band equipment in mine one night and hiting 80mph was a struggle. My Mother's old 1 litre Starlet did it loaded to the gills with no bothers

Elbow

Owen wrote: »

Yeah, they were released more or less specifically for the Irish market, with a few trickling into the UK. On paper it looked good, at the time tax was still expensive, so it gave the 3 series 1.6 litre tax, the BHP was the same as the outgoing 318, but there was no torque at all. Nothing. I had 3 friends and some band equipment in mine one night and hiting 80mph was a struggle. My Mother's old 1 litre Starlet did it loaded to the gills with no bothers

Think i'll bring it for a spin anyway (just because its 5 minutes over the road) but if the lack of torque is that bad, its not going to be my new wagon.

Its sickening because after driving a ****ty van for the past few years, i was looking for somewhere nice to sit, cant really afford more than €500 tax a year or the daily running costs of anything over 1.6 so maybe a newer van might have to be plan B.

Seth Brundle

I would also take out something less asthmatic that the 316i for comparison sake. Even a 318i.

conzy

You could always look elsewhere?

Get a nice 323i and be done with it :pac:

Neilw

How much is the 316?

Just for comparison, a 2008 325i has a 3 litre straight six with over 200bhp and is €481 to tax, much rather save for one of them

Elbow

Neilw wrote: »

How much is the 316?

Just for comparison, a 2008 325i has a 3 litre straight six with over 200bhp and is €481 to tax, much rather save for one of them

Cant disagree with this at all but just had a quick look on carzone and i'd need to find another €10k

Owen

Actually, another thing that came to mind about this after I'd my coffee is that they drink petrol. I mean guzzle it down. The reason being you constantly have to rev the nads off it to get it to go anywhere with any sort of normality.

Elbow

Owen wrote: »

Actually, another thing that came to mind about this after I'd my coffee is that they drink petrol. I mean guzzle it down. The reason being you constantly have to rev the nads off it to get it to go anywhere with any sort of normality.

Thats the final nail in that coffin so, plan B it is

Seth Brundle

What is plan B?

ShadowHearth

Neilw wrote: »

How much is the 316?

Just for comparison, a 2008 325i has a 3 litre straight six with over 200bhp and is €481 to tax, much rather save for one of them

Is that petrol 325i?! Only 500eu to tax with co system?! Or that's some sort of diesel ?

Blazer

kbannon wrote: »

What is plan B?

520D

Onwardandupwar

If ur into that car and worried about the petrol price go by a 320d u won't regret it

Neilw

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Is that petrol 325i?! Only 500eu to tax with co system?! Or that's some sort of diesel ?

Petrol, 3 litre with efficient dynamics on emissions based tax.

ShadowHearth

Neilw wrote: »

Petrol, 3 litre with efficient dynamics on emissions based tax.

So all BMW with 325 330 perils past 08 have lower tax?! What's the catch? Doesn't use some filters which are made from baby seal blood and cost a fortune?

bazz26

ShadowHearth wrote: »

So all BMW with 325 330 perils past 08 have lower tax?! What's the catch? Doesn't use some filters which are made from baby seal blood and cost a fortune?

There is no catch, they are just cleaner engines with lower emmissions.

Anan1

ShadowHearth wrote: »

So all BMW with 325 330 perils past 08 have lower tax?! What's the catch? Doesn't use some filters which are made from baby seal blood and cost a fortune?

Even forgetting the extra things to go wrong, the cheap tax is already factored into the price. I'd buy a pre-08 straight 6 cheaply, and swallow the tax.

ShadowHearth

bazz26 wrote: »

There is no catch, they are just cleaner engines with lower emmissions.

Seriuosly?

Can anyone confirm the 325 and 330 petrol tax price? It's really damn hard to check it with new system now as I have no clue how much co those do.

Neilw

ShadowHearth wrote: »

So all BMW with 325 330 perils past 08 have lower tax?! What's the catch? Doesn't use some filters which are made from baby seal blood and cost a fortune?

Catch? Lower economy, but life is too short to be worrying about things like that.

Elbow

kbannon wrote: »

What is plan B?

Well basically I have a few options:

A: Hang onto my van for another year or 2 until i can afford a 08 + 325 or similar
(van will be worthless by then & I'm really sick of the shagging thing)

B: Be stubborn & go against all advice i've got today and get the 316
(Everything about the car is right except the important bit under the bonnet :mad:)

C: The sensible & practical option of replacing my van with a newer more comfortable van that will do for another 3 or 4 years.

Connavar

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Seriuosly?

Can anyone confirm the 325 and 330 petrol tax price? It's really damn hard to check it with new system now as I have no clue how much co those do.

Just go to carzone. Take an example reg and put it into the mortortax site.
2008 325 came up as €481

Dow99

I've got an 07 316i. I went from a Mazda 6 1.8 to it. I found no difference with the performance even though its .2l less.
It has no problem getting to 140km + ok you're not going to feeling any major G forces, but the acceleration compared to the Mazda 6 is the same.
I think they are 120bhp.
The other debate between 07 v's 08 - the difference I think is at the most €200 per year,, if even, and you will spend more than 2k more to get an 08, so it will take you 10years to save that, so the tax situation is an non issue.
I'm very happy with my car, the the envy of a lot of non BMW drivers.

Seth Brundle

Maybe get the 316i and then get one of these...
ADDS 30+ BHP or 20% fuel saving*
Its a unique item that only costs a euro or so (plus 20quid to post because its so powerful)

* unlikely to have any beneficial impact

Elbow

kbannon wrote: »

Maybe get the 316i and then get one of these...
ADDS 30+ BHP or 20% fuel saving*
Its a unique item that only costs a euro or so (plus 20quid to post because its so powerful)

* unlikely to have any beneficial impact

You've solved my problem

18000 of those chips @ €22.78 inc postage = €410040

Sell those 18000 chips @ €23.78 inc postage = €428040

Profit = €18000

Result (Cash buyer so i'm allowing some discount)

Leonard Hofstadter

bazz26 wrote: »

There is no catch, they are just cleaner engines with lower emmissions.

There is a catch with the efficient dynamics models unfortunately - as ROR as posted here many times before, they eat coil packs and injectors for breakfast. A pity because they would otherwise be a brilliant engine.

challengemaster

Why don't you just drop back a few years - 04/05 and get a 320 or the likes?

For the few years you have it the difference in tax and the cost price would probably even out anyway, and you've a much nicer car

Owen

Only on boards could a guy come in asking advice about what should be a frugal 1.6 car, and get told to buy a 3 litre 6 cylinder when petrol's getting closer to 2 euro a litre!

conzy

Owen wrote: »

Only on boards could a guy come in asking advice about what should be a frugal 1.6 car, and get told to buy a 3 litre 6 cylinder when petrol's getting closer to 2 euro a litre!

Excuse me I have a frugal 314i


:pac:

Idbatterim

i agree, its typical bmw gets mentioned and everyone goes on about the lack of power in a 316, 318 etc... i drive a 325ci and have driven E46 M3, i know what power is and feels like in there cars, ofcourse for people used to BMW's these cars seem slow and the 4 cylinders are nowhere near as sweet as the 6 pot's, but they are still major upgrades coming from most other brands! Op do you specifically want a BMW? what mileage are you doing? I am in total agreement however with the dropping down a year or two, saving money on cost price and depreciation and using it for increased tax and fuel.

take a look at the below Op!

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3316207

Owen

I'm driving a 150Bhp 318 at the moment. It's not the JCW Cooper S I had, but it's still plenty of power for every day driving, doing a relatively safe overtaking manouver or motorway cruising. You don't need a 6 cylinder car no matter what people here say. Are they nicer than a 4? Hell yes, but there's nothing wrong with the 4 - it's still a much better car than the likes of a budget mass produced car.

Idbatterim

Owen I take it you have a 05+ 318 if its the 150bhp and not the 143 bhp version? the 318 N42 valvetronic, CAN give alot more problems than the older 318 engine or the 6 pots. But I agree the 318 is more than adequate for overtaking etc...

Owen

Right, I have the 143 version. It's being remapped in a fortnight anyway, so it'll be over 150 at that point.

166man

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/3-Series/325-I-E4/6013340673603310/advert?channel=CARS



OP buy this and tax it for a few years! You'll enjoy it so much more than a poxy 316i...

unkel

Elbow wrote: »

cant really afford more than €500 tax a year

You can afford to buy a €10,000 car, but you can't afford more than €500 in tax?

99% of the people in this country would agree with you

Idbatterim

You can afford to buy a €10,000 car, but you can't afford more than €500 in tax?

99% of the people in this country would agree with you

Ill make it even more simple, you cant afford E500 tax, but you can afford atleast 1k in year depreciation?

Elbow

I've been there and done that with bigger than average engines & 300bhp + cars in the past, this isn't what i'm looking for now.

If i wanted a drivers car i'd hang onto the van and get another MR2 or mx5, if i wanted power there's a 2000 M5 on carzone for under €11000.

What i want is something that will do the 50 mile round trip to work 5 days a week in comfort, motor way trips are limited to a spin to dublin every 2 months.

I should also rephrase what i posted earlier about not being able to afford over 500 a year in tax, I can easily afford it but dont want to. My days of spending over a 100 quid a week on juice & over 1000 on tax every year are done, I want a nice looking comfortable car that wont cost the earth on a week to week basis. As for depreciation thats going to happen anyway, the only car i've owned that didn't depreciate was a 1L polo that i bought for €150 and sold for €150.

And no i'm not fully set on a BMW but both the E46 325 & E36 318is were great cars when i owned them.

Elbow

Elbow wrote: »

..............

What i want is something that will do the 50 mile round trip to work 5 days a week in comfort, motor way trips are limited to a spin to dublin every 2 months.................. I want a nice looking comfortable car that wont cost the earth on a week to week basis..............

Honda Accord 2.0 petrol interest you?

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Honda/Accord/2.0-TYPE/5113295018003330/advert?channel=CARS



€10,000 would get more Accord than 316 me thinks

€660/annum tax on them.

unkel

Elbow wrote: »

As for depreciation thats going to happen anyway

Indeed. Buy that 10k '07 316 and 2-3k of depreciation is going to happen to you in the first year anyway

Buy a similar '04 car for 4k and not only will your depreciation be less than 1k, your other 6k can be put to work, earning interest, paying off your mortgage etc.

Elbow

Taught i'd update everyone on this.



Had a drive of the 316 over the weekend and its a non runner.
Immaculate car, lovely colour, leather was perfect, lovely place to sit but the lack of power ruined it.

MrDerp

Elbow wrote: »

Taught i'd update everyone on this.

Had a drive of the 316 over the weekend and its a non runner.
Immaculate car, lovely colour, leather was perfect, lovely place to sit but the lack of power ruined it.

Good man. Hard to walk away from the prettiness but it's really important not to end up pi$$ed off within 6 months and wanting a change - that's how you make depreciation real.

I drove a 316 for a day once, and really struggled (fully loaded) to keep up with a 520d I was tailing for the day (wedding cars) when the other driver hit the gas. Very little power available.

dharn

i recon the gap in road tax between the emission based cars and engine size (pre 08 ) will close in the next budget