08 316i es

corklad32

Hi guys i am looking at a jan 08 one of these. 1.6 petrol. Maybe 110/120bhp. Anyone have any opinions? I am coming form a 08 golf tsi 140. The BMW has a tag of about €16,900 and with mine the dealer would want 8 which is what most garages are offering for mine on a trade in (8.5-9). The car is a premium selection so it gets the 2 year manufacturer warranty according to the dealer. Is this correct? He said effectively its a new car warranty. Ive always owned golfs so its a step up getting one of these. Is maintenance / and running costs significantly higher or is it still like a 15km service? Would this be very heavy on petrol? The dealer also has a 318 2.0 l petrol for an extra €1k but i would imagine this would drink fuel. My brother and his wife own a bmw each and they both have high mileage and never an ounce of trouble which is what interests me. They have higher end BMW's though and both diesel whereas i know the one i'm looking at is the entry model i guess you'd call it. I don't see many of the 316 around is it because there a bit underpowered or expensive to run? I guess reliability is my number one goal. Any opinions would be much appreciated.

mfceiling

8 grand to stay at the same year for a 3 series BMW?

Would the golf not be a good enough car and keep the 8 grand for any "reliability" issues you are worried about?

corklad32

Well its hard to know with a golf tsi. Over 2 years you might not be too long going through 8k if it starts giving trouble! Ya i'm kinda in 2 minds over it really.

leeomurchu

corklad32 wrote: »

Well its hard to know with a golf tsi. Over 2 years you might not be too long going through 8k if it starts giving trouble! Ya i'm kinda in 2 minds over it really.

The other side of that coin is that if something goes bang in the bmw you might be looking at a bill for thousands. Lovely cars but I think VW would beat them on the reliability stakes if that's all your concerned about.

Try if you can to get a diesel it will hold it's value better and as many of the toys as possible the entry level BMW is not the most sought after car on the second hand market.

veetwin

OK a couple of obversations. Going from a 08 140bhp tsi Golf to any 316 BMW is not a step up. If anything it's a step down.

Secondly if you're only getting offered €8.5k for your golf from a dealer stick it up on done deal for €9.5k and it will be sold immediately. Then you are cash buyer and can command a good discount in any dealer.

Thirdly if reliablility is your primary concern conventional wisdom would be to look towards the Japanese manufacturers eg Honda.

Personally if I wasn't doing big mileage I'd sell the Golf privately and buy a newer Golf GTI and don't worry about the petrol costs. It wouldn't be hugely bigger than the tsi anyway, they are generally reliablle and you only live once.

corklad32

Thanks guys all good advice as usual

bazz26

Almost €17k for a nearly 5 year old entry level 3 Series with underpowered 1.6 litre engine is just madness You got to love BMW dealers asking this kind of coin and then boosting about it coming with a 2 year used BMW warranty as if it is free when it's built into the asking price of the car. ES is the basic spec model and very bare, add the underpowered 1.6 litre engine and I would could not think of a worse compo.

OP, I'm no fan of the Golf and I drive a 3 Series myself but if I were you I would keep the car you have. You will hate that particular 3 Series very quickly.

Leonard Hofstadter

The 316i is so special they only sold it in Ireland! Avoid it at all costs. Also all the 08 onwards petrol models (bar the 335i) have problems with the ignition coils and injectors, so are best avoided. The four cylinder diesels between late 2007 and mid-2010 are also best avoided as there were problems with the timing chain on those cars. And as noted, the ES is the poverty spec model with not a lot as standard. Try and get an SE or better still an M Sport if you want a 3 series.

If you want a reliable 3 series, get a 325d, plus it has the correct number of cylinders (six) so will be a lot nicer to drive than a four cylinder model.

corklad32

I think after reading all of the above I will hold onto the golf for now and just get George to give it a good going over and hang onto it for another while!