1991 BMW 3 Series 318is 1.8
Summary:
A sports car in a sedan body
Faults:
Water pump replaced at 80,000 Miles
Lower ball joints replaced at 105,000 Miles.
General Comments:
The car handles like an INDY car. It has a very strong 4 cylinder engine. With the five speed manual transmission it is very fun to drive. I added a K&N air filter and noticed a significant improvement in horse power.
This car lives up to and surpasses its billing as the replacement for the BMW 2002.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 3rd January, 2003
22nd Dec 2005, 04:56
I just bought a 318is and I was impressed... This car handles a lot better then my 93' 325i... When I bought it the previous owner had replaced many parts, and now the car runs like it is new... I recommend this car for anyone who is looking for a quick afforable car... This car is really quick for a inline 4.
11th Jul 2007, 21:10
All above compliments are true. My only complaint and minor correction to an above post: It is possible to get these things up to 135mph. However unlike modern sports cars, it doesn't sink on the suspension, instead it raised and felt like I was floating on clouds, instead of cruising down a road. I never repeated that feat.
9th Nov 2005, 23:16
The '91 318is and its four door counterpart are both wonderfully balanced cars. The positioning of the smaller 4 cylinder engine directly above the front axle make the car much more toss-able than the 325i of the same year.
The only unfortunate thing is that the car was only sold for a single year with the sporty, free revving four cylinder engine... as the E30 was replaced by the heavier E36 model. The added weight make the E36 models sluggish in comparison.
The '91 318is is a poor man's M3.