Re: 97 BMW 318 - Saab Other Cars Bulletin Board - Saabnet.com
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Re: 97 BMW 318
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Posted by Justin VanAbrahams [Email] (#32) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Justin VanAbrahams) on Tue, 2 Aug 2011 08:53:17 Share Post by Email
In Reply to: 97 BMW 318, Philip Schall, Mon, 1 Aug 2011 22:23:19
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I have done a lot of E36 shopping in the past year - it's a great car, very well sorted by '97. Assuming it's a sedan and not a ti hatch, it's more or less identical to the 325/328, though I believe it uses a different, lighter-duty transmission. If it's a ti, know that it uses the old E30 STA rear suspension and not the E36 multilink setup and is more prone to snap oversteer. Fortunately, the 3200lb 318 only has 140hp to move it around, so you don't have to worry much about driving it too fast.

There is not too much in the way of expensive repairs, though making the suspension new again can be pricey, the automatics are not great. They are all variations of the GM 4L30E, which is both expensive and crappy. Good news again is that the 318 only makes 140hp and doesn't put nearly the stress on the made-of-glass transmission. Still, I would be concerned about 166k unless there are maintenance records on that box. It just might fail tomorrow.

FWIW, there is generally not a huge price gap between the 318 and the I6-powered brethren. It doesn't get much better mileage (possibly worse in the real world) and isn't cheaper to repair. Unless there is something special about this particular car (ownership history, etc.) I'd consider hunting a little and spending some more on a six cylinder.

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