1998 BMW 3 Series 328i Sport review from UK and Ireland
"Great car - great performance!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
New engine bottom end at 34000.
Various dashboard creaks and rattles coming from back or passenger door.
Edge of the driver's leather seat is starting to wear.
Failed the MOT at 45000 miles at one BMW Dealer, stating wear in the offside front strut, another BMW dealer says it's OK! (BMW have offered 50% of the cost of replacement struts). All I want is consistency between BMW Dealers.
Gear change is sometime baulky, and very gated.
Drivers door rubber replaced free of charge by the main dealership.
General comments?
Overall the car is a fantastic drive, excellent performance, affordable to run, head turning looks, and a better bet than an E36 M3. On a long run it averaged 35 to the gallon. Around town expect low 20's.
My only concern is the long term engine reliability (susceptible to sulphur in fuel damaging cylinder liners) and I am mega annoyed about problems with the front struts which are expensive to replace, and should not have got play in them at 45,000 miles.
Only buy from a BMW dealer. The 328 engine MUST have been replaced by now, if not walk!
Would I buy another - oh yes - considering that a brand new Ford Mondeo costs 15 to 16 grand, I would much rather have one of these.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.8 Manual |
| Performance marks | 10/10 |
| Reliability marks | 4/10 |
| Comfort marks | 10/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 38000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 45000 miles |
| Previous car | BMW 3 Series |
| Date of Entry | 29th January, 2002 |