1984 BMW 3 Series 318i review from North America
"A nice gutless little car"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Noisy fuel pump
Radiator failed (actually broke)
Other minor stuff.
General comments?
This is a decent little car, but it is gutless! The 4 cylinder is a real poor match to the automatic trans. stock 0-60 time was over 12 seconds! I turbocharged it and now it does 0 to 60 in 6.0s flat. (http://home.att.net/~jroal/jay/bmw.html). The body structure is very rigid and the performance potential is there. However, from the factory this car did not even have a rear sway bar. It sits too high as well. All the basics are there for this to be a great performing car, but BMW missed the mark on this one. Keep in mind this is the weakest BMW made in 1984 and I suspect the other models to be much better. Overall I still really like the car (now that I turbocharged it).
Recommended Reviews:
  | Good engine, bad past owners |
| My love, my desire, my despair |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8L 4 cylinder Automatic |
| Performance marks | 0/10 |
| Reliability marks | 7/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 120000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 138000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Thunderbird |
| Date of Entry | 8th September, 2002 |