Faults:

Small items, headliner sagging, door won't open from the outside, high beam light missing, no hand brake, uneven alignment, valve cover gasket oil on spark plugs, battery, thermostat.

I paid 6.5k for this car, and 2 or 3k in repairs:

Bushings, water pump, steering pinion, brakes, tires, catback, muffler hangar, radiator flush, and gearbox.

I never spent more than a grand a year in tune ups; most done myself. This car is amazing to drive, and a keeper.

Too bad the back seats don't accommodate a baby, and they don't have enough leg room. No cup holders either.

I park it in a heated garage, and at one point drove an hour on the highway each way.

General Comments:

This car is a keeper. I 'm not upgrading until I have to. Timeless style. Turns heads everywhere. Lots of power in second gear to spin the tires.

It needs a few repairs, but if treated well, lasts forever!

Since it is old, I can't align the tires nor change the thermostat, but I don't drive more than 50 km in a week.

Faults:

Wiper motor, control arm, modules ($80 used) - 2009.

Fuel pump ($375 for pump and labor) - 2008.

Water pump ($400 for pump and labor) - 2008.

Passenger front window regulator ($300, includes labor) - 2009.

OBC backlight ($5 labor free; I did it myself) - 2010.

Glovebox sag (DIY fix on the Internet; free labor, I did myself) - 2010.

Valve cover gasket (leaking oil slowly), never bothered to fix, more annoying than an actual problem, mainly because I got quoted to $325 including labor to fix; at this point I couldn't justify spending this much on a car worth $2000-$5000.

General Comments:

Most of the things here are not to hard to fix if you do most of the labor yourself. I was the 2nd owner when I bought it, so I expect most of those problems were just due to age.

Other than that, the car was a blast to drive. 318's don't have a lot of power, but the gas mileage is great. Comfort is great for a 16 year old car.

I recently bought a 01 325CI; it's more comfortable, faster and has more options.

BMWs are great; just make sure you buy one with a good maintenance history, or make sure it has service records.

Mileage isn't really a problem for these cars, as long as it's been serviced/maintained.

Parts are cheap for E36s (3 series 92-98), and they look great.

Faults:

For now, nothing.

General Comments:

I have just bought car two days ago, and drove for 400 kilometers in highway and city. I just paid 2775 CAD, and what I have it's absolutely incredible.

The car is like a plane on highway, and very fun to drive in the city. The sound of the engine is fantastic.

Faults:

The car has an oil leak and I believe it may need a new belt. The a/c was completely redone last summer. The clock display needs a new bulb. I had to replace the motor and transmission mounts. The wheel bearings also need to be worked on.

General Comments:

I have a love/hate relationship with this car. Although I must say that it is more fun to drive and a lot more reliable than my previous car, which by the way was brand new. I bought this car in 2005. I knew better then to buy a used car without first taking it to a mechanic to be evaluated. My advice to all who read this is, if you are buying a used car make sure you take it to an independent dealer or mechanic and let them run a test on the car. This way you will know exactly what you are getting into. Believe me it will be worth the effort.

Had I done that I would not have bought this car. I am exhausted having spent so much money on fixing all the things that have worn out on this car. (nearly three grand in two years) The good news is that the motor and transmission are still running great. Other than having to change parts because of wear and tear I have had no major problems with this vehicle.