Faults:

Oil leak, radiator leak, cam sensor, ABS, airbag warning light illuminated (among other warning lights!) in my last year of ownership.

General Comments:

Fantastic 1990s BMW. I love their cars from this era.

I bought this compact in 2009 when it was already 10 years old and had it for another 6 years. A few expensive repairs aside, it was a good to own car.

Black in color, looked the part with original BMW alloy wheels.

Inside a bit dull and grey, but it was all very functional and comfortable. SE model a bit basic, but it had all the electrics a 1990s car would have. Materials had a quality solid feel.

Reasonably economical with enough power, despite being automatic and the lowest engine in the range. Nice to drive.

Had to scrap it in 2015 due to failing an MOT test and needing too much repairs to justify on an older car. But I do miss the car now and would love another, but they are getting rare to find.

Faults:

When we bought the BMW second hand, we changed the brake discs and pads, and the shock absorbers, as they were there from new. After that initial servicing, nothing has gone wrong.

The front windows make a squeeze sound and go down slowly... but I suppose once we remove the door covers and oil the mechanism, they will go like new.

General Comments:

Power from straight-6 engine is sufficient; don't consider 4-cylinder models (318i, 316i in Europe), they lack power and torque. Even compared to my 1-year old company car Honda Accord, the old BMW engine is more potent.

Steering is quite direct and feels like really controlling the car. The ride is fairly comfortable, and the suspension is strong and withstands our bumpy roads very well.

The seats are quite comfortable and supportive, however my model lacks folding back seats, which I miss very much.

Audio system is crap - cassette player or CD does not really matter, the sound quality is poor and the standard speaker kit is also of inferior quality. I've replaced it with an aftermarket stereo and new Hertz speakers, and the sound quality improved drastically.

City mileage is not good, but on par with previous cars of similar weight and power I have driven. Outside city consumption is fairly good, however on the highway I am missing a sixth gear, and after 130km/h consumption goes high.

Dealers are willing and attentive, prices are high, but this is what you can expect from premium brand servicing. There are many used cars around, and you can find used parts at a fraction of the cost.

Faults:

It all started with standard wearable parts. In my case, it was all at the same time. Rear suspension, front brakes, anti-roll bars and tie rods, costing 600€.

After I got it all done, next in line was the water pump, which merely exploded, and again it is a wearable part as far as it goes BMW 400€.

Then some jerk kicked my left mirror. The repair costs were 1400€. But the biggest problem came across in a routine check. The subframe broke at 166000 and cost me 2000€. The week after, she went down again. The car didn't want to start at all because it lost the software.

All those problems are not typical; I just had bad luck, and all in one year.

General Comments:

This beauty is just as fast as you need. Its fuel consumption is average, and if you are good driver, you can get good consumption. I get 8.7l/100km.

I've never sat on as comfortable seats. This car sticks to the road and eats corners. Has all the features that I like to have in a car. I really love my car, but still she fails me, and my trust is failing as well.