2000 BMW 3 Series Reviews - Page 5 of 10

Climate control changer became jammed at 11,000 miles.

Ashtray was easy to pull out and difficult to replace.

Brake pads wore very quickly and were replaced at 13,000 miles, then at 21,000 miles and finally at 29,000 miles.

Overall, the 318i was a very reliable and solid car.

The best thing about the car was its agile rear wheel drive handling.

Engine performance wasn't too strong, as it only had a 1.9 litre petrol engine.

Interior space was quite good.

Good value at £18,500 on cash from new.

Held its value well and retailed privately for £11,000 two years later.

MPG was low.

Too expensive maintenance (parts)

Heavy Steering wheel.

Heavy Gas pedal.

Cooling pump blew at 100.000 -very common.

Too close to the ground, hit bottom often and rims were deforming quickly.

Very expensive tyres, worn off quickly.

Winter road hold weak, especially with sport tyres.

Actually I WAS very complainant when I was driving that baby. Above mentioned problems gave me nuts about the car, I was grumbling and writing complaint messages to BMW at the time. I felt like "it is an over pumped, ad boosted brand"

Now I am driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee and I definitely miss my baby. Seats, automatic transmition, road hold, ergonomics in the cabin, material quality, very little things, details in the console or functional equipment is no match for a BMW... the tool box integrated inside the trunk door, little orange colored cabin illuminating LEDs at night time is a sign of the value.

Don't trade your BMW for an American car.. never. Enjoy it without complaints.

Worn & leaking front shock breakers at 45K km.

A/C final stage resistor refused to work in the middle of a hot summer day.

Three doors except driver's side will leak if it rains. This is due to the poor sealing between door frame and the vapor gasket. Sealing was re-applied, but they still leak.

Passenger-side front window had its regulator replaced.

Every thing's fine now except for that door leakage.

Some interior grey and black trims are peeling for no reason and I've seen this on ALL E46 3-series I was considering prior to purchasing mine.

A very powerful and superb-handling car compared to my previous ride. The pick-up is noticeable and very swift; ride is firm without being harsh, before I changed my wheels to 19" anyway. Controls are logically positioned.

Steptronic really changed my perceptions against auto-transmission. I wouldn't think of getting my next car without one.

Front seats are very supportive and provide just enough manual adjustments. Leather on the driver's side bolsters has shown some wear, but this is common.

Fuel economy is not a strong point and amidst Jakarta traffic, it will only get 7 km / liter.

Rear space is limited, especially the headroom. Then again, I do the driving so I'm not too concerned over this.

If you want to enjoy low depreciation, lower maintenance cost, and magic-carpet ride, go for a Benz sedan.

However, if you are simply interested in driving pleasure, get the BMW instead.