1999 BMW 3 Series 323i review from Ecuador

Thermostat and radiator fan had to be replaced at 48,000Km. This was done soon after I bought the car.

Nothing else has gone wrong.

The car is a joy to drive. Hands down the best car I've had. It puts a smile on my face every time I get behind the wheel.

Aside from the radiator and thermostat failing at 48K it's been very reliable. I was disappointed, though, to see to what lengths car manufacturers go nowadays to force consumers to buy the whole component rather than the parts that are damaged. The thermostat got halfway stuck, making the car run hotter than normal over long periods of time. This damaged the fan control electronics. The controller, however, is not sold separately. You need to buy the entire fan assembly (around 500USD) for a part that would probably cost 30 dollars.

I suppose that's the price for driving such a fantastic car. Performance is great in every aspect. Seats are firm, but comfortable and power is more than adequate, although next time I might go for the 2.8L instead. Manual transmission is smooth and I never feel tired driving it, even after long journeys. All controls are within easy reach.

Boot is small, as one would expect from a car like this. There isn't much legroom for passengers in the back, either, but... hey... I bought it for me... not for my passengers.