Catalytic converter failed. Replaced under warranty.
Nothing else I can think of failed on the car! It just worked, time and time again. Even when the battery was flat after an ex left the lights on for a day!! She still started 1st time!
Handled well, great fun, but a little twitchy in the wet (which is what we want). Not so good in the snow/ice, but still never got stuck (driving in Scotland during winter included.
Practical and quite cheap to run however the interior could have been a little more interesting, too much black plastic.
Not a fire breathing 911 beater, but a nice cruiser and fun on the back roads.
The BMW 318 is is a fast (132 mph) good looking reliable and very safe however not many of them were made of the 1997/1998 models which are the best. Mine is in BMW black and has 17inch alpina alloys in the wet it is a bit slippy, but not scary even women can control it (but I think that is down the traction control) the only things that have went wrong with it is the window has got jammed and the air conditioning unit has broke.BMW'S are the BEST.
I bought a 1998 BMW 318is E36 model (all standard no mods) last year (2005) with 42K on the clock. It now has 55k.
I have owned a Honda Prelude, Cavalier, Citroen and Ford Escort in the past.
The very first thing I noticed with this car is the rear wheel drive and how it affects handling. This car STICKS to the road, the 50/50 weight ratio is noticeable with no under/over steer and absolute pleasure to drive around winding roads.
The torque also needs mentioning, it has the same pull along the rev range, so even if you are doing 60 and put your foot down, you are going to feel the engine pulling the car faster and faster with little depreciation, a lovely feeling.
The car is VERY reliable, oil consumption is normal, and engine temperature never fluctuates. It starts in any weather conditions first time, and is a very comfortable drive. The body/paint is showing no signs of rust.
The only thing that has gone wrong with this car is my passenger window jammed, which I hear is common. I tapped the inner door panel a few times and it started working again.
I WILL be trading this car in for the E46 in the next 12-18 months. It is true what they say - 'The Ultimate Driving Machine'.
I bought an 1998 e36 318is two years ago and have enjoyed every day with it. I'd read about the slightly sluggish power, and just kind of accepted it, but then replaced a slightly faulty camshaft sensor and have been very pleasantly surprised since. It drives best at higher revs and is very "peppy" around the 2500-4000 range.
It's my daily driver and I couldn't ask for a better combination of economic fuel consumption and style. It's a good looking car, with the full M-Tech kit. I haven't added any extras to the engine, but it's only had one other owner who kept perfect logs (bless him) and runs silky smooth, even 9 years on. Give it a good polish and you'd be proud to take your girlfriend(s) anywhere in it.
My only gripe would be that it can be loud running at the higher revs, but the experience is worth it. Don't usually notice this since my day to day driving is much more relaxed. It has a slightly bung drivers side window that doesn't go all the way up by itslef (needs a second upwards click) but seriously, that's about it.
Wouldn't mind trying an e30 318is to compare and see what the fuss is all about. :)
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