1991 BMW 3 Series 318 iS from North America - Comments

Transmission, drive shaft, alternator, starter, timing chain tensioner, struts, cooling fan clutch, idle control valve, pads/rotors, gasoline tank leak; all in under a year!

I thought I bought my dream car! Unfortunately, the hard thing in attaining your dream is maintaining it.

I love the way this car drives and the classic (e30) BMW look is incredible. I don't use the car so much for racing as for "BMW experience" in everyday driving.

Unfortunately, this low end sports car is extremely demanding in maintenance. I have put nearly $5000 into a car worth maybe half that. Goes to show you should look long and hard at a BMW before you shake on the deal.

I don't think I could afford another bimmer. I'm hoping this one will last at least two more.

You have a fair amount of miles on your e30, but I can strongly assure you, that with the repairs and maintenance you have completed on your car, you won't have to do much more over the next 3-4 years! Trust me, I've owned 2 e30's so far... the only one I have to aspire to is a mint m3 e30!

You may have to open up the motor in the next 20-30k miles to replace the timing chain (if it hasn't been done yet).

Happy motoring!

I hardly think that an Aging 318 BMW deserves to be called a Sports Car. I have driven one and they are very slow.

The guy who says that this car is slow has either never driven one or drives ferrari's and porshes for a living.

Obviously it was not a 318is, the is has the twin cam engine and is quite lively. I had one myself with 135k on it and it never missed a bit. I now have a 325 sport and the 318is is not far off it.

My uncle owns a 1991 318 IS. He loved the car at first, but after 3 years he loved to hate it. The car has only 79,000 original miles and he poured thousands of dollars into maintenance and repair costs. The car had an overheating problem so he took it to the dealer and they replaced the radiator and water pump. the problem still occured, and the dealer could not find the the problem. Here it was a temperature sensor that cost like 20 bucks. he also had to replace tons of other things like the starter, alternator, and more. I had a friend with the same car, just not an IS, and had similar problems. I defiantly would not recommend this car because they are expensive and problematic.

I have a 91 318i 5-speed sedan. Believe the hype, it does handle like a sports car. True, it is not a stop-light racer that is fast off the line, but once it gets going it is plenty swift. I love driving it and that classic BMW old-school look, even more so than my 1993 525i. That one is automatic, fast and marvelously solid, just not as much fun to drive as the four-banger e-30.

I have a 91 318is and I do enjoy it. Had it for round a year and a half. 247 000 k. It's not really just about the speed of the car as obviously newer cars are faster and more efficient. (Don't get me wrong it has power and handles tight.) I think the overall style and design out class new and older cars on the road. (hate the jellybean look) Sometimes the maintenance and trouble shooting can be a pain, but it's the best when it's in the zone! I hope BMW can see how sweet the 91 318is is and reissues it so I can buy a brand new one.

BMW is expensive, but at least your getting something for your money. If you doubt that a BMW is worth the money, just take a drive in a Honda Civic and you'll quickly remember why you like BMW.

If you want Quality, you have to pay for it.

Mine is a '91 BMW 318i five-speed manual, almost 200,000 miles. Refined? No. I also have a 525i automatic that is far more refined, but I most enjoy driving the 318i. Expensive? Well, when something goes wrong, its pricey, but an old 3-series BMW is really more of an addiction and therefore money well-spent. It is a cult car, and not for everyone for sure. The handling is unbelievable, particularly at high speed.

I have a 1991 318i; even though it is sprightly when running and has good brakes... most of the time it is down from one ailment after another. Even though I can work on it myself; the parts are very expensive and required constantly. The gas mileage is poor for such a little car. The trim & body seem to just be falling apart. Very very disappointed with every BMW that I have ever owned and this one is one of the better ones.

I enjoy driving my ever reliable economical Miata much much more and even the civic I have is much more a "drivers car" than the 318i.

I will be selling the BMW soon if it will stay running long enough.

I'm my third e30 325, first was the sport model, then the convertible, and now I'm going for just the coupe. They're incredibly addicting.

I resented the maintenance the first couple of years, but then I learned enough so that I could do it myself, and it was fun to work on my own car.

I drove a new Infiniti g35 for a while between the convertible and the coupe till it got totaled in a pretty bad wreck, and it just didn't have the same character as the BMWs.

In 2008, a 1991 car is 17 years old. Many makes fall apart, rust or the engines go before 17 years.

I have a 1991 BMW 318is. The fan (for heat and air flow) just stopped working one day. I checked the fuses everything fine. Any other suggestions?

If it's the original part and so 18 years old, the unit might need replacing.