1991 BMW 3 Series 318is from North America - Comments

Water pump replaced at 80,000 Miles

Lower ball joints replaced at 105,000 Miles.

The car handles like an INDY car. It has a very strong 4 cylinder engine. With the five speed manual transmission it is very fun to drive. I added a K&N air filter and noticed a significant improvement in horse power.

This car lives up to and surpasses its billing as the replacement for the BMW 2002.

I certainly agree with the positive feedback on the 318is.

After a quarter of a million miles of driving one, the sporty coupe performs like a legend. The evolution of the e30 has been one of the greatest influences in BMW's time. They are truly beyond worthy of investing in.

The '91 318is and its four door counterpart are both wonderfully balanced cars. The positioning of the smaller 4 cylinder engine directly above the front axle make the car much more toss-able than the 325i of the same year.

The only unfortunate thing is that the car was only sold for a single year with the sporty, free revving four cylinder engine... as the E30 was replaced by the heavier E36 model. The added weight make the E36 models sluggish in comparison.

The '91 318is is a poor man's M3.

I just bought a 318is and I was impressed... This car handles a lot better then my 93' 325i... When I bought it the previous owner had replaced many parts, and now the car runs like it is new... I recommend this car for anyone who is looking for a quick afforable car... This car is really quick for a inline 4.

I bought this model myself in 2001 and later bought a 1988 325 ic, both of which are identical with the exception of engine size and the ic is convertible. Although the convertible surpasses the 318 in power, both cars have exceptional handling.

More than anything, I love the 318i's engine that just loves to rev and is the first and only engine I know of that can literally sustain red line rpm's indefinitely (synthetic oil highly recommended).

The car really doesn't do much below 3000 rpm's but once you hit that mark, the various surges felt in every gear as the variably-timed camshaft lobes shift power from one cylinder to the next is a joy everyone should experience at least once in a lifetime.

Perhaps the only complaint I have is the car doesn't do much beyond 100mph, they really could've geared it slightly lower so that one could rev out a little more speed. That, and why put in a 150mph speedo when the car won't go past 120..? However, the car appears built for speeds up to 100mph as it feels funny beyond that speed, and for all that, it is the peppiest four-banger I've ever owned.

I have a 1991 318is,

i think its the best 4 cylinder e30, e36 bmw, over the 100 mph the handle its like a race car, the bbs 16 wheels makes a huge difference, dinam chip 26+ horsepower, air filter, and coil over suspensions its all you need to place yourself on the track.

All above compliments are true. My only complaint and minor correction to an above post: It is possible to get these things up to 135mph. However unlike modern sports cars, it doesn't sink on the suspension, instead it raised and felt like I was floating on clouds, instead of cruising down a road. I never repeated that feat.