BMW 318 reviews

although not the fastest car in the world this old bmw is fast enough. slightly heavy on petrol but who cares because it is reliable (never let me down in all the years ive had it and i drive it, i dont treat it like it may break)and never needs money spending on it exept for tyres, brakes, exhaust etc. it is also rust free structurally. i feel one of the best cars ever made.

Beautifully equipped and stylish looking car. Has a luxury feel, nice to drive and comfortable for long journeys, Generally reliable but due to the large number of engine and car environment sensors you do get overloaded with messages about time to service, door is open, tyre pressure is low etc etc etc. but I guess they are good safety features so shouldn't complain. But can become annoying for trivial ones and every time you get a new warning light come on it's a mad rush to the handbook to try and find out whats wrong. The 318 is under powered. Haven't driven a 320 so not sure if there is much of a difference and also the car doesn't like being in the wrong gear. It labours if it is just one gear higher than it should be, can be a bit dangerous if you try to pull away at a roundabout for example. Not sold on the run-flat tyres. Makes them very expensive and if you get a puncture you can only drive for about 100 miles. This isn't always enough to get you where you are going and if you cant find a dealer with a replacement in stock within that time/distance you have a problem. Imagine if you were on the way to the airport with 200 miles to go! Would prefer a space saver spare to be honest. The car is useless in even the most light snow/ice conditions. It sat on my drive for 4 days last winter during snow, completely unusable and we live on a flat road. Running costs for the petrol version aren't good - about 34 to the gallon.

Very good car, reliable and good driving experience. Main problem is the design of the front seats, very poor and the actual seat has a support bar which after a short while becomes very uncomfortable, the dealership seems reluctant to sort out the problem, would not buy another one

I have been extremly satisfied with my car.

I guess i like my car, its 7 years old and have had from new. It still feels v comfy a 90Mph but I have a bad back so anm looking for a more upright car.

My old BMW3181s is nearly 14 years old done 140k miles and is still a joy to drive. A testament to good old German engineering.

This is my second BMW (bought second hand). The first one, a 1994 316i, is still going with the original engine, gearbox and clutch having done over 200,000 miles. The one I drive now is similarly reliable, doing consistently 45-47 miles per gallon on a 4 day continental drive to Greece, and about 32-35 mpg urban. It is comfortable enough not to cause kids to whinge on all day drives. The only problems encountered have been the engine maintenance light mysteriously flicking on then off after about 50 miles, and the computerised stuff going a bit haywire due to presumably a wheel speed indicator fault. Not mad on the idea of runflats coming as standard. The music system is a bit more basic than some cheaper cars.

VERY reliable an excellent gearbox in all the years I have owned this car (from new) it has never let me down, only costs were from servicing, MOT and fuel, no repairs or replacements of any component in 50,000 miles. reluctant to change for a newer car.

This was bought as an approved used car from the local BMW main agent. It had 19000 miles when purchased and now has 41000 miles on the clock. We go on longish motoring holidays in this country about 4 or 5 times a year and the drive is always stress free and not tiring. Fuel economy is good for a 2 litre engine at 41 - 43 mpg with the air con in use 100% of the time. The car is a comfortabe vehicle and very smooth and quiet and has proved to be suitable for all occasions. Further more we have not experienced and mechanical problems and the servicing costs at the main agent seem reasonable. All in all a good solid and safe car.

Will continue to buy and run BMW's

A good all round car but boot is ok in size but has small area to put items into it

Best car i've ever had. Its done over 250,000 only recently had the head gasket replaced. Apart from wear and tear and maintenance costs its a dream to drive. It may be old but it still returns an avarage of 40mpg or more at 70mph. It feels safe to drive in, has enough power when needed and I did not wish to exchange it for a newer model because their engines last approx. 120,000 before they develop problems like oil leaks etc. Their mpg is less (35 typ)if the owner is lucky. So for the time being Im keeping mine.

An all round comfortable and very reliable moderate sized car with lots of safety features that provides an excellent value for money form of luxury transport. A pleasure to drive in all conditions. Easily seats 4 grown adults and can accommodate a fifth altho leg room for this a little tight and would only suggest short journeys for the middle mans comfort. Would buy again and will always strongly recommend this model. Good on fuel consumption if driven politely. Bodywork excellent and remains so even tho its now slightly older than many... no rust and paintwork remains bright and strongly coloured. Love this car for all the right reasons and find it hard over several years of ownership and use to find anything I can fault

Smooth drive, good performance, generally reliable although slightly more issues than my previous honda's

This is my fifth 3series since 1991, it was more "plastic" than previous models. The ventilation system was so awful I blocked it off, BMW did not want to know about this problem. Servicing is a problem with different dates for different items (I was used to annual servicing). It had a replacement steering column under guarantee but the engine suffered from numerous oil leaks due to brittle gaskets recently. Driving is a pleasure especially round towns with the power steering/automatic gearbox. A definite drivers car. Leather seating comfortable.The rear seat ISOFIX system is fitted inboard making the car only a four seater with one child seat fitted. Run flat tyres give a hard ride and needed replacing every 20,000 miles

Reliable even in cold weather - never fails to start up straight away. Great comfort & space. Looks good, an absolute joy to drive. I love it!

Taking into consideration the age of my car I have had very little to complain about.... the car has been consistently reliant apart from a couple of flat battery incidents due to weather and faulty heater electrics I regularly have the car serviced each year and just prior to MOT. The parking sensors have just failed this year but I can manage without as I have done with earlier cars not fitted with this device.. Member of AA and only had to call them out for Home assistance to spark up flat batteries on 2/3 occasions since 2000 Need to replace car with a higher seating position car due to my age and mobility problems

My BMW maybe old but its comfortable to drive. Its reliable and OK it may cost a bomb on tax and petrol but if you can afford it I would recommend one. After all it is the Ultimate Driving Machine

Excellent handling from a well balanced chassis. Smooth gearbox & good acceleration. This is the only car I have had in 28 years of motoring that doesn't give me back ache after a long journey. The economy on long journeys is usually around 55mpg; local short journeys about 43mpg quite easily. The only watch out I have had is with the run flat tyres: they need checking for pressure regularly as a loss of pressure will not be seen as the tyre walls stay rigid even with low pressure. Room in the back of the car is OK, but not great. Would definitely have another!

Its a nice car nice to drive cheap to use