'98 318ti: Help me dicide if I should purchase! Lots of q's!

[CptnNemo]

So today I was browsing the internet and saw a BMW 318ti come up on my screen, and I fell in love. I am a hatchback lover, and am currently driving a 99 VW Golf MK4. Now I was in love with the BMW, and showed my father the ad for the car (car will be a college grad gift) and he showed concerns because of the age. The car I'm looking at is a 98 318ti, but am unsure of the package. I have read the known issues section of this forum, and they don't surprise or deter me (I have many of the same with the VW). But there are some things that I wish to ask:

My 99 VW was a great car until it hit about 90k. Then, the auto transmission stopped free-wheeling causing the engine to drag anytime the car was moving and killing my gas mileage. Then the AC went, even after I replaced the compressor for $1k. The suspension is shot (understandably), and random stuff is breaking (windshield wipers, windshield fluid pump, folding rear seat, muffler hanger). It is way too much to keep up with. Talking with many people at VWVortex.com, lots have experienced the same issues at similar mileages. Does the 318ti have the same tendency? If so, at what mileage is there a breakdown?

The 99 VW's are universally despised being a first model run, is there anything particular to the 98 US 318's?

For a VW, the vin number dictates the factory the car was produced in (as I think it does for most cars). Everyone knows the German plants are better at putting a VW together than the South African or south American plants. Is one BMW plant better than another?

I am in the Northeastern part of the USA (MA). Are parts readily available, and will they be for the foreseeable future?

What year did they stop importing/making the 318ti?

Why should I not buy this car? Or, why is it better than a 01 VW GTI 1.8t that's three years newer with the same mileage and more HP?

[DustenT]

Honest answer? Get the GTI.

[CptnNemo]

Can you back that advice up with some arguement Dusten?

[bullmand]

Having owned a 98 ti since it was new and a '02 New Beetle Turbo S, I can say that I'm much more impressed with the durability of the parts and the build of the BMW as compared to the VW. There seem to be a lot of problems with the electronic parts on the newer VWs. We've already replaced the coil pack(recall), both window regulators, coolant temp sensor, and some prematurely rusting hardware on the bug. I know that any car is going to have parts wear out and need to be replaced, but the VW has just seemed to need more attention in this area than my BMW. Having said all that, if you're looking for an affordably tuneable car the GTI is definitely a better option. There are many more options for affordable parts for the VWs and you can get some serious power increases out of those engines. My opinions, take them or leave them.

[CptnNemo]

One of the things that everyone is here commenting on is how much easier it is to tune the GTI. I agree becasue I'm been into the VW scene for awhile. I however, will probably not have a ton of money to do extensive tuning. In addition, I really like the styling side of cars. Does that change anyone's mind about their reccomendation?

[bullmand]

If you're not looking to do much engine tuning then I would recommend the ti. I think it has a much more classic look than the GTI and it's certainly more rare. Another thing to consider is that even the newest one you'll be able to find is going to be 7 years old. That's not really a big deal as long as you keep up with preventive maintenance, but parts are going to need to be replaced sooner than you might have budgeted for. I haven't had to replace anything very expensive on my '98. About the most complicated thing so far has been the thermostat. Hope this helps some more.

[aparatchik]

The thing that has always kept me out of VW is the reputation they have for electrical & reliability issues... I considered a VR6 corrado before settling on the ti, and am glad I made the decision I did. That said, I love the VW's interiors... especially the Mk4.

[DustenT]

All cars require some maintenance, especially when they get 100k+ miles on them. 318ti's have issues with plastic coolant pieces, when these go, if you don't pull over and fix, you're probably going to overheat and warp. e36's in general have issues with the windows falling into the door, it's an easy fix, but it's happened a couple times to me. Rear shock mounts should be replaced with e46 m3 mounts. You may need to replace your ball joints a lot, upgrading to myrle ball joints helps.

A $500 chip will make that GTI faster than a supercharged 318ti. Ask me how I know. Both cars are great, but for me, I'd rather start with a turbo motor.

[Astroman98ti]

Of coarse I'm biased...but I agree witht one of the earlier comments in that the ti is certainly more unique. The body style has a classy sport car look and reliability is not an issue. The only thing i've had to replace because of material failure has been the driver side window regulator. Mine has 130K miles and still runs strong. Go for the Bimmer!

[Etienne]

Just a note on reliability. there are a number of us on here who have cars with over 200k on original engines. There are going to be annoying things that go wrong with the ti and almost every one of them is discussed multiple times on these boards, and with rare exception they can be taken care of in your garage.

[wasabinuki]

Having only ever owned VW's until I got my TI I can say that there is a huge difference between VW's and BMW's build quality. The BMW is way better. I am not trying to knock VW, but the BMW has less rattles, the the paint is better, it's quieter, and just an overall tighter car. Both are great cars for the money, but if you want to tune the engine go for the VW. The 1.8t is a sweet engine and you can tune the piss out of it. Every car has parts wear out, so preventive maintainance is a must. Like it was mentioned before the newest ti you'll be able to get is 7 years old. Just make sure the owner(s) took care of it and you shouldn't have a problem. From a maintanence cost point VW and BMW are about the same. If you are bored of your dub try the BMW. If you don't like it, sell it and go back to VW. Either way you will be happy.

[Blue318ti]

I've owned VW's before, believe me a lot less things go wrong on a BMW. They are easier to work on. engine & powertrain outlast any VW. even when you do work on a BMW you're doin it for the long, run cause they last a lot longer as long as you do general PM. VW's its always one thing after the other after the other and it never ends. I eventually donated mine. I love my BMW even with all its imperfections. That's my story...And I'm sticking to it!

[praveen.thomas]

i have a TI that has done 155k miles and other than preventive maintenance, nothing to whine about. the car is fabulous and i just love the solid feel that i get.

[DeadpaN]

VW's are great cars and fun to drive but, they're cheaply made. It's expected, and pretty well known that they higher maintenance costs as well as requiring more frequent repairs. I've owned a few and if I ever do again Ill be sure and sell them before the warranty expires--a friend who had a new passat, dealt with 2 blown transmissions in 2 years (it was the wagon&used as a family car, not beat on). As far as I;m concerced no thanks.

[pnosker]

I just got a ti today and let me tell you... if you think you've ever been in love, not just with a car, but with anything, you will feel completely different after owning one. It is by far the best handling car I've ever driven (except maybe any M3/M Roadster) and has much more power than expected for a small 1.9L motor. Now I've only driven maybe 15 cars in my life, but it is incredible. I've driven a Cadillac CTS-V and the 318ti feels much more stable and controllable despite the fact that the CTS-V was designed on the Nurburing. I definately recommend it. A Ton of these motors/transmissions were produced for Europe (and still are being produced) so I would think that parts will be relatively easy to get for the future.