UK car?

[Thinking of getting one..]

Hello,

I'm currently the frustrated owner of a 1992 Toyota Celcia GT4, based in the UK. I'm looking for another car as the GT4 is consistently breaking down adn costing me a small fortune. A local car sales garage has a 1997 BMW 318Ti Compact for sale with 57000 miles on the clock, one owner from new, full BMW service history, very tidy condition and comes complete with a 'M' bodykit (side skirts, steering wheel etc). The car's up for £5495 - what do you think???

Being new to BMW's I'm unaware of any 'common' problems that may occur and of what particular points to look for on the car so any help/advice would be much appreciaited.

I've read on some links that the car lacks low end power and the E36??? has issues with a viscous coupler or something?? what is the E36/viscous couple please?

[aceyx]

http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5137

the car sounds cherry (yank talk for "real nice") but i'm not sure about the price. obviously, there's some differentiation between used car markets so look around. i would pay at least 500-800 quid more for what the car has over stock.


as far as low-end power, the car doesn't pull very well under 3000rpms. it pulls, but not well (however, better than most 4bangers). at 4500, it's quite nice, and ample power in my opinion.

as far as a viscous coupler, i thought these things were only on 4wd cars, so i'm unaware of any problems. if you're talking about the differential, i'm at 140K with no problems whatsoever (knock on wood).

[dodj]

Thats about 18 thousand australian. That's cheaper than i got for my 96 sports, 2 years back.

My passenger window is showing signs of a problem that almost every ti owner seems to have at some point.

Also, my roof lining came down, i got it all retrimmed, as well as the pillars.
I had an electrical problem, that miraculously dissapeared when i installed a new cd/mp3 head deck

Other than that mechanically it has been 100% perfect and i have almost 3 times the mileage than yours does.

They are by no means the fastest car, GT4 would be easily faster. Although, driving my ti is literally a pleasure everytime i get into it.

I have had it for almost 2 years and i honestly look forward to going for a drive in it each day. It is a pleasure to drive. Smooth as silk.

[sKunkman]

I am very happy with buying my ti. I have a 97 also but I just hit 131,000 miles.

Wait, you said it has 57000 miles on the clock? Don't you guys use kilometers over there? :P

Anyway, definitely my favorite car. I also look forward to driving it every time I get into it. I have no engine problems (also knock on wood) and the car is a blast to drive when properly maintained and setup. A good investment, and it gets pretty darn good gas mileage!

[Thinking of getting one..]

Thanks for the advice gents (and Ladies?), I'm going to take it for a test drive this afternoon and hopefully make a descision on which way to go.

sKunkman - we in good old miles in the UK.

Not sure if I can post web links but, this should take you to see the car.

http://www.carsource.co.uk/car-details?ID=RFG8B6ZQ56M00BR&car_id=6331236

Does anyone know if the colour is BMW standard? Copper metallic.

[L84THSKY]

Wow, the color is awesome. :biggrin:


Thanks for the advice gents (and Ladies?), I'm going to take it for a test drive this afternoon and hopefully make a descision on which way to go.

sKunkman - we in good old miles in the UK.

Not sure if I can post web links but, this should take you to see the car.

http://www.carsource.co.uk/car-details?ID=RFG8B6ZQ56M00BR&car_id=6331236

Does anyone know if the colour is BMW standard? Copper metallic.

[city]

I am very happy with buying my ti. I have a 97 also but I just hit 131,000 miles.

Wait, you said it has 57000 miles on the clock? Don't you guys use kilometers over there? :P

Anyway, definitely my favorite car. I also look forward to driving it every time I get into it. I have no engine problems (also knock on wood) and the car is a blast to drive when properly maintained and setup. A good investment, and it gets pretty darn good gas mileage!

I agree I am in LOVE with my Compact, I also look forward to driving it everytime I go somewhere. Actually I dont even like having it parked somewhere that I can't see it haha I like to always know whats happening with it. :biggrin: :biggrin:

[96cali]

The first Ti I drove was that color with a grey/cream pleather interior but base model. VERY nice color, very rare on a ti here. In fact mone may have been more cranberry - cinnaberot?? Siena Red?

[Rhys]

Hi, sounds like a good price. I bought a 95 (M) 319ti switchable auto with 47k on the clock, leather seats, pdc, electric s/r, windows, mirrors. for £4k.
The one you're looking at has a full BMW service history, which bumps the price up usually.

Funny, looking at the price in the window, they want £6995, whereas the price in the box is £5495.

As far as performance goes, I got mine chipped by chippeduk, removed flatspot, improved pickup so I can recomend him, With this model it will be a re-map since it is the later 1.9 engine as opposed to the 1.8 in mine. Should achieve the same thing though.

Why not have a look here, (http://www.bmwcarclubforum.co.uk/) plenty going on.

[Mendi3]

Wow! I love the color as well. It looks clean. Good luck.

[John Firestone]

Does anyone know if the colour is BMW standard? Copper metallic.The picture also looks to me like Sierrarot (Sierra red / 357) which was a standard color in the 1998 German compact brochure. (The first one I can find.)

When you look at the engine compartment, you should find a plate with the paint color and code on one of the shock towers.

[Thinking of getting one..]

Unfortunately I missed out on this one by one day! Not to worry as I have since found a 1999 (W) Blue 318Ti sport with 41 000 miles on her with full BMW SH up at £6995 - It has full leather / air con / CD multi changer in the boot / different BMW alloys and looks a minter.

What do you all think to the price? no pics for this one to post I'm affraid

[John Firestone]

I don't know the situation in the U.K., but if that were a German car I would be sceptical of the odometer reading until I had reconciled it with a confirmed service history plus whatever other indirect sources I could find. It is much too easy to roll back an E36 odometer to improve the selling price (although I think you have to pull the cluster to do that on a compact). Six years at, say, 20 000 km a year, would mean a 1999 could have around 70 000 miles on the clock. Is 7000 miles/year typical in the U.K.?

-John