318ti.org forum - Automobile Magazine slams the 318ti

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Automobile Magazine slams the 318ti

In their 20th Anniversary Issue (April 2006), Automobile Magazine lists "Twenty-Year Lows". Number one seems to be BMW's iDrive, but under the heading of "Luxury Brands Reaching Downmarket" they say:

Quote:

"The Cadillac Cimarron Memorial Downmarket Bust award goes to...the BMW 318ti. ....Warning: Crappy objects in the rear-view mirror are never far enough away."

Ouch! Sounds like Satch.

Edit:
http://www.automobilemag.com/auto_sh..._a3/index.html

Quote:

Audi joins the premium hatchback segment with the A3, which it hopes will follow in the tire tracks of the Mini Cooper and not those of the BMW 318ti or the Mercedes-Benz C-class hatch.

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews..._a3/index.html

Quote:

ll in all, the A3 is a highly likable ride-high class, high content, and high quality. But the sub-$35,000 arena is full of temptations these days, and premium hatchbacks never have had an easy time of it here (BMW 318ti, anyone?).

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews...upe/index.html
Well they got this one right, sort of.

Quote:

BMW stopped selling its 318ti hatchback in the United States in 1999, and the company won't bring the next generation to the Americas because of certain marketplace failings of the previous car. The original 318ti was supposed to appeal to a new set of BMW buyers--a little younger, a little less married, and a little less male. But the 318ti, with its easily modified four-cylinder engine and recidivist trailing-arm rear suspension, wound up speaking to the hardest core of BMW enthusiasts, who found in it the perfect car for track days. In other words, BMW made a car too real, too specialized, for status-conscious Bimmophytes to grasp fully, and, as a result, BMW sold only 21,377 of the cars from 1995 to 1999.

I wrote to feedback@automobilemag.com

I for one dont care about the opinions of others. They are like @$$holes: everyone has one, and they all smell of $hit...

I'll probably die with my ti...:smile:

My ti will be my coffin.:smile:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyler

My ti will be my coffin.:smile:

Knock wood....or not! :evil_lau:

I HEART my 318ti lol
I plan to keep it as long as possible...
If I can't keep it, it'll go to my little brother haha...keep it in the family :biggrin:

-Randy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyler

My ti will be my coffin.:smile:

Haha, I've actually said the same thing before... I love my little ti.

the more they trash it, the lower prices should go on them, right? i need to pick up a track toy at some point so ... keep bashing! ;)

btw, the same thing happend to the pontiac fiero which i used to be into (and it seems a number of other members did as well). the bashing only seems to fan the flames of fanaticism :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by J!m

I for one dont care about the opinions of others. They are like @$$holes: everyone has one, and they all smell of $hit...

I'll probably die with my ti...:smile:

Couldn't have put it better myself. :biggrin:

I am a faithful subscriber to Automobile Magazine. Now I have second thoughts. Maybe its time to renew my subscription to Motor Trend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelhofastcar

I am a faithful subscriber to Automobile Magazine. Now I have second thoughts. Maybe its time to renew my subscription to Motor Trend.

do you like the general writing style and such of the magazine? i wouldn't drop it just because they don't like the same car you do. hard enough to find a magazine that's good. i think i've tended to like every bastard child car that the auto press complains about so maybe i'm used to it ;)

those who put down and complain = never owned or driven....

at least that is what I noticed, the people put down our car are the ones who usually never driven or owned one before. Or if they did drive it, it was around the corner instead of giving it a chance. .....as my parents say dont knock it till you try it (lord help me for using their advice)

Well, the fact is that BMW didnt sell as many as they wanted. Neither did Merc. Also BMWNA's marketing position is pushing the brand further upstream. I doubt they would want something as "low" as 318 polluting the pool.
It would be nice if they made them available in smaller quantities for the purists.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cali-ti

I like reading Automobile Magazine. I like their writing style. Good advice. I should not hate them just because they do not like my car. On the other hand, I do not want to drive something that so many people like, such as Corolla, Camry, Civic or Accord.

Let's not forget that the 318ti was a failure in the US. There is a reason why it was only available for 4 years. It might hurt, but it's the truth.

I'll be the first to admit that it takes a while for the hatch to grow on people, especially in un-modified form. The great thing is that the Ti turns into a completely different looking vehicle with the addition of springs and wheels. I've had 10+ e36 owners tell me they thought the Ti was the coolest looking BMW made, and they wish they had one. Hell, I get 33mph and can keep up with any e36 around, IMO it's the most practical e36 ever built.