what to replace 318ti with?
 

Pretty much anyone here with a 318ti is looking at a 10+ year old car at this point. There can still be a lot of life left in these cars at this point, and I hope mine falls into this category as well. But I am curious, what are 318ti driver's moving onto for their next rides, and how do the new rides compare?

I've been looking at the Mini Cooper S and 128i, which I think are good comparisons in 2011. My initial thoughts are that the MCS is a little less of an everyday car, although not as uncomfortable on the highway as I thought it might be. The handling is very sharp and comparable to my 318ti with Bilstein Sport suspension, but with FWD, the MCS experience is really quite different when you push it closer to the limits. It would probably be better in the snow, though.

The 128i seems like a great car, but more expensive to own than the 318ti all the way around -- fuel, insurance, maintenance, initial cost, you name it. But hey, if you're driving a 14 year old car, there is bound to be some sticker shock when you look for modern equivalents.

I've also looked at the Volvo C30, which is solid and fast, but not exactly sporty, and the Audi A3, which I have yet to drive, but looks a little expensive and historically somewhat less reliable along with it's VW Golf/GTI counterparts.

Thoughts?

I would really look at the GTI if you wanted a refined car that blends luxury and sportiness. The 128i is too expensive for what it is and is just as expensive as the GTI. Honestly I think that the Mazda2 or the Fiesta will 318ti equivalent in the future. Also the Mazdaspeed3 is a car that you may want to look at.

I am looking for a good Mercedes Benz C230 Kompressor Compact. Basically the same as our beloved 318Ti but newer. Not to bad of a price on them also.

The US built Merc's have had endless recall and wiring problems. there is a reason their dropping like a rock in price. ML's are the worst, but I've heard a lot of bad reviews by owners on the security and starting systems of both..

Dave

Defiantly anything with more power. GTI has been a fav of mine for a while, but a lot of people here like to "stance" them out. Been looking for a 2005 e46 m3 for a while. Not many around here. gatta love that velvet blue :)

Thank for the information!!! You saved me a bad decision.

I think most of it depends on your taste. I constantly see ads saying "these cars run forever".. and that's with just about every brand. In reality, every car has it quirks. Even a good car can turn into a nightmare. You just have to find one you can live with. Aside from BMW, I favor the Audi design the most. Their engineering however seems to be on the delicate side. The A3 TDI makes and est. 42mpg, but Diesel also cost more at the pump. They are rated around 140hp if I remember correctly. I'm one that would buy a 3.2 Quattro. Looks good and roomy. The GTI...cool little car all the way around. Likely the top pick of your list, but a small car. The C30, I don't' know a lot about. Relatively newer breed of car, at least to me. I saw a C30R short while back. I was pretty surprised moment I saw it. I thought it was pretty sporty looking. Not so sure about their interior. Also a small car. The BMW 1 series is a hit or miss. You either like it, or you don't, and I don't really like it all that much. Give me an 1 series M though and I will be pretty happy. Benz....I don't even bother.

If I had to replace my car, depending on how much I had to spend I would look for an e46 325ti or an e91 touring. If I was looking for something a bit newer but cheaper to keep in fuel I would probably look at a 123d M-sport but I don't think you guys get the derv. 1ers in the US do you?

handling's nothing like as good as the ti either, they're probably better for long motorway cruises though.

Someone mentioned the Fiesta earlier. The Fiestas I check in at work suckkk. No power, everything is super cheap in it, built in Mexico...bleh. Well, I know I'm gonna get hammered for this, but... the new Mustang is pretty awesome. Far cry from a 318ti, but it's less than the new GTI, parts are of course WAY cheaper, more HP, easy to work on, and you can get 33 mpg out of the V6 mustang. The mustang has come a long way, it feels MUCH more solid and higher quality than past models have. However, my next car is likely to be an MX5, Civic SI, or a Jetta TDI.

I would look deeper into the C230 Kompressor, finally going for a good price, but reliable? I'd look into it, so classy . But a 123d would kick ass !! If only they'd bring them over....

I know you can get a fair range of 1ers in Mexico, dunno bout the 123d but I think they have the 118i and 118d over there... you could always fly to Mexico and drive it back... epic road trip fun!

and then epic car seized by the government fun when you try to register it in the US :frown:

part of the war against terrorist BMWs?

register in in Mexico - I'm sure you'll be able to bribe an official to say that you live there... ;)

according to our government, cars that are perfectly safe and efficient everywhere else in the world are dangerous, polluting death traps in America :rolleyes: not to mention that they have to spend millions of dollars getting the car federalized so they only import it if they can make a profit