'97 318ti..?

Question

Anyone own/have any experience with this model? If so, would you recommend it? Pros/Cons? Etc. Thanks.

Answer 1

You are owning one of the great icons of BMW, the 97 version comes with the newer 1.9litre 16 valve 4 cylinder engine. Loves to be revved. Best matched with a manual transmission. The use of timing chain increases reliability and makes timing belt changes a thing of the past.

If you have sport package, even better. Premium package gives you nice full leather seats. Later models include 16" wheels for their sports package. Standard wheels are 15".

Manual transmissions are the most desireable. Auto transmission is okay, but saps some power. Has great stopping power with 4 disc brakes, with ABS. The 1997 model may come with ASC (traction control), I'm not sure.

The best of the breed has to be the 1999 model year, where the sports package comes with nice tri-colored stitched steering wheel, leather gearknob and leather e-brake handle. And because it's the final model year, it comes with all the nice things as standard.

Maintenance is really easy since the short engine exposes plenty of working space right in front of the engine.

Put in some Bosch platinum +4 spark plugs, use Mobil 1 0W-40 oil, flush the radiator every 2-3 years, you'll be golden. Gas mileage is great too! If you change your own oil, invest $50 to buy a service indicator reset tool. A $15 Haynes repair manual wouldn't be a bad idea too.

The only gripe I have about the 318ti are their dim headlamps (due to bad reflector design). I would look into buying an Euro projector headlamp unit from bavauto.com. You don't need fancy HID or "angel eyes", just the projectors will suffice). Also, their rear speakers aren't strong, would benefit from a subwoofer greatly.

BMW options you can add after buying: PDC (park distance control), armrest, clear lenses for turn signals (also available from bavauto.com).

Accessories include the usual body kits, spoilers... etc.

The radio is a standard DIN sized unit, so choosing an aftermarket radio with XM, MP3, WMA would be easy and straightforward. Would also make adding a subwoofer easier since many aftermarket radios come with dedicated subwoofer-output.

The car looks best if it had a "lip" spoiler at the trunk (tailgate). These spoilers aren't too expensive. My favorite is one by Racing Dynamics.

Also, because the car is no longer sold in the US, getting accessories for it is going to be cheap, since the demand is low now.

For oil filter, go to advanceautopparts.com for $5.99 Bosch filters. (buy over $50 [9 pcs] get free shipping)

16" wheels are the best balance for ride comfort and sports performance. 17" are too bumpy for this car.

The trunk may be small, but don't be fooled, fold the rear seats down, it's a small station wagon! You'd be surprised how much you can fit in that little car!

This car uses the older semi-trailing rear suspension design found in the previous model 3 series (the E30), which critics say are inferior to the multilink rear suspension found on the sedans (they say it's more "tail-happy").From my personal experiences, I feel more confident in a curve driving the 318ti than a 328is coupe because the 328is is so much heavier.

When the ball joints wear out in the front end, the whole control arm needs to be replaced. This is inevitable, a BMW design. The way to get around this is to buy a German aftermarket arm made by Mahle. These come with removable ball joints.

Some earlier models experienced 2nd gear "popping out". The 97 models I believe had this problem resolved. The original ti's came with a black "window foil" (a long black sticker) that marks the rear side of the door frame black, but owners found this foil to bubble or separate. Many have simply opted to spray this area either black or left at the same body color.

Things to check: thermostat, water pump, A/C and V-belt, rear shock mounts (clicking sound on bumpy roads = worn).

Also, it would be a good idea to locate a trustworthy mechanic since sending a BMW this old to the dealer simply doesn't make sense.

Conclusion: Highly recommended. But make sure it was previously well taken care of and not abused. Mileage is no issue on this car if it was cared for properly.

There's a great online 318ti community on Yahoo Groups. They're extremely helpful on any issues you may have on this car.

Enjoy!