nando;497271 said:
i'm still looking for e36...but still confuse to select either 318 or 328....is there any much difference between thos two..coz i heard, 318 owner said that 318 only lack on pickup...but long distance not much diff with 328....anybody
As a ex E36 318i (1996) owner for 11 years and over 200,000km, here's what I can say about it:
- city FC around 450km for full tank - slightly better than my current E90 325i (around 420km) - both tanks almost same size (64L for E36, 63L for E90); in normal use (fill up when fuel light comes on) it takes around 55L +/- 2L
- highway FC around 700-750km per full tank (assuming 100% highway, and mostly cruising at 110-130km/h)
- never had any major issues with reliability; take care of the car, and it will take care of you.
- relatively tough (kevlar-filled bumpers!); got rear-ended 3x by people (2 slow speed at traffic stops, one case of emergency braking) and all 3x either no visible damage or only minor scratch on rear bumper while the offending cars suffered smashed headlights/crushed grilles/crumpled and folder bonnet (Kenari, Wira, Accord)
- generally seemed to leave other cars behind at traffic lights when lights turn green, but that maybe due to this driver reacting quicker than the other slow-pokes
- acceleration nothing to shout about, but I never felt it to be underpowered on a relative basis because most local cars aren't that powerful either; car felt most responsive to acceleration around 70-80km/h to 130km/h.
- like other beemers, the car induces an inherent tendency in drivers to cruise at >120km/h. Didn't try to exceed 160km/h but even then the engine felt like there was more to be had, if only I dared. Very stable at all speeds.
- 328i should have much more poooowahhh.. but comes with higher FC.
- original rear right brake light prone to contact problems (at least for the locally-assembled models, not sure about the imports) and losing electrical contact; if the lights have been modified or replaced then you may not have to worry about this; there is a quick free fix that can last for a few months if you are willing to bend the contact pins a bit.
- check the interior trim (roof lining, door panel lining) as it started to sag after around 9 years. Inexpensive to fix.
- major parts replaced due to wear and tear in 11 years: radiator, radiator hose, one headlight bulb, shock absorbers
- major parts replaced due to ID10T error: ABS sensors (KL pothole), power window (ID10T friend's hand deliberately blocking a closing window)
I would expect though that as the car gets older, like any other car, you will need to replace more parts that wear out, especially if you get a high mileage car.
