[Stufos]

It seems to me that some people in this thread have missed the point.

The OP asked whether he should get the 318i E92 M Sport as a company car.

He described it as his dream car. The obvious answer from me is yes.

He doesn't say whether other engine variants are available, so we have to presume not. So to continue saying you'd be better off with a 320d etc is pointless.

Perhaps the OP will get back to us and enlighten us as to his options.

[zltm089]

get it!!!....BMW handling!!!....excellent!

[Sir_Pigley]

It depends what alternatives are on your company car list.

I have always found that any BMW I have driven has exceeded my expectations and I have always enjoyed the car for the way it handles and the perception of quality to everything about the way it works.

I suspect the 318i will be great: it will handle well, it will perform and handle better than you expect because of the lighter weight of the engine and there'll be a feelgood factor that will never go away. When you park it up you'll take a glance back at the car and think you made a good decision.

Do it...!!!!

PS: If most of your driving is around town you won't miss the performance. Economy will be acceptable if not at diesel standards.

[kaiser]

Originally Posted by jdcampbell

It depends what alternatives are on your company car list.

I have always found that any BMW I have driven has exceeded my expectations and I have always enjoyed the car for the way it handles and the perception of quality to everything about the way it works.

I suspect the 318i will be great: it will handle well, it will perform and handle better than you expect because of the lighter weight of the engine and there'll be a feelgood factor that will never go away. When you park it up you'll take a glance back at the car and think you made a good decision.

Do it...!!!!

PS: If most of your driving is around town you won't miss the performance. Economy will be acceptable if not at diesel standards.

I agree

[ghosty]

if its not with your own money then why not. its a car that you really like and its on the company car list. just need a few more real life mpg figures so you can make a sound choice.

(if its your own money that you were spending, i would not have given the same advice)

[Falmouthboy]

I just think it's 'wrong'.

A bit like when Ford put a 1300cc engine in the Capri.

A Sports Coupe doesn't have to be a rocket ship, but it needs to have some 'go'.

[gIzzE]

Originally Posted by Falmouthboy

I just think it's 'wrong'.

A bit like when Ford put a 1300cc engine in the Capri.

A Sports Coupe doesn't have to be a rocket ship, but it needs to have some 'go'.

Bollocks!


If we are looking at heritage, then BMWs have always been about lightweight beautifully balanced cars, the E21, E30 etc. etc. they were always about small light engines that were sweet to drive and keeping the car as light as possible.
When they started to move into the US market it demanded much bigger cars and bigger engines, so they started to produce more 6cyl cars.

To me the 318i is what BMW is all about, nicely balanced revvy petrol engines that are nice and light up front.


I say get it ordered mate, if a company car I would take it over any of the diesels they make, the diesels are a pain in manual guise, the rev range is short and makes for constant gear swapping, the petrol is a gem in comparison.

[Falmouthboy]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

Bollocks!


If we are looking at heritage, then BMWs have always been about lightweight beautifully balanced cars, the E21, E30 etc. etc. they were always about small light engines that were sweet to drive and keeping the car as light as possible.
When they started to move into the US market it demanded much bigger cars and bigger engines, so they started to produce more 6cyl cars.

To me the 318i is what BMW is all about, nicely balanced revvy petrol engines that are nice and light up front.


I say get it ordered mate, if a company car I would take it over any of the diesels they make, the diesels are a pain in manual guise, the rev range is short and makes for constant gear swapping, the petrol is a gem in comparison.

I don't dispute how well it handles and you certainly need to rev the nuts off it if you want to make rapid progress, but a modern 3 Series is no 'lightweight' like the E21 or E30, it's big heavy car. Having owned a 320i and got rid because it felt so slow, I just feel it's wrong.

[dxb335d]

It ain't lightweight though.


To the OP, what options are you allowed or sorry how much allowed to spend on them?!

[gIzzE]

Originally Posted by Falmouthboy

I don't dispute how well it handles and you certainly need to rev the nuts off it if you want to make rapid progress, but a modern 3 Series is no 'lightweight' like the E21 or E30, it's big heavy car. Having owned a 320i and got rid because it felt so slow, I just feel it's wrong.

I do agree with you, but the point is a BMW with a 2 litre 4cyl will still handle better than most other marques.

I would take a 318i coupe over a 3 litre Audi A4 for example.

[p1tse]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

I do agree with you, but the point is a BMW with a 2 litre 4cyl will still handle better than most other marques.

I would take a 318i coupe over a 3 litre Audi A4 for example.

Really not a fan of the Audi LOL

[KSG]

I had an E46 318ci convertible

Economy was very poor. 4 cyclinder engine that has to be pushed hard. Around town I got mid 20's.

The newer engines may be better, but with BMW everyone always says that the bigger engines provide much better performance with a marginal drop in economy.

[Stufos]

Originally Posted by KSG

I had an E46 318ci convertible

Economy was very poor. 4 cyclinder engine that has to be pushed hard. Around town I got mid 20's.

The newer engines may be better, but with BMW everyone always says that the bigger engines provide much better performance with a marginal drop in economy.

Yes, things have moved on. I've driven the 318i E92 Lci recently and I can tell you it performs well. It's a high revving joy, with the same perfect handling that all 3er's have. It makes you smile.

I despair at people who say it needs 6 cyl or 250 bhp to be a "real" BMW.

It's willy waving nonsense.

Probably explains why I have barely posted here in the last 3 yrs.

Be good to hear from the OP though.

[Falmouthboy]

Originally Posted by Stufos

Yes, things have moved on. I've driven the 318i E92 Lci recently and I can tell you it performs well. It's a high revving joy, with the same perfect handling that all 3er's have. It makes you smile.

I despair at people who say it needs 6 cyl or 250 bhp to be a "real" BMW.

It's willy waving nonsense.

Probably explains why I have barely posted here in the last 3 yrs.

Be good to hear from the OP though.

I'm not sure who is 'waving his willy' more, the person in a de badged 330 SE or someone in a 'look at me' 318 M Sport with 'Carlos Fandango' big wheels.

It's a bit like putting a sock in your pants!

[gIzzE]

Originally Posted by Falmouthboy

I'm not sure who is 'waving his willy' more, the person in a de badged 330 SE or someone in a 'look at me' 318 M Sport with 'Carlos Fandango' big wheels.

It's a bit like putting a sock in your pants!

I agree with Stufos here.
I do think we tend to do a lot of willy waving, maybe not intentionally, but it nicer to say 'I drive a 335i' than it is to say 'I drive a 316i' and we do tend to like to move up the ranks within our peers, that is human nature.

I also think that it is easy to write off something smaller than we already have without really experiencing it. And sometimes it might just surprise you.


SE vs M-Sport just comes down to which one you prefer the looks of, nothing more than that. I wouldn't personally want a pre LCI 3 series in SE spec as I don't like how it looks, and design is everything, we have to like the design of a product to make it desirable, and for me a pre lci E90 in SE leaves me cold, so unless it was a cheap run around it would not be on my list, however, a 320d M-Sport still looks a really, really nice car and is never lacking day to day. Sure when you get those days where you want all the power in the world you think a 330d, or 335d or even an M3 would be nicer, and it would, but one of my favourite BMWs so far has been my E46 318i compact, it was slower than the E92 318i we are talking about but it was a complete gem to drive and I had that for 18 months, swapped it for an E46 330d touring (in SE guise btw! ) and although the 330d was far more pokey I never loved it it like I did that little 318i, it left me feeling cold, it was never going to drive as nicely as that little NA petrol engine.


I also went from a tuned 335i sport touring into a mapped 320d sport touring, and I loved that 320d, it felt lighter and more nimble and rode better, and always amazed me at how quick it was out on the road, rather than left me wanting.

My cars at the moment are a Brabus tuned E320cdi Estate with 272bhp and an X1 18d sDrive which takes 9 seconds to 60mph, and again, you never drive the X1 and think 'this is slow' it just constantly amazes me at how quick it feels out on the road.

[willhollin]

Each to their own, whatever you do make sure you have a good test drive in a 318i before you commit.

I tried it and wasn't very impressed.

[Falmouthboy]

I think my views are strongly influenced by the E91 320i I had. Before that I also owned a 2.0 Z4. Whilst the Z4 wasn't quick, it did give the 'feel good' factor that has been described, I also felt 'comfortable' giving it plenty of revs. The 320i replaced the Z4 (because I needed an estate) and I thought the same engine with 20 hp more would be fine; although 20bhp more than the Z4, the 320i never gave me that 'buzz' and it never felt 'right' keeping it above 4000 revs which is where the power started to come in. I love the E91 as a concept though and my current 330d is fantastic.

As has been said - each to their own.

[Fx1]

Forget the 318I and get the 120D at least its quick.

cant image the pain of driving a 318i on the motorway with that whining engine at 80mph.. then having to drop down to 3rd just to overtake a kia seed...

[kaiser]

Originally Posted by Fx1

Forget the 318I and get the 120D at least its quick.

cant image the pain of driving a 318i on the motorway with that whining engine at 80mph.. then having to drop down to 3rd just to overtake a kia seed...

I drive mine on the motorway all the time and it is perfect, don't knock it until you have driven it

[gIzzE]

Originally Posted by Fx1

Forget the 318I and get the 120D at least its quick.

cant image the pain of driving a 318i on the motorway with that whining engine at 80mph.. then having to drop down to 3rd just to overtake a kia seed...

The diesel is crap in comparison if going manual, I know as I have the diesel manual in the X1, short rev range, short gears and overall much harder work.

[Fx1]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

The diesel is crap in comparison if going manual, I know as I have the diesel manual in the X1, short rev range, short gears and overall much harder work.

rubbish.

having owned a 320D now for 4 years and 67,000 miles i can tell you its far and away better than the 318i and 320i in every single aspect.

Especially pumping out 224bhp

Dont compare the X1 to a 120d or 320d...

who buys 4 pot Autos anyway!

[gIzzE]

Originally Posted by Fx1

rubbish.

having owned a 320D now for 4 years and 67,000 miles i can tell you its far and away better than the 318i and 320i in every single aspect.

Especially pumping out 224bhp

Dont compare the X1 to a 120d or 320d...

who buys 4 pot Autos anyway!

Well the auto works so much better than the manual in diesel guise imho, 4 pot or 6 pot makes fuck all difference to the gearbox choice.

It is all just personal opinion and that is why both engines and gearboxes are available.




Why don't compare the X1 to the 120d or the 320d?? I don't get your logic??