Gas Mileage and Engine Life for 318's and 325's

[dpadgett]

Hello,

I have been recently looking at BMW's for about a month now, and am considering either a 318 or a 325. I will use this car as my daily driver, and I commute round trip about 70 miles a day. My uncle has an older BMW, an 87' 325, and he swears by it. The car I am driving now does not have too many more miles left in it, so I will be making a purchase within the next 60 days.

I know that I want a manual shift, and I am not interested in a convertible. Gas mileage is important to me, and I have not found any good place to compare the different engines in both the 318 and the 325 series for longevity and gas mileage. Maintenance is an important thing to me also. I really don't want to end up with a car that I am constantly babying in order to get good serviceability (not counting oil changes, filters and the like.) I am talking about electronic sensors, water pumps, etc.... You get the picture.

All right, I have been reading this board some already, and I know there are alot of knowledgeable enthusiasts on it. My fate is in your hands. LOL

 

[Pete K]

You didn't say what model years you're considering so I'm going to assume you're looking for an E30 model (pre 91) or E36 (92 and after). General consensus is that E30s are more durable than E36s but because they're older you may have just as many problems as with a newer E36.

BMW motors are extremely durable. You can get well over 200000 miles out of both the 4cyl or 6 cyl. In real world driving a 325i gets about 25 MPG and a 318i gets about 30 MPG, give or take. They're both great engines but I love the smooth torquieness of my 6 cyl. There is a fair bit of difference in acceleration. They both handle great.

Before you buy a BMW I think it's extremely important to have a mechanic look at the car. Proper maintenance is really important on these cars. Fixing up a neglected BMW will wipe you out. Whether you go for an E30 or E36 you have to expect some things will break on the car. Leave a few hundred bucks in your bank account for this.

 

[dpadgett]

Well to tell you the truth I have been looking at models 92' and later with no more than 130,000-140,000 miles on them. The words garaged only and all papers and maintenance records included also spark my interest. The hardest part of my equation though is I have set a budget of $6,000 for taxes, title, and tag. I hope I can hold up under the pressure though. Some of the cars I have come across have looked so good that they play to my weak side of.....SPEND SOME MORE MONEY! What are the main differences between the 318 and the 325? Also what is the difference in gas mileage of the 6 cyl and the 4cyl? Does the 6 cyl tend to hold up better than the 4 cyl or visa versa?

 

[selavia]

Definite power difference w/ the 1.8 and 2.5. It's very noticeable, but the provides enough punch for the everyday.

I don't know if one engine tends to hold up better; I have heard that the 4 is more solid, but I don't know how substantial those statements have been.

I get really awesome gas mileage; when I really try to get good gas mileage I can get over 40.

 

[dpadgett]

Is your 4 cyl an inline? Is the 6 cyl an inline or V?

 

[codex57]

Both are inline I believe. Inline 6 is inherently balanced tho. The thing sings. You really should check it out.

 

[bossnine]

I have a recently purchased 325is with the inline 6 and so far it is great. I do have 132XXX well maintained miles on it so hopefully it will not be too problematic.

 

[jrt67ss350]

I have an '87 325 (that's an M20 eta inline six). It has about 298,000 miles on it and it still runs like it's practically brand new. I get 28 miles per gallon on the interstate with 87 octane gas (beware that some of the later model 6 cylinder cars may require higher octane gas). The e30 is probably a little more reliable overall than the e36 bodystyle, mainly because the earlier e30 is a simpler car. The m20 six cylinder engine in the e30 325's is one of THE most reliable engines BMW has ever built. And, when something breaks, it's usually cheap to fix and is easy to repair yourself if you have a set of metric tools and any mechanical abilities. The m20 requires very little maintenance and will usually outlast the rest of the car. Later model six cylinders tend to require a little more maintenance, and repairs are usually a little more expensive than on the e30s. Even with as many miles as my car has on it, it has been a very reliable car for me. Most of the things I've had to replace were things that were expected and fairly worn out when I bought the car. I've had very few legitimate problems with the car.

Will you work on your car yourself? If you will be paying to have your car professionally repaired, beware that BMWs are not cheap to pay a mechanic to work on them. If you can do the work yourself, parts are usually not bad and are very readily available.

 

[dpadgett]

I grew up the son of a farmer who did not believe in taking anything to anyone to work on it. There is nothing I will not at least attempt. I am starting to lean towards the E30's. The appeal of being able to work on an engine if need be definately has merit. What are the techincal differences between the 325I and the 325IS in the E30's? Should I expect the 325IS to break down more often than the 325I or is the difference in the suspension and carburation?

 

[newguy]

fresh fluids regularly (synthetics are good)..they (2'5's love new plugs) and i have had to replace coils. The car runs amazingly well @100K (miles)

 

[Pete K]

I believe the difference between an "i" and an "is" is suspension only. Cost and reliability should be the same.

Also, note that the 1991 318i came with a higher performance 4 cyl than earlier 318s. There are people on this site who are big fans of that car.

 

[epj3]

I grew up the son of a farmer who did not believe in taking anything to anyone to work on it. There is nothing I will not at least attempt. I am starting to lean towards the E30's. The appeal of being able to work on an engine if need be definately has merit. What are the techincal differences between the 325I and the 325IS in the E30's? Should I expect the 325IS to break down more often than the 325I or is the difference in the suspension and carburation?

Everything is the same except springs and body, but even that is pretty much the same. Interior is a little different.

 

[E30m42cab]

I believe the difference between an "i" and an "is" is suspension only. Cost and reliability should be the same.
Suspension, and the "is" are 2 door, the "i" is 4 doors.

Also, note that the 1991 318i came with a higher performance 4 cyl than earlier 318s. There are people on this site who are big fans of that car.

Indeed I've had a 325e, 325es, and now own a 318i with the higher performing 4 cylinder (thanks to dohc 16v). As for reliability, I am quite familiar with the E30's, and I know they are much more simple to work on and understand. The only things that have left me stranded are a broken alt/water belt. Everything is usually strait forward when there is a problem. If you buy an E30, make sure you change the timing belt when you get it, unless you have a recent reciept from the previous owner noting that it has been changed (unless you get a 318is (90-91) which has a timing chain. And yes, I am a big fan of this car. The one thing I don't like is that the shifts come up quicker on a 318is than on a six cylinder model, and of course, not as much power. But still, very fun to drive. [driving2]

 

[Big Daddy]

I believe the difference between an "i" and an "is" is suspension only. Cost and reliability should be the same.

An "i" means nothing more than the engine is fuel injected. An "S" indicates the sports package, usually stiffer springs, shocks and struts, maybe an anti-swat bar, etc.

Also, note that the 1991 318i came with a higher performance 4 cyl than earlier 318s. There are people on this site who are big fans of that car

The 91 318's came with the M42 motor that was than used in the e36's from 92 on.

 

[jrt67ss350]

An "i" means nothing more than the engine is fuel injected.

Don't forget that the 325e is also fuel injected even though it doesn't have an "i" behind the numbers.

 

[Big Daddy]

Don't forget that the 325e is also fuel injected even though it doesn't have an "i" behind the numbers.

I understand that but it does not change the fact that that is all the "i" ever stood for. We can find all kinds of exceptions to the traditional BMW numbering/lettering system. The Z's are an exception, no "i" no "s", etc, although they too are clearly injected and some have sport suspensions.

 

[dpadgett]

Thanks for all the info. I will keep you posted on what I end up doing. Also for laughs.....last night my wife suggested that I buy a saturn......I am still cringing at the thought.

 

[codex57]

I suppose I wouldn't mind driving a Saturn Sky. That's about it tho.

 

[dpadgett]

I have come across a 1992 318I with a 5 speed manual shift. The car has 95,000 miles on it. I plan to see the car in person this Sunday afternoon. The has just sent me pictures of the vehicle. He is the third owner and he says that the previous owner is his neighbor. The car just had some work done on it to get it ready for his daughter, but he has given up on her learning a stick shift. The ad is below:

1992 BMW 318i, black w/black leather, 5spd, p.sunroof, pw, pdl, pm, CD w/remote, low miles, 32mpg, tinted windows, factory rubber BMW floor mats, Michelins, recently received BMW 85k service inc. Interstate battery, muffler, oxygen sensor, plugs, plug wires, air filter, fuel filter, oil/oil filter. No accidents. Non smoker. Augusta area. $5500.

I have already inquired about the price listed. He said he turned down an offer for $4000, but I got the feeling that he was not to far from caving in. He says his neighbor replaced the timing belt and water pump at around 60,000 miles.

What does the board have to say about this car? Also when I go look at it, is there any quirks that I should look for in that model year? Any advice or help is welcome.

I cannot figure out how to post pictures, but would happy to email them.

TIA
David