Curious about buying a 318ti.

[BennyM]

Hey guys, I'm from the E34 forum, but I'm considering switching to a 318ti to save on gas. I've never been inside one and I know very little about them besides their cargo and fuel efficiency. So, if any of you could tell me more about the cars and how they compare reliability-wise or comfort-wise....every car has it's own quirks...I'm all ears. AND if any of you 318ti owners live in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area, I'd love to come look at your car, or at least talk to you in person about it.

Thanks!

BennyM

[]

Well I own a 318 and it's hitting 191k miles with no severe problems. The transmission feels like it will have problems in a few years though.

[bubba966]

I thought about a 318ti when I was about given up on finding the right M-Sport.

Was told that the only real problem with them is the timing chain cover needs the gasket replaced every so often. And it apparently leaks coolant when this gasket goes bad.

Other than that they're rather reliable due to the light weight and lower power. Makes for less stresses on the parts. Less stress on the parts makes for good longevity.

[Dvious]

BennyM you could always look for a 520i vanos, perfect on fuel at this bad time, well for me anyway BUT i would never go for a 318 3 series......

Just a thought!

[bubba966]

BennyM you could always look for a 520i vanos, perfect on fuel at this bad time, well for me anyway BUT i would never go for a 318 3 series......

Just a thought!

That was never a model that was sold in the US. If Benny really did want one of those it'd cost a whole lot of $ to import one into the US.

And I really doubt that a 520 would get the gas mileage that the 318ti gets anyways.

[BennyM]

That's correct about the 520i. The E34 weighs a lot more than the 318i, but I think I'm going to go with a Vanos 525i since there are plenty of those in the U.S. Unfortunately, most of them don't come with a fold down rear seat...which would have been sort of a hatchback supplement.

Thanks for the input, guys.

BennyM



That was never a model that was sold in the US. If Benny really did want one of those it'd cost a whole lot of $ to import one into the US.

And I really doubt that a 520 would get the gas mileage that the 318ti gets anyways.

[bubba966]

If you're looking to increase your mileage and stay with an E34 look at a good running 530 and then chip it with either an EAT or Conforti chip. Will do better than a M50'd 525. Hell, my M-Sport does a little better than an M50'd 525iT. A smaller engine doesn't always equal better gas mileage. Especially in a heavier vehicle like an E34.

A friend of mine didn't listen to me when I gave her that advice. She didn't want to take the time to find a good 530iT and didn't see how the small V8 could get better mileage than the I6. So she went with the '95 525iT instead of a 530iT. Got my M-Sport a year and a half later and it gets slightly better mileage than her 525iT (after I chipped it with a Dinan chip) and has a lot more power. The 530 has a good enough torque band to get the E34 moving without too much throttle, yet a small enough displacement to keep the gas mileage down when up to speed.

So yeah, she wishes she'd have gotten a 530iT instead of the 525iT.

[BennyM]

Hmmm.... fascinating theory. Did she chip her M50 as well? Wouldn't the extra weight of the V8 offset any additional fuel efficiency from the low end torque? I'd be curious to hear if anyone else has experienced this. I think I'll post this on the E34 board.

BennyM

[GJPinAU]

Did the ti run a M42 if so, try asking here:
http://www.m42club.com/forums/

[bubba966]

Hmmm.... fascinating theory. Did she chip her M50 as well? Wouldn't the extra weight of the V8 offset any additional fuel efficiency from the low end torque? I'd be curious to hear if anyone else has experienced this. I think I'll post this on the E34 board.

BennyM

Nope, her M50 has the stock software. Does have a UUC underdrive pulley kit and a Stewart water pump. Stewart pump requires 20% less power to turn than stock pump. Forget the specs on the pulley kit.

On mine the engine is all stock except the software.