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- BMW 3 Series 318ti Compact SE
- quiller's review
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Picture courtesy of Boris.
| Performance | 6.3/10  |
|---|---|
| Practicality | 6.3/10 |
| Reliability | 7.5/10 |
| Value for Money | 7.7/10 |
| Reviewer Rating | 7.3/10 |
| Overall Rating | 5.6/10  |
By quiller
on 24th Aug 2004
| Year Manufactured | 2001 |
|---|---|
| Length of ownership | 3 years |
| Performance | 8/10 |
| Practicality | 7/10 |
| Reliability | 9/10 |
| Value for money | 8/10 |
| Overall value | 9/10 |
 quiller's recommendation | |
Refined 4-cyl petrol engines are very smooth
Build quality
Handling
Can be a bit sluggish of the lights
Rear passenger space is cramped
Expensive options required
I own a BMW 318ti SE Compact 2001 reg (Company car)- new shape model
Despite being the entry-level series, it provides all the usual BMW qualities - well built, smooth, fast, reliable and satsifying. The finish and fit are really excellent as you'd expect but what surprised me was the refinement of the new 4-cylinder engine range. Although a bit sluggish low down, at motorway speeds it excels and is a comfortable and quick drive. Handling is superbly precise at any speed with very good brakes. Reliability was generally very good - just an odd glitch with the EMF unit but easily sorted by the local dealer.
The downers are few but mainly are sluggish low end performance, rear space and the basic spec is sparse so you need a few options.
Otherwise, this has been a perfect drive and as a company car, the low CO2 emissions have been very welcome on the old tax front. I'll be sad to see her go.
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