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- BMW 3 Series 318i E46 Saloon
- cdc281275's review
Have a picture of BMW 3 Series 318i E46 Saloon?, please send it to us.
Picture courtesy of Swoxy Mobiles.
| Performance | 7.5/10   |
|---|---|
| Practicality | 7.8/10 |
| Reliability | 8.4/10 |
| Value for Money | 7.2/10 |
| Reviewer Rating | 8.1/10 |
| Overall Rating | 7.4/10 |
By cdc281275
on 15th Nov 2005
| Year Manufactured | 2002 |
|---|---|
| Length of ownership | 6 Weeks |
| Doors | 4 |
| Performance | 8/10 |
| Practicality | 8/10 |
| Reliability | 10/10 |
| Value for money | 8/10 |
| Overall value | 9/10 |
 cdc281275's recommendation | |
Build Quality great, smooth ride, cockpit layout very well thought out, and decent mpg
Poor boot space, rear seats pitch too deep for kiddie seats to be comfortable. Buffeting when windy makes you feel like the car has no grip in a straight line.
I bought a 2002 BMW 3 Series 318i E46 'face-lift' saloon 6 weeks ago. I had a problem with the door seal leaking in bad rain, taking water into the rear foot well, but I got it sorted no problem.
I previously owned VW's (Golfs and a Polo for the wife) due to their reliability and build quality being good, but this BMW is so so much better. It has got me smitten. I don't think I will go back from BMW now. It has grown on me so much. It's 3 years old but feels brand new, and everything is so tight. It is a pleasure to drive in traffic or on the Motorway. The climate control takes some getting used to, but now not a problem. Servicing at 15500 miles intervals (depending on driving style). Drive it steady and the counter doesn't reduce, which encourages steady driving. Seating position seemed to be a problem for my wife, but she's getting used to it, and she now loves it. Interior trim seems easy to scratch though. PDC makes the reversing easy as pie (especially when used to a hatchback where you can see the back of the car).
Performance-wise, not as quick as I would have thought for 143bhp (my other car - 110bhp Golf tdi is just as quick), but the ride makes up for it. If I wanted SPEED I would've gone for 6-cylinders with 325, or 330.
Overall I am very pleased with my 3 series - forget buying for the badge. Test drive one, feel the difference and buy for the quality, which far exceeds that of others. Also, not much more than others price wise - the extra is worth it. You just know the car is built to last.
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