BMW 3 Series 318i E46 Saloon Reviews

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BMW 3 Series 318i E46 Saloon
★★★★☆
3.9
83.0% of users recommend this
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Latest Reviews

“The worse car ever bought”

★☆☆☆☆

written by Lolhoo123 on 28/08/2013

To much fault in the e46 2004 model 3series unlike the old shape model they were the best and less fault

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“Not powerful enough”

★★★☆☆

written by Stevenson-K on 07/06/2013

I find that BMW should stop making non-performing cars, it totally destroys the brand value. I sat in the car, it's like the other 3 series, very nice looking but small.

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“Wonderfully awseome car!”

★★★★★

written by on 28/01/2013

Was origionally unsure about buying a BMW. I have always driven old bombs and my partner has always talked about wanting a bmw, and after much deliberation, we decided to start looking for one. We both liked the look of the 318 I. We came across ours on the internet after a long search, a bottle green BMW 318 I and what can I say, as soon as I clicked on the picture to look at it I knew I had to make it ours. What I liked about this car was that it looked like a family car strait away. It was well presented, the paint job was amazing and the interior perfect! The leather seats were beautiful. It looked like a beautiful car all round. Going from a 1997 Mitsubishi Lancer and feeling every lump and bump on the road to driving a 2002 modle BMW was amazing, and a change I wished I'd done sooner. Driving the BMW is like driving a cloud, its so light yet sturdy on the road you instantly feel safe. You glide along, even over those lumps and bumps! The BMW 318 I also has the power to keep up with a 6 cylinder car, and another thing I love about the BMW is all the extra features. (Some of which I am yet to discover as we have only just bought the car and owned it for a month!) Your windscreen wipers will automatically stop working for you when you pull up at a traffic light and start again once you take off. The boot space is HUGE. You can also move your headlights up or down depending on the conditions of the road. All in all, its an amazing car, and a dream to drive. I will say one thing though, no matter if your buying second hand or from a car yard, check that the right battery size is in the BMW. The wrong sized battery was in ours when we bought it.. and even though we had state roads do an inspection on the BMW, they still missed this! It caused us all sorts of problems however once we got that sorted out it has been running fine ever since.

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Patriciacollin's Comment

Written on: 13/04/2013

I also have the same feeling when I am going to buy a new luxury car but it is worth it. Mine is BMW Series 3, a bit consuming in gas but it is a good way to show off with my friends.

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786Ebrahim's Comment

Written on: 05/06/2013

thank you for the vote of confidence,
im about to embark in purchasing a bmw 2004, 318i with fsh etc
must tell you, many people have different views and opinions about bmws but im glad i have read your honest review of the vehicle!!!
much appreciated

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“BMW unreal”

★★★★★

written by salsburns on 29/12/2012

What an unbelievable car - BMW makes the bet vehicle out there - well put together and designed. I would suggest going out and test driving this machine. When you get in it you will want to buy one. Great feel to the road and the unbelievable interior is like being in luxury all the time

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“Nice car”

★★★★☆

written by Mechanic63 on 30/10/2012

we just bought a 2004 318i E46 Sport. I'd have to say after reading reviews here & on other sites i had mixed feelings about buying the Beemer, that was until we found the car we ended up buying & actually bought it after driving it. bmw must have improved build quality from it's earlier model E46's, as i haven't heard any creaks or say that there is anything of poor fittment. it is amazingly quiet, stereo is good, handling is great & makes a winding road a lot of fun. it is comfortable & you don't feel any fatigued on a long journey. i agree with some of the reviews i have read that it's not a quick car, from standing start it isn't that quick, but on the open road it is brilliant a pleasure to drive. the E46 318i was aimed at a specific market & therefore somewhat of a compromise & if you are after an extremely affordable bmw as your entry into the bmw world, i would recommend one for sure. my advice would be to spend a little bit more & go for the Sport. i am a mechanic & have driven many makes of car and the car we were driving before the bmw was a 2003 mazda 6 luxury Sports, also a great car.

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“Great, but highly-strung”

★★★★☆

written by rogerzilla on 15/05/2012

You don't buy a BMW for reliability and the E46 is distinctly average in this respect. However, it looks good (much better than the succeeding E90) and performance and handling are superb. Much of the money seems to have been spent on the interior, with some ingenious storage spaces on the Touring model. Watch for diesel engines ingesting their inlet manifold swirl flaps - shamefully, BMW never issued a recall although this has written off many engines and turbochargers over the years - and blown turbos on 2001-2003 320d models. BMW took a 136bhp engine and pushed it up to 150bhp without really making it reliable enough. The gearchange becomes sloppy and the stick stops self-centreing after a high mileage, the dual-mass crankshaft pulley can fall apart, rear coil springs snap with depressing predictability and the steel brake pipes rust. It isn't built to the standards of a Nissan Micra. Either buy one cheap - and they are cheap now - because you really like it and don't mind spending up to £1000 on it occasionally, or just have one as a company car, then it's someone else's problem. Old saloons have a chavvy image, so the Touring is better if you want the neighbours to speak to you.

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“I own a bmw 318i se,,, and i have owned bmw's for...”

★★★★★

written by on 09/12/2010

I own a bmw 318i se,,, and i have owned bmw's for almost all my driving years and these cars are by far the best to drive... Many people think this particular type and year of manufacture is a 1.8l engine but this is not true in actual fact its a 2.0l engine but registered as 1.8l so you are actually getting more power and value for money...

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“I bought this BMW 318i 2003, done only 41000 klms.,...”

★★★★☆

written by on 23/07/2010

I bought this BMW 318i 2003, done only 41000 klms., pre-owned in Japan, on a hunch, from search on auto websites. It is designed to give the maximum luxury feel and drives like a dream. I read up the owners manual later and was surprised at the features like the in built computer that tells you when to service the car, average fuel consumption-average speed, klms covered in the just finished drive, besides clock and outside temperature. The dashboard has icons to cover any fault or needs to replenish- battery status, engine oil, brake oil, tyre pressure, windshield-wiper water level(!), electrical failure, airbags status, etc! Your car key battery charges whilst key is in the ignition mode/drive mode!

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“I don't know what people are on about with this car,...”

★★★★☆

written by on 21/02/2010

I don't know what people are on about with this car, its either theyve never owned a car before or they're smoking something!!! Ive had my 98 BMW E46 318i for 6 months now, had some problems with it but they all got fixed. And for a 4 Cylinder car, this vehicle has AWESOME powerm thus the 5 star power rating. My baby keeps up with 200kw 6 Cylinders no prob at 100+, she accelerates better than some, althought admittedly the pickup from 0-100 can be slow at times. She handles like a dream contrary to the previous comment *rolls eyes* easy to corner at high speeds and corrects for you if oversteer or take a corner to hard. It also has a top speed of 200km/h ... there arent many other 4 cylinders out there that can do that!!

It is a very luxurious car very nice drive, one of the nicest drives ive had yet, however at hard cornering or accelerating or braking the interior plastic makes popping sounds, not sure why, dissapointing for a BMW. and it also brakes like a dream.

All in all, if you baby her, shell last forever. They can be an expensive car to own (DO NOT TAKE ANYWHERE BUT THE BMW DEALER or at the very LEAST a Euro mechanic with HIGH credibility or you will not have a reliable car), but if you cannot afford to own one, sell it because you are wasting your money having it.

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“power is not bad for a 1.8 liter engine, the driving...”

★★★★☆

written by on 07/12/2009

power is not bad for a 1.8 liter engine, the driving experience is good this is not a boring car. handling is rubbish, the cars behind will keep on letting go and the car is tricky to drive fast. overall fun but relatively slow.

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“I think this is bulsh.. car,have it for 2 years...”

★★☆☆☆

written by STEELWAYS on 04/12/2009

I think this is bulsh.. car,have it for 2 years now.The cooling system is c..p,always a water leak somewhere on it.Had to replace the cam sencors in the first 5 months i had it.Not powerfull enough and loosing value to fast.103000kms on the clock,dont think it will last till 200000 though.I never should have bought it and will not recomend to anybody.Waste of money.

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Ashmi817's Response to STEELWAYS's Review

Written on: 17/11/2011

Is your car an import? changes in climate affect the seals (toughens them and breaks) and causes them to leak oil and water.

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“I have had my BMW 318i E46 now for 2 years and will...”

★★★★☆

written by on 22/10/2009

I have had my BMW 318i E46 now for 2 years and will not go back to any other manufacturer. The mileage is on 98000km and the only problem has been a catalytic converter which had to be replaced which was still covered under motorplan. All in all an excellent car and would recommend to anyone.

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“it is a lovely car i have a soft top 2004 mtec 318...”

★★☆☆☆

written by on 06/10/2009

it is a lovely car i have a soft top 2004 mtec 318 .it is not a car you can drive fast .but i have only just turnt 20 2weeks ago so enythink faster would kill on insurens ,.i would recomend that you save your money and get an m3 .... the car is good looking but very vey slow

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“At 175,000 kms the BMW 3 Series 318i E46 Saloon centre...”

★★★★☆

written by on 03/03/2009

At 175,000 kms the BMW 3 Series 318i E46 Saloon centre bearing and tail shaft universal joints went also 1 wheel bearing reliable Engine, torque, fuel economy

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“The BMW 3 Series 318i E46 Saloon is a very well built...”

★★★★★

written by on 24/02/2009

The BMW 3 Series 318i E46 Saloon is a very well built car. excellent handling. such a smooth torque engine. very good on fuel ,providing you drive sensibly,its very quiet inside, excellent sound system, and drives as if new every day. Exhaust systems are very expensive. My first bmw e46 2 litre, and I love the car. definately not my last.

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“This is my first BMW and overall am very pleased with it. ”

★★★★☆

written by Dennis Gill on 13/11/2008

This is my first BMW and overall am very pleased with it.
Servicing is a little expensive, but I guest with the extended service periods doesn't work out too bad!
Good points certainly outway the few bad ones.
Still on original battery.

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“The quality of manufacture is good, the car is stable...”

★★★★★

written by amisoft on 01/09/2008

The quality of manufacture is good, the car is stable on the road and reliable to overpass other vehicles.

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Joeclark's Response to 397179_amisoft's Review

Written on: 06/04/2013

If your BMW parts are expensive, you are buying them from the wrong place!!

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“Overall - excellent rating. Excellent drive....”

★★★★★

written by on 10/07/2008

Overall - excellent rating. Excellent drive. Considering to other models BMW feels like a part of you. Everthing is on its place. Not flashy - conservative (in a good manner). Excellent engine stats (especially for a 318).

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“The BMW 318i is a truly beautiful car. Having been in...”

★★★★★

written by turbo1 on 07/06/2008

The BMW 318i is a truly beautiful car. Having been in the automotive industry (auto body repairs) for many years I never though I would fall in love with a motor vehicle.
Well, theres always the first time!

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“This is my first BMW - an 09/2003 318i, 2 Liter 143...”

★★★★☆

written by on 12/03/2008

This is my first BMW - an 09/2003 318i, 2 Liter 143 bhp in metallic silver. I don't think I will ever go back to anything else. I've had Opel, Renault, Citroen and Peugeot - and none of these compares to this car.

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