1993 BMW 3 Series Consumer Reviews

Great car!

Written by: Bimmer on 07/29/2005

Vehicle

1993 BMW 3 Series 2 Dr 325is Coupe

Review

Bought this car with high expectations and boy they were exceeded! I love this car, very quick acceleration, great handling, and still pretty comfortable. As long as you maintain BMW's they will treat you well.

Favorite Features

Engine (the engine and exhaust note are amazing), tranny, handling, stereo, build quality, fun to drive, gas mileage (even with very spirited driving I average around 24-26mpg in the city), On board computer and definatly mpg gauge on instrument cluster, and the E36 style good looks!

Suggested Improvements

more power (that was taken care of with 328, and M3), better factory waterpump....thats about it!

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Lovin' It

Written by: Amanda on 04/09/2005

Vehicle

1993 BMW 3 Series 2 Dr 318is Coupe

Review

I have recently bought a 318is and I love it! The previous owner had taken very good care of it and it is now in almost perfect condition. I love that I can afford such an accommodating car and that I'm driving a BMW at 18 years old. I am a car lover and I will probably never sell this car because of how happy I am with it.

Favorite Features

I love how beautiful this car looks even though it is 12 years old! It also runs amazing.

Suggested Improvements

The only thing I don't like about this car is the cost of restoring it. For example: One fog light bracket costs $85! Also my front shocks (in the sport suspension) will cost $235 to replace if I ever need them to be.

4 out 5 people found this review helpful

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Just buy it

Written by: Mike Feeney on 12/21/2004

Vehicle

1993 BMW 3 Series 4 Dr 325i Sedan

Review

I am from a Ford Family, and love American cars. I needed to replace my 5.0 Mustang preparing for a baby, and no Ford 4 door was available with rear drive, 6 cylinder and manual tranny. Acceleration is a little slower, but still entertaining. From every other standpoint, there is no comparison. I do SCCA autocross events, and this car is a serious performer. Handling is tight, predictable, and confidence inspiring. Ditto the brakes. The 10 year old chassis feels tighter than most new American cars I have recently driven. The chassis is so finely tuned, I have learned things about cars that I would have never learned otherwise, like +.5 deg rear camber turns understeer into oversteer.

Favorite Features

Performance, Int/Ext Styling and layout, engineering, Headlights. If you are on the fence debating purchase, just buy it. Get a pre purchase inspection done at a reputable independent BMW mechanic. It's worth the $100. Get a car with full maintenance history. Reliability good for last 3 years.

Suggested Improvements

People think you are a pretentious BMW owner. Short tail looks great, but makes trunk opening too small. Parts are expensive at the dealer, but if you are a do it yourselfer, there are tons of sources online that make parts cheaper than Ford. Excellent repair forum can be found at bimmerforums dot com

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Bmw 3 Series

Written by: Mojo2093 on 07/21/2004

Vehicle

1993 BMW 3 Series 2 Dr 318is Coupe

Review

Very reliable car with a nice exterior design and simple well thought out interior, but the plastic materials have broken down over the years. The performance of the engine is definitely lacking and the displacement should have been upped to a 2.0 with around 160 hp. The driving ability however is excellent along with the 4 wheel disc brakes. All in all the 318is is a very good car and quite sensible.

Favorite Features

My favorite features would have to be the handling and tight steering along with the style.

Suggested Improvements

I would say the only real improvement needed would be to change the engine size and horsepower amount; as many know however in 1999 the 323 model was introduced and the four cylinders were phased out.

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BMW is the best.

Written by: Sam Igna on 07/02/2004

Vehicle

1993 BMW 3 Series 2 Dr 325is Coupe

Review

Great looking, performaning, styling, handling car. BMW makes some of the best vehicles.

Favorite Features

Interior, flawless exterior lines, and little horsepower and torque, but still very fast and impressive.

Suggested Improvements

2 out 4 people found this review helpful

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102000 miles and still going strong

Written by: Jojoman on 04/12/2004

Vehicle

1993 BMW 3 Series 4 Dr 325i Sedan

Review

I bought this car (325i auto) used from a local independent BMW dealer. The car runs and accelerates smooth at all speeds. I have fixed most of the minor problems myself and get a lot of supports from the net. The engine can run up to 250,000 miles without rebuild. There are many sites selling parts for it. If you are a DIY guy, this car is definitely for you.

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

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Bulletproof

Written by: Wally R. on 02/01/2004

Vehicle

1993 BMW 3 Series 4 Dr 318i Sedan

Review

This is without a doubt the best used car purchase I've ever made. Car had 90K miles on it when purchased and now has 151K miles. Great gas mileage and STILL a blast to drive. Fit & finish still very good; no squeaks or rattles. Not bad for an 11-year-old car driven daily. The M42 engine is practically bulletproof - just change oil every 3K miles and no problems.

Favorite Features

5-speed manual really makes this car. Leather is outstanding.

Suggested Improvements

None. The best used car I've ever owned.

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Hard to Replace

Written by: gborana on 12/21/2003

Vehicle

1993 BMW 3 Series 4 Dr 325i Sedan

Review

I stretched my finances when I bought this car and I've never regretted it for a second. I've got 190,000 miles on it to date -- many of them hard driven miles -- and I still look back to admire it after I've parked it. Yes, I have had more repairs than I'd like, most were things that can't help but wear out with such miles, but some are not, such as the mechanism that changes the air flow from floor heat to defrost. Also, I was in an "accordian" accident (front and rear end) about a year ago, and that lead to several problems with the passenger window. But the engine itself still purrs and operates beautifully.

Favorite Features

Love the way this car handles (on dry roads). I haven't found another car in this price range that comes close.

Suggested Improvements

This model is poor in the snow, although I agree with those that say putting on good snow tires (and learning to drive in the snow people!) really helps. A friend of mine just bought the 330ix with AWD and there is a huge difference.

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absolute maintenance horror story

Written by: msb on 11/26/2003

Vehicle

1993 BMW 3 Series 4 Dr 318i Sedan

Review

This car has been an unmitigated disaster from the time we got it with only 20,000 miles. Although it drives very well, and has a comfortable and solid feel for a smaller car, we have sunk thousands into it for repairs large and larger. The worst was a blown head gasket at 45,000 miles! Unbelievable. Numerous motors and switches have gone out, from the window controllers to wheel bearings...stuff you'd never expect from a car with so few miles, and a BMW to boot.

Favorite Features

smooth, tight ride. good mileage, decent power (except in elevations). Heat, A/c very powerful, as are headlights.

Suggested Improvements

we strongly feel BMW should issue a recall for head gaskets on the 1.8 liter engine. We heard from the mechanic and other owners that blown head gaskets are quite common for this engine.

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Long Term Bimmer

Written by: Eric Rohrbach on 10/20/2003

Vehicle

1993 BMW 3 Series 4 Dr 325i Sedan

Review

Bought it new. Been thru all the electronic crises, a little expensive, mostly annoying. But - the car is definately worth the trouble. Has always been totally reliable and a hoot to drive. Lousy in snow, but good winter tires in all four corners transforms it into an acceptable performer. Would buy it all over again....

Favorite Features

Interior layout is convenient and comfortable. The E36 style is a timeless classic, built like a tank, handles like a race car.

Suggested Improvements

Car is easy to modify, and parts are plentiful. Too old for suggested factory improvments, so bolt on "go fast" is the answer for continued fun. If you like a little mechanical work, you can't lose with a documented E36...

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