The gas mileage is very good i went 545 kms on a 50 litre tank of gas. To compare: My ma's minivan went 500 kms on 80 litres of gas. Gas mileage is pretty good but the engine is gutless though (that's the trade-off). The car also looks good too. My car had an M3 body kit on it before I bought it and people who don't even know what an M3 is still stare at my car on the street. So in short, the car has very good styling.

The Car consistently has ran well for the past three years. The only problem that I have is that BMW parts are really expensive and so is the labour for this car. Some places tried to charge me $50 for an oil change! One time BMW tried to charge me $45 to replace a headlight bulb which is so easy one of the salesmen showed me how to do it in like 20 seconds. So my final statement is: A BMW is pretty reliable but it's a pain in the ass if you have to fix it. Oh yeah and the 4 cylinder engine is pretty weak but I knew what I was getting into before I bought the car. The 318 is for show and not for performance.

When I first bought this car it was really sweet!, cause I had bought it for a cheap price and it looked dope. Before i bought it the previous owner had already put an M3 body kit on it, including the M3 mirrors and had put on a different shifter, exhaust and installed a K&N intake system. The car runs pretty smooth even after the 3 years that I've had it, making it running good for 7 years total. It's a nice car that's has a pretty smooth drive. But the engine is gutless

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Everything you touch. :-) Speed, acceleration, handling, comfort, roominess, quietness, head-turnability, standard Harman Kardon sound system, build quality inside/out, resale value (equates to lower lease prices), etc.

A noticeable number of jerks drive "Bimmers" and give the rest of us bad names. Other than that, there is nothing "weak" about these cars!

This is a great car, bottom line. I looked at the 3 Series for years before and it had LOTS of annoying interior features, but the current rev fixes all of them -- one thing you can say for BMW is they listen to their customers and potential customers. So, now I bought one after waiting for 8 years for them to *really* get everything right, and out of all the sports/sporty cars I've owned this is THE best car.

I can't honestly say this about all BMW's -- I'm no Bimmer-freak. But if you honestly test drive the 3 Series and all of it's competitors, I don't know how you could possibly say any one other car is better overall. If you can get past your BMW-bigotry (believe me, I had plenty of it) you'll realize this.

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Acura Integra GS-R to 3.5RL -- very close in some (the Integra's not in the same league) cars, but usually much weaker in one or more respects; Mercedes -- better in many respects, but usually at a higher price; Toyota/Lexus -- the GMC of Japan and it shows in every single boring car; Mitsubishi Eclipse to Diamante -- good cars, but like the others they always fall short in one or more respects.

BTW, I personally owned a Mazda RX-7, Honda Prelude Si, Acura Integra GS-R, Acura 3.2TL, Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GS-T.

engine (it's music to your ears), huge brakes, great handling, beautiful to look at

too pricey, too many people buy it for the name; wish BMW made more affordable "enthusiast's" cars

This car is absolutely perfect (for me, anyway). It's got ample power, lots of torque, and monstrous brakes (12.8"F/12.6"R!!!). With the sports package, the ride is firm but not harsh. The body roll is minimal and the dynamic response is uncanny. This car isn't for everyone, however. Luxury-oriented drivers will complain that you feel every bump on the road, where enthusiasts will love its ability for "reading" the road. The exhaust also has a nice low rumble to it, and again, one might or might not like it. Interior space is on the tight side, but it's already better its competitors A4 and IS300 and at least as good as the C class. The car is just gorgeous to look at. I always turn back and look at the car several times after parking it. What is not to like about the car? It's even good on gas! Oh, maybe you can whine about there are already too many on the road...

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Looks,Power,Attention getter.I got mine fully loaded,Sports package,Premium package,Xenon lights,The sound system,and CD player indash.

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Excellent car.I wanna know how you guys can compare anyyyyy BMW to the lexus IS....the car is a freakin TOYOTA....lexus should be ashamed for thta price you can get a acura TL fully loaded with NAV for $32,000.

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Looks,Power,Attention getter.I got mine fully loaded,Sports package,Premium package,Xenon lights,The sound system,and CD player indash.

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Excellent car.I wanna know how you guys can compare anyyyyy BMW to the lexus IS....the car is a freakin TOYOTA....lexus should be ashamed for thta price you can get a acura TL fully loaded with NAV for $32,000.

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-Smooth Engine
-Quite Ride
-Performance when you need it
-Great Build Quality
-Very well Specced (especially with exclusive package)

Fuel Consumption (Maybe I'm just too accustomed to the consumption I used to get on 4 cylinders)

For the cheapest 6 cylinder BMW, this car feels unbelievable. I bought it after looking at the Merc C200 Kompressor and new Audi A4 1.8T.

There is no comparison. The BMW feels stronger and better put together and has by far the smoothest engine (It's the most powerful as well).

I've only had the car for a short while, but have put on some milage. The fuel consumption (10l/100km) is a bit stiffer than I'm used to.I'm hoping that this will improve a bit as the engine loosens up. Even if it doesn't, it will be worth the xtra for a car this good.

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Merc C200 (Not as comfy, Imitation leather, Too pricey for what you get)
Audi A4 (Seats feel cheap-even with leather, does not feel as substantial)

Great body, good looks, great ride - at a distance the ultimate driving machine.

Crap parts, in its short time with us we have : replaced rear arm bushes, front bottom ball joints, alternator bearings, water pump, a lump of rubber (anit-resonance weight) that is stuck onto the exhaust with sticky tape and falls off in the path of cars following you, rear door weather seal and boot weather seal (to try and stop water getting into the boot and the rear pasenger area - by the way I spotted the leak after BMW had replaced these - some monkey hadnt replaced the vapour barrier in the rear door when they fiddled with it years before), the power steering pump sounds like a swarm of bees (within spec according to BMW), the exhaust has now disintegrated (likely cosy $1600), the electric mirrors really are made with meccano and are as smooth and quiet as a load of ballbearings in a tin.

We particularly wanted a BMW 318SE because it was (we thought) probably amongst te best cars on the road. The car itself looked great - it was love at first sight and it drove very well. That was the car of course and not the dealership - I dont know anyone who would have the cheek to try and sell a very expensive secondhand car with front tyres on the legal limit and then gripe at a request to get new ones on there, or who would try and charge for those little plastic inserts that stop the crap getting into the splines on the alloy anti theft nuts. Well, back to the car, like many contributors to this site, having replaced a never ending stream of parts, and having concluded that we must now have replaced enough to stop paying the $750 annual donation to BMW's piggy bank (extended warranty), we find that the exhaust which is totally uncorroded on the outside, has fallen apart inside - that is both the catalytic converter and the back box. After about 1.5 years of ownership and a complaint to the UK customer helpline, I have come to the conclusion that BMWs are really great cars that are built by monkeys with meccano parts. I've spent many years servicing/maintaining cars and I have to say that I have never had a car that seem to be able to get through parts like our BWM. We, like others that have written in, are now trying to decide whether to cut our losses and go for a more reliable car, or whether we should just carry on, on the assumption that someday we will have replaced enough parts to make it reliable.

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1989 Cavalier 1.8 - A great car that has left this pile far behind in terms of reliability.
The last car that I had that leaked water was a 1976 Triumph Spitfire 1300 cc with a torn soft top.

Great looking
No problems (so far thank god)
Nobody has really mentioned it, but I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the 12 speaker Harmon Kardon Stereo upgrade. I can't put into words how good it sounds!!!!!!!!!!!

Honestly none. Im not just saying that b/c I have one and Im too proud to mention any faults. Actually, now that I think about it there is one. The change dispenser is in a really bad spot in the center console. Other than that there is nothing wrong.

At $36,610 this car was not easy for me to afford only being 26 yrs old. Believe me, Im not rich!!!!!!!
I have to say though that I don't mind paying the monthly payment - It is worth every penny. Other than a few minor details, this car is perfect. I have had it for 6 months now and I STILL look forward to driving it when I go out. It has the perfect combination of luxury and sport. It rides like a luxury car, but at the same time you can still "feel the road" under you as opposed to feeling like your floating.
And for those people out there who say the Lexus IS 300 is better....Have you looked at that Guido mobile????? For God sake, the thing is so freakin gaudy it makes me sick. Who in their right mind would shell out 30,000+ for a car that a gold chain wearing, Eminem listening teenager would be embarrased to drive b/c it's so tacky. White tailites, cheesy crome interior......the Lexus factory must be located in Seaside NJ! (If your from Jersey you know what Im talking about).....

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I test drove the Audi a4 - too expensive for what you get.
Lexus IS 300 - see below comments......

Performance and value

Small trunk, folding back seat is not standard

This car has lived up to all of my expectations. It's well built and dependable, handles solidly (both acceleration and cornering), and provides a smooth, quiet ride. The dash is set up conveniently, the thermostat-controled climate system works well, and the sound system is killer. After more than 2 years and about 34,000 miles there are no squeeks or rattles. Fuel efficiency is about 25 mpg in the city and 28 highway (5-speed manual transmission. Except for the very small trunk (10 cu ft or so), I can't think of anything negative to say about it.

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The 323i handles better than my wife's Volvo S40 Turbo and even better than my old Mazda Miata.

Performance and value

Small trunk

This car has lived up to all of my expectations. It's well built and dependable, handles solidly (both acceleration and cornering), and provides a smooth, quiet ride. The dash is set up conveniently, the thermostat-controled climate system works well, and the sound system is killer. After more than 2 years and about 34,000 miles there are no squeeks or rattles. Fuel efficiency is about 25 mpg in the city and 28 highway (5-speed manual transmission. Except for the very small trunk (10 cu ft or so), I can't think of anything negative to say about it.

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The 323i handles better than my old Mazda Miata and my wife's Volvo S40. Except for perhaps a 5-series, I can't think of a car I'd rather own.