I must admit I had a soft spot for the E36/5 when it first came to our market. To me, it combined some luxury looks with practical performance. And when I say performance, honestly there wasn’t much available. The M44 engine that was fit to the 318ti was a decent performer, but it had only 138 horsepower, and at the price point you were much better off getting a GTi VR6, which oddly was more luxury oriented than most of the 318tis and offered more performance. However, the base of the 318ti was a good idea; a smart looking, light and nimble hatchback with a manual transmission and rear drive. This one has some strong positives going for it, but just one thing is missing…
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1998 BMW 318ti on eBay
Year: 1998
Model: 318ti
VIN: WBACG8327WKC83014
Engine: 1.9 liter inline-4
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 83,000 mi
Location: Glendora, California
Price: $5,800 Buy It Now
Attention BMW E36 Hatchback Lovers. Clean 1998 BMW 318ti. Rare Sierra Red Metallic with Grey Interior. 83,000 Original Miles. 2 Owner, Carfax Certified. 100% Rust Free California BMW. Recent Service including Synthetic Oil and Transmission Service and has Passed California Emission Testing. Runs and Drives Excellent. A/C is Cold, Power Windows, Power Mirrors and Power Sunroof all Work Properly. Factory Wheels with 4 Brand New Tires and No Dash Cracks. 23 MPG City/32 MPG Freeway. Nice Service History on Carfax. Perfect for any BMW Enthusiast. BUY it NOW or MAKE an OFFER. Please call Keith at 626-253-1946 for any needed information on this 318ti. We are Socal Sportscars, a Licensed and Bonded Dealer in Southern California located on Beautiful Route 66 in Glendora, Calif. Serving our Loyal Customers for the Last 21 Years. We Welcome all Out of State Buyers and can Assist with Low Cost Shipping anywhere in the U.S. Thanks for Viewing.
Yep, if you guessed ‘the clutch’, you’re right! So the color combination is great, the condition is great, the mileage is great, it should be rust-free in California, and it looks like a clean slate. Can you get over the M44 hooked to an automatic? I think in this case, yes. You could have a stylish and thrifty commuter for short (pardon the pun) money here, and when you really got tired of the auto, it’s not like there aren’t a plethora of S52s and S54s with 5- and 6-speed manuals waiting to swap in. Like the Scirocco 16V I just wrote up, you have to look at the possibilities here – but instead of being a car full of cool parts, this one is a sleeper waiting to awaken your vision.
-Carter
I always thought one of these would be perfect for my daughter if I had one.
My wife (now x-wife) bought one of these in a manual in 1998. What an awful car. Cheap interior, horrible rear styling, and it had a number of assembly issues (all fixed in the first year under warranty). After 1.5 years, she wanted it gone. Sold it fast, and she just drove my 944S as a daily for 3 months while she contemplated the next car. In the end, she really wanted my A4, so we ended up picking up an off lease A4tq manual. She loved that car.
Wait surely those are not hub caps ?
@Arun, yes they are. Freakin crappy flimsy plasticy wheel caps. My wife ditched them for the upgraded alloys within 3 months.
One of my friends had one in high school. Truly a nasty little car.