316i auto - style, but without substance? (BMW 3-series (1991-99))

Member Name: r_welfare

Product:	BMW 3-series (1991-99)
Date:	16/03/03 (1123 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Desirable, well-built, easy resale

Disadvantages: Slower than a lawnmower, Small rear cabin, Question marks over gearbox reliability

Don't get me wrong - I like BMWs. But they've got to have the six-cylinder engine. That distinctive engine note just does it for me. So, for this reason alone, the four-cylinder ones just don't cut it. A feeling reinforced after a few days with a friend's 1995 316i auto.

This, the E36 model, was sold in the UK between 1991 and 2001 (the saloon between 1991-98, when it was replaced by the current model). Despite the fact that early cars are now 12 years old, prices haven't dropped significantly below £2,000 (compare that with a 12-year old Sierra or Cavalier, average price £400) and the desirability is still right up there at the "want one" level.

Early cars didn't have body-colour bumpers and were criticised for being too plasticky inside and out. So from the 1994 model year all cars had body coloured bumpers and side skirts. This particular car, from early 1995, is the base model so lacks the lovely multi-spoke alloys of the SE model but still looks excellent in gloss black. The proportions are superb - check out how little overhang there is between the front the of the car and the front wheels. If you want something even better looking, the coupe or convertible are for you, but at a price.

Inside you have the usual excellent, informative BMW dashboard, but I was alarmed to find that the fabric on the base of the driver's seat of this car (only 52,000 miles and two owners) was wearing through. I hope this is not typical. It's worth bearing in mind that this car's light grey cloth will show the dirt quite badly, and the plastic backs of the front seats get easily scuffed. Not a lot of room in the back either (but that's always been a 3-series hallmark - if you want more room you buy a 5-series, clever eh because either way BMW walks off with your cheque).

A good way to tell a well-looked-after Beemer is to check if the glovebox-mounted rechargeable torch or toolkit (mounted in the
underside of the bootlid) are still present and correct. They will usually have been "removed" by previous owners, so a one-owner car from new or a low-mileage example should still have them. This car had the torch but the whole toolkit was gone. Also, unfortunately, there was no service book, but if you run the chassis and registration number past a BMW dealer their computer should be able to give details of any work done there.

The specification of this car is usual BMW - the bare necessities (electric front windows, central locking, electric mirrors, ABS) but everything else is on the options list. This particular car had (obviously) the four-speed automatic gearbox and an electric steel sunroof (plus the black paint), none of which will have been cheap for the first owner.

So what's it like on the road. Well, I know the 50/50 weight distribution allows for near-perfect handling balance. I know the multi-link rear suspension curbs excessive oversteer that affected the earlier 3-series models. But this is not the Ultimate Driving Machine. No, paint it white and fill it with semi-skimmed, because a 316i with the automatic gearbox is the Ultimate Driving Milkfloat.

I couldn't find any performance figures, but I would estimate 0-60 to be in the region of 15 seconds. That's leaving the auto in "D" but engaging the Sport mode, so it upshifts at 5,500rpm. This way you get a lot of noise (it's quite smooth for a four-cylinder though) but very little in the way of forward motion. I know that by teaming a 102hp 1.6-litre engine with a power-sapping automatic gearbox and putting it in a heavy body you don't expect a McLaren F1, but this car vies with my father's old 1990 Vauxhall Cavalier 1.8GL auto as being the slowest-accelerating car I have ever driven. Even my 1978 Ford Fiesta 1.1L, with half the power (but half the weight) felt more lively.

I could live with the lack of performance from r
est if it was matched by overtaking flexibility, and here is where an automatic usually scores - you just press the throttle to the floor and it kicks down a couple of gears to leave you straight in the power band. But again, the BMW didn't impress - kicking down at 25-30mph (as you would if you were overtaking a moped, JCB or tractor) gave a lot of engine noise for a second or two as the engine wound it's way to 5000rpm (just like a slipping clutch) before drive was restored with a bit of a thud.

This may point to a question mark over the reliability of this particular car's gearbox, but certainly you don't get this sort of delay in my father's Vectra 1.8 auto. I would therefore be worried for my friend who has just bought the car, as earlier BMW autoboxes didn't have much of a reputation for longevity.

So, to sum up, this baby Beemer is probably ideal for those who potter round town or sit on the motorway all day. Me? The engine/gearbox combo spoilt it for me, but I wouldn't mind trying a manual version to see if that's better. But I think only at least a 320i would do...

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