The reason why this car cost more than the previous generation, is that it came with electronic fuel injection, a service indicator computer, electronic fuel economy gauge, digital clock, electric central locking, electric mirrors, power steering, a fully carpeted trunk, bigger tires, handling package suspension and a/c all as standard equipment in North America. The majority of vehicles at this time were still using carburetors and also most manufacturers were building vehicles with smaller engines as well, simply because the fuel crisis was still fresh in peoples minds. Where I live in the Pacific North West, it is rare not to see at least one E30 on the road a day, showing just how well these cars hold up over time. I feel that motorweek really didn't give this car the justice that it deserves. The E30 is one of the most ergonomic cars ever built. I have never driven a car with such good visibility either. Overall, this car is simply a pleasure to drive.
@@chickasawranger759 my dad had too this car when i was a baby and i remember like last day. Its one of the best cars made and i try in future to get it again:).
🇨🇦 Driver's Seat has review of 1990 318is, apparently BMW Canada brought in limited # of equipped 4 cyl. @ competitive price, it could go up against Japanese volume sedans, testers ❤ it.
DAMW!! That's a lot! I have a 318i m10 saloon with 135 000km. Love the car. The only problem is that it does an average of 10 liters per 100 km wich in my country (portugal) is very high. Nonetheless pretty great car. Mind if I ask what we're the main issues along the way? Has it been rebuild? Any type of restoration to the chassis? I hope you still have the car Cheers
@@brianfarinha1720 that's quite a lot, geez. Do you know if the M40 is more fuel efficient? I was considering getting a W124 but the E30 just makes much more sense to me (and for me) E os governo poderia baixar os impostos aos combustíveis, mas prontos
Omg that's crazy! I have a 85' 323i that is currently in the shop for some cluster gauge issues but when it gets fixed it'll have been some 34 - 35 years since it last saw the road since it only has 46,000 miles on it.
These truly were the good old days, Great looking car, great size/ weight, form follow function, great visibility, manual transmission, real bumbers , no plastic engine parts, simple dash,easy to use, no computer screen cluttering the dash.
And today guys who reminisce about their 10.5 second BMW will still tell you it was "exhilaratingly fast", while in the next breath telling you a modern 8.5 second Kia is "too slow to be safe to drive". Mythology, Gotta love it.
This was my first car that I purchased over 12 years ago and it's still going strong. I've driven the 325i e30 and I prefer the 318i since it handles better because of it's lighter weight, so on curvy, twisty roads you can out perform and manoeuvre almost anything. I wouldn't change a thing on it, it's designed and engineered brilliantly! Also the start of production of these cars for the USA was May of 1982 so the title of this video makes sense. 318i forever!!
Best looking beemers ever,still ahead of new cars today,strong engines,Brill handling and supremely comfortable,still a car to better today.a landmark car,buy one while they are still affordable classic.
I had a 1984 BMW 318i in 1989. We bought it in Switzerland and imported it to Costa Rica, where we live. It had 22,000 Km and I loved it for the 128,000 Km that I had it in 4 years. It sold within a week. The engine was superior to the 1200 cc and 1600 cc cars found in my country. Fuel injection was complicated they didn’t know how to fix it. I became a mechanic for my own car and performed the tune ups myself with the help of a Bentley book and a Bosch Fuel Injection and Engine Management that demystified fuel injection! The dealer became also my friend! I drove it all over and it was a nice touring car! I still look for it in the streets of San José. However, I stoped seeing it about 5 years ago. Perhaps if I find it I might embark in rebuilding it like if it was a way to return back times of youthful driving in twisty mountainous roads of our country!
The E30. The last BMW worth owning. Before they started installing technology for technology's sake. No dipstick? Seriously?! Who the hell thought *that* was a good idea?
It certainly is, although I’m not sure how I feel about the all new one, just unveiled the day I wrote this comment. July 6 2021, the new m2 might have sadly killed the spirit of the m2. I’d rather get a manual 1 gen example
Maybe it's the american eye that sees things diffrent, but I see litle resemblance to average Japanees cars of those days. A Nissan Sunny or a Mitsubishi Galant looked far more blend then this. Time has proved anyway that this BMW styling has become classic, it was good looking back then and it still is looking today.
No, they didn't. Wtf are you talking about. No Cadillac was meant to compete with BMW. Completely different first owner market. Pontiac's high level trim performance models were for that.
Go drive both of these cars right now today, and I guarantee you you'll go take the Cadillac! German junk is overrated. They corner good and acceleration is like anything else . The Cavillac rode very nice. People in America just want to try and flaunt that's why they thought getting the BMW was wise. You know, the money thing
I bought an '87 325i for $300, drove it 9 years, probably the best deal I ever made in my life. That sold me on BMW. Now I got to get in my wife's 2003 325i and go to the bank and cash out my stimulus check... 😁
the first batch of these came with a higher rear end ratio, they seemed to love flat out highway driving. you could pick them out by looking to see if the rear window opened as a vent, If it did not then it it an early car. it was a much better car than the 320
14" wheels? There's a counterargument to the bigger = better approach, as the current 330i comes with 18" wheels standard with 19's as a relatively cheap option. Nearly 40 years old, this car is still GORGEOUS. In spite of the reputation they have, BMW's, and German cars in general, will last forever if you know how to take care of them, replacing and maintaing whatever is necessary. Proactivity and prudence are key. One of the main reasons old 3 Series are so popular in enthusiast circles.
Come on, it is the Ultimate Driving Machine and it is the best car on earth. Price does not matter, there is depreciation nowadays that make them slightly cheaper.
SuperJenZzz I had an '81 318i E21 in the 90's here in Germany. 4 speed manual was standard. At about 110mph it kept hitting the rev limiter, dropping the revs by about 300/min. A bit annoying when speeding along the autobahn. The lefthand side mirror was electrically adjustable, the righthand mirror was an optional extra. oO
YeOldeGamer Nice, I'm thinking about buying an E21 323i maybe next year, I live in Belgium btw. I like both the E21 and E30, but there's something about the E21 that draws me more towards that car :)
BMW has been dominating this price bracket for literally two human generations. $60,000 car in 2022 is the same as $40,000 in 2002. Look back and it's the E46 330Ci. Look back another 20 to 1982 and you see the birth of the E30 with the 318i at around $20,000.
the m10 1.8L motor Was Very reliable, being in production from 1966 to 1986, however was severly underpowered! the e30 which was slightly heavier than the previous E21 did NOT get a power increase. with an engine that only produced 80 Horsepower and a top speed of 100mph it was one of the least powerful modern BMWs procuced.
Wait...what??? 0-60 in 10.5 seconds in 1982 was slow? Motorweek was very biased against foreign cars back then. I remember plenty of 12 second plus American cars being described as "reasonably swift" or something like that.
