323i

[Vitro]

My bro used to have a 'P' (1997) reg'd BMW 323i which we both absolutely loved. i never drove it coz i was only about 15 at the time, but every time I went anywhere with him I used to love the feeling of being shoved back in the seat.

Am i remembering this correctly or is the performance of the 323 not as good as I remember.

Also... does it get a little tail-happy sometimes? I'll be able to afford one soon ya see but don't wanna buy it and a) be dissapointed or b)kill myself!

Ta!

[Vitro]

Nobody wants to tell me then?

[Cruzin 323is]

i have a 323is... its only got 168 hp stock... but with a few mods u can boost that up!! its good on gas, and it alot of fun to drive,

tail happy??? only if u take a turn at 80mph... lol!!

[bitcore]

I have a 98 323is. I love it. If I take a turn too hard, I slide rather latterally unless I have traction control and spin the tires, then I'd go into a drift. It comes with a stock open differential, so drifting is rather hard unless you WANT to, or its really wet outside and you have little to no tread left (like today... Man, that's as far wide as I have ever been without doing a 180 or 270)

It handles REALLY well. I can only imagine what an M would be like.
If you can, get a manual transmission. I have the auto and you always loose some horsepower when all your power goes through a torque converter. The locking mechanism is prone to weakening and not locking as often and soon as normal. (well, at least I hear a whole lot about it in the E36 thread with people who have autos, along with my experience.) This isn't bad, it just translates to you never see the last 10-15 horses from your eneigne. Read up on how torque converters in automatic transmissions work to see what I'm talking about. No big deal.

If you want some more juice, lok at a 328, if you just want a drivers car, a 323 will work fine.

[Vitro]

I only want a manual anyway mate... using the gears is half the fun of driving to me!

I want a great handling car, but need lots of oomph too. Doesn't the 328 have a better suspension set up?

To put it into context, my current car is a 2003 reg Fiesta 1.4... it has 79bhp.

[Vitro]

Do I smell? Or is the Fiesta putting everyone off?

[nameless08]

Originally posted by Vitro@Sep 17 2004, 10:45 AM
I only want a manual anyway mate... using the gears is half the fun of driving to me!

I want a great handling car, but need lots of oomph too. Doesn't the 328 have a better suspension set up?

To put it into context, my current car is a 2003 reg Fiesta 1.4... it has 79bhp.

manual is all the fun for me..
if you have $$$$ and want suspension and power get an M3,... im pretty sure a 323 and a 328 handle the same way [turning wise, correct me if i'm wrong] , but if you DONT want an m3 or have the $$$ for one, i would personally prefer a 328

and as for the fiesta 1.4 79hp... can you make it up steep hills???

[BMWGuy325i]

You could get the 328i ( I'd rather get an 328iS 2dr. ) with a sport package, which includes the M suspension setup. I think they might be a lil' more $$$ than a 323 tho. Look into it, do some research ya lazy ass :wink j/k.

but IMO for a young person such as yourself, I'd get a nice low milage 325iS.

1. You can find them much cheaper than the 328s
2. You can work at less expensive mods ( chip, intake, exhaust ), because the 325 has the OBD1 system and the OBD2 in the 328. ( you cant chip 328s unless you get the OBD1 Conversion which is like 1k$ but good mod ).

----- im so out of it tonight, i dont even feel like I can type... ghead ghead ghead

[Vitro]

but if you DONT want an m3 or have the $$$ for one

It'd be pushing it mate. Insurance alone would prob be too much. Great choice though!

and as for the fiesta 1.4 79hp... can you make it up steep hills???

Lol. Depends what ur idea of steep is It was a great first car, but need some power now!

Look into it, do some research ya lazy ass j/k.

Have done mate. Just interested to know more than just stats!

They're all great motors at the end of the day!!

What's the 318i S Coupe like, performance wise? Anyone know? (Yes... i know the stats)

[nameless08]

damn vitro... you're really looking into this....

steep hills as in 30 degrees... at the most.. [does that seem reasonable?]

I would personally never look for a 318is.... thats just me... but it'll give you more bang than the fiesta of course.. hehehe

[Vitro]

it'll give you more bang than the fiesta

So does a sausage on the BBQ mate! I'll get 60 in 11.5secs if I'm lucky. If I've got more than two people in it then I can forget any ideas of going fast! I've had it from new though and it's a really comfy and smart lookin motor - especially for a first motor!

I think the 323 sounds like the next car for me. Or a 328, whatever I can afford really!

[El Presidente]

The 318 is also quite good. Compared to olther 4cyl mototrs of its era and displacement, its quite powerful. Again, thats in comparison to 15 year old designs. I have a 1.8 for insurance purposes, and while it is not the fastest accelerator, it does go well over 100 mph without any hesitation.

[nameless08]

well vitro, good luck with your decision, just as long as you decide to get a BMW!!!

[Vitro]

well vitro, good luck with your decision, just as long as you decide to get a BMW!!!

Lol. That would be the absolute ideal next car! I understand the 318i S has counter-rotating shafts (or something) to help make it feel like a 6-cylinder. Is that right?

[theogill]

I test drove both 323is and a 328i, bought the 328i. The extra power was seductive. Both had sport packages and handled pretty much the same. The 323 is probably a little lighter (no door frames around glass--only 2 doors, smaller displacement), but you can check on that. I was impressed with the 323 power. Thats after driving a 95 volvo 850 wagon (2.4 L) with minor mods (suspension and K&N). After driving the Fiesta youll feel the 323 is a dragon. It's a wonderful car! But the 328 ultimately won me over (4 doors and extra power helps when you have kidlets). Have FUN!