Owner Review: Is it powerful enough for daily usage? - My story of my BMW F30 318i

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Basic Information

BMW 318i Luxury

Time of visit: September 2020

Dealer name: Tian Siang Premium Auto

Dealer location: Penang

Manufacturer's suggested retail price: RM 198,800

The price I paid: RM 135,000

Vehicle delivery time: September 2020

Reason why I bought this car

The purpose I bought this car was to upgrade from my previous car (Mitsubishi Lancer). I wanted to get the BMW 118i or Toyota 86 at first but it’s not really that comfortable for someone my height (180cm) compared to this 3 series. I was looking for a car that handles well and comfortable enough to be my daily car. I’m not really a “speed kaki” so I’ve decided to go for the 318i instead of something more powerful like the 328i or 330i. Yes, some of you might say why not the 320i? I wanted a 320i at first but there’s no 320i from the year 2017. It was only the 318i and 330e from that year onwards. 

Car Selection Process

• I have a budget of RM 140,000.
• Models that I have considered include: New Honda Civic, New Mazda CX3, BMW 118i, Toyota 86 and Mercedes A200

After I test drove all of the cars above, the BMW 3 Series is the car that I felt like its an upgrade from my previous cars. I drove Proton Gen-2 back in 2016 for 4-6 months as my “learning” car when i first got my license and later on, I got the Mitsubishi Lancer. Fortunately, I have the chance to upgrade this year so I was aiming to step into premium cars. The Civic and 86 doesn’t feel like a premium car to me although I really love the way the 86 drives. The Mazda CX3, BMW 118i and Mercedes A200 are a little small for my height. So in the end, I’ve decided to go for the BMW 318i Luxury and the condition of this car is so good! It felt like a new car inside out. 

User Experience

• I have already done 1200 km.

I bought the car at 69,000KM and I don’t drive around much cause I basically live 5 mins away from my workplace so I pretty much drive around during the weekends only. As expected, the BMW 318i is really comfortable and it handles really well like how a BMW should. Power is sufficient enough for my daily driving and powerful enough to overtake most of the cars on the highways. Fuel economy is good too. Of course, there are common problems when I first got the car such as wheel speed sensor failure etc but I’ve changed all of them at Tian Siang for free.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Extremely comfortable
• Handles well
• Beautiful brown interior 
• Fuel Economy 
• Cheap Road tax
• Feel and drive are solid

Cons

• Might not be as powerful as the 320i, 328i and 330i
• Low spec I-Drive
• No reverse Camera
• Rim design

Ratings

Total Score: 5
Performance: 3
Quality & Features: 4
Space: 4
Ride Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 5
Price & Cost: 4

Summary

I am happy with my decision to get the BMW 318i and this is my very first BMW too! A lot of people online are telling me to get 320i instead but for now, I’m satisfied with my BMW 318i. This is an opportunity for me to learn deeper about continental cars. Perhaps I could get the G20 320i or even the 330i in the future as its still a long way to go for me. I am only 22 this year by the way. I believe I will have many more opportunities to keep on upgrading because I’ll always keep moving forward. Cheers. 

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