BMW E36 318ti Compact Review

If you’re a BMW fan, it is likely that you adore the E36 3-Series. It may not be as legendary as the E30 or as good looking as the E46, but its still a much-loved car. Every version of the car is lovingly owned by dedicated fanatics of the E36, but when BMW brought out the compact - a lighter, 2 door hatch variant - people turned on it and used the car as laughing stock.

‘Save up a little longer and get a proper BMW’

That is a genuine quote I hear fairly often now, but why? This car is pretty much the same as any other E36.

The chassis is identical to a standard E36 up to the A-pillar, then has its hatchback. The suspension is a McPherson strut design, from the E36, whilst the back uses a semi trailing arm, from the older E30. This consequently led to oversteer, which had mixed reviews. Many said it felt precise and fun, while others said it felt unstable. Despite it looking smaller, the compact shares the same size wheelbase as every other E36.

So enough with the specs. This is a great car. Going from my 900cc Fiat Seicento, this feels fast, and it corners so directly its like driving something half its weight. I’ve driven it hard around Castle Combe raceway with traction control off and it’s easy to find the edge - which is surprisingly far - and makes you aware not to go over the top.

The engines fair, my 1.9 has a 0-60 of 10 seconds, which is okay, but i sometimes with for more. They later brought out a 2.3 litre straight 6, but I’m guessing it would be quite a bit heavier and ruin the balance.

But what makes the compact so good is how little it costs to own and run. I brought my sport model for £1400 with 60,000 miles. A similar condition saloon would be at least £500 more. It also does 45mpg, which means fuel cost isn’t too much of a worry.

All in all, its a good balance between a regular E36 and something like a VW Golf mk4 or Audi A3. Theres not much else for RWD fun for the money. They are also becomming more and more popular in the drifting and RWD rally communitys, with some people saying theyll be the next mk.1 Escort.

So future classic? Seems likely…