318Ti vs C230 hatch...

I'm not really in the market for either car, most of the 318s in my area have high miles and automatics, and the C230 has that "wonderful" Kompressor engine. I just wanted to hear what others with real world experience with either/both cars had to say. If you were comparing these cars to each other, and only each other....PROS? CONS?

What got me thinking about these cars is that a local used car dealer has a nice C230 for sale, but they have other cars (no 318Ti, tho) that I would pay the money for, first.

While the two cars are similar (german, rwd, hatch), there is a generational gap between them. The last model year for the 318ti in the US is 1999. The C230 hatch started in 2002. As a result, I'd expect a significant price difference between them (percentage wise).

I've not driven a C230, but I can comment on the 318ti.

Pros: Great fuel economy (32 hwy), light (~2750lbs), good aftermarket support, good handling (with sport package - lots of body roll otherwise), durable, AWESOME trunk space w/ seats folded down, easy to work on, reasonably priced replacement parts, great turning radius

Cons: Not enough power, plastic cooling system components, steering rack is a bit slow.

I'd say the optimum choice really depends on what you are going to use the car for and how much you're willing to spend.

Josh

I owned an SLK230. I really dislike the 2.3L Supercharged motor. Not much torque or power, no fun to rev out, mediocre MPG for a 4 cylinder, sounded terrible, mods are ridiculously expensive.

I don't think I could own a 318Ti without a M/S50 or 52 swapped into it. The lack of power and horrible sounds that come from the 16V ruin it. But the fact that it is an e36 chassis makes it a great start.

Being in a MBZ repair shop for the last few years has turned me away from any MBZ product.

Cone_Junky wrote: I don't think I could own a 318Ti without a M/S50 or 52 swapped into it. The lack of power and horrible sounds that come from the 16V ruin it. But the fact that it is an e36 chassis makes it a great start. Being in a MBZ repair shop for the last few years has turned me away from any MBZ product.

I should have mentioned the swap option in my first post. The 318ti is identical to the e36 sedans from the A-pillar forward. Swapping in a 6-cylinder from a different e36 is a relatively straight forward bolt-in job once you have the correct (factory) parts. No special fab parts are needed.

The M44 (or M42) bmw engines do not sound good without a muffler. The factory exhaust is a bit buzzy, but not very loud.

One significant difference between the 318ti and the other e36 cars is the rear suspension. The 318ti has essentially the same rear suspension as the z3 (e30 semi trailing arm).

The interior (dash) is also different from other e36 cars. It is simpler and lacks some of the options. On the plus side that also means there are less things to break. E36's are not known for their interior quality.

318ti's are a hoot to drive with a supercharer or 6cyl swap. i'm sure the c230 is a lot nicer inside, more comfortable to DD, is obviously newer, etc.

makes me wonder how involved MB drivetrain swaps are since bmw ones are often done and somewhat straightforward.

I test drove a C230 hatch when they were new and I came away thoroughly unimpressed. I wasn't the only one... I heard stories of large numbers being sold into dealer loaner fleets as MB could not find buyers. I love hatches, but not this one.

I love my Ti.. and I can tell you that the lack of power is only a problem in a straight line. In all honesty, the non-M E36s are not much faster. power to weight is 19.68 pounds per HP. the E36 Couple is 18.36, Not really that big a difference.. especially when you consider how short geared the Ti is. Up till 50mph (when I have to shift to 3rd) I can keep up with the bigger engined E36s.

Properly set up, suspension wise, they can more than keep their own.. and will usually surprise a lot of the bigger engined e36s and even e46s. I did once go around the outside of an E46 M3 going from one highway to another (two lane cloverleaf) and while he could not do a thing in the corner, as soon as the road straighted out, he let me know how upset he was.

For what it is worth.. mine is on the Bilstien PSS9 suspension, with poly bushings, RD swaybars, and M3 rims with summer tyres.. so she sticks to the road like no other 318ti should.

Call me crazy but i think the mpg is a strike AGAINST the 318ti (not that the benz would be better).

A 2700 lb car with a 1.8 or 1.9 liter should be able to do a lot better than 29-32. Ive had heavier cars with bigger engines that could get 10 more mpg than that... for a tiny engine compact car it's on the low side for sure.

I still want one.

it's the gearing. It is not geared for miliage. It is geared to get maximum shove from the 4 cylinder.

And honestly, all I have owned are 4 cylinder cars.. that is about the average miliage of all of them

My Ti gets about the same mileage as my Versa (31-32 highway). Ti is much more fun to drive of course.

My Protege only ever really got 32mpg, and a 318ti would be a much more fun vehicle IMHO. That said, the I6 BMW's don't do much worse than that on the highway: we recently completed a road trip with just over 29mpg average with the 2.8... I think a 318ti w/2.8 or 3.2 swap would be a riot.

Yeh, i think if i bought one i'd either do a cheap bmw swap (2.5? 2.8?) or a 5.0 swap, or a turbo. Yeh, one of those.. lol.

I drove the C230 Coupe in 2002. I was driving a 97 Miata at the time and remember that the C230 Coupe didn't feel much bigger in the way the sedans did. Granted, this was city driving with a salesman riding shotgun, but I was very, very impressed with it. I've always liked the 318ti's looks, but I haven't had a chance to try one yet.

njansenv wrote: My Protege only ever really got 32mpg, and a 318ti would be a much more fun vehicle IMHO. That said, the I6 BMW's don't do much worse than that on the highway: we recently completed a road trip with just over 29mpg average with the 2.8... I think a 318ti w/2.8 or 3.2 swap would be a riot.

I have seen an indicated 35mpg in my ti if I keep it close to 65.. which was pretty close to what my paper calculations bore out when I refilled

It likely has alot to do with the driver, but I know of someone that had an S52, swapped 318ti (well actually several) and kept replacing them when they got oversteered into ditches or solid objects. Im not sure they handle terribly well with the extra weight in the front.

Sounds like a driver thing: they don't handle any differently than any E30 with the same swap, and those make fantastic track toys.

Nathan

Sister has the C230 hatchback. It's ugly, unreliable, expensive to own, interior is falling apart, and not quick at all.

No way.

njansenv wrote: Sounds like a driver thing: they don't handle any differently than any E30 with the same swap, and those make fantastic track toys. Nathan

they should actually handle better as the front suspension is better and you have a larger selection of brakes and tyre sizes and widths to play with.

That said.. in stock form, I did do a "tank slapper" into somebody's front yard at 6am one time.. slid up over the grass backwards after taking the same corner the same way for months.. just applied a little too much speed that one time and the stock suspension allowed a little too much lean.

Screwed down on coilovers.. I have yet to lose the back (unless I wanted to)