E30 318iS or 325i Sport?

[willdew]

I'm looking for something fun and have pretty much decided upon one of the above. Which would you guys recomend? I don't really know a lot about either of them, other then the 318iS is meant to be very well balanced, but the 325i Sport has more power.

Can anyone steer me in one direction or another??

Thanks, Will.

[DustyC]

These dont answer you questions but I remember them being helpful threads when I was looking.

http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=47647&f=72&h=0

http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=49361&f=72&h=0

[raceboy]

Presuming the cars are the same price and similar ages/condition, and running costs aren't to be considered, then 325i every time

And after 10 minutes on AutoTrader.co.uk if your budget is still £1.5k then a 325i Sport is going to be very rough at that price, the only one I could find was an early 86 car that had been messed about with, where as you have a choice of straight 318iS's on 89/90 plates
If you really want a 325i Sport then your going to need another £1000 before any start coming up

>> Edited by raceboy on Tuesday 20th January 10:38

[cotty]

I had a 318 and only sold it because I wanted more power. Much better to go for the 325i now as you know in your heart you will wish you had got it when your driving around in the 318i

[mrflibbles]

cotty said:

I had a 318 and only sold it because I wanted more power. Much better to go for the 325i now as you know in your heart you will wish you had got it when your driving around in the 318i

a 318 iS is completely different to a 318i.

get a 318iS (im biased)

alternativley get a 325 sport.

They are both cracking cars.

[v8guinness]

I decided that straight six noise was too much to resist, and like others here realised Sports are better post '89, better suspension, nicer steering wheel, less subtle but still ok bodykit... all had LSD, all had slow slightly dead steering.

Fantastic fun, especailly wet roundabouts... hmmm... I quite fancy another!!!

[raceboy]

mrflibbles said:

a 318 iS is completely different to a 318i.

the 318i is an 8v with 106 bhp
the 318iS is a 16v with 125 bhp and has better brakes
but the 325i has 141

[mrflibbles]

raceboy said:

mrflibbles said: a 318 iS is completely different to a 318i. the 318i is an 8v with 106 bhp the 318iS is a 16v with 125 bhp and has better brakes but the 325i has 141

318iS is 137bhp
325 sport is more like 170ish

I await correction.

[JakeR]

Saw a printout from a good condition 325 the other day.

150bhp at the wheels
167 at the fly

171 torques (whatever in the hell they are)

this means the quoted figures of 170 and (i think) 170 must be about right...

[v8guinness]

Yup,
318is = ~140bhp (E30)
325i = 171bhp (E30)

325i has good torque across its rev range, and doesn't argue with high revs at all, always disappointing when you get to that limiter...

[raceboy]

This is were I crawl back under my stone and add that my figures are bhp/ton
www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/e30.html

[Cotty]

mrflibbles said:

a 318 iS is completely different to a 318i.

oops read that wrong sorry, mind you I live near the Dartford crossind and having a left hand drive car would be a pain in the bum so I stand by my original opinion and go for the 325i but thats just my personal opinion.

[Zorro]

I've had both and I'd say 325 without question, they're like night and day. That straight six engine is a gem.

[iguana]

Cotty said:

mrflibbles said: a 318 iS is completely different to a 318i. oops read that wrong sorry, mind you I live near the Dartford crossind and having a left hand drive car would be a pain in the bum so I stand by my original opinion and go for the 325i but thats just my personal opinion.

What are you on about?? 318iS was available as a normal UK rhd car.

Think you might be getting confused with the rare (& as far as im aware was made for primarity the Italian market)320iS, which was a 2.0 version of the M3 lump pumping out something like 190bhp, & came in a normal 3 series shell, built I belive mainly to beat the italian huge tax duties for cars over 2.0