BMW 318

Digest from the reviews

Based on transcripts of 2 reviews

• •Both of the 2 reviewed transcripts say to avoid the N13 petrol (pre-facelift 316i/318i) — they call it the most problem-prone engine of the range.
• •Both reviewers prefer the post-2015 facelift engines (B48 petrol, B58 in the 340i); among pre-facelift petrols the N55 (335i) is the safe pick, while the N20 needs a careful history check.
• •The Riga-based mechanic (VLASOV) calls the F30 very reliable overall — his shop logged roughly 6x fewer F30 repair visits than F10 over the same period — and notes the local market is almost entirely diesel; on N47/N57 diesels plan a timing chain around 200-250k km and intake-manifold cleaning roughly every 100k km.
• •The ZF 8-speed automatic is praised in both reviews, but the 'lifetime oil' label is dismissed: change the gearbox oil every 80-120k km, otherwise problems are expected past 200k km.
• •Both mention weak paint — stone chips and rear wheel-arch edges start rusting early; one reviewer also flags the steering-rack bolt recall, so check it was done.