Just looking for a litle advice.
Both have about 90,000 on the clock. Both in silver. Both have fsh. Both are auto's (which I need).
1: BMW 316i 16V auto, R reg. vgc...
2: TOYOTA AVENSIS 1.8 GS AUTO, T reg vgc...
If you HAD to buy one of these cars which one would you choose and why?
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Personally, I'd buy the Toyota - the 1.6 engine in the relatively heavy E36 body is going to struggle and this will be even more so with the power sapping autobox.
The 1.8 in the Avensis isn't exactly "hot" in performance terms but it would still get my money. I would bet that it would be (marginally) more reliable in the long run too.
Have you read C-by-C for these 2 models?
Cheers,
P.S. However if it was a 318 - I may have been tempted to go for the Beemer.
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I had a R BMW 318i manual from new. It was smooth but relatively gutless. The 316 auto will as Chad said be gutless.
Plus I found it attracted the nasty lowlife who stole the stereo by the usual chisel in the doorlock...
Drove an Avensis.. nice. Not attractive to lowlife I would think.
madf
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For me - the Toyota.
The 3 series always seems cramped to me (though I do like them).
The Avensis is a great workhorse - and I now prefer FWD at this power level.
I also prefer the 'anonymity' of the Toyota
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IIRC the 316i is a 1.9, a detuned 318i, about 100bhp compared to the 318i's 115bhp. A colleague had one and it was dog slow.
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Sorry, so the Toyota !
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Neither? I cannot envisage a situation whereby you'd only be able to pick two of the most awful cars on the used market. I mean seriously, why not get something else?
Honda Accord auto for me at this price point.
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two of the most awful cars on the used market.
Dubious comment. Old Toyotas tend to carry on running very reliably, and the Mk1 is a great motorway cruiser for a car of that era. Whilst the BMW cannot surely be classed as one of the most awful cars on the used market, even if it is an underpowered auto.
My vote goes to the Toyota.
Honda Accord auto for me at this price point.
Not bad. Not exactly incredibly different from the Avensis though. And a very flawed car, in my own experience....
Presuming we are talking last-model Accord, the brand new 00X 2.0i Exec I drove for a couple of thousand miles was extremely noisy compared with the Mk1 Avensis. It also rode poorly, and did not compensate by having decent handling.
That Accord is the only car I have ever driven that has made me feel physically ill, so much so that I had to stop. And it managed it twice. Once on the undulating B-roads of Scotland where it made me feel 'car sick'; and once on a long Mway run where the noise it made on the concrete M42 gave me a severe headache (and I am not prone to headaches in the slightest, which is why it is still memorable 7 years on).
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IIRC the 316i is a 1.9 a detuned 318i about 100bhp compared to the 318i's 115bhp. A colleague had one and it was dog slow.
I think the OP is referring to a E36 (I may be wrong though as 98 was the cut-over to E46) and if so the "316" will be a genuine 1.6 - IIRC the detuned 1.9l 316i didn't get released till a few years later.
Another point in the Avensis' favour is as someone mentioned above, the rear leg room - the E36 is IMO horribly cramped in comparison. Plus if it's a hatchback you have that flexibility too.
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The E36 316i was the 102bhp 1.6 engine. There was no E36 316i with the 1.9 engine - that came in with the E46 in '99, although the power output was almost exactly the same. There WAS an E36 Compact with the 1.9 engine though. Confusingly you can have an E46 316 with either the 1.6 or 1.9 engine... power is about the same.
Anyway, I would not choose an E36 316, particularly an auto. They are not really particularly good in any department - you're just paying over the odds for the badge.
The Toyota's not a bad choice. Nissan Primera 2.0i auto is a good car - I know some people don't like them, but excellent engine, excellent transmission, good handling and grip, strong and stiff bodyshell and there's lots of pattern parts now available to keep them on the road fairly cheaply. Big turning circle is its only downfall..
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I've had an E36 316i Manual and I was only truly happy with it when the engine broke (due to a horrificly dodgy backstreet mechanic that my uncle recommended) and I had it replaced with a 1.8 lump from a 318i. That made the car quite sprightly for it's size, more fun to drive, and surprisingly, more economical it went from 27mpg to 30mpg overnight!
I wouldn't dream of buying something as bland as the Toyota, but if you can get a 318i I would recommend it.
Blue
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aprilia has the right idea, listen to the voice of experience and go for a primera but check the bodywork as some have poor rustproofing. jag.
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