So I have a bit of a lengthy answer for you. Had a 1998 318i for 10+ years and throughout
my college career. Had 222k miles on it when it was recently totaled by a careless driver.
My sister was driving and she was able to walk away with a few scratches, a bruise and
minor whiplash. This is one of the reasons I now have a 2002 325xi. I honestly couldn't
settle for anything else after having and working on a BMW for so long. I felt safe to boot.
That being said, the 318i was not cheap to maintain and if my parents hadn't been
gracious enough to help out, I would've had to sell it. It was a combination of parts being
expensive and the car was over 20 years old. Everything that broke was usually expected
at its age or was due to rust issues. My dad and myself often work on the cars ourselves to
cut costs. If this is something you can do and already have most of the tools needed, it will
save you a boatload of money. Youtube and books provide lots of great walkthroughs.
Finding a good mechanic is important too. I've found a lot of them will either panic slightly
or gouge you on cost once they find out its a BMW. If you're close to the Ohio tristate area,
I can send some recommendations. That being said, if you want to do your own
maintenance but dont have the right tools already, then that can rack up quite a bill right
there.
If you really love this car here's some more things to research/consider. 1. Cost of brakes,
oil filters, etc. the basics. Give yourself a ballpark price on regular maintenance. Rockauto
and Pelican Parts are good places to start. We often found that one offs are still BMW
manufactured parts. High cost doesn't always mean better 2. Its VIN and its year.
Carcomplaints.com lists peoples specific problems and also gives you an overview on
what seems to go wrong with certain models, or what years are garbage. Also look up the
VIN and see how many times its changed hands. Can tell you if its a potential problem
child or a keeper. 3. Does it come with runflat tires? Personally I don't care for them. I
cant fix a hole in a runflat myself, there's not really a spare and they're usually more
expensive to replace. 4. Make sure there's no rust. That was the biggest issue mine had
by the end of its life and can cause problems. This is a car you'll keep for a while so if its
already got rust, it'll only get worse.
If after doing some research and calculating income/expenses, you think you'll struggle
with maintaining the car or will miss out on paying off school because of costs, find
something else. Sometimes something short term that goes from A to B is a wiser move.
There will likely be another one you love on the market in the future. However if its
financially doable, you want something that lasts, rides nicely, and you'll love for a long
time, go for it. Its not terribly priced, but might as well haggle, and even though the mileage
is over 100k the engine will be the last thing to go. All in all, don't be too impulsive on this
one. School is more important
