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BMW 318Ci - Fleet News
01.03.2001 |
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The baby BMW 318Ci may be the entry level Coupe, but it has a charm all its own. Mark Sutcliffe reports.
The Bavarian masters of user-chooser desirability have done it again in the compact executive market with another stunning incarnation of the ubiquitous 3-series.
Although BMW doesn't like to shout too loudly about it, demand has been so great from the IT, finance and pharmaceuticals sectors, that 3-series sales figures are beginning to look like those of a volume marque.
The 318 Ci shares many of the acclaimed qualities of it's muscular stablemates, but a £21,040 price tag puts it within reach of a new generation of thrusting young executives eager to get behind a steering wheel bearing the blue and white roundel.
Fleet appeal
The power of the BMW badge as a recruitment and retention tool is not to be underestimated, but the 318 Ci also stacks up pretty well from the whole life costs perspective. With a predicted future residual value of £9900, or 47% of cost new, depreciation is much lower than with volume rivals such as the Ford Cougar 2.0 (£5900/30%) and Peugeot 406 Coupe 2.0 (7525/38%), meaning contract hire rates are attractive.
Fuel consumption figures average out at an impressive 35.3mpg, with an exceptional 47.1mpg attainable out of town, giving a total running cost figure of 29.2ppm over 60,000 miles.
Tax position
Cleaner combustion technology leaves the Coupe with a CO2 figure of 190g/km - meaning the driver will pay tax based on 20% of the list price from April next year, rising to 22% the year after. These figures equate to a tax bill this year of £2086 for a 40% tax payer covering between 2500 and 18,000 business miles per year, reducing to £1669 in 2002. This is a pretty lean figure for such a lively performer and will doubtless have essential users gnashing their teeth when they work out that drivers of 'perk' cars are paying similar, or even less BIK tax for the privilege of driving flashier motors.
Driver appeal
Despite the prospect of higher company car tax charges looming, a car is still seen as a key component of any competitive remuneration package - and if that car is a BMW - it could just swing the deal.
But with the 1.9 litre engine transplanted from the Z3, from the driver's seat there's a lot more to the 318 Ci than the right badge. Unlike its predecessor, which was always a little slow on the uptake, the latest 318 is a lot more lively lower down the rev range.
The old engine always had to be worked hard to access the Coupe's full performance potential, but the new 118 bhp 1.9 litre unit delivers a larger slice of the 133 lb ft of torque a lot lower down the rev range. On the road, that makes for much more punch from a standing start and more positive in-gear acceleration. The 0-62mph sprint takes 10.4 seconds, with a top speed of 128mph.
Couple this to the classic low-slung coupe look, rear wheel drive configuration, surefooted roadholding thanks to switchable traction control and wonderfully fluid handling, and the 318 Ci is more than a match for any of its competitors.
Equipment and value
Gone are the days when everything on a BMW was extra. It's simply too competitive out there for any manufacturer to get away with not including a reasonable level of equipment as standard on their executive offerings. So refinements such as air conditioning, six airbags, ABS, cruise control, park distance control, alloy wheels, coloured bumpers and sills are all included in the basic package.
The on-the-road price of £21,040 is at the upper end of the range in its sector, but then again, so is the predicted residual value of £9900, giving the 318 Ci a holding cost of some £11,140 over three years and 60,000 miles. In the absence of any coupe competition from Mercedes - except the £4000 more expensive CLK - the only contender that comes close in whole-life cost terms is the Toyota Celica.
Comfort and interior
Interior trim materials and build quality look and feel more accomplished than early examples of the previous 3-series, and the overall impression is one of understated functional design. As one would expect, there's less room in the rear seats than the saloon, but space is still noticeably more abundant than in its predecessor and it's a practical mode of transport for a quartet of six-footers. The front seats feature a wide spectrum of adjustment and offer an accommodating blend of comfort and support.
The one real problem is the positioning of the left footrest, which really is an intrusion until one gets accustomed to it. For the first few dozen miles, I was constantly making a meal of gearchanges because of the unexpected intervention of said footrest while depressing the clutch pedal. Drivers with smaller feet probably won't be troubled and the problem is easily remedied by offsetting the foot slightly to avoid the old size tens catching the rest.
I would also prefer a shorter throw gear shift - particularly for the fifth to fourth changes and third to second changes, but that's a personal gripe I have with virtually every manual derivative in the BMW range.
Safety and security
All 3-series Coupes feature comprehensive front and side airbags for driver and front seat passenger, ABS brakes, stability and traction control. The latter is helpful on wet or slippery roads for those unacquainted with the joys of rear wheel drive, and can be deactivated at the flick of a switch for those that are and want to have some fun. An electronic immobiliser, car/key memory and a remote control alarm should frustrate the unwanted attentions of the Friday night joy-riding fraternity and give the 318 Ci a low 12E insurance group.
Verdict
Try as one might, it's extremely difficult to fault the 318 Ci. Many of the drawbacks such as spartan specification and rather steep front end pricing traditionally associated with premium brands have been addressed, meaning the Coupe appeals to the head just as much as to the heart. While the 318 Ci is not earth-shatteringly quick, it is still entertaining, and the badge is still one of the most sought-after in the business and the operating costs - both to driver and fleet operator - stack up extremely well.
You could get more toys and performance for less money by going for a mass-market hot hatch, but none has the cachet and appeal of the BMW.