Re: which would you buy - if you had two guns on your head??
(Slonie)
quote:[HR][/HR]I could never own a Ti BMW because of all the joke and crap I've said about it in the past...
But I'll let you in on a secret...I sort of dig them. Solid rear axle for honest handling and underpowered, forcing the driver to make up the difference...Sort of like another car I know of... :-D
[HR][/HR]
They don't have a solid rear axle, they have the same rear suspension as the E30 3-series and Z3. It's a semi-trailing arm independent design, just like the rear of a lot of old Datsuns. That's no coincidence, since Nissan copied the design from the BMW 1600 for the 510 and eventually most of their RWD lineup.
This suspension wasn't just done for cost cutting, it's also more compact than a multi-link, which makes it better for a hatchback.
I really really like the 3er compact, I don't know where the criticism comes from... The least expensive BMW is still a BMW. You can even get the E46 compact with a six-cylinder.
The 316 is just too slow, though, so I picked the Civic. I like the way the B-series engines feel.