Z4 2.5 OR 3.0

[CHIMV8]

Hi All
Purchasing a Z4 soon

I was a TVE owner,and the general view was

4.0 good all rond driver and good starting point

4,5 the best for engine upgrades and good all rounder

5.0 totally mad and expect what you get but a beast

Can somer one please point me in the right direction on the Z4 ;s

Don't want anything less than the 2.5 I am going for the earluy models so £5 price range

[CHIMV8]

Sorry should have checked the spelling before submitting

[louie12]

You might struggle with a £5 budget....

[Davidcliff]

I came from a 4.0 Tuscan TVR, TVE !
There is no comparison totally different cars all together . I have the 3.0 and the engine is great about half the power of what I had and I like it twice as much .

[CHIMV8]

Understand
But it must’ve like driving a normal car than a TIV

Want the 3.0 but there’s some nice looking 2.5s

[Davidcliff]

You know you will always think what if I had chosen the 3.0. remember there is a turbo and a twin turbo after the 3.0 !
I drove the 2.5 for a good test drive , 30 mins or so and the 3.0 for 60 seconds before I knew it was the 3.0 for me

[Mr Tidy]

Welcome to the forum OP.

I can't help thinking that after a TVR you probably need an M for similar thrillls - but your budget won't work for one of those!

But you might as well hold out for a 3 litre as the running costs are the same for a 2.5 anyway.

If you can live with some miles you might find a facelift 2.5Si which is 218 bhp (3.0i pre-facelift is 231 bhp, so not much different) but ignore any facelift 2.5i models - they only have 177 bhp.

Good luck with your search.

[srhutch]

You know you will always think what if I had chosen the 3.0. remember there is a turbo and a twin turbo after the 3.0 !
I drove the 2.5 for a good test drive , 30 mins or so and the 3.0 for 60 seconds before I knew it was the 3.0 for me

You are talking about E89’s. The op is after and E85.

[Z4 COUPSTER]

Try both, but I know which one will give you a smile. A friend of mine has a 2.5i and is taking my 3.0i out soon. I can give you real feedback then. I've driven both and it's a big difference IMHO.
D

[wonkydonkey]

I too test drove a 2.5i and it wasn't a patch on the 3.0i for me, and only has five gears. The price difference is small for the 60 bhp power difference.

[buzyg]

General consensus is that 30i offers he best all around bang for your buck, with little lost in fuel economy too, so a win win. For 5k you should be able to find one. Welcome aboard and happy hunting.

[ErrErrminator]

The 3.0i is generally the one that get's all the recommendations and for the very good reasons mentioned above. However, I don't find my (pre-facelift) 2.5i to be slow or disappointing at all and like you OP am also an ex-TVR owner (4.0 V8S). Ok, it gives away around 40 horses to the 3.0i (70 ish to the 3.0Si), and yes, it does 'only' have 5 gears, not 6, but it really rather depends what sort of use you will put it to and on what type of roads. I do very little motorway or trunk road cruising, so the loss of a sixth gear means little. In fact I find the ratios of the five speed box to be very useable and for the majority of the time I'm on rural B roads so both the box and the engine performance is great. Whichever you choose it will without a doubt be a very different experience to the Tiv, but one which I am sure you will enjoy.

[Phoenixboy]

The 3.0i is generally the one that get's all the recommendations and for the very good reasons mentioned above. However, I don't find my (pre-facelift) 2.5i to be slow or disappointing at all and like you OP am also an ex-TVR owner (4.0 V8S). Ok, it gives away around 40 horses to the 3.0i (70 ish to the 3.0Si), and yes, it does 'only' have 5 gears, not 6, but it really rather depends what sort of use you will put it to and on what type of roads. I do very little motorway or trunk road cruising, so the loss of a sixth gear means little. In fact I find the ratios of the five speed box to be very useable and for the majority of the time I'm on rural B roads so both the box and the engine performance is great. Whichever you choose it will without a doubt be a very different experience to the Tiv, but one which I am sure you will enjoy.

your spot on.
Always makes me chuckle that people are quick to dismiss the 2.5i.
and yes I fully understand the more bang for your buck, but as you rightly point out, it depends on the type of driving your doing.
even on a motorway you can sit at 80mph in your 2.5 and the same in your 3.0
and a lot that say its got to be a 3.0, you find go for a spin round the twisties, a trip to tescos, or a commute to work in traffic.
given the choice between a well sorted 2.5 and a unloved 3.0 I know which I would have.
A lot of it is all peer pressure, because everyone says so.
Had the same with sports bikes, and I have had most and tracked them all as well.
you will always be limited by the conditions and your ability.
I have been just as fast on an 18yr old R1 as I was on a year old Rsv4.
Just my opinion, but in the real world on our roads, it will make little difference to your fun.

[R60BBA]

I came from a 4.0 Tuscan TVR, TVE !
There is no comparison totally different cars all together . I have the 3.0 and the engine is great about half the power of what I had and I like it twice as much .

Why?

[CHIMV8]

Well here she is 2003 2.5 just getting to know her and the more I drive the more knowledge you get on how to get the revs right and make her wiz,similar really to first ever drive in a Tiv,thanks for all your advise above which was a great help

E9965760-0D61-44D9-BF66-1E84719F1378.jpeg (373.99 KiB) Viewed 910 times