E85 to E89

[Gjm91]

Hi all currently have a e85 2.0 roady that I have been using mainly as a weekend summer car- wife's lease car is going back and now looking to run 2 cars instead of 3, so wanting to change the e85 for a newer e89. Due to budget and wanting as new a car as poss looking at either a e89 2.0 or 2.3i to run as my daily driver. Interested to know what owners of these models experiences are re running costs, reliability , performance and fun factor etc. Any thoughts appreciated cheers G

[greg81]

Undoubtedly a much more refined driving car but selling my 2.2 e85 to buy a 3.0 E89 was the biggest car mistake I've ever made.

Depends entirely what you want out of a car but I lost all sense of fun and excitement. If you're after a more comfortable, modern ride alone then do it!

[Nictrix]

We have had a 23i (2.5L 6 cylinder engine) for 6 years used daily.
Its now on around 56,000 miles and there hasnt been any real problems in that time.
Other than normal servicing we have replaced the discs and pads, rear springs, battery and at the same time as the battery change it needed a software update to fix the ebrake fault.
Im sure it averages around 30mpg but dont pay much attention to this as it wasnt bought to save fuel.

[obewan]

Much as greg81 said.

To me the E85 felt like a proper sports car - a bit more 'Go kart'
E89 definitely more refined - more cruiser
I think I read somewhere that engine output wise a 2.0L E89 is about the same as a 2.5L E85
Loved em both
I have the 2.0L and use it as a daily. Other than servicing all I've done is bought new tyres and a battery
Running around locally I get 28-32mpg
Longer runs at a conservative speed about 42-44mpg
Neither of the above ( ) just short of 40mpg
With the folding hard roof there is not as much room in the boot with the lid down and access is somewhat restricted
HUGE improvement re headlights (bulb v candle )

[IRD]

It really does depend on what sort of car you would prefer. They are as different as chalk and cheese. The E85 is much lighter and sharper but nothing like as comfortable or refined as the the E89. I have had both and much prefer the E89. Imo it is easier to live with as a daily car and definitely more comfortable for longer journeys . However, the boot is small with the top down. To compensate for this shortcoming we have bought some of the car specific luggage that is available and.were surprised by how much we could pack in.
As far as engine size goes my preference would be for the six cylinder just for the sound and smoothness of the straight six.
Good luck with your search.

[enzed4]

Having gone from a 2.5Si E85 to the 35i E89 I agree with the comments above. I think if I'd had the 3.0si E85 I probably would have been happy, but the 2.5 was just a little underpowered for the me. Don't get me wrong, it was a heck of a fun car and I loved the 5 years of ownership. The 35i is more refined but so much more powerful that it strays into scary territory at times .
I think both look great in their own ways.
I wonder what an E85 with the N54 engine would have been like? Probably a lot of them would have ended up in the hedges I suspect...
(edit: now that I think of it, the Z4M must be pretty close...)

[konas]

I also had a 2.0 E85 and sold it for a 2,3 E89. I agree with above comments, and I think it is a lot more upgrade. In the past I had also an SLK 200 and a Boxster 987. I still believe that the E89 is the best among them. Go for it.

[q-man]

I had e85 2.5 and now I have e89 i30. With e89 you get a lot, but you loose some. E85 is very light, nimble and low center of gravity. I think e85 looks is more timeless desing and represents Bangle at its best. But it is also harsh, noisy and uncomfortable. E89 still aint anything like family sedan, but still more daily vehicle and LOT quiet roof up. E89 is still small roadster and any 2.0 has lot of remap potential. Still prefer i30 or i35 just for sound.

I changed to e89 because e85 needed sun and twisty road. It is my third car and it wasnt a car when you just need to move yourself somewhere. It wasnt car to go 150km when you have other choices and yearly km was lot lower.

I wanted manual i30 because it is last na engine and to leave room for next car horsepower gain, if you know what I mean. I wouldnt consider 23i, but that just my thing on my car evolution and why I didnt bought i35.

Still fond memories on e85, but I would never go back.

[Gjm91]

Thanks for all the advice guys- definitely decided to go for the E89 now and got the other half’s blessing - realise the E89 ain’t going to be as agile as the E85 but think it’s going to be a good compromise as a daily driver- got my eyes on a couple of local low mileage examples circa 35000- a 2010 m sport 2.3 bmw approved used and a 2012 m sport 2.0 from a specialist sports garage - going up have a look over the weekend - excited to be car shopping again cheers GJM

[MICHAELROSCO]

I have a 2003 2.5 E85 and I have also purchased a E89 3.5is totally different driving experience, both are special cars but the E89 is a better drive, it’s a newer model so as you would expect the interior is much nicer. Would have no issue recommending the E89