2.5 or 3 litre

M

Malooga

Member
Hi all, new to this so might have to bear with me.
We are very close to purchasing our first z4 E89 but after reading, checking out and watching all the info we can we’re still not 100% sure which way to go, we’ve decided between a 2.5 or 3 litre but really not sure which would be the better of the 2.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
 
the 2.5l doesn't give you much room in the power mod department, if you're into e.g. adding more bhp - it is a reliable 6 cylinder in return
 
Assuming you are comparing the 23i to the 30i, you might just as well go for the 30i. They're both the same engine, just in different sizes so running costs are going to be pretty much the same.

If you're thinking of the 35i or 35is, these are a totally different engine and have 2 turbos. While that does introduce the possibility of more potential issues (and costs), they also have more scope for tuning with a re-map.

Anyway, welcome to the forum, and happy hunting. :thumbsup:
 
buzyg said:
Welcome to the forum. :)

The E85 has 2.5 and 3.0 engines.

The E89 has no 2.5
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My 23i is 2.5
Given the choice i would go with a little more power, but i find the 23i adequate.
 
I have the 23i (2.5l) and if I had the choice again, I would go for the three. It's same economy, same tax, same soundtrack, just a bit more power. The downside to it is there are plenty of 23i on the market to find the right spec for you, 30i are a bit harder to find
 
its horses for courses and what you can afford! Plus what are the trim versions you're compairing, condition and mileage etc.

if you want a very fast one, the 3.0 is the one to go for (and the 35is being the fastest). these are the specifications according to Parkers for the manuals rather than the Auto (with the exception of the 3.5is DCT)... I'm sure someone will correct me I'm sure if I get it wrong but this gives you an idea of what the performance stats are. :D

...........bhp.......0-60
2.5.....201........6.4
3.........243.........5.6
3.5......301.........5
3.5is...335.........4.6

1.8.....153.........7.6
2.........181.........6.7
2.8......241.........5.5

I have a "lowly" 2.5 (or 2.3is as they are weirdly labelled). Its fast enough for me, but I'm not a boy racer! Having said that I can't imagine why anyone would be happy with the 1.8.... reminds me of the 1.3 Ford Capri :rofl:
 
Got to be the 3.0 for me, having owned a few this has put the biggest smile on my face, haven't really used the stereo much which is unusual for me as I love to blast Heavy Metal, the exhaust note is sublime. I even drive this one slower, seemed to be pushing the E89 four pot all the time, just happy to cruise in this one :D
 
Huzee4 said:
just happy to cruise in this one
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I think thats the difference between the E85 and E89. they're different cars with different USPs.. I'd struggle to choose a 4 pot E89 though - 6 cyclinder all the way for me :thumbsup:
 
flybobbie said:
Anyone know the 0-60 for 23i auto, as i find the gear change ability slow on the manual.
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I read somewhere 7.2. Ive had one for the last four years, found a low mileage automatic one with BMW FSH and most of the options I wanted. In that time Ive done a couple of oil/brake fluid changes, rear pads and fitted new tyres. It will be 10 years old this year and it still looks new.
 
clarker63 said:
its horses for courses and what you can afford! Plus what are the trim versions you're compairing, condition and mileage etc.

if you want a very fast one, the 3.0 is the one to go for (and the 35is being the fastest). these are the specifications according to Parkers for the manuals rather than the Auto (with the exception of the 3.5is DCT)... I'm sure someone will correct me I'm sure if I get it wrong but this gives you an idea of what the performance stats are. :D

...........bhp.......0-60
2.5.....201........6.4
3.........243.........5.6
3.5......301.........5
3.5is...335.........4.6

1.8.....153.........7.6
2.........181.........6.7
2.8......241.........5.5

I have a "lowly" 2.5 (or 2.3is as they are weirdly labelled). Its fast enough for me, but I'm not a boy racer! Having said that I can't imagine why anyone would be happy with the 1.8.... reminds me of the 1.3 Ford Capri :rofl:
Click to expand...

With a remap the lowly 18i is faster than the 3.0 n/a engined cars, i should think they’d be pretty happy with it then 👍
Rob
 
I knew it, great comments from everyone and to be honest I did expect the winner to be the 3.0
All I can say is that with this car I’m looking at I’ve already fallen in love with it and as we all know love can make you blind, but hey it’s my first delve into the z4s and at least I can look forward after this one to aim for a 3.0 35is and get excited all over again. :driving:
 
I faced this question when buying recently. Everyone will have different requirements depending on what they're expecting and what their previous car history has been. For me I knew I wanted a non-turbo six pot and the 3.0 seemed the obvious choice being higher power of the two engines without having any cost or reliability disadvantage. When I started looking there seemed to be a lot more 2.5's on the market which made me question my logic but I held out for a 3.0 and that is what I ended up with. Plenty of others have the 2.5 and are happy so there's no wrong answer, but anyway it sounds like you might have found one so good luck and post some pics if you get it!
 
Smartbear said:
With a remap the lowly 18i is faster than the 3.0 n/a engined cars, i should think they’d be pretty happy with it then
Rob
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I'd imagine if you bought one of those, you'd probably not be that interested in remapping... yes its doable but I'm not sure most people would just get a faster one in the first place..its simpler in the long term due to possible problems with reliability or insurance to mention a couple of things.
 
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