2 litre to 3 litre - need some input. . .

P

paulgs1000

Elite
 Newcastle upon Tyne
I've owned my 2006 2.0i Sport for a couple of years and I love it. I particularly have enjoyed using 2nd and 3rd to exploit it's full performance on the road. The engine is smooth, under-stressed even at high revs and has never missed a beat! it just keeps coming back for more of the same, day after day - a super engine. On the national and other runs it's been enough to keep up with other Zeds on the road and it's only very occasionally felt underpowered during instant overtakes or driving out of a slow corner and having to make distance up with late braking is all part of the fun for me (though I do have to work hard! And yes I know it would fall away on the track but on the road it's fast enough 90% of the time on todays roads). I am therefore a big 2 litre fan! But. . .

I would like to own a 3 litre whilst I still can. I think costs will be similar or a little more for most things but I can accommodate that at the minute - that's not the question. The real question for me is - will I enjoy driving the 3 litre as much as the 2?

Have any of you made the transition from 2 to 3 litre? How did you find the change? Also, Is the 3 litre heavier and does that affect the handling significantly - do you 3 litre drivers feel the weight? - my wife and I love making the most of the back roads in Northumberland and our 2 litre Zed works brilliantly in that environment. Then again, we are ex bikers and nothing comes close to the thrill of having the throttle on the stop of a big bike - so we'd like to enjoy the odd performance thrill on the straights as well as the corners but the opportunities for such enjoyment lessens every year on our roads if you want to stay safe and keep your licence.

But there is still great enjoyment to be had and I would like to know what 3 litre owners think. Please don't just tell me you enjoy your 3 litre - I've got that impression from the posts on this forum - what I would like to know is how you enjoy the driving experience of the 3 litre - how do you find the driving experience? It would be of great interest to me and will help in my decision making - so please let me know and thanks.

:driving: :thumbsup:
 
I went 2.0 to M and never regretted it. On the downside id now never drive anything slower. It gets in you, it seems a strange thing to say but it does. Other cars bore me to tears now.

it sounds to me you may be chasing horse power, if thats the case will you be happy with a 3 litre or will you then want more? i drive in northumberland regularly and having a big engine and a loud exhaust just adds to the fun.
 
Thanks Mersh - that's just the response I hoped for and very useful.

However - did/do you find the costs of running the M a great deal more than the 2 litre - I was thinking a 3 litre would be only a little more expensive to run rather than say, twice as expensive - thoughts?

:driving: :thumbsup:
 
paulgs1000 said:
Thanks Mersh - that's just the response I hoped for and very useful.

However - did/do you find the costs of running the M a great deal more than the 2 litre - I was thinking a 3 litre would be only a little more expensive to run rather than say, twice as expensive - thoughts?

:driving: :thumbsup:
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its significantly more. A lot on here use it as a weekend toy and I understand why. I just know when I had my 2.0 litre
I wanted more power and I know if I bought 3.0 id always want the M. Its a special car, when I bought it I kept my 2.0 for about a month and whilst it was a lovely car it wasnt a patch on the M, great for a cruise to the shops; but for driving through northumberland in the winter you wont beat 340bhp.

The price of M roadsters at the moment id go M matey. Do a search on costs on here, treat yourself to a present for xmas :thumbsup:
 
I've dabbled with all sorts of performance cars over the years. The 3.0 Si Z4 coupe is one of the best I've driven for driver enjoyment and certainly the best all round performance car I've owned.

The weight distribution feels nigh on perfect and I have never really noticed the car pitching or leaning much (even before I fitted the Eibachs) despite a fairly large lump under the bonnet.

The engine is a peach. Smooth and refined in daily driving, but packing a real punch when you are driving for fun on a clear B road. It loves to be revved, but actually has a respectable spread of torque lower down the rev range, so you don't have to wring it's neck to make quick progress, but if you want to it rewards you with even more surge if you hang on until the redline.

The car really does have a huge depth of talent, feeling beautifully balanced at all times, the tyres resolutely digging in and the traction control rarely having to intervene even when pushing hard. The brakes are also excellent and never seem to flag even on a long spirited drive on a good country road.

The icing on the cake is the economy. I find mine ridiculously cheap to run. I never drive with economy in mind and use it every day to commute into Manchester and my long term average mpg is 25 which us just astounding considering the performance on offer.
 
For me the driving experience of my 3.0si is just superb I really don't think you need an M as performance wise there isn't that much in it and you can only go so fast on those lovely Northumberland roads plus the running costs on the M are a fair bit higher. The 3.0 is just a delight to drive as it has awesome performance and an intoxicating straight six sound that you will never tire of. Going from a 2.0 to the 3.0 especially if it's the 265bhp model will be a really noticeable leap in performance you will love it, and you are lucky as Northumberland is just a gorgeous county :thumbsup:
 
Merrsh1 said:
I'd go drive both and see what you think, good advice from the 3.0 boys too. :D
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The 3.0 boys :D I like that.

Whichever way he goes either 3.0 or M he will be smiling from ear to ear for sure.
 
Mines still on axle stands other wise you could have had a shot. :(
Never driven a 2.0 so cannot compare.
The 3.0 is'nt' scary fast' but its fast enough. I love the noise of the straight six effortless performance and its cheap to run for a roadster.
Would now consider an Si but the fun budget didn't stretch to an Si when I originally bought the Z
 
Tried the 2.0. Nice, felt light and nimble.
Tried the 3.0. Simply no comparison. The car was meant to have the 3.0 engine in it. Oh my. It's a little heavier sure, but it sounds so much better, is so much more powerful. It feels better balanced, more responsive but also a little more lairy if that makes sense.

If you can afford the M, get it. If you can't 3.0Si is the answer to all your needs. You'll never regret it. I don't.
 
This is just what I wanted folks - thanks - this is great and a real help in my decision making - some brilliant posts here which I appreciate.

I am reading them carefully and discussing with my wife who loves spirited driving (I am so lucky) so please continue. Great stuff!

:driving: :thumbsup:
 
Lets not turn this into a 2.0 vs M argument. I've seen enough threads degenerate into.......

"Why do humans exist? What is the answer to the universe?"

With the answer being:

"To drive a Z4M Coupe of course [more often they're incorrectly referred to on this forum as simply the 'M Coupe', which is factually incorrect :poke: ]. Why else we would we exist on earth other than to drive a Z4M coupe- blah blah ///Ms rule, everything else is rubbish......" etc

Paul, you'll feel an immediate power difference in the 3.0. But the 3.0 is also heavier in the front end, which will affect turn in. However, you'll feel more in the way of throttle compensation mid corner and on exit. That's what makes the 3.0 more rewarding to drive IMO.

Tax, tyres, fuel, parts etc will cost a little more. As will insurance. However, if power is what you're after, a 3.0 won't disappoint :thumbsup:


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
richarddaviesgb said:
Tried the 2.0. Nice, felt light and nimble.
Tried the 3.0. Simply no comparison. The car was meant to have the 3.0 engine in it. Oh my. It's a little heavier sure, but it sounds so much better, is so much more powerful. It feels better balanced, more responsive but also a little more lairy if that makes sense.

If you can afford the M, get it. If you can't 3.0Si is the answer to all your needs. You'll never regret it. I don't.
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This is so true. The 2.0 litre too was so easy to drive, no first to second issues and no kangarooing. But it just felt a tad underpowered. That extra oomph is all that's missing really (for some). I was heartbroken when mine was sold, if I had deeper pockets I'd have kept it for top down days.

I think for where you live and what you've said you enjoy a 3.0 roadster sounds perfect. :thumbsup:
 
I think you'll love the 3 litre. I had one for 5 years, and I did. It loves revs, makes a nice sound, and it will feel significantly faster than your 2.0 (I had a 2.0 on loan for a week once so I am able to make a comparison). Nice as I felt the 2.0 was, and it was good - quite quick and good fun to chuck around without some of the sting in the tail of the bigger-engined cars, I did enjoy the extra horsepower the bigger engine offered. Mine was the pre-facelift 231bhp version too.

It is heavier. I'm not sure by how much. I think it's a fair few kg although you don't really notice it on a spirited drive along rural roads.

All in all I think it's a nice balance of performance versus cost (purchase as well as running). My M can sometimes feel too fast on our crowded roads now and there are too few opportunities to exploit the extra power regrettably.
 
Let's be honest neither is better than the other of 2.0 Vs. 3.0. It all depends upon what you're seeking across all sorts of factors. Reading your thread it's clear to me that you seek more hp after a couple of years in a 2.0, so the progression is a good one.

Don't fool yourself with this in terms of performance: On the national and other runs it's been enough to keep up with other Zeds on the road and it's only very occasionally felt underpowered during instant overtakes or driving out of a slow corner and having to make distance up with late braking is all part of the fun for me.. The 3.0's are not really trying but running well within their limits and they too could simply drive faster and brake later for more fun. They are after all gentle cruises :wink:

I'm not going to criticise the 2.0's in any way but you'll instantly prefer the power, smoothness of the 6, noise the much higher general specification from brakes to extras and in reality will not really see the costs rise much unless you do high mileage or are subject to high insurance.

I'd make the swap, but after a few decent test runs.
 
Merrsh1 said:
Zeclipse said:
This thread is awesome, I NEED to test drive the 3.0 now :evil:

And have a quiet word with my wife :wink:
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Just buy an identical spec 3.0 and dont tell her :D
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Winning! Remove the badges off the side too. She'll never know, cos you know, women can't drive/don't know about cars etc..... :fuelfire: :rofl: Mwahahahahahaahahah. Ahh bit of casual sexism to start the day. Typical male.
 
Well thanks all - this certainly has been a useful call for info - the consensus seems to be to go for it and I'll enjoy the extra power - but - will I miss keeping the 2.0 litre on the boil?

I have no misapprehensions about the difference in performance. Previously I ran a TVR Chimeara (always wanted a V8) - but interestingly that went and was replaced by the Zed 2 litre. It was glorious but impractical on todays roads - driving with the occasional blast of that wonderful exhaust only just made up for the ownership. Hey and not all driving on the Nationals and other runs are 'gentle cruisers' - I've enjoyed the fact that responsible driving on these runs have exploited the opportunities on the road - and at times, where appropriate and possible, members have made spirited progress whilst remaining safe and responsible - the kind of driving I applaud and enjoy - anything else should be kept for the track. I wouldn't be joining just a 'gentle cruise' - done some of that processional stuff and it's not for me. As I've said on the road - working hard the 2.0 litre can just about keep up with all of this and yet. . . I still fancy getting that 3 litre!

My point being with performance to spare - are there sufficient opportunities to do the same in a 3 litre or will I be frustrated and seldom have the chance to buzz around that redline or exploit the performance on the road? There seems to be further driving experiences that make 3 litre Zed ownership enjoyable that's what I'm trying to tap into and it's been great reading about this.

One other thing - some may say I should go for a test ride - I certainly will but I've found that really getting to know a car takes time - I took the Chimeara out and loved it too - it was one of my dream cars - but that was a short term love affair when it came to the day to day driving and ownership - it (and me) was only really happy when going for it - not good just chugging around whereas an MX5 I'd had previously could turn nearly every journey into fun! Hence my wanting to tap into the wide experience on this forum.

That's why I am a fan of the 2.0 litre and on the road the 2.0 litre is just enough 90% of the time and it's fun working hard to exploit all it's performance - it too can make a short commute fun. I have a nagging worry that I might regret going to a bigger engine - That's my concern. So far you've all convinced me with your enthusiasm - I'm tempted to go for it but keep your comments and experiences coming. And once again thanks all!

:driving: :thumbsup:
 
richarddaviesgb said:
Merrsh1 said:
Zeclipse said:
This thread is awesome, I NEED to test drive the 3.0 now :evil:

And have a quiet word with my wife :wink:
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Just buy an identical spec 3.0 and dont tell her :D
Click to expand...


Winning! Remove the badges off the side too. She'll never know, cos you know, women can't drive/don't know about cars etc..... :fuelfire: :rofl: Mwahahahahahaahahah. Ahh bit of casual sexism to start the day. Typical male.
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Most women couldn't give a monkeys and wouldn't know or care. Unless there was less pace for their handbag of course. :wink:
 
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