23i versus 30i

[gov]

still on the search for a car - thought I would extend my criteria to include a 23i having previously making a red 30i a must have - was going to view a red 30i auto but bailed out as I really want the driving experience of a manual box - compromised a step further and went to view a 2010 space grey 23i manual - the car was absolutely mint with one owner and only 20k miles - seeing it first made me think immediately after 18 months of searching this was the " one" if I could get over the fact it wasn't red and looked virtually the same as my old E85 except a newer model - and the price was good ( £10750 ) - however when I test drove it I was completely underwhelmed - didn't have any of the punch of the 30i or my old E85 3.0 SE - whilst I knew it was a safe bet and mint I knew I wouldn't be happy with the car as a "toy" - would be a gem of a find to someone looking for a 23i but not for me

 

[mr wilks]

23i really need to be worked hard to get any feeling of momentum , very little mid range punch for overtaking but what can you expect from 200bhp & a heavy car still a nice drive though , i did a roadtrip around Scotland in one & wasn't underwhelmed , i just accepted what the car was & made allowances .
IF you want a high performance roadster the 23i isn't it & not sure the 3.0i will thrill you much more , maybe the turbo 2.0 will suit your needs better ?

 

[Nictrix]

We have a 23i and have owned it for 5 years next month.
We have not driven any of the other engine sizes so are quite happy with what we have. (except a short test drive in an E85 a couple of years before)
Its not the quickest but when you are not comparing it to anything else its fine and speed is not really why we bought it in the first place.
We keep looking at slightly newer 35is models but really cannot get over paying close to an additional £10k for the same car with a more powerful engine.
The problem with the 30i is that there doesnt seem to be many around.
What Mr Wilks says may be correct with the 2.0 turbo engines but we liked the smoothness of the 6 cylinder.

 

[Smartbear]

We have a 23i and have owned it for 5 years next month.
We have not driven any of the other engine sizes so are quite happy with what we have. (except a short test drive in an E85 a couple of years before)
Its not the quickest but when you are not comparing it to anything else its fine and speed is not really why we bought it in the first place.
We keep looking at slightly newer 35is models but really cannot get over paying close to an additional £10k for the same car with a more powerful engine.
The problem with the 30i is that there doesnt seem to be many around.
What Mr Wilks says may be correct with the 2.0 turbo engines but we liked the smoothness of the 6 cylinder.

I’ve had a couple of 3.0 zeds (e85 & e89) for me the biggest single thing the 2litre turbo is deficient in isn’t its smoothness but it’s sound.
The turbo 4 sounds ok in its own way but it’s not a patch on the 6cylinder song, instead you get a gruff, punchy powerplant that can be tweaked to perform very well indeed.
I’ve got no regrets with my choice but I wouldn’t pretend it’s an equal in every respect.
You need to drive one to see what you think
Rob

 

[Zed Baron]

I was fortunate to pick up a very low mileage mint 23i over 3 years ago, for what I want it does the job. The naturally aspirated engine has been fine and sounds great. The car will be 9 yrs old this year and touch wood has only cost me oil / brake fluid changes, rear brake pads and Ive just changed the tyres. For a weekend car its not cost a lot and when its been down at the local BMW dealers it doesn't look much different to what they have on the forecourt but without the hefty price tag. Guess its down to your budget and what you plan to do with the car.

 

[mr wilks]

We have a 23i and have owned it for 5 years next month.
What Mr Wilks says may be correct with the 2.0 turbo engines but we liked the smoothness of the 6 cylinder.

Just to make clear i wasn't slating the 23i or saying the 2.0i is a better option , just pointing out that if Op felt the car lacked any ooomph perhaps a lighter turbo powered 89 could be the mix he's after in a E89 :?

 

[Mr Tidy]

To be honest OP it sounds to me like you've talked yourself into wanting a manual 30i - now you just need to find one!

Good luck.

 

[mr wilks]

To be honest OP it sounds to me like you've talked yourself into wanting a manual 30i - now you just need to find one!

Good luck.

This will still feel lethargic if you don't hammer it hard through the revs , the E89 needs some momentum to make it feel lively & a turbo ( or 2 ) will always help in that department

 

[Mr Tidy]

This will still feel lethargic if you don't hammer it hard through the revs , the E89 needs some momentum to make it feel lively & a turbo ( or 2 ) will always help in that department

Interesting - I've never driven an E89 but I do notice the 2.5 litre N52 in my E91 only really gets going when you rev the t*ts off it! :lol:

Maybe if you want a manual straight 6 E89 the 35i is the way to go - I think you quite liked yours.

 

[PinkPineapple44]

Seems like you have already got your eye on the 30i...or more

My dad used to have an 2.5 N52 e90 and that thing definitely needed way more revving than my e89 30i to get a bust on.

I chose a manual 30i over the 35i (didn't bother looking at the 23i as I didn't want to downgrade in speed from my previous car) for a couple of reasons; I'm not a fan of the N54 and high power bmw turbo cars without an LSD are pants. Depends if you just want to cruise or hoon though, as the 35i will straight line pull waaay better.

 

[SteveSmith]

We have a 23i and have owned it for 5 years next month.
We have not driven any of the other engine sizes so are quite happy with what we have. (except a short test drive in an E85 a couple of years before)
Its not the quickest but when you are not comparing it to anything else its fine and speed is not really why we bought it in the first place.
We keep looking at slightly newer 35is models but really cannot get over paying close to an additional £10k for the same car with a more powerful engine.
The problem with the 30i is that there doesnt seem to be many around.
What Mr Wilks says may be correct with the 2.0 turbo engines but we liked the smoothness of the 6 cylinder.

I’ve had a couple of 3.0 zeds (e85 & e89) for me the biggest single thing the 2litre turbo is deficient in isn’t its smoothness but it’s sound.
The turbo 4 sounds ok in its own way but it’s not a patch on the 6cylinder song, instead you get a gruff, punchy powerplant that can be tweaked to perform very well indeed.
I’ve got no regrets with my choice but I wouldn’t pretend it’s an equal in every respect.
You need to drive one to see what you think
Rob

This. The engine note isn’t great. With a tweak to the exhaust it makes the usual modern 4 pot turbo pops and farts but nothing else. I’m considering trying an open cone filter to see if it helps! I’ve not used an open cone filter for a good 10 years!

 

[Hunter]

I have a 35iS and after coming from a naturally aspirated car I'm still getting used to the slower throttle response. When Turbo cars are on boost they are great but there is always a slight delay when compared to a naturally aspirated machine which have instant responses.

 

[Rathean]

I found the 23i lacked punch and felt under-powered for the car. It was a fine cruiser though so it all depends on what you're after, I'm very much enjoying my 35i now, it is effortless compared to the 23i and enough progressive acceleration to chase Boxsters around the Shropshire roads :evil:

 

[clarker63]

We have a 23i and have owned it for 5 years next month.
We have not driven any of the other engine sizes so are quite happy with what we have. (except a short test drive in an E85 a couple of years before)
Its not the quickest but when you are not comparing it to anything else its fine and speed is not really why we bought it in the first place.
We keep looking at slightly newer 35is models but really cannot get over paying close to an additional £10k for the same car with a more powerful engine.
The problem with the 30i is that there doesnt seem to be many around.
What Mr Wilks says may be correct with the 2.0 turbo engines but we liked the smoothness of the 6 cylinder.

Totally agree here. I have the 2.3i, and am very happy with it. Unlike the bigger engined cars its not going to cost the earth to fix (unless the roof goes wrong), and I value my licence! Having had 2 s2000 and honda fireblades in my 40's, I was worried that I would find the 2.3i slow, but I didn't. Whilst I keep looking out for a 3.5is, I can't justify the extra cost at the moment. Maybe in a few years when its more like £5k for the same car, but until then, to me its not worth the money.

 

[john-e89]

and enough progressive acceleration to chase Boxsters around the Shropshire roads :evil:

Don’t be TOO noisy when you finally get through the bends and knock on my window will you please.....I’ll be in a VERY deep sleep....... :evil: :wink: :wink:

 

[Nictrix]

I think this is getting slightly away from the what the original post was all about.
Obviously if money was no object everybody would buy the 35is as its the most powerful, but this is about whether or not there is another option instead of the 30i.
Everybody and their dog knows that the 23i is almost at the bottom of the heap powerwise and was the base engine model when launched.
Maybe the OP doesn't want a turbo model with all the troubles that go with it. The 35is and 35i for instance seems to have way more problems than any other model, mostly with the fuelling system/ injectors etc.
Not saying that other models don't have problems but on here it seems to be mostly those models.

 

[Nictrix]

We have a 23i and have owned it for 5 years next month.
We have not driven any of the other engine sizes so are quite happy with what we have. (except a short test drive in an E85 a couple of years before)
Its not the quickest but when you are not comparing it to anything else its fine and speed is not really why we bought it in the first place.
We keep looking at slightly newer 35is models but really cannot get over paying close to an additional £10k for the same car with a more powerful engine.
The problem with the 30i is that there doesnt seem to be many around.
What Mr Wilks says may be correct with the 2.0 turbo engines but we liked the smoothness of the 6 cylinder.

Totally agree here. I have the 2.3i, and am very happy with it. Unlike the bigger engined cars its not going to cost the earth to fix (unless the roof goes wrong), and I value my licence! Having had 2 s2000 and honda fireblades in my 40's, I was worried that I would find the 2.3i slow, but I didn't. Whilst I keep looking out for a 3.5is, I can't justify the extra cost at the moment. Maybe in a few years when its more like £5k for the same car, but until then, to me its not worth the money.

I have a 2006 R1 that does over 100 in first gear and 0-60 under 3 seconds and the speed or acceleration of the 23i doesn't bother me one bit.
On a couple of the forum runs I only felt it was lacking in power a few times and one of them was climbing through Aviemore where the more powerful engine cars could pull away easily up the hills.

 

[JamiesZ4]

I've got a 3.0 E89 and find it quick enough, especially switched to sport+. I've previously owned the first generation Z4, 330ci, M3 (E36 and E46) and find the E89 3.0 with a 0-60 in 6 seconds is no slouch and like others have mentioned without any associated turbo related issues but still with the straight six engine. I also did the remap thing (I know, I know it's naturally aspirated, but still) so putting out about 278bhp which is plenty enough for me.

I live on the boarders of Kent/South East London and to be honest normal speed locally is about 18mph everywhere (being commuter belt land) so needing a car like the 35i/is that can hit 60 in under 5 seconds and costs £10K more secondhand than my normally aspirated model just seems pointless

Whilst not having tried a 23i on paper at least their doesn't seem to be a huge difference between the 23i and 3.0i.

Interesting (if brief) review of the 23i - https://www.evo.co.uk/reviews/6790/bmw-z4-sdrive-23i-review-price-specs-and-0-60-time

 

[gov]

I have driven a 30i and now having tried the 23i to me there is a marked difference - as in the official review the 30i responds with less effort similar to my old E85 3.0SE compared to the E85 2.5 which I also tried before getting the 3.0 SE.

My problem is I'm freakishly tall so am restricted to what I can fit in comfortably - my friend has a guards red 3.2S Boxster than goes like a bullet and a sound to die for but whilst I can squeeze in to the passenger seat it's virtually impossible to get in to the drivers side the zed is the only roadster that I can fit in to - Merc's are for old men (oops I'm 70 next month ) but come in Auto anyway.

 

[Rathean]

Don’t be TOO noisy when you finally get through the bends and knock on my window will you please.....I’ll be in a VERY deep sleep....... :evil: :wink: :wink:

Just you wait for the straight bits