Are the '2.2' cars worth considering?
- Thread starter Matthew.
- Start date
Nelly Welly said:Leather gear lever gaiter - my 2.2 has this
Lockable glove box - my 2.2 has this
Brushed ally dash/interior - my 2.2 has this
Leather gear knob - my 2.2 has this
Sports leather steering wheel - my 2.2 has this with Multi controls
Chrome headlights - my 2.2 has these
17" vs 16" rims - my 2.2 has these
larger disks - my 2.2 has these
I presume the original owner spec'd it up.
Boy does that increase the smile factor
Had my 2.2 for 10 years now and have all of the above but now with 18" ACS wheels and throughly enjoy the driving experience (and the constant smile factor I get when behind the wheel) Increase in power with a 2.5 or 3.0 is no doubt useful but in my experience a mix of power and driving capability make the car really work and unfortunately in UK we have many drivers with high performance vehicles but lack the driving capability to make it really work.
As for fuel economy - all in the right foot.......
You can easily drive a 3.0 Zed in a manner that reduces its acceleration to that you would experience in a 2.2 or 2.5 model if you wish to do so.
You cannot drive a 2.2 or 2.5 Zed in a manner that increases its acceleration to that you would experience in a 3.0 model.
The difference in acceleration between a 2.5 and a 3.0 is more noticeable than the difference between a 2.2 and a 2.5 (unless you compare the later 2.5si with the earlier 3.0i).
Nothing wrong with a 2.2 engine or even a 2.0 for that matter but if you can afford the insurance then go for 3.0 all day long.
You cannot drive a 2.2 or 2.5 Zed in a manner that increases its acceleration to that you would experience in a 3.0 model.
The difference in acceleration between a 2.5 and a 3.0 is more noticeable than the difference between a 2.2 and a 2.5 (unless you compare the later 2.5si with the earlier 3.0i).
Nothing wrong with a 2.2 engine or even a 2.0 for that matter but if you can afford the insurance then go for 3.0 all day long.
I'm quite happy with my 2.2 and though I would love a 3.0, I jut can't jutify the insurance cost and taxes.... Having said that, the 2.5 would be a better bet. Nonetheless, I chose the 2.2 because of better spec than most of the 2.5 models out there. After a remap, the performance is almost identical to the 2.5 (only 7hp difference). I'm probably keeping my 2.2. If I ever want more power, I can still get an oldtimer (much cheaper in insurance and taxes) like a decent 944 turbo or so, next to the zed.
I test drove a 2.2 and found the performance perfectly adequate and enjoyed the six-pot character and smoothness over the 2.0. I ended up getting the best condition, low mileage example I could find for my budget which happened to be a 2.5 but would have taken any 2.2, 2.5 or 3.0. In the real world, day-to-day ownership is more likely to be ruined by problems and extortionate repairs than a few bhp but it depends what your priorities are for your budget.
I have done all the power trip on my bikes over the last 40 years my last bike being a 1340 Suzuki Hyabusa with full Yoshimura exhaust & power commander giving more power and faster acceleration that only a top end super car could get near and certainly nothing with 4 wheels that I could afford.
My priorities when looking for a summer weekend toy to replace the bike were.
6 cylinder engine, manual gearbox, sub 50k, good service history & heated leather.
The best car I found in my price bracket was a straight 6 2.2
With added factory extras.
Sterling grey mettalic paint
M sport black heated leather
Cruise control
Leather wheel
Gear knob gaitors and arm rest
17" 103's
Wind deflector
Black roof covers
Lockable glove box
Brushed ally dash
Cup holders
Green tinted shadeband windscreen
Plus other bits I can't remember
Everything I wanted including low mileage the last owner 7 years. The 6 cylinder engine is superb plenty of tourqes and enough acceleration in the real world when you want to play.
We went away to Netherlands for a week this year doing over 800 miles around Holland the car never missed a beat. It drew admiring glances wherever we went as it does around Derbyshire on a sunny Sunday.
I plan to keep the car beyond retirement and have no regrets about not getting the bigger engine.
I'm past the mines bigger than yours pub bragging now I just love getting out on a sunny Sunday and enjoy the
My advise get the best you can for your money and for me any of the 6 Pots is a fine car
My priorities when looking for a summer weekend toy to replace the bike were.
6 cylinder engine, manual gearbox, sub 50k, good service history & heated leather.
The best car I found in my price bracket was a straight 6 2.2
With added factory extras.
Sterling grey mettalic paint
M sport black heated leather
Cruise control
Leather wheel
Gear knob gaitors and arm rest
17" 103's
Wind deflector
Black roof covers
Lockable glove box
Brushed ally dash
Cup holders
Green tinted shadeband windscreen
Plus other bits I can't remember
Everything I wanted including low mileage the last owner 7 years. The 6 cylinder engine is superb plenty of tourqes and enough acceleration in the real world when you want to play.
We went away to Netherlands for a week this year doing over 800 miles around Holland the car never missed a beat. It drew admiring glances wherever we went as it does around Derbyshire on a sunny Sunday.
I plan to keep the car beyond retirement and have no regrets about not getting the bigger engine.
I'm past the mines bigger than yours pub bragging now I just love getting out on a sunny Sunday and enjoy the
My advise get the best you can for your money and for me any of the 6 Pots is a fine car
I agree with this, my last BMW cab was an E36 323i, just sold an Audi S4 quattro cab (4.2 litre V8, bonkers power but dull and quite difficult to get into the teens mpg), and the Zed is a 2.5, the lack of power it's relative, I love the smooooooooooooooth 6 cylinder engines and the growly exhaust, adequate power but you need to work the gears to get the best out of it but that's part of the fun. I'm never going to track the car.
Sport mode surprisingly better. Why isn't it like that normally.
Sport mode surprisingly better. Why isn't it like that normally.
Can't help but chuckle (no offence intended, seriously) that the OP has asked about the 2.2 and somehow 'buy an M' has almost been tabled :lol:
Anyhoo. If the budget is around 4k, you're either looking at a 100k miles++ 3.0i - fine if history and condition are good - or a 2.5i just shy of 100k.
Ultimately it depends what you're looking for. Power, fun, low miles, a keeper or......?
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Anyhoo. If the budget is around 4k, you're either looking at a 100k miles++ 3.0i - fine if history and condition are good - or a 2.5i just shy of 100k.
Ultimately it depends what you're looking for. Power, fun, low miles, a keeper or......?
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Matthew. said:
Lets be honest, any Z4 has perfectly adequate power. I came from a 2.0 MX5 Sport with 160bhp to the Z4, ok the Mazda is a much lighter car but it still wasn't as quick as the 2.5 Z4 I have now, yet that was great fun with adequate power output for what it was. We get a bit blinded sometimes by quoted performance figures and the MX5 was perfect proof of that, it felt a lot quicker than it actually was, probably because it cornered so well.
When I went lookng for the Z4 I didn't have a particular engine size in mind, I did have a preference for a 6 cyl though. I didn't even know if I wanted a Coupe or a Roadster to be honest, it was just a case of "I'll know the car when I see it". I knew I didn't want a M .... well, yes I'd have loved one but good ones were outside of what I wanted to pay - plus the higher running costs made it just a bit too impractical for me. That being the case the choice of engine size was pretty academic, I'd have bought a 2.2 without question if the right car had come along. But as it happened, not too many sub 20k mile, 8 year old cars come up that often - especially a yellow(ish) one (I love yellow sportscars) so I knew I had to have it, and ended up with the 2006 Roadster. I have absolutely no regrets at all about not getting a 3 litre, another 40bhp would have been nice but I'm happy with the performance as it is. Hopefully I'll be a bit happier with the handling when I get rid of the runflats and onto some decent tyres.
But, going back to the original question: don't be put off a nice car just because it's not got the biggest engine - unless of course that's your major criteria - even the smaller ones have lots to offer. You've only got to look at Mr Bad Pritts car and how much he obviously enjoys it to see proof of that
Grumpyowl said:
///M's are very different. We're talkin the difference between 2.2, 2.5 &3.0 all of which are 6 cyl engines with near identical running costs.
Hence why the 2.2 was dropped after 2 years for the 2.0!that is a cheaper car to run.
Really depends what you want. I test drove a 2.2 and was perfectly happy with it. I ended up with a 2.5 as I found one I liked and the running costs were similar. At the time I felt a 3.0 would cost to much for me to run so it was always between the 2.2 & 2.5 for me I just wanted that lovely straight six engine !!
I had considered changing to a 3.0 earlier this year but decided I still like my car to much to part with it. Best thing to do is drive them but if it's power you want and an M is not an option then go for the 3.0.
I had considered changing to a 3.0 earlier this year but decided I still like my car to much to part with it. Best thing to do is drive them but if it's power you want and an M is not an option then go for the 3.0.
My 3.0 has been pretty bomb proof with regards to the engine.
Only 'under the bonnet' issue's i've had are:
Rocker cover gasket (£30 fix, oem bmw gasket)
Thermostat (£60 fix, Lucas part)
Expansion tank (£80 oem bmw part)
Leaking oil cap (£5 from eurocarparts)
Starter motor (£60 Lucas part)
Battery (£60 bosch s4 from eurocarparts) not technically under the bonnet I know :lol:
All things that could go wrong on the 2.2 and 2.5.
I get around 26mpg and use mine as a daily commuter as well as a weekend toy. I do shift work so don't usually sit in traffic, which means high speed work commutes :lol:
For comparison, I had a 2008 focus st3 and got 18mpg from the 2.5 5 cylinder engine.
Only 'under the bonnet' issue's i've had are:
Rocker cover gasket (£30 fix, oem bmw gasket)
Thermostat (£60 fix, Lucas part)
Expansion tank (£80 oem bmw part)
Leaking oil cap (£5 from eurocarparts)
Starter motor (£60 Lucas part)
Battery (£60 bosch s4 from eurocarparts) not technically under the bonnet I know :lol:
All things that could go wrong on the 2.2 and 2.5.
I get around 26mpg and use mine as a daily commuter as well as a weekend toy. I do shift work so don't usually sit in traffic, which means high speed work commutes :lol:
For comparison, I had a 2008 focus st3 and got 18mpg from the 2.5 5 cylinder engine.