BMW series 4 advice

[MikeyH]

Hi everyone, looking for a replacement convertible for my wife’s car. At the moment she has an old Ford focus CC, we have kept this car for around 8 years as it has a massive boot space for moving the kids stuff all over Britain. But the time has now arrived to get a newer car. So, it’s between the Audi A5 and the BMW 4 series convertibles, for me it’s the BMW as it looks better but it will be the 2.0 litre as she wants a manual gearbox. So, has anyone on here ever owned the 2.0 and is it reliable, is it the same engine as in the E89? I know the boot space is crap with the roof down but it’s not too bad with it up. I’ve gone off the A5 as it seems to have very poor reliability. Any advice would be very welcome

 

[Pondy]

4 series are OK Mikey, but the convertibles come with an even more complex folding hardtop than the E89. An extra roof panel, so it has to fold and unfold three in total. They also have a very very complex 'lift' mechanism in the boot, where the whole roof is lifted up when stowed to gain access to the boot space under. They have a habit of sill drains blocking and water sitting in the rear wings. If the water backs up too much it overflows into the boot where a lot of the electronic components sit!

The 2 litre petrol will be the B48 engine.....the next generation to the N20 in the E89. No problems with camchain issues but they have a poor reputation of having coolant issues. Mainly because hoses snap or perish where they are exposed to heat. They also have water-cooled intercoolers, so more plumbing.
The 4 series verts (F33) are very heavy cars so a 180bhp 2 litre engine may feel a bit underpowered TBH.
Having recently had a manual 320i with the same engine and gearbox I wasn't impressed by the gearbox at all.
If you do decide to go for one make sure you pay a LOT less than an equivalent auto. Manual cars like those are not sought after so are hard to sell.

 

[MikeyH]

Thank you Pondrew, that’s good advice, I had been a bit worried about the roof considering all the problems forum members have with the E89 roof. We recently had the entire wiring loom for the focus replaced because of a few Broken wires. I was quite concerned about the turbo packing up but it seems there’s a lot more to look out for. Been looking on one of the Audi forums and the 2017 A5 seems just as complicated and prone to failure. Modern cars :thumbsdown: I haven’t compared prices with the auto, perhaps I should

 

[enuff_zed]

How big do you need?
Vall had a couple of 220d convertibles and loved them. Decent sized boot too.

 

[MikeyH]

How big do you need?
Vall had a couple of 220d convertibles and loved them. Decent sized boot too.

Neither of us is keen on diesels and the petrol engines only have 3 cylinders which is a bit of putting. I did start looking at them as they seem quite nice. The problem is that she is not a car person and doesn’t enjoy going around looking at endless cars, this leaves it up to me. I find a car, I go look and if it’s okay we both go back. It’s not easy.

 

[MikeyH]

How big do you need?
Vall had a couple of 220d convertibles and loved them. Decent sized boot too.

Neither of us is keen on diesels and the petrol engines only have 3 cylinders which is a bit of putting. I did start looking at them as they seem quite nice. The problem is that she is not a car person and doesn’t enjoy going around looking at endless cars, this leaves it up to me. I find a car, I go look and if it’s okay we both go back. It’s not easy.

I’ve just noticed that the 220 is a 2.0 litre, I really need to start looking at these.

 

[Pondy]

I would say the 2 series is a better bet than a 4 (unless you need the extra space). Or the A5 cab. The 2 litre has the tfsi engine, which has been made for years so should be bomb-proof by now.

Also worth remembering you only find problems on car forums, never the 99% that don't have any.

If you are comparing Audreys with BMs, I would advise to drive both. They are very different animals IME. The Audi will be much softer, quieter and more refined than an equivalent BMW, but the Beemer will be better to 'drive'.

 

[MikeyH]

I am now erring towards the newer A3 Pondrew, not the pram version, as this seems to be quite good. As this is primarily for the wife a softer ride would be better and a nice respite from the E85 :evil: Only problem is the lack of a spare wheel and space to put one with either the BMW 2 serious or the Audi A3. Also Audis seem to have lots of expensive electrical faults judging by the forums. But as you rightly say "only find problems on car forums, never the 99% that don't have any". Same here. Thank you again for your help, seems like I have started one of your " Help me choose a new car" threads. :wink: Mike.