BMW Z4 E89 3.5i vers 3.0i

D

Dayvee

Member
Iam presently trying to buy a nice Z4 E89 3.0 auto , but have been tempted possibly to buy an Z4 3.5i I presently run a 2001 Z3 2.2 auto 6 cylinder which iam more than happy with but just fancy an upgrade to an E89 .

I have read various things on the two models , and believe the earlier 3.0i N52 engine is more reliable than the 3.5i N54 engine is this because of the turbos being unreliable or is it other things which i should know about in choosing either model ?.

If anyone can give me any guidance on choosing one of these cars it would be greatly appreciated this is only a weekend car so not a daily driver and iam not a speed freak these days ! as i have been more than happy with my Z3 which is only about 180 bhp thanks in advance Davey
 
I'm on my 4th BMW with the N52 engine, two in E86s and two in 3 Series and it's a gem as well as pretty bulletproof. Main issues are oil leaks and dead electric water pumps.

I've not had an N54 but from what I have read they can suffer from High Pressure Fuel Pump and Injector problems, in addition to turbo issues.

A 30i has a claimed 258PS the same as my 330i and it doesn't feel slow! Sadly there don't seem to be many around, there far more 23is.
 
Based on your last paragraph I’d suggest the additional reliability and lower running costs of an N52 engined E89 would be worth searching out.

I’d also put a wanted add in the classifieds here, just be specific about what’s non-negotiable and keep it short and sweet.

I’d suggest including IDRIVE as a requirement as this is on most people’s shopping list so will aide resale :thumbsup:
 
Given your stated criteria and habits it’s a 100% vote for a 30i…

35i/35is can be very problematic..some folks are lucky..for most it’s of matter of when not if having some bigger than £500 items to address..
 
Thanks for your comments and advice guys much appreciated !! so just need to get a nice E89 Z4 3.0 auto if anyone is selling one in the uk drop me a message Cheers safe driving
 
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