Hi, New Potential Member - Brought a 20i!

[2011Z4Newbie]

Hi All,

Some of you may have seen my previous posts. I’m in the market for an older generation Z4 due to having quite tight on road parking. I will be swapping from a G20 3 series and haven’t driven a sports car like the Z4 before. The newer generation Z4’s are too large so the smaller model is a must.

I am unsure whether to buy the 4 cylinder turbo models (20i) or the earlier generation 6 cylinder naturally aspirated. I have a feeling a lot of you will be diehard 6 cylinder fans, but please keep an open mind to both.

Being a younger person I want something fun that can put the same smile on my face that the G20 does. It will be my daily driver so it needs to be mechanically sound with no troubles driving distance on a regular basis. I’m unsure which one has a better soundtrack?

Would you recommend the 20i or 23i?

Cheers

 

[IRD]

I have owned a 2.3 M Sport, a 3.5is and now have a re-mapped 1.8 MSport. The sensible thing to do would be to drive the models you are considering. That is the only real way you will determine what suits you best. There is no denying that the sound of the six cylinder engine trumps the four litre lump. But BMW stopped making the 2.3 a long time ago. Whereas you would be able to purchase a much newer 2 litre car. Whilst I miss the lovely sound of the 6 cylinder engines I find my current car lighter and sharper to handle because the engine is much lighter.
So you pays your money and makes your choice.
GLWYS.

 

[Lynchy]

PM sent

 

[Pondrew]

Worth noting that the N20 (2 litre blower) engine should average better fuel economy than the N52 6 pot.
On a decent A-road or M/way run you will get over 40mpg out of the 2 litre (if you're not silly with the loud pedal).
As said above; the 23i ended production in late 2011 (all pre facelift), so they are all getting old and thus finding one with decent mileage is getting more difficult by the day.

 

[2011Z4Newbie]

Worth noting that the N20 (2 litre blower) engine should average better fuel economy than the N52 6 pot.
On a decent A-road or M/way run you will get over 40mpg out of the 2 litre (if you're not silly with the loud pedal).
As said above; the 23i ended production in late 2011 (all pre facelift), so they are all getting old and thus finding one with decent mileage is getting more difficult by the day.

Thanks for the reply, there is a stunning 23i locally to me with 49k miles for a good price. How ever , It’s 2011 and in my favourite colour combination. However, I am very hesitant with the amount of miles and no cruise control. There seems to be a lack of Z4s for sale around the West Midlands and Worcester lol.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202501168087567

I do agree that your one is probably one of the best around, just so far away!

 

[Pondrew]

No i-drive which makes adding carplay more difficult I think.
Aftermarket parking sensors (they stick out too much for factory ones).
Also an SE spec, not M-sport. Although it does have M-sport seats by the look of it!

 

[IRD]

I have Pondrew’s wife’s previous Z4 and have seen the current one he has for sale. He chooses his cars carefully and looks after them well. The blue one he currently has for sale is an excellent example. Cars in this condition with such a low mileage are hard to find.
A photo of the white Z that I bought from Andy.

 

[Pondrew]

A photo of the white Z that I bought from Andy.

That's not the one....it's a different reg number! :lol:
Needs a clean aswell! oke:

 

[B21]

The 23i are pretty bomb proof..I have friends with 23i at 125k and 150k with no issues…parking sensors can be retrofitted easily ..FWIW

On a similar drive there’s negligible difference in fuel between a 23i and 20i..unless the 20i is on a hoon in which case the N20 burns more fuel than a 23i

As others said..different characters..despite a common chassis..for me the 6 pot soundtrack has never mattered..

I suspect like the typical house buyer what you buy won’t be what you said you wanted ! oke: :tumbleweed: :rofl:

 

[2011Z4Newbie]

The 23i are pretty bomb proof..I have friends with 23i at 125k and 150k with no issues…parking sensors can be retrofitted easily ..FWIW

On a similar drive there’s negligible difference in fuel between a 23i and 20i..unless the 20i is on a hoon in which case the N20 burns more fuel than a 23i

As others said..different characters..despite a common chassis..for me the 6 pot soundtrack has never mattered..

I suspect like the typical house buyer what you buy won’t be what you said you wanted ! oke: :tumbleweed: :rofl:

Thanks for the reply, I guess we will just have to wait and see what comes up. I think I like both at this point to be honest

 

[Mr Tidy]

I've always liked a straight 6 soundtrack, and it was one of the unique features of the Z4 compared to its rivals.

The N52 engines fitted to facelift E85/86s and early E89s seem to be pretty bulletproof. I really liked them in my first two Z4s so made sure when I got an E91 325i it had the same engine. I sold it after a year on 139K miles because it felt like it struggled to haul a Touring around and replaced it with an E90 330i that has now done 127K. Both engines ran really sweetly despite the miles. In the last few months a couple of people with E86s have posted about their cars that have done 180K and 230K!

But plenty on here are more than happy with the 4-cylinder N20 engines which are apparently a bit lighter at the front.

Just be aware that there is an ongoing recall on E89s with the N52 engine for Vanos bolts:- https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=148800&hilit=recall

So if you go for one make sure it has been done, or get it done.

As someone already said the best thing to do is to drive all the alternatives and see what you prefer.

 

[IRD]

A photo of the white Z that I bought from Andy.

That's not the one....it's a different reg number! :lol:
Needs a clean aswell! oke:

You never could tell your a**e from your elbow. It worries me that you are still driving with such poor eyesight.

 

[pvr]

I collected my car from faaaaaaaaar away, 5 hours drive one way, but the further - the better they taste :lol:

 

[Z450]

It’s really a personal preference, both have their pros and cons. For me personally it has to be the six cylinder, ideally I would try and source a 3.0 variant. Ideally drive a four cylinder and a six cylinder and see what you prefer. This time of year there are less Z4s for sale in general, give it another 6-8 weeks and more will be appearing forsale

 

[x-driver]

I collected my car from faaaaaaaaar away, 5 hours drive one way, but the further - the better they taste :lol:

What should I say, I collected my car from Sweden and I'm from Slovenia :lol: