N20 vs N52 vs N54 Engine

[Tinker15]

All the people that chose the 23i instead of the 30i for a start

It’s a pity your first E89 broke as then you wouldn’t have to keep posting and telling us all how wonderful 4 cylinders are!

 

[Silverstar]

It’s not just the mpg which is better on the 2.0 range (Compared to the six pot) which obviously saves you more money the more miles you drive, but the tax is also cheaper which saves money regardless of usage and also the servicing costs are less as well

But how many people buy a Z4 to save money? To some they are a second or third car and running costs are low on the list of priorities when choosing which model to buy.

All the people that chose the 23i instead of the 30i for a start
Rob

That's more to do with the fact that there was 4 grand difference in buying price when new rather than running costs.

 

[Smartbear]

It’s not just the mpg which is better on the 2.0 range (Compared to the six pot) which obviously saves you more money the more miles you drive, but the tax is also cheaper which saves money regardless of usage and also the servicing costs are less as well

But how many people buy a Z4 to save money? To some they are a second or third car and running costs are low on the list of priorities when choosing which model to buy.

All the people that chose the 23i instead of the 30i for a start
Rob

That's more to do with the fact that there was 4 grand difference in buying price when new rather than running costs.

Look at your previous post, it was you that said buyers chose the 23i over the 30i because they thought it had lower running costs.
Rob

 

[Smartbear]

All the people that chose the 23i instead of the 30i for a start

It’s a pity your first E89 broke as then you wouldn’t have to keep posting and telling us all how wonderful 4 cylinders are!

And you’re not doing the same for the 30i? :lol:
Rob

 

[Tinker15]

And you’re not doing the same for the 30i?

You beat me at at a ratio of about 10 to 1.

 

[Smartbear]

And you’re not doing the same for the 30i?

You beat me at at a ratio of about 10 to 1.

On a post entitled n20 v n52 v m54 you’d expect to hear some different opinions to your own, wouldn’t you? :?
There’s definitely more weighting towards the 6 pot engines on this forum, I only put forward what I consider factual opinions rather than just personal preference.
Rob

 

[Anonymous]

Relax Rob, just cause your car is faster accelerating, more economical and better handling there's no need to bang on!

Out of interest as probably the person best qualified to comment given that unlike most of us you owned both a 6 pot and 4 pot for a period of time what are your reflections and perceptions on the various points?

 

[Silverstar]

Look at your previous post, it was you that said buyers chose the 23i over the 30i because they thought it had lower running costs.
Rob

I think this is what I said:

When the car was new the answer is two folds, lower purchase price and secondly many buyers mistakenly think that the smaller engine will be more economical.

Covers both points I think?

 

[Smartbear]

Relax Rob, just cause your car is faster accelerating, more economical and better handling there's no need to bang on!

Out of interest as probably the person best qualified to comment given that unlike most of us you owned both a 6 pot and 4 pot for a period of time what are your reflections and perceptions on the various points?

I’ll try not to bang on, I drove my 3.0si e85 as a daily driver for almost 3 years & thought it was great - a little crashy over bumps with sport suspension even after changing the rf tyres. The N52 engine complimented the car brilliantly to the point of being the stand out attribute, fast & creamy and surprisingly frugal on fuel. It sounded really sweet as well.
Although the sound was addictive i tried removing the sound generator for a few long trips of 300miles+ and found it made the car less tiring over distance for me.
My 30i e89 experience was short lived owing to terminal meltdown of the manual gearbox, i found a particularly low mileage M - sport (19k) example and was disappointed it only lasted a month
I’m not sure if it was solely the lack of the sound generator in the e89, but the n52 in this car felt less raucous than it did in the e85, more so than the missing half a dozen ponies would have you believe, I don’t think it was the extra weight of the e89 either. I’ve wondered if the gearbox/diff was changed to give taller gearing?
Apart from the small perceived change in engine performance the e89 felt like a nicer place to be, so my replacement zed was definitely going to be another e89 but this time i broadened the search to include the turbo 4’s, finding a 20i with one owner/19k miles.
I posted on here about my road trip to Monaco with Stupot & Pastry who drive a 3.0si and an M roadster, 2,500miles in a week was a good way to bond with my new car.
Some people say there’s not a huge difference in the performance of the 2 cars I’ve just mentioned, a remapped 20i fits neatly into that smallish gap. The reasonable running costs are just an added bonus.
There you are, no slating or banging on, just my honest opinion
Rob

 

[Smartbear]

Look at your previous post, it was you that said buyers chose the 23i over the 30i because they thought it had lower running costs.
Rob

I think this is what I said:

When the car was new the answer is two folds, lower purchase price and secondly many buyers mistakenly think that the smaller engine will be more economical.

Covers both points I think?

That’s what I said, they thought the smaller car would be more economical
Rob

 

[Mr Tidy]

That's a really useful comparison from someone who has owned both N20 and N52 models.

At the end of the day it looks like there is no wrong answer, it just depends what people prefer!

Maybe it's an age thing, but I've always preferred engines you need to rev to get the best out of them - possibly my early motorbike 2-stroke experiences, a couple of twin-cam Fiats in the 70s and a couple of 2.8 Injection Capris in the 80s. :roll:

I had one 4 cylinder turbo car in the early 2000s, a Seat Leon Cupra, and as much as I liked the mid-range "shove" I didn't like how it seemed to run out of breath well before the red-line. Then for work reasons I had a couple of 4 cylinder turbo-diesels, but the less said about them the better.

When I decided to buy a Z4 I only wanted a Coupe, so an N52 was the only attainable option at the time and I just loved mine. Plus I always thought the 6 cylinder engine was one of the Z4s unique features anyway.

But if you don't mind a 4 the N20 can be easily as quick, or slightly quicker, with potentially lower costs.

And while an N54 is only a map away from silly power, I just love the characteristics of my current S54 too much. :lol: