Potentially moving from a 3.0Si to a 35is

J

James Junior

Member
 Manchester
Hi all,

I have been running a 3.0 Si Z4 Coupé for two years now. It has been the best car I have ever owned - quick, capable, frugal and remarkably reliable.

I set up a business 6 months ago that is now really taking off and figure its time for a change.

Ideally I am looking for a capable sports car that offers a little more luxury and refinement and modern toys like blutooth and in-built satnav, but not quite a grand tourer.

On Friday morning I took a Lotus Evora for a test drive, but whilst I loved the drive and the semi-exotic aesthetics, the cabin quality and refinement were a step down from my current Z4C, rather than the step up I was expecting. The natural alternative would be a 911, but in my line of work a Porsche is a no-no unfortunately.

Which kind of brings me back to the 35is. I have been a little skeptical of the 35is as it gets pretty tepid reviews in the motoring press. Yet I have heard a lot of fellow forum members raving about their cars.

I would be really interested to hear about the ownership experience of 35is drivers who use their cars as a daily and especially those who have moved from Z4 Coupes to a 35is.

Whats the refinement like? Is there a lot of tyre roar on the motorway? What sort of MPG are you seeing with mixed driving? Have your cars been reliable?

Any feedback current owners could provide would be very useful.
 
Forget the press reviews-the 35is is a totally stunning car and very different from others Z's due go he DTC and Adaptive Suspension. As a cruiser in comfort mode it smooth easy to drive over long distances. In sports modes it comes alive and sounds totally awesome. I've owned and driven other Z's but nothing comes close to the all round experience of a 35is. I also like Bridgestone RFT's on mine as the adaptive suspension helps the ride quality.
 
I had a Z4M Roadster. I kept it 9 months but got rid only because of the manual gearbox which I hated. Other than that it was excellent.

I bought a Z4 35iS on an 11 plate and loved it. I got 24mpg but on a run over 30 is easy. I have had a max of 34mpg over a 200 mile run.

It is quicker than my Z4M was, smoother by virtue of the gearbox and a softer ride. I love it. It is far more modern and luxurious. The engine is noticeably quicker and the exhaust note on the 35iS is superb !! I too read the reviews and was a little worried until I drove one.

My 11 plate 35iS was great, really quick and looked the business ... but, was not reliable ! It spent 1 month of 3 months in the dealers due to coil pack and suspension ECU issues. That coupled with an initial leak (which was only down to the roof not seating properly) made me lose faith in the car. I was torn. I loved it but common sense said get rid. The garage - Coopers Reading - were very fair and gave me all of my money back.

I loved the 11 plate so much I toyed with the idea of an M135i or M235i but ended up coming back to the idea of another 35iS !!

I bought another 35iS, a 13 plate with only 2450 on the clock. I have now had it nearly 6 months and still love it. It has Sat Nav and an uprated stereo which the older one didn't but it is clearly a better - and newer - model. The newer one has had one issue - the roof got stuck due to a faulty micro switch (not common but not unheard of). Other than that the new one has run like a dream and I love it.

Even though I had a bad one I have faith in the new one and it is simply brilliant. I would recommend it over the older Z4. It is a newer car and the later incarnations of the 35iS I am told (and hope) are far more reliable. It is a very refined car which can hustle along at indecent speed :evil:
 
What about a C63 Coupe? Bit more of a cruiser than a sports car, but has a proper engine and soundtrack to die for?

Have you driven a 35is yet? I was underwhelmed when I drove one, so have no intention to go for one. The gearbox and power were very good, but didn't give the fizz!
 
I ran a e86 3.0si for 4 years before buying my 35is. 2 totally different cars. Had 4 great years in my e86, but 35is is a cruiser if you want it to be, but in sports + mode it's a very quick motor,dct is fantastic,don't miss the old manual gearbox in the e86. The only thing that lets the 35is down is runflats :( would have to hesitation In recommending one :thumbsup:
 
Went from an e85 3.0si to the e89 35is.

The e85 was a brilliant car - very nippy & 'gocart' like.

In comparison the e89 feels bigger, heavier, a lot more 'solid'.

The interior & looks are great (big improvement), solid roof was a big deal for me (bird mess wrecks the cloth & I live by the seaside). Performance is a mixed bag.... engine is mega strong, DCT box is fantastic, handling is a bit soggy if you are really pushing on.

Adaptive suspension is fantastic (soft normally, really firm when you want it).

Fuel consumption was amazing on the e85 (for the performance), the 35is is maybe 20% worse on fuel in all situations.

Overall I am really happy with the newer car, there is nothing out there for sub 50k that I would even think about changing it for (after 2 years).

Matt
 
Thanks for your input guys. I must say it does sound to be more suited to what I want.

Buying options are hard to gauge. Some decent low mileage used cars with circa 30k on the clock often pop up around the £25k mark, whilst some nearly new ones are out there for mid thirties. Yet you can buy a brand new one for £32k before options via Broadspeed which suddenly makes used ones look ludicrously poor value.

I had in mind to spend around £25k, but the Broadspeed option makes me wonder if a two year PCP with nav and heated seats is the way to go. How have others bought their cars?
 
My 35iS was £29,995 from a BMW dealer, 13 plate (Aug 2013), 2450 miles 6 months ago. It had all extras bar heated steering wheel and also came with a service pack to 2018. 2 owners, totally mint in mineral white.

A £3K deposit gave repayments of £396 a month with I think it was £16K left to pay after 4 years.

I looked at the option of a new one but for the same spec it would have been £450 a month with a 6 month wait allegedly - and I don't like waiting ! (2 dealers gave me the same lead in time so I believed them).
 
This my second 35is and both have been daily drivers over mixed roads and return mid 20's mpg on average. They are a fantastic GT car - I have undertaken 5 hour+ drives with ease, very relaxing and comfortable. The RFTs can be a bit noisy but nothing untoward. It is not, IMHO, a sports car in the true sense of the word - just a bit too soft for that.

Plus points : Very strong engine, exhaust note and burble, DCT, adaptive suspension, top range ICE (professional multimedia and professional speaker set up including the best iPod control interface I have ever come across in a car), classy interior, great sports seats, very adjustable driving position, grin factor in sport mode (takes really exotic machinery to catch it).

Weak points : RFTs (although the RE050s on the current car seem a lot better for grip than those on the previous car), has tendency to hop/skip on broken surfaces, wags its tail a bit too readily, boot space is very limited with roof down (need to travel light if using it for vacations etc, or have to keep the roof up), 'fogs up' too readily in damp weather.
 
James Junior said:
Whats the refinement like? Is there a lot of tyre roar on the motorway? What sort of MPG are you seeing with mixed driving? Have your cars been reliable?

Any feedback current owners could provide would be very useful.
Click to expand...

Hi
I've had my 13 plate 35is for about 9 months now. Overall the car is fantastic, and I'd only swap it if my life circumstances changes and I needed more seats.

I use it as a daily driver over 5 miles of very twisty hilly roads, which is a fantastic commute. The roar of the engine with the roof down is a great start to the day. Its properly quick, and handles well once the tyres are warm and if the road is BONE DRY. In the wet in the winter with summer tyres its a bit unnerving at times - traction control light flashes a fair bit for me! I'm investigating winter tyres for next year.
Engine is very very good, DCT is fab. Flappy paddles are so much better than a gear stick. All the gadgets in the car are well designed. Professional speakers and idrive and professional nav are all very usable. I wish mine had a heated steering wheel - its the only option I dont have I think.
I also do a 3.5 hour return motorway run every 3 weeks or so. It cruises the motorway as well as anything IMO.
Overall I get 22MPG, which reflects my commute and style. Its high 30s on the motorway runs. Its got a small petrol tank - so you are refilling a lot.

The runflats are a bit hard going. I would swap for non-FRTs and I am currently speaking with my dealer about this and maintaining the warrantee. There is a question that changing invalidates your warrantee.

The boot is much larger than I expected. Roof up its cavernous for a 2 seater. Roof down its akward as the access space is reduced - but still plenty of space for a bag or two on business trips etc. e.g. I can get my hockey sticks in roof down - I don't think you'd get a long golf driver in though.

The front of the car is very good looking - the back is ugly! The car isn't a head turner - that is certainly part of the appeal to me, hence the blue. Its very understated. Personally I would only consider a blue or grey Z4 - the rest all look too bling.

I recently got two new back tyres and they were expensive all in. £600 I think. The fuel pump made a grinding noise when I purchased the car - more of an annoyance than anything else. Replaced FOC under warrantee. I think it was a £1500 repair otherwise. I will be extending the warrantee. I also have the service pack, which gives some peace of mind for running costs.

As you can tell, I'd recommend this car!
 
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