Thinking of an ea9

Ben f

Member
Thinking of an e89 next year, just wandering about opinions on which engine to go for. Started looking at 35i or 3.0 but now thinking maybe the 2.8 is the best all rounder for performance mpg tax etc, currently drive 3litre e85, cant get anything slower, cheers for any sensible advice. :)
 
I have had a 2010 3.5is for just over a year now and absolutely love it. It has only done 40000 miles and has been well cared for with a full service history. I have a BMW extended warranty but so far there have had no issues. It is a weekend car and not my daily drive so The mileage will remain low. Petrol consumption averages out at about 30mpg but depends on how you drive it. Needless to say these are complex cars and can go wrong in an expensive way if you are unlucky. However if you take care with your research and are patient I am sure you will find a good car. As far as driving goes the E89 is more of a GT and won’t be as sharp and responsive as your E85. It will, however, be more comfortable for daily use and particularly for longer journeys. Having had an E85 in the past, would I swop back. No, the E89 better suits my needs. Good luck with your research. :thumbsup:
 
Hey Ben,

I have a 2012 35i with 29,000 miles on the clock. I have had the car for about 4 months and average 36mpg on long motorway journeys but can conversely get it down to 21 mpg if I am having a bit of fun.

The engine is brilliantly smooth and the torque feels great. Drove my car in Austria over the summer and it ate up the mountain climbs effortlessly!

I would personally recommend the 35i/35is knowing they are brilliant engines but I must admit I have never driven the 2.0.

Good luck with your search!
 
Nothing wrong with a 4 pot E89 Ben , just don't get hung up on it being the 28i , a 20i remapped will give you 99% of 28i for far less ££ :thumbsup:
 
Loving my 28i for four years now, wanted to mod it but decided it was all I ever needed so apart from aftermarket wheels, on runflats and some black grills its standard.

As said I agree an e89 is more of a GT so take that view on board and you will not be underwhelmed :thumbsup:
 
From what I have read a 28i will give pretty much the same performance as a 30i while being more economical and cheaper to tax - so I guess it just depends what price you put on a 6-cylinder soundtrack!
 
IRD said:
I have had a 2010 3.5is for just over a year now and absolutely love it. It has only done 40000 miles and has been well cared for with a full service history. I have a BMW extended warranty but so far there have had no issues. It is a weekend car and not my daily drive so The mileage will remain low. Petrol consumption averages out at about 30mpg but depends on how you drive it. Needless to say these are complex cars and can go wrong in an expensive way if you are unlucky. However if you take care with your research and are patient I am sure you will find a good car. As far as driving goes the E89 is more of a GT and won’t be as sharp and responsive as your E85. It will, however, be more comfortable for daily use and particularly for longer journeys. Having had an E85 in the past, would I swop back. No, the E89 better suits my needs. Good luck with your research. :thumbsup:

That about sums it up nicely - :thumbsup:
 
Mines a daily and does 38/39 MPG mixture of driving A roads and M ways with the odd spirited detour for fun :driving:
 
In addition to my earlier post I would add - Do Not try a 35i or 35is - because any reasoning or logic will soon be ignored!
 
Cheers all, might look into remapping, pros and cons but looking at stats for all 2.8 still looks favourite, unless I just go for the 35i and wear the costs for extra oomph :thumbsup:
 
Ben f said:
Cheers all, might look into remapping, pros and cons but looking at stats for all 2.8 still looks favourite, unless I just go for the 35i and wear the costs for extra oomph :thumbsup:

My 35is gets 32mpg and its about £320 ish to tax. I only do about 4K so an extra 5mpg doesn't register !
 
ronk said:
In addition to my earlier post I would add - Do Not try a 35i or 35is - because any reasoning or logic will soon be ignored!

That's also great advice!

But they do have scope for a remap...……. :lol:
 
The 20i remapped or a stock 28i will outrun the 30i by a margin...especially the auto versions

More torque ensures about 0-60 about 0.6 sec faster..better acceleration...sweeter handling..less mass from that 4 pot over the nose..

A remap on the 18i 20i 28i is the way to go...it will then almost keep up with a stock 35i

Lots of underspec 20i going for peanuts with lower mileages and newer..

But if you need a willy inflator the 35is or a 35i remapped is the top banana in a straight line..most people then teeter around the corners..

On the road as usual the driver determines the pace not the car.. :thumbsup:
 
Not much love for the 30i here but that's what I would recommend and it's the one I've got! Reason being that awesome 6 cylinder sound track which just can't be beat, 6 cylinder smoothness (which almost never gets mentioned when comparing to a 4 pot) and almost the same pace as the 35i but with way better reliability and not to mention there are way fewer of these around since they were only produced between 2009 and 2011 and in that time most purchased the 23i so quite rare in comparison which may help values in the future. Also this is what a BMW should be a 6 cylinder naturally aspirated front engined rear drive. Last of a dying breed or maybe its already dead but that is mainly due to emissions and government regulations rather then it actually being a better driving experience.
 
I've had my 35I for over three years, fantastic car, don't miss my Z4M (much) :) Done 13k miles, now on 43k, remapping has turned it into a proper rapid beast!
So far it's cost me a new washer motor and normal servicing. Running 18s, non run flats and adaptive suspension it handles well enough for me.
Remapping a 4 pot is probably the sensible way to go but you don't buy these cars for sensible reasons!
 
Test drive as many as you can and then decide!
Only you know what’s the right car - I love my 35is but it’s not the car for everyone.

Whatever car you choose, this is a good time of year to buy!
 
I thought the 35iS was the best, so wanted that one. It's nice to own.Pretty economical and seems to be appreciating :thumbsup:
 
New 30i owner. This car really is lovely. It needs nothing but miles. :D
In my search I noticed most of the 30i manuals I found had high miles. I realized this must be a driver's car because everybody who gets their hands on one drives the wheels off of it. :P
I found a well cared for example with 60k on her.
 
Ok, finally done it! 20i msport, had the Celtic remap and now it's a proper car! Very pleased so far :thumbsup: cheers for all the advice. 20191207_153458.jpg
 
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