whats the best engine ???????

For the M Powered Z4 derivatives
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billi
Joined: Sat 31 Jan, 2009 21:39
Posts: 79

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: porthcawl

whats the best engine ???????

Post by billi »

hi everybody and happy new year, i am going to ask everyone for their opinion on wot is the best engine to have in your z ?????? myself i got a 1.9 which i think is pretty good on fuel , runs lovely and reliable. someone once told me to go for the 2.2 cause its smoother running and sounds better ! but wot about running costs ????? and there is also the 2.8 , 2.5, 3.0 and of cause the M . If you were to change your z for another wot would you choose ????? oh yeh before i forget are the auto gearbox good or is manual better??? it will be very interesting i see wot you think :| :| :| :| :|
freds dad
Joined: Thu 18 Mar, 2010 15:28
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  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Macclesfield

Post by freds dad »

Manual 2.8 in Silver are know to be the best Z available :wink:
Phil
Joined: Sun 09 Mar, 2008 10:43
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  M roadster S54
Location: Solihull

Post by Phil »

I've had a pre facelift 2.8 - really enjoyed it.
Then the current S54 M - awesome beast.
So if I had to have another it would have to be an S54 M.
Sapphire black/Imola red and black interior/ red roof/ S54 - the only RHD one made.

"The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire."
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Alfie
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  M roadster S54
Location: Broadchurch....

Post by Alfie »

I don't think there's a really bad one among them. I've owned two and driven a few more, and each has it's merits.

The 1.9 is considered to be under-powered, but is very light, so will keep up with any other Zed in the tight twisties if well driven.

The 2.0 and 2.2 feel much more powerful than you would expect and perform well, but you do have to 'work' the gear box to get best out of them. (ref: Bloke and Calbens... :twisted: )

The S50 and S54 ///Ms are just complete animals. Big, noisy and brutal...!
But they are juicy so you'll only average about 200 miles on a tank, plus extra insurance and maintenance costs.

To my mind, if you're looking for a 'compromise', the M54 3.0i would be the choice. It's powerful, smooth all the way round the rev counter and superb design and build quality. It's completely bulletproof. Over 300 miles on a tank and not silly insurance costs. This engine was also used in the 330i and the Z4 3.0, so BMW were obviously very happy with it.

I hear that BMW steptronic auto boxes are excellent, but for me, it has to be a manual box every time.... :D

A.
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d0mokun
Joined: Tue 26 Apr, 2011 20:07
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Post by d0mokun »

As much as I love the S54 and the Z4M in general, I must say I think that the 3.0L would be the best of both worlds; power (aka, fun) and economy.

The Z4M is very costly when it comes to fuel, servicing and insurance- anything with an M badge is! The 3.0's still make the same wicked sound, have most of the kick, and don't (to my knowledge) cost quite as much.

I'm having to look at moving my Z4M on simply because I didn't take into account the potential costs of things like servicing, MPG etc, etc before I bought it.

Read and research a lot!

:rtm: :head:
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Brian H
Joined: Tue 16 Dec, 2008 19:55
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  Z3 roadster 3.0i

Post by Brian H »

Hi billi,

I can only really advise on my experience to date, I had a 1.9 M44 manual which I though was great, as mentioned it was a quick and nimble car in the corners but was not the quickest off the mark, I changed my car last April to a 3.0i M54 manual and believe it or not the fuel costs are not far off the 1.9 (I get 30mpg quite regularly), the note of the engine along with the smooth delivery of power is just awesome. It makes me smile every time.

Servicing costs for the 3.0i are not astronomical and all parts seem to be readily available. The reason I did not take the plunge for the ///M when changing was purely on the the running costs, buying the car was easy, servicing and upkeep are a different matter, unless you are capable of home servicing.

I have not driven the 2.0, 2.2 or 2.8 so cannot compare. It has often been mentioned on the forum that the 2.2 is the car to have, these variants do seem to hold their price a little better.
siwilson
Joined: Fri 19 Jun, 2009 09:54
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  M roadster S54
Location: Horley

Post by siwilson »

If not an ///M then the 3.0. in a pre face-lift wide body. Since you can't get that then the last of the pre-face lift 2.8s with the double VANOS would be my choice.
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Gazza
Joined: Tue 04 Oct, 2005 20:58
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  M roadster S54
Location: Romford Essex

Post by Gazza »

My next choice would be Z4 S Drive 35iS M Sport :D :D
Gazza

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///M_aniac
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  M roadster S50
Location: Belfast

Post by ///M_aniac »

1.9 is a good strong, torquey engine that likes revs and pulls well whilst returning good mpg.

The 2.0 is the smallest engine capacity in the 6 cylinder lineup. I had one, and loved it. It was quick enough with creamy smooth power delivery and a gorgeous exhaust note.

The 2.2 is regarded by many on here as being the best sounding non ///M Z3, oh and it goes pretty well too with 171 bhp on tap.

The 2.5 you mention you will only get in North America unless you're planning on importing one.

The 2.8 (twin VANOS version) was the car I aspired to own when I first started looking a Z3, but I didn't find one in the condition I sought. 2.8s have wonderful powerplants with 193 bhp available and cruise the miles effortlessly but are quite thirsty as I recall from a few test drives.

The 3.0, which has 231 bhp, is almost as fast as an ///M and has better fuel economy than the 2.8, surely has to be the Zed of choice if you don't want to pay the extra costs associated with the ///M versions. Normally come with all the bells and whistles too.

S50 and S54 ///Ms are a hoot. Auto boxes are good, but wouldn't be my bag. If I wanted an auto I'd buy a Merc.

If I was to recommend a Z3 model I'd probably say 2.0 - if you want economy and one of the smoothest 6 cylinder engines in the world.

If you want performance without ///M running costs, then go for the 2.8 or the brilliant 3.0.

Z3s are all good and will put smiles on your face. The most important thing to do is drive many Zeds, don't let your heart rule your mind, and take your time. There are lots out there and you'll know when you find the right one.

Good luck with the search.
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billi
Joined: Sat 31 Jan, 2009 21:39
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  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: porthcawl

Post by billi »

hi everyone thanks for the posts have been realy helpful, was realy surprised how much the 3.0 does to the gallon. the reason i got the 1.9 is that we like to travel in the z and when we went to brittany the fuel was not a worry. would like to find out a bit more about the 2.2 and 2.8 but so far the 3.0 realy sounds good. :D :D
KingCarl
Joined: Tue 23 Mar, 2010 04:23
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  Z3 roadster 2.2i

whats the best engine?

Post by KingCarl »

has to be the 2.2 for me for the reasons everyone else has stated!
Jamezee
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  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: Royston Vasey

Post by Jamezee »

2.2 sport in zilver of course :)
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billz
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  Z4 roadster 3.0si
Location: nottingham

Post by billz »

Has to be the 3.0. we went to France and Spain last year and returned 32mpg and it was so effortless to drive and so quick around the twisty roads. The best none M by far.
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sando
Joined: Sun 13 Nov, 2011 19:52
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  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: buxton

Re: whats the best engine ???????

Post by sando »

billi wrote:hi everybody and happy new year, i am going to ask everyone for their opinion on wot is the best engine to have in your z ?????? myself i got a 1.9 which i think is pretty good on fuel , runs lovely and reliable. someone once told me to go for the 2.2 cause its smoother running and sounds better ! but wot about running costs ????? and there is also the 2.8 , 2.5, 3.0 and of cause the M . If you were to change your z for another wot would you choose ????? oh yeh before i forget are the auto gearbox good or is manual better??? it
will be very interesting i see wot you think :| :| :| :| :|
i have 2,2 limited edition replaced my 1.9 and as everyone said is under powered the 2.2 is big improvment but fuel cost are some what much higher but much more fun the exhaust sounde just makes you smile ps i put kn airfilter in my 1.9 it seem to improve it and give a better sound.
sando
Joined: Sun 13 Nov, 2011 19:52
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  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: buxton

Re: whats the best engine ???????

Post by sando »

I think it depends if you use your zed daily or as a second car and only weekends or special occasions then the size of the engine comes into fuel consumption.as the pump prices increase ? the higher miles on the clock would possible mean lower fuel costs.?and of course how you drive them its very temp :lol: ting to put your foot down hear the exhaust note and just go? :lol:
Last edited by sando on Sun 04 Mar, 2012 18:52, edited 1 time in total.
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TitanTim
Joined: Mon 23 Jun, 2008 18:56
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Re: whats the best engine ???????

Post by TitanTim »

Each will say the best engine is the one they own :roll:

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pingu
Joined: Fri 30 Apr, 2004 16:01
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  M roadster S50

Re: whats the best engine ???????

Post by pingu »

If it's an everyday car, a 2.2.

For a weekend car, M Power :D .
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gookah
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Re: whats the best engine ???????

Post by gookah »

TitanTim wrote:Each will say the best engine is the one they own :roll:

Tim.


the best engine is the 1.9 and the 3.2........ :D
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Del
Joined: Sat 19 Nov, 2011 18:35
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  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: whats the best engine ???????

Post by Del »

I agree with Gookah. I never get below 30 mpg with my 1.9 and I save a fortune in spark plugs!
Monkey
Joined: Mon 27 Feb, 2012 00:04
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  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: whats the best engine ???????

Post by Monkey »

i cant really comment on the engines as ive had my Z for less than 24 hours, and the 1.9 is the only engine i've driven.

it does not feel as quick as i wanted it to, but thats not too much of a worry to me as my drive is through forest twisty roads, ands its more about handling than power. and i wanted goodish MPG.

but for as long as i have a working left leg i will never have an automatic
sando
Joined: Sun 13 Nov, 2011 19:52
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  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: buxton

Re: whats the best engine ???????

Post by sando »

it always made me wonder why bmw made so many different size engines???? does anyone know why.on the zeds
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whiteminks
Joined: Tue 26 Sep, 2006 09:58
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Location: Lincoln

Re: whats the best engine ???????

Post by whiteminks »

Love my 2.2 but don't find the fuel economy brilliant. I think that is due to the fact that when you are at 60 you are at greater than 2.5 on the rev counter. My S54 ///M is surprisingly good on on a motorway run as the revs sit low in 5th even at 70mpg.The best I have had out of my 2.2 over a whole tank is 31mpg and the worst 22 mpg on a cruise or about town, My ///M 27 and 19 respectively. I suspect that the 2.8 and the 3.0 sit lower in the rev range than the 2.2 at 60mpg in 5th so probably are better on fuel on typical day to day runs. The 2.2 however is supposed to be the best handling in terms of power to weight and has the best exhaust note out of all the z3s by far. :D
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Zed Carer
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Re: whats the best engine ???????

Post by Zed Carer »

whiteminks wrote:Love my 2.2 but don't find the fuel economy brilliant. I think that is due to the fact that when you are at 60 you are at greater than 2.5 on the rev counter. My S54 ///M is surprisingly good on on a motorway run as the revs sit low in 5th even at 70mpg.The best I have had out of my 2.2 over a whole tank is 31mpg and the worst 22 mpg on a cruise or about town, My ///M 27 and 19 respectively. I suspect that the 2.8 and the 3.0 sit lower in the rev range than the 2.2 at 60mpg in 5th so probably are better on fuel on typical day to day runs. The 2.2 however is supposed to be the best handling in terms of power to weight and has the best exhaust note out of all the z3s by far. :D
Wow 70mpg - must get an S54 will save a fortune on fuel :D

Sorry P just couldn't resist.
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OldskoolRS
Joined: Mon 06 Feb, 2012 14:23
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Re: whats the best engine ???????

Post by OldskoolRS »

Nice to see so many posts saying that the 3.0 is a good choice :wink: , but I have to say that before I bought mine, I drove various models and found a cheap 1.9 that nearly got my money as it was a hoot to thrash down a country lane with the roof off. The 4 cylinder seemed more happy to rev than some 6 cylinders I tried.

I would have bought a 2.2 I found but wasn't 100% on the colour, though it was spotless otherwise and £1,300 less than the one I bought in the end, if it had only been blue I would have bought it. It didn't seem much lower in power compared to the 3.0 when driven in isolation and of course still had the great 6 cyliner soundtrack. The couple of 2.8s I tried were low speed test drives, but the cars weren't worth what they were after (IMHO) so I didn't persue them, but purely from drivng POV, nothing to say against them, though I gather the mpg is worse than the latter 3.0. The only ones I didn't drive were the 2.0 and the M cars, only because the only 2.0 I found had already sold and I was worried that an M might be more likely to get stolen as my Z3 is left on my drive as my RS2000 has the garage to itself. If I ever bring myself to sell the RS2000 then I could see myself upgrading to an M car as it could be garaged.

FWIW my 3.0 is a second car to a company 320d Touring so mpg isn't a worry, though I'm getting 26mpg on mostly short trips, but I've been running it on 95 RON, so next few tankfulls will be on super unleaded to see if the car drives any different and whether the mpg balances out the higher petrol cost per litre as some have suggested.

I actually don't think there's a 'best engine' as they all fit with different personal requirements...at least they didn't make a diesel version thankfully. :twisted:
Z3andZ4
Joined: Fri 27 Apr, 2012 01:25
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  Z3 roadster 3.0i

Re: whats the best engine ???????

Post by Z3andZ4 »

I have a Z4M coupe, a 3 litre Z4 and recently purchased a 3 litre Z3 - although I also have a 320iC which has a lousy 2.2 litre engine.

For me the Z4M is just too much and had I known I would have settled for the 3 litre.

Both Z's with the 3 litre engines are total dreams to drive. The 3 series is a dog by comparison, but it has 4/5 seats. I adhor driving it now though.

So 3 litres is more than enough and the exhaust drone and pop is something to enhance any drive anywhere. They are both v quick, with the Z3 outpacing the (newer) Z4 but that's probably a weight thing.

Having said what I said I might be tempted to get a Z3M roadster when I get bored with the Z3 - having only had it a month I may have to wait........
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Badman gee
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  M roadster S50

Re: whats the best engine ???????

Post by Badman gee »

s50 M

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