(Not so) new BMW Z4 E89 sDrive23i
Discussion
Hello,
I'm new to the forum here and I wanted to introduce a car I have owned for 1.5 years: a BMW Z4 E89 sDrive23i. I'm sure it's been covered in other threads but I wanted to share a bit of my ownership journey to date.
I was looking for a fun (and good-looking) two-seater convertible but with the added benefit of a hardtop for the winter months. While I considered a Boxster, the faff of the removable hard top put me off and I settled on the Z4 instead. The idea was to get a 6-cylinder model but without the higher running costs of the 3L so a sdrive23i it was going to be.
Living in a city, I knew I was going to spend a bit of time in traffic before escaping to nicer roads and as such an automatic made sense. After a bit of research, I eventually found a nice silver 09 plate which seemed to be in really good nick and decided to go ahead with it. It had the 17' style 290 wheels which, while lacking the wow factor of the 18/19' wheels, meant a smoother ride and no risk of cracking like the 19' 326s.
It came with the professional navigation, and I have since had Android Auto/Apple Carplay retrofitted which has made much more practical over the 6,000 miles it has since covered. I also got rear parking sensors and a cruise control retrofitted, for a bit of modern convenience.
It's been a lovely car to own and drive so far, with reasonable maintenance costs and averaging 30mpg over my current ownership. It's not a rocket and definitely needs to be put in Sport mode for a bit of action, but it's surprisingly relaxed otherwise and works perfectly on weekend trips. A bit of a GT in many ways.
On the down side, I wish it had a bit more storage space as the boot is somewhat limited - I have become an expert at fitting two cabin suitcases in it while still allowing for the roof to be down. There's definitely the odd rattle of squeak, which seems to an E89 issue. Per above, I wish it had a bit more grunt at times but the trifecta of a relatively heavy car + a smaller NA engine + an automatic gearbox was never going to do wonders.
I would love to get other owners' opinions on what you have liked about it, what has frustrated you as well as any tips for longer-term ownership. I am also very happy to share a bit more of my ownership experience with prospective buyers if you are considering taking the plunge.
(Adding a few photos of it in different places and weather conditions over the last 18 months)
Romain
I'm new to the forum here and I wanted to introduce a car I have owned for 1.5 years: a BMW Z4 E89 sDrive23i. I'm sure it's been covered in other threads but I wanted to share a bit of my ownership journey to date.
I was looking for a fun (and good-looking) two-seater convertible but with the added benefit of a hardtop for the winter months. While I considered a Boxster, the faff of the removable hard top put me off and I settled on the Z4 instead. The idea was to get a 6-cylinder model but without the higher running costs of the 3L so a sdrive23i it was going to be.
Living in a city, I knew I was going to spend a bit of time in traffic before escaping to nicer roads and as such an automatic made sense. After a bit of research, I eventually found a nice silver 09 plate which seemed to be in really good nick and decided to go ahead with it. It had the 17' style 290 wheels which, while lacking the wow factor of the 18/19' wheels, meant a smoother ride and no risk of cracking like the 19' 326s.
It came with the professional navigation, and I have since had Android Auto/Apple Carplay retrofitted which has made much more practical over the 6,000 miles it has since covered. I also got rear parking sensors and a cruise control retrofitted, for a bit of modern convenience.
It's been a lovely car to own and drive so far, with reasonable maintenance costs and averaging 30mpg over my current ownership. It's not a rocket and definitely needs to be put in Sport mode for a bit of action, but it's surprisingly relaxed otherwise and works perfectly on weekend trips. A bit of a GT in many ways.
On the down side, I wish it had a bit more storage space as the boot is somewhat limited - I have become an expert at fitting two cabin suitcases in it while still allowing for the roof to be down. There's definitely the odd rattle of squeak, which seems to an E89 issue. Per above, I wish it had a bit more grunt at times but the trifecta of a relatively heavy car + a smaller NA engine + an automatic gearbox was never going to do wonders.
I would love to get other owners' opinions on what you have liked about it, what has frustrated you as well as any tips for longer-term ownership. I am also very happy to share a bit more of my ownership experience with prospective buyers if you are considering taking the plunge.
(Adding a few photos of it in different places and weather conditions over the last 18 months)
Romain
Nice car! I have a 35i manual (09 plate and mapped). I'd echo what you say about them being comfy, fun and a bit rattly! Most of the latter seems to come from the roof mechanism and joints, but I am trying to track down some more serious creaks and knocks from the rear suspension.
Mine certainly doesn't need for more power and makes very swift progress from low RPM. It's running about 370bhp/370ft lbs and it's more than plenty to be a bit of a handful in Sport.
The only real gripe I've had with mine has been the manual gear change, which was terrible from the off. I've removed the clutch delay valve (took me about an hour) which has improved matters but not to the point that I'm 100% happy with it. I find letting it rev out a bit more than I typically would does help smoothen the changes.
I'd be interested in knowing more about your android auto conversion. Mine also has pro-nav but I'd like to modernise it a little if the costs aren't too high.
Mine certainly doesn't need for more power and makes very swift progress from low RPM. It's running about 370bhp/370ft lbs and it's more than plenty to be a bit of a handful in Sport.
The only real gripe I've had with mine has been the manual gear change, which was terrible from the off. I've removed the clutch delay valve (took me about an hour) which has improved matters but not to the point that I'm 100% happy with it. I find letting it rev out a bit more than I typically would does help smoothen the changes.
I'd be interested in knowing more about your android auto conversion. Mine also has pro-nav but I'd like to modernise it a little if the costs aren't too high.
Sounds like you have what could be described as a very potent 35is in sheep's clothing! I agree that some of the creaks seem to come from the rear suspension, they're particularly audible when going over speed bumps a bit too fast..
Interesting to hear about your experience with the manual gearbox. There are moments when I loathe the slowness of the old auto and wish it had the 7/8-speed DCT, even if they have their own issues, but I never thought of the manual as a potential source of issues.
For the Android Auto/Apple CarPlay conversion, Sextons in London did the integration as part of the MMI for ~£800 (if I remember well). It also works wirelessly via Bluetooth/Wi-Fi which is an additional benefit. Depending on where you are, you can probably get it done for less - I remember garages and specialists quoting £500/600 in the Midlands.
Out of curiosity, and if you were to change/upgrade your current car, what would you go for?
Interesting to hear about your experience with the manual gearbox. There are moments when I loathe the slowness of the old auto and wish it had the 7/8-speed DCT, even if they have their own issues, but I never thought of the manual as a potential source of issues.
For the Android Auto/Apple CarPlay conversion, Sextons in London did the integration as part of the MMI for ~£800 (if I remember well). It also works wirelessly via Bluetooth/Wi-Fi which is an additional benefit. Depending on where you are, you can probably get it done for less - I remember garages and specialists quoting £500/600 in the Midlands.
Out of curiosity, and if you were to change/upgrade your current car, what would you go for?
romainh said:
Out of curiosity, and if you were to change/upgrade your current car, what would you go for?
Sorry, very late getting back to you on this. Thanks for the Android Auto stuff. I may plan that one for the future but I think i'll spend a bit of cash sorting out the various creaks from the rear first.I don't know where i'd go next, car-wise. I've had 3 x 986, 3 x 987.2, an Elise, a few E92 M3s, an SL63, S2000, plus a few RS Meganes and some JDM stuff. They all have their pros and cons, but the only one I think I have unfinished business with is the M3. Both of my former ones were short term and problematic, but I see them out of the road today and think they look better than ever.
I generally prefer something a little more sort of 'sporting' than 'GT', and did consider a 987.1 S with an engine rebuild but it felt both a bit too familiar and also a touch strangled compared to others i've owned.
I only tried the Z4 out of curiosity, but with the remap it felt pretty damn quick, and the cabin/level of equipment and comfort were miles above the Porsche. The BMW's set up is a little softer than the Boxster, and perhaps some of the messages through the steering/chassis are a bit more rudimentary, but not necessarily in a bad way. There's enough there to know what the car is doing, and an awful lot more shove available. I'm really happy with it and comfortable with the amount of money it cost me (just under £10k).
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