Z4 3.0si - next car
Discussion
Hi all,
I'll be looking to buy in a couple of months and keen to hear any info from owners/previous owners. I have been on the Z4 forum but just thought there might be some valuable advice on here like has been provided on many occasions!
My budget could possibly get me into a coupe but I could get a much nicer soft top for the same price. Is it worth upping the budget to get a good coupe? Are they noticeably better as a drivers car? I've driven a coupe briefly so got an idea of what they're like.
I'll get familiar with the buyers guides between now and the time of purchasing to know what to look out for when viewing cars.
Cheers.
I'll be looking to buy in a couple of months and keen to hear any info from owners/previous owners. I have been on the Z4 forum but just thought there might be some valuable advice on here like has been provided on many occasions!
My budget could possibly get me into a coupe but I could get a much nicer soft top for the same price. Is it worth upping the budget to get a good coupe? Are they noticeably better as a drivers car? I've driven a coupe briefly so got an idea of what they're like.
I'll get familiar with the buyers guides between now and the time of purchasing to know what to look out for when viewing cars.
Cheers.
Vroomer said:
I find the coupe a very practical car in addition to a sporting drive. It is also quite rare and likely to hold its value much better.
Thanks Vroomer. I was also thinking this, any extra cost when buying could be made up for when selling on if they hold their value better.lilwashu said:
They are both very poor driver's cars in my opinion. The M version is much better if you can stretch to it.
Unfortunately not. If I could, I definitely would.I considered E46 M3 but insurance is over double, as are other running costs, more fuel etc.
It's not set in stone, still open to suggestions. I just want a proper engine and relatively low running costs with reliability.
I'm absolutely useless with a spanner.
I bought a Coupe last year and just love it!
Never considered a Roadster as I don't like convertibles, I think the Coupe looks better anyway, as has been said Coupe's are much rarer, Coupe has a bigger boot so a bit more practical if you need it and the Coupe shell (according to Wiki) has much greater torsional stiffness.
I half thought about an M but couldn't really justify the much higher running costs. And I haven't found the 3.0 litre N52 engine to be lacking in performance!
Good luck whichever you go for (and I could have told you this on Z4 Forum)!
Never considered a Roadster as I don't like convertibles, I think the Coupe looks better anyway, as has been said Coupe's are much rarer, Coupe has a bigger boot so a bit more practical if you need it and the Coupe shell (according to Wiki) has much greater torsional stiffness.
I half thought about an M but couldn't really justify the much higher running costs. And I haven't found the 3.0 litre N52 engine to be lacking in performance!
Good luck whichever you go for (and I could have told you this on Z4 Forum)!
Mr Tidy said:
I bought a Coupe last year and just love it!
Never considered a Roadster as I don't like convertibles, I think the Coupe looks better anyway, as has been said Coupe's are much rarer, Coupe has a bigger boot so a bit more practical if you need it and the Coupe shell (according to Wiki) has much greater torsional stiffness.
I half thought about an M but couldn't really justify the much higher running costs. And I haven't found the 3.0 litre N52 engine to be lacking in performance!
Good luck whichever you go for (and I could have told you this on Z4 Forum)!
Ha - thanks Tidy.Never considered a Roadster as I don't like convertibles, I think the Coupe looks better anyway, as has been said Coupe's are much rarer, Coupe has a bigger boot so a bit more practical if you need it and the Coupe shell (according to Wiki) has much greater torsional stiffness.
I half thought about an M but couldn't really justify the much higher running costs. And I haven't found the 3.0 litre N52 engine to be lacking in performance!
Good luck whichever you go for (and I could have told you this on Z4 Forum)!
I also prefer the looks of the coupe! I'll be monitoring the classfields over the next couple of months.
MattHall91 said:
Ha - thanks Tidy.
I also prefer the looks of the coupe! I'll be monitoring the classfields over the next couple of months.
No problem! I also prefer the looks of the coupe! I'll be monitoring the classfields over the next couple of months.
If you want to give me loads of money you may be able to persuade me to part with mine - so many cars, so little time!
Seriously though, I may be persuaded to have a change - now that I also have a daily an E46 M3 is starting to look really tempting, or should that be a Z4MC - decisions, decisions!
If you might be interested PM me.
I've got a E 89 2.5 now but formally an E85 3.o si roadster which I loved . Imho a sports car is convertible and the performance and sound of that engine was great .
Problems can include roof motors , Abs pumps and rear springs .
I've never driven the coupe I guess when I've the roof up on mine it's similar.
They're both good cars but my advice is to choose carefully .
Problems can include roof motors , Abs pumps and rear springs .
I've never driven the coupe I guess when I've the roof up on mine it's similar.
They're both good cars but my advice is to choose carefully .
I've got a E 89 2.5 now but formally an E85 3.o si roadster which I loved . Imho a sports car is convertible and the performance and sound of that engine was great .
Problems can include roof motors , Abs pumps and rear springs .
I've never driven the coupe I guess when I've the roof up on mine it's similar.
They're both good cars but my advice is to choose carefully .
Problems can include roof motors , Abs pumps and rear springs .
I've never driven the coupe I guess when I've the roof up on mine it's similar.
They're both good cars but my advice is to choose carefully .
I had a convertible - didn't see the point of a tin top when the offer of an open air could be had instead - which has a real old fashioned roadster feel to it. The 3.0 was a little anodyne and ended up selling it after 6 months and getting a Z4M which is in another league in every possible way - like a different car. For the money, instead of a 3.0, I'd get an E46 M3 (or porsche 996)
Billy_Whizzzz said:
I had a convertible - didn't see the point of a tin top when the offer of an open air could be had instead - which has a real old fashioned roadster feel to it. The 3.0 was a little anodyne and ended up selling it after 6 months and getting a Z4M which is in another league in every possible way - like a different car. For the money, instead of a 3.0, I'd get an E46 M3 (or porsche 996)
I would consider an M3 but the insurance is 150% more, fuel bills will be circa a third higher, plus extra servicing and RFL. I may scratch that itch in a couple of years, but the Z4 offers the best blend of engine, performance and VFM for me at the moment. Been reading a bit this morning and heard complaints from owners saying the torque drops off after 6,500rpm and its sluggish (relatively) as a result when you change up trying to make decent progress.
The video below looks noticeably sharper and quicker than other Zeds.
Anybody know why this could be?
http://youtu.be/_YsLslp-cVQ
The video below looks noticeably sharper and quicker than other Zeds.
Anybody know why this could be?
http://youtu.be/_YsLslp-cVQ
Been reading a bit this morning and heard complaints from owners saying the torque drops off after 6,500rpm and its sluggish (relatively) as a result when you change up trying to make decent progress.
The video below looks noticeably sharper and quicker than other Zeds.
Anybody know why this could be?
http://youtu.be/_YsLslp-cVQ
The video below looks noticeably sharper and quicker than other Zeds.
Anybody know why this could be?
http://youtu.be/_YsLslp-cVQ
I can't comment on roadster ownership but I have owned a 3.0Si Sport Couple (Auto) since April last year.
Looks are obviously a subjective thing, but I get a lot of comments about my car which I put down to the looks but also the rarity of it - roadsters are extremely common in comparison.
Occasionally I will check out Coupes currently for sale and I've never found one comparable for less than I paid. No idea if the same is true of roadsters but the coupes are at least holding their price since I started looking 18 months ago.
The buyers guides I read all said that the cabin felt cramped - again this is a personal thing but I don't feel that at all. The coupe is, however, surprisingly practical in terms of boot space.
Mine does mainly motorway runs and I get around 30mpg (and I'm never deliberately easy on the fun peddle).
The worst thing about the car when I got it was the handling - it would skip over the smallest of imperfections in the road and tramline badly - changing the run flat tyres for Eagle F1s has completely changed the car and made it one I have confidence in - definitely recommended.
In summary, if you're hankering for a coupe I'd go for it - my original plan was to keep my Z4 for a couple of years then trade up but I've genuinely no idea what I could replace it with for under £15k that could be used daily, need no "special" looking after, not cost a lot to run and can be left anywhere without drawing the "wrong" sort of attention.
Looks are obviously a subjective thing, but I get a lot of comments about my car which I put down to the looks but also the rarity of it - roadsters are extremely common in comparison.
Occasionally I will check out Coupes currently for sale and I've never found one comparable for less than I paid. No idea if the same is true of roadsters but the coupes are at least holding their price since I started looking 18 months ago.
The buyers guides I read all said that the cabin felt cramped - again this is a personal thing but I don't feel that at all. The coupe is, however, surprisingly practical in terms of boot space.
Mine does mainly motorway runs and I get around 30mpg (and I'm never deliberately easy on the fun peddle).
The worst thing about the car when I got it was the handling - it would skip over the smallest of imperfections in the road and tramline badly - changing the run flat tyres for Eagle F1s has completely changed the car and made it one I have confidence in - definitely recommended.
In summary, if you're hankering for a coupe I'd go for it - my original plan was to keep my Z4 for a couple of years then trade up but I've genuinely no idea what I could replace it with for under £15k that could be used daily, need no "special" looking after, not cost a lot to run and can be left anywhere without drawing the "wrong" sort of attention.
wiggy001 said:
I can't comment on roadster ownership but I have owned a 3.0Si Sport Couple (Auto) since April last year.
Looks are obviously a subjective thing, but I get a lot of comments about my car which I put down to the looks but also the rarity of it - roadsters are extremely common in comparison.
Occasionally I will check out Coupes currently for sale and I've never found one comparable for less than I paid. No idea if the same is true of roadsters but the coupes are at least holding their price since I started looking 18 months ago.
The buyers guides I read all said that the cabin felt cramped - again this is a personal thing but I don't feel that at all. The coupe is, however, surprisingly practical in terms of boot space.
Mine does mainly motorway runs and I get around 30mpg (and I'm never deliberately easy on the fun peddle).
The worst thing about the car when I got it was the handling - it would skip over the smallest of imperfections in the road and tramline badly - changing the run flat tyres for Eagle F1s has completely changed the car and made it one I have confidence in - definitely recommended.
In summary, if you're hankering for a coupe I'd go for it - my original plan was to keep my Z4 for a couple of years then trade up but I've genuinely no idea what I could replace it with for under £15k that could be used daily, need no "special" looking after, not cost a lot to run and can be left anywhere without drawing the "wrong" sort of attention.
Thanks for the valuable info!Looks are obviously a subjective thing, but I get a lot of comments about my car which I put down to the looks but also the rarity of it - roadsters are extremely common in comparison.
Occasionally I will check out Coupes currently for sale and I've never found one comparable for less than I paid. No idea if the same is true of roadsters but the coupes are at least holding their price since I started looking 18 months ago.
The buyers guides I read all said that the cabin felt cramped - again this is a personal thing but I don't feel that at all. The coupe is, however, surprisingly practical in terms of boot space.
Mine does mainly motorway runs and I get around 30mpg (and I'm never deliberately easy on the fun peddle).
The worst thing about the car when I got it was the handling - it would skip over the smallest of imperfections in the road and tramline badly - changing the run flat tyres for Eagle F1s has completely changed the car and made it one I have confidence in - definitely recommended.
In summary, if you're hankering for a coupe I'd go for it - my original plan was to keep my Z4 for a couple of years then trade up but I've genuinely no idea what I could replace it with for under £15k that could be used daily, need no "special" looking after, not cost a lot to run and can be left anywhere without drawing the "wrong" sort of attention.
That's the same situation as me really, nothing comparable for the price that won't bump up running costs significantly.
When I buy, if it hasn't already had the run flats ditched, that's the first thing I will do. Is it also worth getting the geometry checked? I've not been able to find much information on this so far. Cheers!
wiggy001 said:
I can't comment on roadster ownership but I have owned a 3.0Si Sport Couple (Auto) since April last year.
Looks are obviously a subjective thing, but I get a lot of comments about my car which I put down to the looks but also the rarity of it - roadsters are extremely common in comparison.
Occasionally I will check out Coupes currently for sale and I've never found one comparable for less than I paid. No idea if the same is true of roadsters but the coupes are at least holding their price since I started looking 18 months ago.
The buyers guides I read all said that the cabin felt cramped - again this is a personal thing but I don't feel that at all. The coupe is, however, surprisingly practical in terms of boot space.
Mine does mainly motorway runs and I get around 30mpg (and I'm never deliberately easy on the fun peddle).
The worst thing about the car when I got it was the handling - it would skip over the smallest of imperfections in the road and tramline badly - changing the run flat tyres for Eagle F1s has completely changed the car and made it one I have confidence in - definitely recommended.
In summary, if you're hankering for a coupe I'd go for it - my original plan was to keep my Z4 for a couple of years then trade up but I've genuinely no idea what I could replace it with for under £15k that could be used daily, need no "special" looking after, not cost a lot to run and can be left anywhere without drawing the "wrong" sort of attention.
I bought a Z4C last year with 54,000 miles recorded and it tram-lined like a b****r - had the front control arm bushes replaced a month or so ago and it is like a different car! Still on Bridgestone R/Fs but they have plenty of tread left, and I believe newer designs of R/F preform way better anyway.Looks are obviously a subjective thing, but I get a lot of comments about my car which I put down to the looks but also the rarity of it - roadsters are extremely common in comparison.
Occasionally I will check out Coupes currently for sale and I've never found one comparable for less than I paid. No idea if the same is true of roadsters but the coupes are at least holding their price since I started looking 18 months ago.
The buyers guides I read all said that the cabin felt cramped - again this is a personal thing but I don't feel that at all. The coupe is, however, surprisingly practical in terms of boot space.
Mine does mainly motorway runs and I get around 30mpg (and I'm never deliberately easy on the fun peddle).
The worst thing about the car when I got it was the handling - it would skip over the smallest of imperfections in the road and tramline badly - changing the run flat tyres for Eagle F1s has completely changed the car and made it one I have confidence in - definitely recommended.
In summary, if you're hankering for a coupe I'd go for it - my original plan was to keep my Z4 for a couple of years then trade up but I've genuinely no idea what I could replace it with for under £15k that could be used daily, need no "special" looking after, not cost a lot to run and can be left anywhere without drawing the "wrong" sort of attention.
FWIW I rate R/Fs (only preferable option for me is a full-size spare) - last 2 times I had a puncture (in a 1 Series with R/Fs) it was snowing! I wouldn't ever want to be trying to use a can of goo in a Hi-vis in the slush in the half-dark half-way round a roundabout, but if that floats your boat that's up to you!
Mr Tidy said:
I bought a Z4C last year with 54,000 miles recorded and it tram-lined like a b****r - had the front control arm bushes replaced a month or so ago and it is like a different car! Still on Bridgestone R/Fs but they have plenty of tread left, and I believe newer designs of R/F preform way better anyway.
FWIW I rate R/Fs (only preferable option for me is a full-size spare) - last 2 times I had a puncture (in a 1 Series with R/Fs) it was snowing! I wouldn't ever want to be trying to use a can of goo in a Hi-vis in the slush in the half-dark half-way round a roundabout, but if that floats your boat that's up to you!
Interesting. I never had the geometry checked when I changed my tyres (which I only did 6 weeks ago) so might get that done as well just to see if there are any further improvements.FWIW I rate R/Fs (only preferable option for me is a full-size spare) - last 2 times I had a puncture (in a 1 Series with R/Fs) it was snowing! I wouldn't ever want to be trying to use a can of goo in a Hi-vis in the slush in the half-dark half-way round a roundabout, but if that floats your boat that's up to you!
As for the snow scenario, I generally don't like using a BMW in the snow full stop!
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