Z4 3.0si Coupe

[spandexx]

I am in the market for a Z4 3.0si Coupe Sport for around 20K in the next month and have a few questions.

Firstly I recall seeing a PH article about ownership of the Z4 Coupe but for the life of me I can’t find it, can any one point me to a link?

Secondly, is there anything I need to look out for on the car? I am not worried as most are low mileage <15,000 and less than 2 years old, but all cars have their things to check? 1200 mile service springs to mind.

Is the stereo in the Sport variant any good? It seems like a daft question but a good stereo is so important to me for the long and tedious journeys and I am worried I will be disappointed without the upgraded version.

Also is the (only slight) premium of going with a BMWAUC worth it with such a new motor?

Thanks,

[pgilc1]

Hi my wife runs one, having bought it new last year.

For info, it averages around 30mpg over the course of a tank of fuel, mostly longish runs. Commuting nto heavy city traffic it averaged around 26mpg

Surely any z4 Si at that price should be under manufacturers warranty anyway?

Fantastic car, a real head turner and very very swift

Standard stereo is 'ok' at best. The difficulty will always be space for speakers, amps, bass boxes etc, so if sound is important to you, you might be best to seek out a car that has had it factory upgraded - if you do a national search on BMW's site, you can see exactly what options each car has.

[marriedblonde]

I run a z4 coupe as my every day car. I average about 28mpg over a tank. My commute is made up of 30% motorway 70% fast A road.

In and around town your looking at early 20's.

The stadnard stereo is pants but I added an amped sub box in the boot cost about £100 and this has made the world of difference. Be warned though the Coupe is not a quiet car. It is a good car for covering a lot of miles quickly though!

Don;t bother with the factory fit bluetooth car kit. It's fine if your driving at less than 50mpg but anything over that and you wont be able to hear the person you are talking to!

All in all a great car that is fairly practical.

J.

[wrighty78]

I agree with what's been said already re stereo etc.

The earliest customer-delivered cars are Sept 06, so none is more than 2 years old. Therefore all still under warranty. Even demonstrators will only have been June / July 06 cars.

There's no 1200 mile service on these - that's just the "M" models.

The plastic housings of the headlight washers have been known to pop off if operated at speed.

Obviously, check the tyres for wear and (if possible) the inside walls of the tyres for damage - there have been reports on here of the standard run flats not standing up to the test of time (and speed bumps etc) all that well.

Cracking engine, great looking car. Very firm ride! Buy one.

[Mattt]

marriedblonde said:

Don;t bother with the factory fit bluetooth car kit. It's fine if your driving at less than 50mpg but anything over that and you wont be able to hear the person you are talking to!

- I see you made your way over here! The Aux-In works a treat

As for the bluetooth, I find it ok in the roadster, roof up is fine, roof down isn't great above 30/40mph.

[carl_w]

I think the factory bluetooth is excellent -- never had any problems with quality, and it integrates well with the steering wheel buttons. An expensive option compared to a Parrot though (~£450 I think).

[spandexx]

Thanks for the replies. Any luck with that article or am I fabricating things in my mind? I am sure I read it on PH about a year ago – I don’t really go to any other car related sites. It was an ownership thing rather than a road test and was very interesting.

I am looking at a few cars at the moment. Is NAV worth the premium and does this include a sound system upgrade as part of the package?

I am looking at putting 30k - 40k on the car, more if I love it and keep it. What big bills should I be expecting beyond tyres, oil and servicing?

[wrighty78]

I think the articles you're talking about are Garlick's reports on his Z4C. A couple of them are here:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

[wrighty78]

spandexx said:

I am looking at a few cars at the moment. Is NAV worth the premium and does this include a sound system upgrade as part of the package?

I doubt the premium is actually that much (is it??) on a second hand car? If that's the case, I'd go for it. Of course, it will help come re-sale.

I wouldn't spec it on a new car (it just doesn't seem worth it to me when the portable units do the job just as well, or better, so much cheaper) but it is a factor I'd weigh in the balance purchasing second hand.

Incidentally, I'm handing my z4C back today. Chopping it in for an e46 M3CS. The car I settled on (after looking at a few with similar miles and history) is the one with the better spec (Nav, PDC, sunroof etc etc).

[marriedblonde]

carl_w said:

I think the factory bluetooth is excellent -- never had any problems with quality, and it integrates well with the steering wheel buttons. An expensive option compared to a Parrot though (~£450 I think).

The factory bluetooth is great, works well, works with most phones but that it's too quiet to hear anyone if your going above about 40-50mph in the coupe and the micro phone picks up too much back ground noise.

I bought a parrot mini and clipped it to the sun visor and this was a 100 times better as it meant I didn;t have to slow down to take a call.

I've since fitted the ck3100 and it's a lot louder and the microphone works better.

J.

[marriedblonde]

Mattt said:

- I see you made your way over here! The Aux-In works a treat

As for the bluetooth, I find it ok in the roadster, roof up is fine, roof down isn't great above 30/40mph.

Hello Matt,

Better late than never! It's a little quiet over on the Z4 forum

J.