TT, Z4, or something else

[Hatethisbit]

Hello all,

Been fed up with my current car for a while so and I'm finally in a position to treat myself to my first sports (?) car. Said car will be daily driver (my commute is only 4 miles total) but i will also use it to visit family and do the odd trip with the other half, so practical enough to fit in a couple of suit cases or bags is necessary.

I've narrowed it down so far to a TT or a Z4, preferably no older than 2010 with less than 60k on the clock. Budget is 10-11k, needs to be a coupe or a hard top, no cloth. My choices so far are solely based on reviews and looks, i wont have chance to test drive either till the weekend. I have never driven a rear wheel drive car before let alone owned one so i'm slightly weary of driving a Z4 in the driving rain on the trips up north we do to see family, i admittedly worry a lot about aquaplaning in such a car, am i being silly? The boot space in a TT also seems to trump the Z4.

Before anybody says it, i have considered an mx-5 but unfortunately the hard top RF is a little out of my price range.

TL;DR - Looking for a fun first sports car that can reasonably replace my hatchback, 10-11k budget, max 8 years old and 60k miles.

Thanks for reading

[cpfcfan]

Perhaps the TTS is the one for you then? Quick, 4WD, big tuning potential. Ticks a lot of boxes for practicality too.

[Sticks.]

I'd say for fun, the Z4, for something a bit more practical, the TT. The Z4 feels a lot smaller inside than the TT, and the TT's boot space is pretty good. I'd prefer to do distances in the TT, although the Z4 is a more engaging drive.

Don't be put off my auto's, although beware of the DSG's reputation.

[Strudul]

350/370Z would be great except barely even warmed up on a 2 mile commute.

[Gareth1974]

370Z? I've linked to an auto, there are manuals available at the same price point.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[designforlife]

RWD is a doddle as long as you drive to the conditions..

However on a 2 mile commute I would be wary of doing more harm than good...no performance oriented car is going to like such a short trip, battery and engine wise.

[Hatethisbit]

cpfcfan - The TT is slightly ahead in my estimations at the moment except for one thing, the Z4 looks better imo

Sticks - Thanks for this, my current car is a DSG so im fine with an auto. Have you driven both? You say the Z4 is more engaging, is the TT itself fun to drive?

Strudul/Gareth - A work colleague has a 370Z and there's something about them i'm not keen on, might be that he's had no end of problems with his lol

[Hatethisbit]

designforlife - This is something that i've always worried about, i get a fair bit of that mayo gunk on my current car (2L leon fr) but i dont want a run of the mill car

[underphil]

Hatethisbit said:

Hello all,

Been fed up with my current car for a while so and I'm finally in a position to treat myself to my first sports (?) car. Said car will be daily driver (my commute is only 4 miles total) but i will also use it to visit family and do the odd trip with the other half, so practical enough to fit in a couple of suit cases or bags is necessary.

I've narrowed it down so far to a TT or a Z4, preferably no older than 2010 with less than 60k on the clock. Budget is 10-11k, needs to be a coupe or a hard top, no cloth. My choices so far are solely based on reviews and looks, i wont have chance to test drive either till the weekend. I have never driven a rear wheel drive car before let alone owned one so i'm slightly weary of driving a Z4 in the driving rain on the trips up north we do to see family, i admittedly worry a lot about aquaplaning in such a car, am i being silly? The boot space in a TT also seems to trump the Z4.

Before anybody says it, i have considered an mx-5 but unfortunately the hard top RF is a little out of my price range.

TL;DR - Looking for a fun first sports car that can reasonably replace my hatchback, 10-11k budget, max 8 years old and 60k miles.

Thanks for reading

The 3rd gen MX-5 was also available as a folding hard-top

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[designforlife]

Hatethisbit said:

designforlife - This is something that i've always worried about, i get a fair bit of that mayo gunk on my current car (2L leon fr) but i dont want a run of the mill car

It would be more mechanically sympathetic to only use it at weekends and do 15+ mile trips, then just cycle or walk to work.

[Hatethisbit]

underphil - i didnt realise, i dont think i've ever seen one in the mk3! I shall widen my searches to include these also now thank you

designforlife - I make the effort to walk during the summer months so there's that at least. I think the short journeys are a risk im willing to take and i will certainly keep it looked after

[Sticks.]

I've had an E85 Z4 since 04 and still love it. It's the one I'd take for a drive just for the enjoyment. It's a lovely engine, lovely shape and handles nicely. The interior is smaller, storage awful and seats thin. The Coupe is highly thought of as and has, AIUI, the sticky steering fixed. Failing electronics are potentially expensive, otherwise pretty robust.

I had a Mk2 TT 3.2 for 8 years as well. It's softer, feels heavier, but a good mile-eater. I've had a fridge in the back, 9 sacks of manure (I have a boot liner lol) and a small garden table and 2 chairs, so as a 2 seater hot hatch, it worked well. Faster than the Z4 but just not as much fun imho. I only got rid as it had a list of issues coming up and I fancied a change.

Where the Z4 is B and A road, the TT was A road and M Way. Unless the lack of interior space or practicality is going to be an issue, I'd have a Z4 coupe while you can and a TTS later. If you need a good all rounder, the TT will do the job nicely imho, hence me getting a MK3.

Btw I'm assuming you're excluding the E89 Z4 as boot space, well, isn't.

[Hatethisbit]

Sticks thank you for your summaries. At the moment i'm not excluding the E89 until i get a good look at the storage space. My partners astra is always there for travelling if needs be but as i'd much prefer to drive one of the cars im looking at than the astra, the lack of space may prove to be a deciding factor. Those Z4's just look so damn good though!

[Herbs]

E89 is fine. There is plenty of space in the boot and behind the seats. We can easily managed 5 days away in one. It's better to pack in soft bags rather than solid rectangular suitcases but either car will swallow most of what you can throw at them.

[Hatethisbit]

Appreciate all the input people, looking forward to trying them both out.

[PurpleTurtle]

I had the TT 3.2 DSG, great engine on a motorway run but felt the gearbox stifled it, far too hesitant from a standstill. Would stick (pun intended) with a manual if buying another.

I found the driving experience a little bit divorced from feeling the road on the whole. If I were buying again it would be the Z4 (have driven a few but never owned)

[cerb4.5lee]

Had both a TTS and Z4M, as a daily I much prefer the TTS. Even though they are rivals they are very different to each other. I think I'd have a 350Z/370Z over both of them!

[Hatethisbit]

You have me worried now PurpleTurtle, I was hoping the TT would be an engaging drive. The Nissan's just don't do it for me I'm afraid. A GT86 on the other hand..

[cerb4.5lee]

Hatethisbit said:

I was hoping the TT would be an engaging drive.

The TT is anything but an engaging drive, however it is a lovely car to live with imo. The Z4M has a terrible manual gearbox(not sure if the Z4 manual is any better though). The ride in both cars is poor but you get used to it.

The TTS was S-Tronic and it was a poor match for me with the Turbo engine in some respects, the gearbox was always slow to respond and in turn the engine felt really laggy. Once you get used to it though it is an effective device performance wise for sure. I would have liked to try a TTS with a manual gearbox for a comparison.

[PurpleTurtle]

Hatethisbit said:

You have me worried now PurpleTurtle, I was hoping the TT would be an engaging drive. The Nissan's just don't do it for me I'm afraid. A GT86 on the other hand..

Can't speak for the latter, but I'd advise a decent test-drive in the TT. I bought mine without (needed a car in a hurry/liked the style and reviews/got a good deal over the phone) and at the time was schlepping up and down the M4 to see a girlfriend in South Wales, the cabin was a great place to be on a motorway run but I didn't feel as connected to the road as I should have been once in the twisties.

Who knows, it might have been something as simple as crappy OE tyres, but I never warmed to it as much as I should. Part ex'd against an E46 M3 after 18 months, which I still have 12yrs later.