20 days in and BMW ownership = good!
Discussion
I got a Z4 and it has exceeded my expectations.
Lovely build quality and attention to detail.
It has niggles but the sensible engineering means I can fix them cheaply and easily. There are a few other jobs that need doing and I just know that when I do them it'll be a pleasure (ie, starter solenoid sticking a tiny bit on return when cold, just needs a clean/lubricate)
Even on 60k miles it feels fresh and solid... though I realise it's been a motorway car mainly.
Just really glad I bought a car made by people (BMW) who want to make genuinely properly good cars as much as they want to make a profit!
BMW dealers have been lovely and helpful on the phone too.
Just a shame the independent garage I bought the car from were a bit crap really.
Lovely build quality and attention to detail.
It has niggles but the sensible engineering means I can fix them cheaply and easily. There are a few other jobs that need doing and I just know that when I do them it'll be a pleasure (ie, starter solenoid sticking a tiny bit on return when cold, just needs a clean/lubricate)
Even on 60k miles it feels fresh and solid... though I realise it's been a motorway car mainly.
Just really glad I bought a car made by people (BMW) who want to make genuinely properly good cars as much as they want to make a profit!
BMW dealers have been lovely and helpful on the phone too.
Just a shame the independent garage I bought the car from were a bit crap really.
Edited by Mr Whippy on Wednesday 11th February 17:33
Moobs said:
HAHAHA. OP's comment on the build quality. The Z4's were built in South Carolina USA not Munich. Glad you got a good one though and the shabby build quality did not put me off buying my 3.0si. Love this car, it has real style.
It's only screws and clips... it's the design of those screws and clips that makes it so good, not the people who just pressed them together Ie, I took off my rain sensor. How logically is it made! It's almost designed to be taken off more easily than put together.
That forward thinking is what makes it so good imho.
Just coming from an older Peugeot, which imho was damn bloody good once you got it right, it was just a complete arse to work on to get it right. Screws/bolts in corners where you couldn't get them, or needed to remove other things to get more things off to get a tiny clip out or change a bulb etc.
It's the design build quality that stands out with the BMW. Not really sure what is wrong with it from a how it was put together stand point. Everything is still where it was put originally I think
Dave
Edited by Mr Whippy on Thursday 12th February 09:47
mikez328 said:
It doesn't matter where in the world a car was built. The German manufactures employ trusted German managers to oversee quality control. Here's a few examples:
Hardly - remember all those M-B 4x4 badly built in the USA ?And all those South Carolina Z3 with build quality problems ?
And all those 3 series built in south africa which weren't
as well built as the German ones ?
The issue isn't as black and white as you claim. Yes some manufacturers
get it right from day 1, but some take time to get it right and
some never seem to get it right.
dcb said:
mikez328 said:
It doesn't matter where in the world a car was built. The German manufactures employ trusted German managers to oversee quality control. Here's a few examples:
Hardly - remember all those M-B 4x4 badly built in the USA ?And all those South Carolina Z3 with build quality problems ?
And all those 3 series built in south africa which weren't
as well built as the German ones ?
The issue isn't as black and white as you claim. Yes some manufacturers
get it right from day 1, but some take time to get it right and
some never seem to get it right.
Was it a design flaw, or employees just forgetting to torque screws up or not put them in at all?
I fail to see what 'build issues' can be defined as. Is it literally badly built? If so, not exactly hard to rectify over a short time (ie, warranty period)
If it's a design flaw then that is worse, but from what I can tell, as said above, the only real flaw is the seats rubbing the back of the cabin when they are right back... everything else feels spot on so far
Dave
squeezebm said:
Dave,glad you came over to the dark side eventually;) NOW you get it
Enjoy it
squeezebm... how are you getting on with your e92 M3? my dad has ordered one as an approved used with 5k on the clock and is picking it up in March. He seemed to really like it!!! what's the general build quality seem like? what's the fastest speed would you say it could sit at all day without working too hard?Enjoy it
E21_Ross said:
squeezebm said:
Dave,glad you came over to the dark side eventually;) NOW you get it
Enjoy it
squeezebm... how are you getting on with your e92 M3? my dad has ordered one as an approved used with 5k on the clock and is picking it up in March. He seemed to really like it!!! what's the general build quality seem like? what's the fastest speed would you say it could sit at all day without working too hard?Enjoy it
he won't be disapointed........Cruising wise;)about Mach 3.
squeezebm said:
E21_Ross said:
squeezebm said:
Dave,glad you came over to the dark side eventually;) NOW you get it
Enjoy it
squeezebm... how are you getting on with your e92 M3? my dad has ordered one as an approved used with 5k on the clock and is picking it up in March. He seemed to really like it!!! what's the general build quality seem like? what's the fastest speed would you say it could sit at all day without working too hard?Enjoy it
he won't be disapointed........Cruising wise;)about Mach 3.
Had my Z4 about 5 weeks now. I did a 400 mile round trip to Northumberland at the weekend to do some hooning and i'm really starting to love it
I thought i had a rattle but it turned out to be the passenger seatbelt not fully recoiled so it was bashing against the door.
It still rides like it has no suspension but its something to get used to and expect.
The only modification i have done is to remove some of the sound generator foam. At first i removed all of it (both bits) and it sounded crap, like a giant hoover, the same with just half of it. It the end i cut the larger piece in half so i essentially am running with about 2/3 of what was there originally. It gives a bit more roar but without masking the sound of the engine.
Only other thing i might do soon is do the mod to attach mp3 players/ ipods etc because the CD player (single and multichanger) skips all of the time.
If i keep the car for a long time then i can see myelf getting non-runflat tyres, some better dampers, a geo setup and some pagid brake pads - but not for a while.
I thought i had a rattle but it turned out to be the passenger seatbelt not fully recoiled so it was bashing against the door.
It still rides like it has no suspension but its something to get used to and expect.
The only modification i have done is to remove some of the sound generator foam. At first i removed all of it (both bits) and it sounded crap, like a giant hoover, the same with just half of it. It the end i cut the larger piece in half so i essentially am running with about 2/3 of what was there originally. It gives a bit more roar but without masking the sound of the engine.
Only other thing i might do soon is do the mod to attach mp3 players/ ipods etc because the CD player (single and multichanger) skips all of the time.
If i keep the car for a long time then i can see myelf getting non-runflat tyres, some better dampers, a geo setup and some pagid brake pads - but not for a while.
obscene said:
Had my E46 330ci for nearly year now and still love it to death, just wish it was an M3 though.
7 weeks for mine, great car! Can't help but have a wee look at M3's on Autotrader though!!!! Worrying thing is, I have the cash saved to trade up, but I am moving house and the better half is keeping an eye on new sofa's!!!!!Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff