Should I buy a 2005 Z4 for £2000?

[merlineater]

Hey guys

Looking for a bit of advice.

My girlfriend's father is loosely looking to sell his 05 reg Z4 (ie not desperate but knows I'm looking for a new ride. It's a 2.0 with 67k miles. In good condition as I understand it, he gets a full service every year and has had no problems with breakdowns etc. He's floated around £2k for it.

Obviously would need to test drive etc before committing but I wondered if you guys could advise whether this would be a steal at £2k? If you could also advise on any critical checks to make on the test drive that would be great.

Many thanks
Chris

[Elliot2000]

Yes, 2000£ sounds very cheap. Not the most exciting engine but still a good car. If everything is all good on it then it should be a 3.5k car

[helix402]

If you like horrible noisy low powered unreliable engines: Yes

If you don’t: No

[clockworks]

Not a quick car, but should keep up with an MX5, at least until you get to the twisties. I had a 2.2 automatic, which was fine as a top-down cruiser.

£2k for a Z4 in decent condition is a bargain. I'd buy it. Even if the engine dies, you'd get most of your money back by breaking it I think.

[merlineater]

Many thanks for the response all! Seems like it's worth a punt. Re the noise and speed, my current car is a mere 1.2 (tiny 05 Vauxhall Corsa) so either way this will be an upgrade, and hopefully a nice first sports car?

[Mr Tidy]

After a 1.2 Corsa it definitely won't feel slow!

And that is a good price for any Z4, so if you like it then why not? And it's the right time of year for a Roadster!

If you do buy it it's worth having a read on Z4forum.com - loads of useful information on there.

[bmwmike]

N43 engine ?

[helix402]

N46.

[daveco]

helix402 said:

If you like horrible noisy low powered unreliable engines: Yes

If you don’t: No

Never got the hatred for the N46 engine. Owned a few cars with this engine in my time, found them reliable and responsive, and with noticeably less heft over the front wheels the car (E46 ime) turned exceptionally well even in SE spec.

OP get it bought, 0-60 in about 8 seconds, and the car weighs less than 1300kg if it's the manual (and that's kerb weight).

[chrisga]

We bought an 03 Z4 back in April fully expecting a wet summer. Its been fantastic driving round with the roof down nearly everyday. Ours is the 2.5 but we paid a bit more. It's a nice little car. £2k seems good value.

[SebringMan]

Bar the engine issues I'd say that's a great price. Go for it.

I'd rather a 2.2i for the money but sometimes the right car is well worth going for.

[merlineater]

Thanks for all your feedback everyone - much appreciated.

Sounds like the consensus is largely 'yes' which is great news. There's been a couple of mentions around engine issues (I think of the N46) - do you think this is a big deal? Am curious to know a little more about the particular problems

I do believe it's been well looked after and I doubt anyone's trying to pull a fast one.

[helix402]

To help the N46 last: oil and filter every 10k/1 year (correct oil and decent filter), change timing chain tensioner (£30/10 mins), ignore oil leaks, top oil up often.

[iSore]

They're not so bad at low mileages if they've been looked after.They sit forward in the 'bay so are easy to get around and work on.

£2000 is cheap for a clean one.

[Vroomer]

So did you buy it, OP?

[merlineater]

Vroomer said:

So did you buy it, OP?

Yes - I decided to go for it, subject to a successful test drive but don't anticipate any issues. Got it for £2k and will even get £500 if I also trade in my old Corsa via webuyanycar. Not bad.

Will be picking it up on 11 August. Very much looking forward to it

Any tips for the first few rides?

Thanks to everyone for their help and advice - it was invaluable in helping me make a decision!

[seiben]

Sounds like you've got a bargain there! Friend of mine had a 2.0 Z4, which he bought after getting fed up with a 300-and-something-BHP Focus ST. He had a load of fun with the Z4, as I'm sure will you

[Ructions]

I paid £2500 for a 56 reg Z4 2.0 Z4 back in May and have no regrets whatsoever. It was a spur of the moment purchase because the sun was shining, but luckily it has been the best summer ever and it has had plenty of use. It keeps the mileage down on the other cars and I'm not afraid to park it and walk away from it. The handling is a bit ropey, but it will get a full refresh over the winter and will be stored warm and dry ready for next year.

[aquarianone]

head here -> https://z4-forum.com/forum/

Say hi, and start reading



scratch that, just noticed your thread over there

Edited by aquarianone on Wednesday 1st August 20:41

[dhutch]

Just knowing the history, honestly, adds £500 to the value all day long imo. So if it's a car you would like, go for it.


Daniel