Z3 Buying Advice
Discussion
A mate of mine is currently on the hunt for a Z3 to replace his Mondeo ... However like many of us, myself included, it is difficult to view a second hand car that fits the bill without wearing those rose-tinted glasses. He won't post on here and will most likely purchase any old Z3, which could be the beginnings of financial suicide! So can anyone help out on the following points?
1) Is the 2.2 a worthy upgrade on the 1.9?
2) Are there any common faults with the Z3 to watch out for?
3) Any faults that could be very expensive to repair?
4) How much would you budget per year for repairs and maintainance?
5) What is the 0-60 time of the 2.2 Z3?
Any information is much appreciated!
Cheers!
1) Is the 2.2 a worthy upgrade on the 1.9?
2) Are there any common faults with the Z3 to watch out for?
3) Any faults that could be very expensive to repair?
4) How much would you budget per year for repairs and maintainance?
5) What is the 0-60 time of the 2.2 Z3?
Any information is much appreciated!
Cheers!
I can answer a couple of your questions, as I've been looking at Z3s a bit recently:
- 0-60 time of the 2.2 is 7.6secs according to Parkers
- ANYTHING is a worthy upgrade over the 1.9 - it's a very uninspiring engine that gives uninspiring performance.
I don't know of any major faults with them, I would suspect it's the usual things to look out for with any car of that age.
However, I would suggest that he drives one before he spends too much time looking, as I test drove a 3.0 version the other week and found it not much fun (and uncomfortable seats).
HTH!
- 0-60 time of the 2.2 is 7.6secs according to Parkers
- ANYTHING is a worthy upgrade over the 1.9 - it's a very uninspiring engine that gives uninspiring performance.
I don't know of any major faults with them, I would suspect it's the usual things to look out for with any car of that age.
However, I would suggest that he drives one before he spends too much time looking, as I test drove a 3.0 version the other week and found it not much fun (and uncomfortable seats).
HTH!
1) Is the 2.2 a worthy upgrade on the 1.9?
Yes. 4 pot vs 6 pot. Much nicer exhaust noise
2) Are there any common faults with the Z3 to watch out for?
Check the roof doesn't leak. Move the drivers seat all the way backwards and forwards a few times and see if the airbag light comes on.
3) Any faults that could be very expensive to repair?
Yes, but unlikely.
4) How much would you budget per year for repairs and maintainance?
It's a BMW, be realistic and have a credit card with a high limit
You'll want to find a good independant BMW specialist for reasonable cost maintenance.Go to www.zroadster.net
Lots of friendly people and good info.Ikemi said:
Cheers for the advice - I'll pass it on! Unfortunately I found out his budget yesterday, which is £3K, nowhere near enough for a 2.2 or Z3 of anykind! Entry prices seem to be about £4.5K, but whether they are riddled with problems or not I don't know ...
You say that but i reckon on my 98 2.8 being worth less that £4.5k. Mileage is ticking along at somewhere north of 158k mindIkemi said:
Cheers for the advice - I'll pass it on! Unfortunately I found out his budget yesterday, which is £3K, nowhere near enough for a 2.2 or Z3 of anykind! Entry prices seem to be about £4.5K, but whether they are riddled with problems or not I don't know ...
To coin the usual PH recommendation...... he better start looking at MX-5's!Mustard said:
Ikemi said:
Cheers for the advice - I'll pass it on! Unfortunately I found out his budget yesterday, which is £3K, nowhere near enough for a 2.2 or Z3 of anykind! Entry prices seem to be about £4.5K, but whether they are riddled with problems or not I don't know ...
To coin the usual PH recommendation...... he better start looking at MX-5's!
lol It was only a matter of time!Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff