BMW Z4, Talk to me.
Discussion
I'm looking at a 3.0 Z4 SE for my next car (the 231bhp version)
What are they like and is that too much power for a first RWD car? I've had FWD hatchbacks up until now.
What kind of MPG do they get overall and on a run? What are servicing costs like and what kind of things should I be looking out for?
Cheers
What are they like and is that too much power for a first RWD car? I've had FWD hatchbacks up until now.
What kind of MPG do they get overall and on a run? What are servicing costs like and what kind of things should I be looking out for?
Cheers
Hi
I ran a 2.5 for a year and drove a friends 3.0. Have to say they are great cars and I know of no common problems. In my ownership all I had to pay for was servicing and tyres over 18k miles.
The boot gives you more room than you'd expect and the mpg was around 25 iirc. Servicing should be around £200 plus consumables and the power is no problem at all going through the back wheels. Avoid snow though.
The run flats are quite expensive to replace and some will complain about the ride but for me they added to the sporty feel.
I love the convertible - had a face like leather all summer but would also love the m coupe. Looks great IMO
Also, I suspect the vast majority of the depreciation has been taken care of so go for it.
I ran a 2.5 for a year and drove a friends 3.0. Have to say they are great cars and I know of no common problems. In my ownership all I had to pay for was servicing and tyres over 18k miles.
The boot gives you more room than you'd expect and the mpg was around 25 iirc. Servicing should be around £200 plus consumables and the power is no problem at all going through the back wheels. Avoid snow though.
The run flats are quite expensive to replace and some will complain about the ride but for me they added to the sporty feel.
I love the convertible - had a face like leather all summer but would also love the m coupe. Looks great IMO
Also, I suspect the vast majority of the depreciation has been taken care of so go for it.
I bought a Z4 last summer and it was the first real RWD car I have had (I had a Ford Grandad as a student!). It is not scary or difficult to drive and it has the added (dis?)advantage of stability etc. Mine is a weekend car and to be honest I didn't use it that much when it was icy - I'm aware of my and others driving limitations!
MPG is 25ish around town and well into the 30's on a steady motorway journey. Servicing isnt too bad if the bills I have with the car are anything to go by.
I do have a problem though - I feel a real **** with the roof down when I drive through a town/city.... but driving up here in the Lakes with the sun shining is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Be sure you want a convertible - I'm glad I have done it but I wouldn't choose another (unless it was a convertible only a la TVR/Elise).
Black with red leather is what you want.... I could be tempted to let mine go for a reasonable price! Any questions feel free to ask.
MPG is 25ish around town and well into the 30's on a steady motorway journey. Servicing isnt too bad if the bills I have with the car are anything to go by.
I do have a problem though - I feel a real **** with the roof down when I drive through a town/city.... but driving up here in the Lakes with the sun shining is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Be sure you want a convertible - I'm glad I have done it but I wouldn't choose another (unless it was a convertible only a la TVR/Elise).
Black with red leather is what you want.... I could be tempted to let mine go for a reasonable price! Any questions feel free to ask.
As said by others, show it some respect and you should be ok. I didnt when I had an mx-5, too much throttle plus gravel on the road = one written off mx-5. I wasn't paying attention to the road as much as I should have been.
Cant really comment on z4's other than I would love one just dont make the same mistake I did.
Cant really comment on z4's other than I would love one just dont make the same mistake I did.
My girlfriend has just recently bought a 3.0SE Z4 after owning a MK1 Audi TT, it's her first RWD car and she's getting on fine with it.
She's had the odd moment when the back's gone a little wayward in the wet, but the stability control has kept her safely on the road with no drama.
Unfortunately I've not had much chance to drive it yet, but I'm working on it
She's had the odd moment when the back's gone a little wayward in the wet, but the stability control has kept her safely on the road with no drama.
Unfortunately I've not had much chance to drive it yet, but I'm working on it
Wife has the 2.0 Sport Roadster. It's been very reliable over 2.5 years/40k miles with reasonable servicing costs. Even the 2.0 is reasonably quick and as you'd expect it drives well. The runflats tramline like a b
h though and will happily fling you into a hedge if you're not paying attention. The ride, especially in the Sport on RFs is very, very hard, to the point of actually feeling queasy if you're a passenger. The wife loves it but for me it's strictly a fair-weather, weekend run-out kind of car. I will caveat that by saying that I drive a 7 Series the rest of the time so I've gone a bit soft and wussy.
h though and will happily fling you into a hedge if you're not paying attention. The ride, especially in the Sport on RFs is very, very hard, to the point of actually feeling queasy if you're a passenger. The wife loves it but for me it's strictly a fair-weather, weekend run-out kind of car. I will caveat that by saying that I drive a 7 Series the rest of the time so I've gone a bit soft and wussy. I had a 2.2 and got rid for a 335i. Just sold the 335 and got a 2.5 Z4. I missed the rawness and the top down.
Visit Z4 Forum and look at the stickies for common problems, run flats, window motors, waterlogged hood motors and broken springs ar common, but not the end of the world.
The engines are glorious, creamy smooth sixes with plenty of torque for a NA. The 3.0 is the one to have, but my 2.5 was in exactly the spec I wanted and it still has plenty of poke. Look for the 2.5SI as an alternative, it has 218hp.
M sport seats are very desirable (standard are called 'sport'. Heated is a must. Ride is OK on 18s once on normal tyres, but a bit crashy on RTFs. Eibach lowering springs make the ride more supple, and improve the already great handling. Steering is a bit woolly, but most modern cars are unfortunately. The Sport button does nothing to improve this, merely makes it heavier.
I think the early Z4s are pretty much flatlining in depreciation terms, so reasonably cheap motoring. Cheaper running costs than a Boxster too.
Visit Z4 Forum and look at the stickies for common problems, run flats, window motors, waterlogged hood motors and broken springs ar common, but not the end of the world.
The engines are glorious, creamy smooth sixes with plenty of torque for a NA. The 3.0 is the one to have, but my 2.5 was in exactly the spec I wanted and it still has plenty of poke. Look for the 2.5SI as an alternative, it has 218hp.
M sport seats are very desirable (standard are called 'sport'. Heated is a must. Ride is OK on 18s once on normal tyres, but a bit crashy on RTFs. Eibach lowering springs make the ride more supple, and improve the already great handling. Steering is a bit woolly, but most modern cars are unfortunately. The Sport button does nothing to improve this, merely makes it heavier.
I think the early Z4s are pretty much flatlining in depreciation terms, so reasonably cheap motoring. Cheaper running costs than a Boxster too.
I testdrove a 3.0l before buying the Z4M. Great car and lovely engine. I went for the M simply based on the noise and performance, and reckoned I could just about stomach the MPG.
Lots of people on the Z4 forum swap the runflats out for standard tyres for a more comfortable (and cheaper) ride, it's easy to drive and sounds great. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
I would go for the 3.0l over the 2.5l myself, as from what I've been told the insurance/tax aren't too dissimilar.
I had a 2.0l as a courtesy car over a year ago. Nice looking car, but such a wet lettuce when pulling away.
Lots of people on the Z4 forum swap the runflats out for standard tyres for a more comfortable (and cheaper) ride, it's easy to drive and sounds great. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
I would go for the 3.0l over the 2.5l myself, as from what I've been told the insurance/tax aren't too dissimilar.
I had a 2.0l as a courtesy car over a year ago. Nice looking car, but such a wet lettuce when pulling away.
As said, you'd be better getting the 3.0; especially as there isn't much difference in price. Buyers will more often than not want the 3.0.
The only common problems I know of on the pre-facelift Z4 are broken springs and faulty DISA valve. I understand the DISA valve doesn't matter much, and the springs WILL break within every 30k miles if you stick with the BMW ones. There has been no revision for this.
Servicing at my local BMW dealer is as follows:
Oil Service - £155
Inspection 1 - £300
Inspection 2 - £380
Brake Fluid - £80
Coolant - £130
The service schedule is:
Oil Service
Inspection 1
Oil Service
Inspection 2
[Repeat]
Services are carried out variably. 2 years maximum between services, or approx 15,000 miles (depending on how you drive it). It calculates this on fuel usage of 501 gallons.
In addition to the service schedule, you need to change the brake fluid every 2 years and the coolant every 4. It's chain driven, so no belts to replace. Servicing at an Independent is around half the price of the prices stated above.
The only common problems I know of on the pre-facelift Z4 are broken springs and faulty DISA valve. I understand the DISA valve doesn't matter much, and the springs WILL break within every 30k miles if you stick with the BMW ones. There has been no revision for this.
Servicing at my local BMW dealer is as follows:
Oil Service - £155
Inspection 1 - £300
Inspection 2 - £380
Brake Fluid - £80
Coolant - £130
The service schedule is:
Oil Service
Inspection 1
Oil Service
Inspection 2
[Repeat]
Services are carried out variably. 2 years maximum between services, or approx 15,000 miles (depending on how you drive it). It calculates this on fuel usage of 501 gallons.
In addition to the service schedule, you need to change the brake fluid every 2 years and the coolant every 4. It's chain driven, so no belts to replace. Servicing at an Independent is around half the price of the prices stated above.
How tall are you?
Having recently more or less decided on getting a Z4C, I went to see one I liked the look of at a dealer 80 miles away. When it came to the test drive, I found it was like sitting in a pedal car and there was no point even starting the engine. I couldn't get my left knee under the dash even with the seat fully back; I was surprised by that, given that Germans tend to be big people and I'm not exactly a giant at only 6'2". What a bummer!
Having recently more or less decided on getting a Z4C, I went to see one I liked the look of at a dealer 80 miles away. When it came to the test drive, I found it was like sitting in a pedal car and there was no point even starting the engine. I couldn't get my left knee under the dash even with the seat fully back; I was surprised by that, given that Germans tend to be big people and I'm not exactly a giant at only 6'2". What a bummer!
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff