I want a BMW Z4

kirkster

kirkster

kirkster

Associate
Joined
14 May 2007
Posts
843
Location
London
Hey guys,
Not after rocket power performance but something reasonable, reliable, does not cost the earth to maintain and run at an Indy. Budget up to about £10k, maybe £15k if it would buy a different class of car. This is for a weekend car that I may use for business on nice days as well. I intend to do 6000 a year or so in it.

Not bothered too much abut Auto/Manual but prefer Auto if it was as reliable.

Any thoughts please?

Many thanks, Steve
 
If you genuinely do not care about performance the Z4 SDrive23i is a total bargain - they are very cheap because nobody wants them. Reliable enough engines too.
 
Well the problem you've got here is that there are two Z4's. One is very old and has been out for almost 13 years, and the other is the current model which came out in 2009.

Good engined versions of the current model are £15k+ really unless you buy a tatty one or a high miler, but your £10-£15k budget seems too big for the previous model, which really isn't a £10-15k car any more.

So if the 23i does it for you it's a great option as it gets you a nice current model in budget. It's not THAT slow either really.

If you want more then I'd suggest spending more.
 
That first one sums up my point - that is an original model Z4 and is absolutely not a place to spend £15,000.

Second one is much better but is realistically as cheap as they get by virtue of its low spec.
 
Puts it out of reach of the reasonable warranty, so those 5k miles might matter unfortunately

My dads z4 warranty on the old coupe is circa £50 a month including proper BMW assist euro cover, its fantastic value for money and great coverage to have
 
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£12.5k - £15k is right on the money for an e85/e86 //M variant, but as you say you are not after rocket performance then probably not the right choice.

Unless you specifically want the coupe (e86) then save your money and go for a much cheaper 1st generation Z4 or up your budget and get a nice e89 second generation Z4.

Different kind of cars, so suggest you try a few and see what you like.

I have an e86 which many people dont see the point in, but I much prefer the way it looks and they hold their value a little better than the roasters as there are far fewer of them.

If you choose a 1st generation car, then be prepared for lots of rattles, they are certainly not refined!
 
The boot is pretty useful on the coupe too.

To be perfectly honest though, i'd always have a roadster and also can't see why you'd spend 10k+ on the previous gen car (non m)
 
Beta said:
If you choose a 1st generation car, then be prepared for lots of rattles, they are certainly not refined!
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Most of them can be sorted out though if you're prepared to spend some time on it, there are good guides for most of the common ones :) I'll get round to fixing mine one day, I have the anti-rattle tape in the garage, but it's much less of an issue once the roof is down and I normally don't bother taking it out unless I'm having the roof down :p
 
I have the awesome door panel and suspension cover rattles. Being fair, it is a 'sports' car and I directly compare it to my wife's 5GT which is leagues ahead in refinement. I keep meaning to fix the rattles but never get round to it.
 
Beta said:
I have the awesome door panel and suspension cover rattles. Being fair, it is a 'sports' car and I directly compare it to my wife's 5GT which is leagues ahead in refinement. I keep meaning to fix the rattles but never get round to it.
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I think mine are mainly just the cup holders and the centre compartment door, although if I fix them I'm bound to find more :) I've had the strut brace clunking before too but fixed that in 2 minutes. Is yours an M or an Si?
 
Nearly bought one of these myself... but I wanted the latest model.

There's a great example not too far to the west of you... but it's £21.5k. However... it's the 35is model which has a fantastic base spec and the engine punched up to 340bhp...

You could get a decent Z4M for that money with the E46 M3 3.2 straight 6 and SMG box...

Otherwise if you're happy with the smaller engines, then do like others have suggested and try to find a 2009+ 23i
 
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