Thinking of changing the C30 - z4 Coupe Vs 350z

Wizardskills

Wizardskills

Wizardskills

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So over the last few weeks I have been thinking about changing my Volvo C30. I do like the car however I want something that is a bit more exciting and a bit more sporty. I don't need a car with 4 seats so the replacement doesn't have to be too practical. I'm not too fussed with fuel economy however I will need the car to be reliable as I will be doing my 40 mile per day commute in it. I have given it a bit of thought and I have narrowed it down to two cars:

  • BMW z4 Coupé
  • A Late Nissan 350z

Both will cost me about the same to insure (BMW is around £100 cheaper) and both can be had for about £16k. I'm looking to spend about £4k + the C30 (28k miles 09 plate ~ £12.5k trade in at a guess)

If I'm honest I prefer the BMW however I have never driven either of them so I guess I'm after some owners opinions of each of the cars. What are they like on a day to day basis? What are the running cost like on each of them? I know the 350z should be serviced every 9000 miles and the z4 has variable servicing intervals but how often do these intervals come up? What should I look out for on each of the cars?

I have Friday off work and I have organised a test drive of this z4 here

It is a little out side of my budget but I thought it would be good to see one that should be a good example as means of a benchmark. Plus it is quite close to where I live. The one that has really caught my eye is this one. What do you guys think? Am I crazy? Any other cars I should consider?
 
Yes, that was my general feeling about the cars as well. I have heard that the 350z does cost a fair bit to run. However I can't believe that the z4 is a terribly unreliable car though? Do they have any common faults?
 
It isn't to be honest. It has the non direct injection N52 engine as well which doesnt have the issues the N53 does. The main big failure point on Z4's is the roof motor which of course the Coupe hasnt got :)
 
Get your test pilot wings tbh, and add a cayman to that list - maybe a little out of your budget but not by miles and by all accounts a much more engaging drive, even an exige if you really don't need it to be practical.
 
PM Booner! He's got a Z4M roadster atm and had a 350Z GT4 (so pre-facelift, but tweaked engine) before that.

Not sure on costs but he basically summarises them as:

Z4M = more focussed, faster and more brutal.

350Z = more of a relaxing GT car.
 
The Z4 as a day to day car isn't too bad. The ride comfort, or distinct lack of, can put a lot of people off. This improves when the runflat tyres are replaced with regular tyres but it is still very stiff.
If when cold the engine sounds like someone shaking a bag of spanners don't be alarmed. It is somewhat normal. The N52 makes many strange noises. These sounds should disappear when it is up to temperature.

I have run my 3.0Si Coupe for a touch over 3 years now as an everyday car, putting 40k on it in that period. The car has had £thousands of warranty work although this is mainly down to poor diagnosis on the part of the mechanics. My car has had 2x dual mass flywheels, a new set of hydraulic tappets and various other bits and pieces. Do not try to run the car without a warranty. It could sting you for a significant sum.

You'll have to go drive the car to form your own opinion on how it drives. Some people love it, some people hate it. I chose the Z4 over the 350Z and haven't regretted it for a second. Apart from everything else, it looks better :D
 
I've owned my 350z since January so cant really go too in depth in terms of long term running costs etc..

You have 3 service levels with the zed, P1,P2 and P3

P1 (basic oil change and inspection);

P2/P3 (oil change and air filter change and inspection) plus some age/mileage dependant items.

1 Year or 9,000 miles (whichever sooner) P1 service

2 years or 18,000 miles (whichever sooner P2 service (plus brake fluid change as extra item at additional cost)

3 years or 27,000 miles (whichever sooner) P1 service (plus coolant change as extra service item at additional cost)

4 years or 36,000 miles (whichever sooner) P3 service (plus brake fluid change as extra item at additional cost)

5 years or 45,000 miles (whichever sooner) P1 service (plus plugs changed as extra service item at additional cost)

6 years or 54,000 miles (whichever sooner) P2 service (plus brake fluid change plus coolant change as extra service items at additional cost)

7 years or 63,000 miles (whichever sooner) P1 service

8 years or 72,000 miles (whichever sooner) P3 service (plus brake fluid change as extra service item at additional cost) see note above about P3 vs P2

9 years or 81,000 miles (whichever sooner) P1 service (plus coolant change at additional cost)

10 years or 90,000 miles (whichever sooner) P2 service (plus brake fluid change and airbag system inspection as extra items at additional cost)

The brake fluid should be changed every two years (or 27,000 miles if sooner) (regardless of the service due at that time) and the coolant every three years (or every 36,000 miles if sooner). Plugs are changed at 5 years (or every 54,000 miles if sooner)

Just put mine through a P3 service. Engine, gearbox, dif oil, coolant flush, aux belts changed plugs done and new filter. All in with labour I was just over £400. Prices seem to vary greatly depending on where you go.

Day to day the car is great, plenty of low down grunt, very linear smooth power delivery. Very easy to be doing silly speeds without realising. it's always felt very stable when pushing it and has a nice weighty feel. Steering feels direct, gear change can be slightly clunky until properly warmed up. Interior isn't the best, slightly plasticy however the face lift which your looking at is slightly improved. Seats are very comfortable but prone to wear on the side bolsters.

Economy wise I'm sitting at around 21mpg. On the motorway it can cruise quite comfortably in the high 20's, some folk on the forums report 30's but I don't have the patience. I didn't buy the car to be good on fuel.

In terms of brakes the GT cars with the Brembo setup a set of disks and pads of oe quality can be done for around £500 quid, however there are plenty of upgrade options available for not a huge amount more.

On your test drive listen out for clicking coming from the rear axle, usually does it when shifting from reverse into first or initial load when moving off, a problem with the drive shafts apparently. The original Bose stereo in the GT cars is prone to skipping until warmed up. Apart from that there isn't really anything other than the obvious to look out for. I'd definitely be taking a look at the classified section of 350zuk, there are some cracking well looked after examples on there with plenty of history on the forum.

The 350z UK owners forum is a great resource and has a fantastic traders section with plenty of knowledgeable friendly folk willing to help you out with any problems or questions.
 
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papercutout said:
PM Booner! He's got a Z4M roadster atm and had a 350Z GT4 (so pre-facelift, but tweaked engine) before that.

Not sure on costs but he basically summarises them as:

Z4M = more focussed, faster and more brutal.

350Z = more of a relaxing GT car.
Click to expand...

The Z4M and 3.0Si are two very different cars in terms of driving and running costs.
 
Wizardskills said:
I have Friday off work and I have organised a test drive of this z4 here
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That Z4 is extremely over priced. I just traded my Z4C (2006) for a S2000 and I only managed to get £13.5k which is good considered the current market value. If you head over to the Z4 forum you will see owners having trouble shifting theirs.

I had mine Z4C for about 2 years put on about 20k miles and its been cheap to run. Cost me a service and 1 tyre, services interval is about 15k.
 
richyfingers said:
Snip.
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Thanks for the info :)

Telescopi said:
Get your test pilot wings tbh, and add a cayman to that list - maybe a little out of your budget but not by miles and by all accounts a much more engaging drive, even an exige if you really don't need it to be practical.
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Yep that is the plan. I did consider a Cayman however they do cost more to buy initially and the running costs of them are quite high. IIRC it is about £3k over 3 years which is a lot :(. I did also consider a normal Elise but again they cost a lot to service and quite a bit to fix if they do go wrong. A mate of mine has an S1 and his latest repair bill was £2400 :eek:.

smokedog said:
That Z4 is extremely over priced. I just traded my Z4C (2006) for a S2000 and I only managed to get £13.5k which is good considered the current market value. If you head over to the Z4 forum you will see owners having trouble shifting theirs.

I had mine Z4C for about 2 years put on about 20k miles and its been cheap to run. Cost me a service and 1 tyre, services interval is about 15k.
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Oh I realise that. As I said in my original post I have about £4k + my car so I don’t think I will be purchasing that one unless I get a good deal and the car actually is a nice one.
 
Wizardskills said:
Thanks for the info :)



Yep that is the plan. I did consider a Cayman however they do cost more to buy initially and the running costs of them are quite high. IIRC it is about £3k over 3 years which is a lot :(. I did also consider a normal Elise but again they cost a lot to service and quite a bit to fix if they do go wrong. A mate of mine has an S1 and his latest repair bill was £2400 :eek:.



Oh I realise that. As I said in my original post I have about £4k + my car so I don’t think I will be purchasing that one unless I get a good deal and the car actually is a nice one.
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The s1 has a crap rover engine, the s2 has a nice reliable VVTi toyota engine, worlds apart in reliability :)
 
I test drove a Z4 before settling on my Z; have not looked back since :)

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