E85 - Now a new owner!

[abzthemanc]

Morning all,

Another Z4 Noob here - from Manchester, I don't have one yet but looking for one so thought would come here to get some advice in advance on what to look out for. Currently have a 12 year old E60 525d which I'll be keeping as I have 2 little ones to ferry about, so this will be mostly a weekend ride with the Mrs when the kids are dumped at the Grandparents, or driving to work on the odd day if/when the office opens back up.

Id be looking at an E85, my preference is the 3 litre but there aren't as many about and seem to be priced a bit higher than the 2.5 which there seem to be loads of! I'm sure its probably been debated loads, but apart from the gearbox, is the power difference really noticeable day in day out?

My budget was £5k tops if the ideal spec were to be found, but preferring around £3-4k obviously with some compromises. Currently can only see two 3.0s near manchester and both around £6k!

I've got loads questions which I'll get round to but a few to start,

- is there anything really obvious I can look out for when buying a Z4? I don't mind getting my hands dirty but mechanically speaking apart from the obvious eg rust, roof going up/down - is there anything else I could easily identify?

- I'm a bit risk averse when it comes to cars ... is it worth paying for one of those RAC type inspections? I guess for the price of the car its probably not worth it..

- if i get a 2.5 would i really regret not getting the 3.0?!

- is the auto gearbox really that bad? I dont want it but my Mrs hasn't driven a manual for years so is reluctant.. (getting a manual is proving to be a hard sell )

Thanks in advance

[Zedebee]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

All the 2.5 variants (except the post-facelift 2.5i which is defined) are decently powered sports cars and I’m sure you’d be happy with any of them if there wasn’t a 3.0 variant. The post-facelift 2.5Si is nearly as powerful as the pre-facelift 3.0i, whereas the post-facelift 3.0Si has gotten very sought after and expensive.

For your money, the sweet spot is probably a pre-facelift 3.0i although there seem to be many more 2.5i available at slightly less money.

The auto box is not bad at all; highly rated by members who have them on here.

I’ll leave it for others to comment on common faults/problems, which are well documented.

[enuff_zed]

Welcome aboard.
I picked up a 53 plate 2.5i Auto for the wife last year (seemed a fair swap )
I paid £2600 with 98k on the clock.
It has needed work which has probably taken it up by another £850 or so, but I have been able to do it all myself.
Obviously the auto box is a slightly older design than these modern flappy paddle things, but it works well and is a 5-speed which seems adequate for the car.
With 192bhp in a light-ish car I don't think the lack of cc over the 3 litre will disappoint to be honest.

I'd suggest try a 2.5i first and see how you get on. There are subtle differences in outer appearance between the pre- and post- facelifts and the engine is different. I have no experience of the N52 in the later models, but the M54 in ours is smooth, sounds lovely and I'm confident will double it's current 102k with no problems.

[buzyg]

Welcome on board and good luck with your hunt for the perfect Z4 for you. Quite a tight budged, but the cars are out there. Just be carful not to end up spending as much after purchase as you do on the car. Always a bit of a risk buying an ageing sports car. But the loved ones are worth the extra IMHO. Of course there are un loved examples out there for similar money. For sure the good folk on here will aid you in finding a good un.

[abzthemanc]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

All the 2.5 variants (except the post-facelift 2.5i which is defined) are decently powered sports cars and I’m sure you’d be happy with any of them if there wasn’t a 3.0 variant. The post-facelift 2.5Si is nearly as powerful as the pre-facelift 3.0i, whereas the post-facelift 3.0Si has gotten very sought after and expensive.

For your money, the sweet spot is probably a pre-facelift 3.0i although there seem to be many more 2.5i available at slightly less money.

The auto box is not bad at all; highly rated by members who have them on here.

I’ll leave it for others to comment on common faults/problems, which are well documented.

Cheers mate, good to hear the auto is rated highly by owners, and at a minimum it widens the market somewhat for me.

What year was the facelift?

[abzthemanc]

Cheers for all the replies so far! Good to know I dont have to rule out the 2.5 completely at this stage.

[buzyg]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

All the 2.5 variants (except the post-facelift 2.5i which is defined) are decently powered sports cars and I’m sure you’d be happy with any of them if there wasn’t a 3.0 variant. The post-facelift 2.5Si is nearly as powerful as the pre-facelift 3.0i, whereas the post-facelift 3.0Si has gotten very sought after and expensive.

For your money, the sweet spot is probably a pre-facelift 3.0i although there seem to be many more 2.5i available at slightly less money.

The auto box is not bad at all; highly rated by members who have them on here.

I’ll leave it for others to comment on common faults/problems, which are well documented.

Cheers mate, good to hear the auto is rated highly by owners, and at a minimum it widens the market somewhat for me.

What year was the facelift?

Face Lift for E85 was 2006.

Front and rear lights are a dead give away, though some older cars will have been modified to the new lights, especially at the front. There was a time when ginger whiskers were frowned upon by many. I think they are back in fashion again now.

[Zulu4]

viewtopic.php?f=41&t=130432
perhaps ?
or
viewtopic.php?f=41&t=130221

[Mr Tidy]

Welcome to the forum.

Most of it has already been said I think, but manual pre-facelift 2.5s only had a 5 speed box whereas 3 litres got 6 speeds so might be better for Motorway trips. But that's academic if you buy an Auto!

The later N52 engine in the facelifts revs a bit higher, feels a bit more keen to rev and is 20 (for 2.5Si) or 30 bhp (for 3.0Si) more powerful. Neither has a problem with high mileages, but the N52 does have an electric water pump. Unlike a mechanical one that will start to squeal or leak the electric one just stops so the engine overheats in about a mile! If you have recovery that isn't a massive problem, but new pumps cost £250+ (or £500+ from BMW). Although they seem to last anywhere from 60-90K miles, so you'll probably only ever need one!

I don't think you'd regret buying a 2.5, unless you test drove a 3 litre.

Anyway good luck finding the right one.

[abzthemanc]

viewtopic.php?f=41&t=130432
perhaps ?
or
viewtopic.php?f=41&t=130221

Cheers, second one has gone now but sounded great. Other example also looks good too.

Seen this on AT.. Colour a bit loud for my liking and no heated seats.. Seems well priced?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details ... obcid=soc3

[Mr Tidy]

Seen this on AT.. Colour a bit loud for my liking and no heated seats.. Seems well priced?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details ... obcid=soc3

I think the UK got less than 1,000 3.0si Roadsters altogether and Phoenix Yellow is a rare colour, plus it has the M-Sport seats that sell on here for £600 or more. Shame about the lack of seat heating, but that doesn't look expensive.

[abzthemanc]

Seen this on AT.. Colour a bit loud for my liking and no heated seats.. Seems well priced?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details ... obcid=soc3

I think the UK got less than 1,000 3.0si Roadsters altogether and Phoenix Yellow is a rare colour, plus it has the M-Sport seats that sell on here for £600 or more. Shame about the lack of seat heating, but that doesn't look expensive.

I saw it earlier in the week when it was listed at about £6100 so reduced a bit since then.

Its over my budget but oh so tempting...

[Zulu4]

I quite like the look of that Phoenix Yellow car.

For the experts -
It has got a silver engine cover on a 2007 57 plate car. What was the cut off month for the changeover to black ?
Mine was built in April 2007, registered Sept 2007 (57 plate) and has a black cover.

[Zulu4]

I think the UK got less than 1,000 3.0si Roadsters altogether and Phoenix Yellow is a rare colour, plus it has the M-Sport seats that sell on here for £600 or more. Shame about the lack of seat heating, but that doesn't look expensive.

Yes, 963 3.0si roadsters sold in the UK according to http://perso.numericable.fr/tonyz4c/index30si.html.
32 in yellow.

[abzthemanc]

Right so am pretty tempted by 3.0si above now... reckon it should hold its price fairly well?

Went to see the following car earlier as it was close by to me, drove well enough but felt very weathered..

https://bit.ly/2UAUgDn (AT link)