N00b to owner in 5.9 seconds

[inkey$]

For the budget, you’ll find either a decent 3.0 si or sport when you come to buy.
...and I second that M54 comment too. Truly great engines so don’t be put off by non-Si or ‘older’ model.

[Zedebee]

That fleabay car is unquestionably a 3.0i.
This household runs a 3.0Si N52 and a 2.5i M54. Obvs I prefer my Coupe, but the older 2.5i is a very decent engine.

[Swampy1982]

That fleabay car is unquestionably a 3.0i.
This household runs a 3.0Si N52 and a 2.5i M54. Obvs I prefer my Coupe, but the older 2.5i is a very decent engine.

Thats good to know, thanks for sharing - in the "real world" is there a significant improvement in performance?

I am almost certain I will aim for a 3.0 but if a 2.5 comes up with the right spec for everything else then i wouldn't want to rule it out.

I hear everyone when they say I might as well get the 3.0 as the running costs etc arent that different, but interested to hear from you because you have a chance to run them back to back to compare.

[groovy_hippy]

Another thing to note is that the pre facelift 2.5i actually had more bhp than the post facelift 2.5i. I had a post facelift 2.5i and it was excellent! The 3.0si coupe is just ‘more excellent’
I would say - look out for a good car. If it’s been well maintained and looked after and ticks all the boxes, you’re better off with that than a scruffy 3.0 for the sake of it being a 3.0....

[oldgitdave]

Strangely this is the conclusion I'm reaching from classified ads, 4k is on the cusp. I'm thinking as long as I get 6 cylinders I can't go too far wrong for my use case.

Reference SORNing these, do people put these cars on battery conditioners / trickle chargers?

Yep, a few one here do it including me. I've SORN'd every winter & put on a CTek conditioner. I usually do it from November & tax it in March. This year though she's been SORN'd since the beginning of October. I've probably done less than 500 miles this year due to the Covid .

[Mr Tidy]

Thats good to know, thanks for sharing - in the "real world" is there a significant improvement in performance?

I am almost certain I will aim for a 3.0 but if a 2.5 comes up with the right spec for everything else then i wouldn't want to rule it out.

I hear everyone when they say I might as well get the 3.0 as the running costs etc arent that different, but interested to hear from you because you have a chance to run them back to back to compare.

When I bought my 1st Coupe (N52 3.0Si engine) I had an E46 325ti (M54 2.5i) as a daily and other than the difference in size they both drove really well - the N52 engine just revs a bit higher to 7,000 rpm whereas I think it's 6,500 for the M54.

Then when I had my 2nd 3.0Si Coupe I swapped the daily for an E91 325i, so an N52 engine the same as a facelift 2.5Si but I replaced that with an E90 330i Saloon last year with a 3 litre N52.

All my 3 Series were on 6 figure mileages, but I had no major issues with any of them.

One thing to bear in mind is that the N52 engines have an electric water pump which will fail at some point, and a new one costs around £250. So if you find a car that's already had one that is a bonus or if not budget for that possibility! (I've needed 2 on my four N52s).

[Zedebee]

That fleabay car is unquestionably a 3.0i.
This household runs a 3.0Si N52 and a 2.5i M54. Obvs I prefer my Coupe, but the older 2.5i is a very decent engine.

Thats good to know, thanks for sharing - in the "real world" is there a significant improvement in performance?

I am almost certain I will aim for a 3.0 but if a 2.5 comes up with the right spec for everything else then i wouldn't want to rule it out.

I hear everyone when they say I might as well get the 3.0 as the running costs etc arent that different, but interested to hear from you because you have a chance to run them back to back to compare.

Not a fair comparison really because my Coupe is 4 year younger, half the miles and four times the price! However, to answer your question . . . at the top end the 265bhp 3.0Si is undoubtedly quicker than the 192bhp pre-facelift 2.5i; but in the real world the “grunt” is similar. On a country road, I wouldn’t say the bigger engine is noticeably quicker. Both are fantastically smooth straight 6 engines with a great soundtrack. My son’s roadster has the backbox deleted, so it sounds faster than it is, especially with the top down.

For what it’s worth I’d rather have an early, well looked after 2.5i (or even a 2.2i, but not a 4-cyl 2.0), than a ropey 3.0 for the same money. I’m sure most of the forum members would agree. That said, some very reasonable looking 3.0si examples do come up from time to time.

[Swampy1982]

So, the physical research began. I was on the way to B+Q and spotted a z4 on the forecourt of a garage.

I popped in and said i was just browsing but he offered to open her up for me to sit in.

Was a leggy 2.2 with 125k miles and non sports seats etc. But I took the offer to sit in it and it just felt right. I dont know what I was expecting but the seating position and feel was just right.

Its at this point I heeded advice from a poster from above and thanked the dealer for his time and walked away.

Easy to fall in love with these cars isn't it! When the time comes I'm going to struggle to be objective!

[Swampy1982]

N00b question #46

Do all z4's come with isofix in the passenger seat or is it an option?

Cash now very close to being released, as soon as its landed I will put a wanted add out, will be for a 2.5 or 3.0 manual with a good evidenced history and hopefully roof motor relocated - and I will see what's out there. Budget 4-5k

[mr.tourette]

4-5k is bang on the money for a 2.5si facelift or a decent pre facelift 3.0, maybe even a leggy 3.0si at the top end of your budget so do hang tight for a good forum car.. i think they all come with isofix every car ive looked at certainly seemed to have it, I'm not 100% on that though

[Swampy1982]

4-5k is bang on the money for a 2.5si facelift or a decent pre facelift 3.0, maybe even a leggy 3.0si at the top end of your budget so do hang tight for a good forum car.. i think they all come with isofix every car ive looked at certainly seemed to have it, I'm not 100% on that though

Yeah, I've stretched the budget slightly, I think I'm going to really struggle not to fall in love with the first car I see, but I will try to hold out for the right one. Seeing lots listed but until the are in front of you, you never really know. Cash in the bank first, then lots of road trips in my 3 series to find the right one

[z4pilot]

I'd consider holding back some budget to refresh the suspension. These cars are very sensitive to alignment and general suspension component condition. If not in good condition, you might find the handling underwhelming or end up chasing through issues like tramlining. Plenty of info on here about causes and solutions. Also, don't make xenon headlights a must have - they're pretty rubbish and headlight performance for both halogen and xenon is poor by modern standards. Halogens however are after market upgradeable - your options to improve the xenons are extremely limited. Happy hunting!

[Swampy1982]

Suspension refresh is on the list, will enjoy doing the work myself. Good feedback about the headlights, hadn't realised that.

I'm spoilt with my current car having LED so I'm mentally prepared for a drop in light output

[Swampy1982]

Has anyone got any experience of the SMG gearbox, seems a really rare option... didnt know what its like in real life. Does it take away from the driving experience as much as the auto? Is it more suitable for a daily than a weekend toy?

[Swampy1982]

Happy reading...
viewtopic.php?p=169415#p169415

This guide has helped my searching no end - just wanted to say thanks again for it.

My funds have landed now, time for a wanted ad to go up.

just in time for Tier 4 lockdown, FFS