Which Z4

[BullyJock]

Hi Folks

Just back from a weeks holiday on our motorbike and had a shot of a friends Z3, so travelling home in a downpour was thinking of selling the bike and looking for a Z4. I'm not all that mechanically minded, so looking for help and advise, budget will be about £7,000 any help would be appreciated

Many thanks

Kevin

[Smartbear]

The 3litre 6cylinder model is the most fun to drive & also the best sounding (apart from the 3.2litre m version,but they are a lot more money)
A few people prefer the 2litre 4cylinder cars but that's mainly for budget reasons & not based on driving enjoyment-driven with care even the larger engines are good on fuel-approaching 40mpg on a long run.
What bike have you got?

[paulgs1000]

Hi Bully Jock welcome to the Forum.

Quite a few forumites have bikes or came from bikes (me included) so you've come to the right place.

£7K will put you in the market for any of the first versions of the Z4 including some 'facelift' versions (post 2006). The 'new' Zed came out 2009.

The 2.0 litre is a good choice for running costs and gives you the handling with fun performance.

The 6 cylinder 2.2, 2.5 and 3.0 litre sixes are well thought of and liked for their engines - smooth and powerful (2.2 needs revving)

The 3.0 litre is the most popular and can offer reasonable mpg, running costs but with excellent performance

The pre facelift 3.0 litre is 231bhp, the post 2006 3 litre is 265bhp; either gives strong performance that you will enjoy if you're used to the performance of a bike.

There are Sport versions that offer sport seats, steering wheel, suspension and wheels; SE versions are 'softer' and offer a better ride.

Most owners change the Runflat tyres for non runflats for better ride (and replacement costs often less).

Many owners fit upgrades - sport seats, different wheel designs and there are many options available which add to the practicalities and desirability of a Zed - Satnav, uprated stereo, parking sensors, cruise control.

As the Zed is a very capable sports car a good service record is recommended and a well cared for Zed should give many miles of enjoyment upto and past 100K miles.

Roof motors can stop working and are expensive to have fixed/replaced and over time wear means the replacement of joints and bushes are needed to freshen up your Zed - but by using a specialist rather than a dealership, owning a Zed can be very reasonable in terms of cost.

Take your time and read through the sections on the forum to get to know the Zed better. Look out for Zed's in the for sale section as a well known and cared for Zed can come up at a fair price. Decide what Zed you want and then be patient - there are many out there (not all good mainly as they will need money spent on them) and although you may have to compromise on colour or options you will end up with an exciting and characterful sports car which will thrill you and give lots of smiles per mile!

Lots of knowledge on the forum so just ask away and good luck with your search.

[nightyard]

If I had £7k I'd either find another £500 to buy the high mileage but we'll looked after coupe ( edd jedi's) or is look for a facilift 3.0si roadster.
I've seen some nice ones last year in winter time for 6500-7000
Very nice sport models with good level of trim

[BullyJock]

Hi Bully Jock welcome to the Forum.

Quite a few forumites have bikes or came from bikes (me included) so you've come to the right place.

£7K will put you in the market for any of the first versions of the Z4 including some 'facelift' versions (post 2006). The 'new' Zed came out 2009.

The 2.0 litre is a good choice for running costs and gives you the handling with fun performance.

The 6 cylinder 2.2, 2.5 and 3.0 litre sixes are well thought of and liked for their engines - smooth and powerful (2.2 needs revving)

The 3.0 litre is the most popular and can offer reasonable mpg, running costs but with excellent performance

The pre facelift 3.0 litre is 231bhp, the post 2006 3 litre is 265bhp; either gives strong performance that you will enjoy if you're used to the performance of a bike.

There are Sport versions that offer sport seats, steering wheel, suspension and wheels; SE versions are 'softer' and offer a better ride.

Most owners change the Runflat tyres for non runflats for better ride (and replacement costs often less).

Many owners fit upgrades - sport seats, different wheel designs and there are many options available which add to the practicalities and desirability of a Zed - Satnav, uprated stereo, parking sensors, cruise control.

As the Zed is a very capable sports car a good service record is recommended and a well cared for Zed should give many miles of enjoyment upto and past 100K miles.

Roof motors can stop working and are expensive to have fixed/replaced and over time wear means the replacement of joints and bushes are needed to freshen up your Zed - but by using a specialist rather than a dealership, owning a Zed can be very reasonable in terms of cost.

Take your time and read through the sections on the forum to get to know the Zed better. Look out for Zed's in the for sale section as a well known and cared for Zed can come up at a fair price. Decide what Zed you want and then be patient - there are many out there (not all good mainly as they will need money spent on them) and although you may have to compromise on colour or options you will end up with an exciting and characterful sports car which will thrill you and give lots of smiles per mile!

Lots of knowledge on the forum so just ask away and good luck with your search.

Waw great reply, thanks for the help

[relic222]

I've just bought my zed, owned it for around a month now, and asked a similar 'what to get' question before buying. I had a similar budget to you as well so was looking at a similar selection of cars. I ended up going for a pre-facelift 3.0 with reasonable mileage. I tried a friend's 2.5 and just felt it lacked the final push that I was previously used to. I also tried a 3.0 facelift and although I preferred the sports seats I didn't feel the overall improvement of the car justified the increased price. Try a few out before buying and see which one makes you smile the most

[nightyard]

Facilift has an extra 34bhp

[Wyldie85]

Yeah - what these guys said. There is an intro on the forum about the different types, specs and engine sizes and what to look for.

I'm sure with a little searching you will find all the answers you need.

Try some out and see what you like. Performance vs economy I guess but then do you really buy a two seater sports car to be frugal and eco friendly....

[nightyard]

trust me when I say the difference between the 2.0 and the 3.0 is night and day.

the 2.0 is like a coughing old man
the 3.0 is like an Olympic athlete who has just taken a load of nasal decongestant...


the 2.0 is still a great car, even got 48-52mpg on a run for me but its not a smooth engine, the 3.0 shits all over it.

whats the point in buying a sexy sports car that gets beat off the line by a diesel golf.
facelift 3.0 all the way!

maybe better to wait for winter for a good motor though?

[paulgs1000]

trust me when I say the difference between the 2.0 and the 3.0 is night and day.

the 2.0 is like a coughing old man
the 3.0 is like an Olympic athlete who has just taken a load of nasal decongestant...


the 2.0 is still a great car, even got 48-52mpg on a run for me but its not a smooth engine, the 3.0 shits all over it.

whats the point in buying a sexy sports car that gets beat off the line by a diesel golf.
facelift 3.0 all the way!

maybe better to wait for winter for a good motor though?

I'm going to speak up for the 2.0 litre - mine had the smoothest 4 pot engine of any car I've driven and would take what I threw at it all day every day and come back for more. Using it at high rpm was no problem due to this smoothness and although the traffic light derby called for judgement (some hatches are very fast) in real world, on the road driving, the 2.0 litre will keep up and leave many other cars behind on the corners. Driving the 2.0 litre on back roads in Northumberland was a hoot and provided enough engine performance to be fun.

Though it's no 'coughing old man' I do understand what is meant by nightjar - I test drove my 3.0si and made my mind up to trade within a few hundred yards. It offers a very different and to my mind, getting on for more 'serious' performance. Hardly surprising when we are talking an extra two pots and a capacity half again as much. . . .

Though I would miss the engine I would not necessarily be disappointed in having to go back to a 2.0 litre, much as I love the performance and sound of the 3.0 litre. There's much fun to be had in any Zed beyond the traffic light derby. . .and a lot of fun to be had driving it at it's full potential, whatever it's powerplant.

I do crave even more performance but have doubts about the finances of running a Z4M and will remain with the 3.0si for now. Interesting how you get used to performance and always want more but that doesn't stop me appreciating the capabilities of the 2.0 litre - I had some memorable drives in my 2.0i Sport despite now loving my 3.0si!

As I've said before I do encourage you to go for the 3.0 litre if possible - but fun is still possible in the 2.0 litre.

[coaldust]

If I had £7k I'd either find another £500 to buy the high mileage but we'll looked after coupe ( edd jedi's) or is look for a facilift 3.0si roadster.
I've seen some nice ones last year in winter time for 6500-7000
Very nice sport models with good level of trim

a coupe? cruising through thorpe bay down the coast today with the sun out and roof down was just paradise, a coupe you say? you could have offered me £500 today to switch to a coupe for 24 hrs and i would have swiflty declined, in this weather a coupe! please, the OP is coming from two wheels which means he likes the open free riding/driving experience.

To OP ill tell you straight, at your budget it's 3.0 roadster all day long, stay away from 2.0 like the bubonic plague, 2.2 2.5 are shite because they have no reason to exist, You cant go m, so 3.0 Manual it is.

[buzyg]

Much valuable advice already given. If you’re coming from a bike, on your budget, you should be able to find a decent 3ltr Roadster. 2ltr & 2.5 are good cars, but the 3ltr has considerably more poke, especially if you can stretch to a late model Si.

Obviously go for a roadster, the're cheaper to buy and more fun that a coupe.

[nightyard]

Up to The Op what z4 he wants coaldust.
Both versions hold merit,hence me suggesting both options
no need to start a roadster vs coupe debate.
I hear enough fan boys on hotukdeals arguing why ps4 or xbox one is better in every gaming deal on there

[paulgs1000]

Up to The Op what z4 he wants coaldust.
Both versions hold merit,hence me suggesting both options
no need to start a roadster vs coupe debate.
I hear enough fan boys on hotukdeals arguing why ps4 or xbox one is better in every gaming deal on there

Hmm . . .not quite the same me thinks - especially for a biker. . .

When I gave up motorcycling my mate suggested I get a drop top sports car to replace the loss - he assured me I would really enjoy it and that the experience would be 'up there' with the enjoyment of the bike. I bought an MX5 and found he was absolutely right - a very different experience to being inside a metal box. This led to the Zeds - I would drive any vehicle without a roof even a model T to get that feeling - nothing like being in a vehicle - especially related to being on a bike where you experience the temperature, noises and smells.

I understand how the driving experience of the Coupe is enhanced by the extra stiffness but in this case I'd recommend that extra option of dropping the roof especially to an ex biker.

But as you say - it's up to the OP so it's important they consider all options.

[coaldust]

Up to The Op what z4 he wants coaldust.
Both versions hold merit,hence me suggesting both options
no need to start a roadster vs coupe debate.
I hear enough fan boys on hotukdeals arguing why ps4 or xbox one is better in every gaming deal on there

your post was spot on, and im the biased one! hehe.

coupe in summer tho?