You can skip this part:
I currently have a Mercedes SLC, which I like, but the outdated interior, as well as lack of tech and gadgets, is really getting to me. My car doesn't even have power-foldable mirrors. No touch screen (and a low-res, small 7'' screen), no electric seats, no adaptive cruise control, no keyless go/entry, no nothing. I've started seriously considering the Z4, as width all it's tech and gadgets on offer, it's really the polar opposite, and, being the tech-crazy person I am, it all excites me more than I'd care to admit. Don't judge me!
The main problem:
I'm looking for a used car. The dealerships here seldomly know much about the used cars they sell. In their online ads, they list the evident stuff and kinda what they think the car has, and denounce any responsibility for presenting accurate information - it's completely up to the buyer to make sure they know what they are getting.
I've watched and read more or less every single review of the new Z4, I know exactly what gadgets and tech is offered, but the packages are a nightmare. They also very between markets, meaning it's very hard to see exactly what a car comes equipped with.
What I'm really asking:
The dream would be a site where you could enter the cars VIM, and it would basically show you what the car DOESN'T have. Is there such a thing? Are there any decent sites that can provide a comprehensive overview of the included equipment for a given car? Just getting a hide list of codes won't help me much, I went through this with Mercedes already. I had to find a car that was as fully equipped as possible, list all the codes, then cross-reference them with the data card of the car I would be interested in, check what codes were missing, and then google them individually. It was a nightmare, until I started learning them by heart.
There has to be a better way?
Some equipment is easy to determine - for example, adaptive cruise control is evident by the buttons on the steering wheel. But looking at a dealership ad with pictures and access to the VIM, how do I see of the car for example has the active parking assistent, or the more powerful 12-speaker audio system, for example?
Do you have any tips?
Thanks for your time! Hopefully my next post on this forum will be as an actual owner, and not just as a seemingly lazy Merc spy
