Looking to buy for a daily driver

[tlw2020]

Hi. I’m new to this forum but I’ve pondered around a Z4 for quite some time. I’m hoping to buy one towards the end of the year. This is based on the assumption that the prices may be a bit lower towards winter due to people selling off their ‘summer car’.
I’d be looking for a 3litre Z4 pre-facelift, but would be open to other options. My preference is a 6 speed manual though.

I’d just like to know what peoples experiences are using their Z4 as a daily driver, and what your main likes/dislikes are for using it as a daily.

Extra info:
I don’t live far from where I work and probably only do around 4-6k miles per year.
Me and my partner also usually alternate which car we use for longer journeys as I’m insured to drive hers.

Cheers!
Tom

[rjhl64]

Hi Tom,
Welcome to the forum, from my experience I use my car as a daily doing 200 miles to and from work Mon thru to Fri. I have a 3ltr si coupe automatic,and I get about 36mpg. The car has done 166k and it's still reliable starts first time. I can't fault it, the best thing about going to work is the journey, it's an easy car to live with,just keep on top of the bits that need doing. I can't comment about living with a convertible, but I'm sure folks on here will say it's a reliable motor.
All the best with your search.
Raj

[Mr Tidy]

Welcome to the forum Tom.

I've not run a Z4 as a daily but have run a few 3 Series with the same straight 6 engines as dailies and from a mechanical point of view they have been fine.

Hopefully others can help out from a practicality and ride perspective.

[tlw2020]

Cheers guys. I’ve noticed there are plenty of people running theirs smoothly far north of 100k miles so general reliability shouldn’t be tooo much of an issue hopefully. I’ll have a read through some of the forum to try and build a better picture for daily use. It’d be interesting to know what the ride is like for passengers for any longer drives. I’m certain it wouldn’t bother me because I’d just enjoy driving it

[Roberltd2]

Hi Tom,
Welcome to the Forum. I bought my 2007 E85 2.5si in 2016 with 32,000 miles on the clock and have been using it as my daily drive ever since. In that time it has done 63 thousand miles, most of them trouble free.
My biggest expense was the purchase of a new oil pan / sump. The old one had rusted to the point where it was leaking oil quite badly. My theory being that it spent too much of its early life not being used.
Anyway, as a daily driver, I have not found it wanting in any way. Needless to say it’s the ideal car for the sort of weather we’re having now, but in the middle of winter the roof is water tight and draught free. And, being a two seater, the cabin heats up much quicker than in a saloon or hatchback.
I’ve got heated seats in mine as well, I think the leather seats would feel that much colder than fabric without the heating option.
A universal complaint is the poor headlights. Full beam halogens aren’t too bad, the dips are abysmal. It helps to T-cut the lenses every now and then.
I suspect the suspension on a Zed is probably a lot firmer than your average eurobox commuter, but you can fit wheels, tyres and suspension to suit.
Unlike the MX-5, there’s no cambelt replacement to worry about every 40 thousand miles or so.
And compared to the MX-5, the boot is huge, but reasonably sized by any comparison.
Most owners would agree that Zeds need a 10 mile plus trip to get anywhere near fully warmed up. They don’t like short journeys.
There are one or two issues with the pre-facelift that were addressed in the facelift models which you may want to consider – sticky steering being the most notable one I think.
The computer tells me that I average 39.2 mpg, most of it A roads 45 – 55 mph.
So yes, I’d recommend it as a daily, although I’d probably go for the facelift, 2.5si or above, manual and an in-line six engine as opposed to a four cylinder.
Good luck,
Robert.

[buzyg]

Welcome on board Tom. Seldom used my car as a daily, only when the daily shed was in for work to be done. It's never mist a beat though. The E85's have robust and reliable 6 pot engines and running gear, if maintained properly.

[enuff_zed]

there are plenty of people running theirs smoothly far north of 100k miles

Just about run in then............
Welcome aboard. Don't get hung up on mileage, the straight six in either M54 or N52 guise will outlive you if treated well.

[Mr Tidy]

Mileage shouldn't be an issue if the car is looked after.

I sold my E91 325i (same engine as a 2.5Si facelift) on 139K and it was still running sweetly. My current E90 330i has done 118K and is every bit as good, plus a bit quicker!

The M54 engines in the pre-facelifts are equally bomb-proof.

It's only ancillaries that need replacing from time to time, like oil gaskets, radiators, expansion tanks, water pumps, etc.

[tlw2020]

Cheers for the comments and I’ll take them onboard. I’ll keep my options open-ish for now seeing as though I probably won’t be looking to buy for another few months… we’ll see

[Mr Tidy]

If it helps the only pre-facelift with a 6 speed gearbox was the 3.0i, but all the facelift straight 6s had a 6 speed box.

Bonus with the facelifts is that the Sport models had the M-Sport seats which are pretty rare in pre-facelifts, and seem to sell for up to £1K!