What Z4 to buy?

[Wozza in Kent]

Hi guys, I’ve decided it’s time to swap my 2005 Volvo C70 convertible for a Z4.
I have approximately £4000 to spend.
What’s the best I can hope to get for my money (engine/spec/mileage/age etc?
Thanks.

[Argyll Andy]

Hello and welcome, I don’t know if you’ve been browsing the cars for sale section but that’ll give you a pretty good idea of what you’ll get for around your budget. Spec and condition is probably most important for the money you’re looking at

£4K should see you in a reasonably sorted early 3.0

For sale link incase you haven’t discovered it yet, good luck with your search

viewforum.php?f=41

[SonnyA85]

Age doesn't matter now and neither does mileage. The cars are so old that the difference of 1-2 years on a 20 year old car is literally nothing in terms of value.

Mileage again there was a car posted here recently with low mileage 50k that had gone 5-6 years without an oil change. If you want your engine to last forever then it should be done every 6 months, if you are just wanting it to last as long as reasonably possible then once every year. Mileage also matters if you are doing 30K miles a year then you need to be doing services more regularly.

Spec - This appears to be random on a lot of cars. Things you want to look out for are;

DSP Carver Audio - very high end this is probably worth £1500 in parts the amp goes for silly money
M Sport Seats - worth £600+
Alloys - 18" various types are sought after but 224's are probably the most sought after as they are M wheels, after that there is a few but they vary in price wildly from £200 - £800

I don't think anything else is a must as they can easily be upgraded yourself for not much, cupholders are £20 off amazon as an example. Cruise control can be done too for around £150.

Engine - You want a the 3 litre, the M54 is probably more reliable overall as it doesn't have the water pump issues of the N52. But at 20 years old all engines will have their issues at some point. VANOS, chain guides, DISA, etc.

Automatic or Manual - No real difference but I feel manuals are possibly worth more (more sought after). Nothing wrong with the auto though.

The most important thing will be the service history. That is really what you are paying for. You want one that's been serviced to a high standard and yearly if possible. You could find a car with great spec, great mileage but if it's been serviced once every 5 years then it's likely going to cost you more to keep it going.

Roof motor - Needs to be relocated to the boot
Power Steering - Failures are extremely common especially at this age, if it hasn't failed previously it won't be too long before it does on the pre-facelift cars. I have had to do mine twice now. First was a second hand unit I replaced it with, second time I got ecu testing to fix it with a lifetime warranty.

Suspension - see when it was last replaced this is a large expensive job, front and back and if it hasn't been done in the last 6 years it's probably due.

[buzyg]

Welcome to the forum. As said an early 3ltr E85 should be doable. Worth considering that prices should ease a little in the autumn. That said, the summer is when you can get the most fun out of the car.

[Zedebee]

Demand is on the floor at the moment, so I think it’s a good time to buy. Get the best condition you get afford. The 2.5i is the value sweet spot and plenty of fun, although the 3.0i is more sought after. To add to what Sonny said, it’s worth looking out for bi-xenon headlights as the halogens aren’t very good. I disagree about servicing though; in a low mileage application changing the oil every 6 months won’t confer any benefit over servicing every two years so long as the engine is in good condition to start with and the oil is checked regularly.

[Mr Tidy]

Welcome to the forum.

I think just about everything has been covered already, but you might want to add heated seats to your wishlist!

And depending on how you plan to use the car the only pre-facelift manual model that had a 6 speed gearbox was the 3.0i - the others only had 5 speeds.

[wiseguy]

Wozza in Kent, I would recommend NOT getting a car with xenon headlights. They look great but they have been the biggest repeating headache on my z4. Go for halogens. Your wallet and blood pressure will thank me.

Have the car you like inspected by your own mechanic, inside and out, including a diagnostic test. All that costs $150 or less in the US and is well worth it to avoid a money pit. One Common fault on Z4s is the hydraulic pump on the power roof (expensive to have repaired).so make sure it works if it is a power roof and make darn sure the tiny drain hole near the hydraulic motor is cleared every six months, as it clogs very easily and will ruin the hydraulic pump.

[wiseguy]

Demand is on the floor at the moment, so I think it’s a good time to buy. Get the best condition you get afford. The 2.5i is the value sweet spot and plenty of fun, although the 3.0i is more sought after. To add to what Sonny said, it’s worth looking out for bi-xenon headlights as the halogens aren’t very good. I disagree about servicing though; in a low mileage application changing the oil every 6 months won’t confer any benefit over servicing every two years so long as the engine is in good condition to start with and the oil is checked regularly.

Funny, I gave the opposite advice re: xenon’s. Those “lifetime” xenon bulbs have failed me many, many times and cost $100 per bulb. Then there’s the big voltage box ( the proper name escapes me) that powers the xenon’s. The part costs $500 last time I checked. Ive gone through 2. I would avoid xenon and go halogen, then use a whiter temperature bulb. You can then avoid frequent headlight burnout at inconvenient times.

[Zedebee]

Demand is on the floor at the moment, so I think it’s a good time to buy. Get the best condition you get afford. The 2.5i is the value sweet spot and plenty of fun, although the 3.0i is more sought after. To add to what Sonny said, it’s worth looking out for bi-xenon headlights as the halogens aren’t very good. I disagree about servicing though; in a low mileage application changing the oil every 6 months won’t confer any benefit over servicing every two years so long as the engine is in good condition to start with and the oil is checked regularly.

Funny, I gave the opposite advice re: xenon’s. Those “lifetime” xenon bulbs have failed me many, many times and cost $100 per bulb. Then there’s the big voltage box ( the proper name escapes me) that powers the xenon’s. The part costs $500 last time I checked. Ive gone through 2. I would avoid xenon and go halogen, then use a whiter temperature bulb. You can then avoid frequent headlight burnout at inconvenient times.

You are probably right. I wasn’t aware that there was a reliability issue with the xenons, I just know the performance of the halogens is not great. There are aftermarket upgrade options, notably 2Xcite in the UK.

[Mr Tidy]

My first Z4 had the Xenons and I didn't have to change a bulb in them in the 2 years I had it.

My current one also has them and one bulb was failing when I got the car. I bought a pair of Osram bulbs that got fitted in March 2020 and they are still working fine.

Sometimes I guess it's just the luck of the draw! They are certainly noticeably brighter than the Halogens my 2nd Z4 had.

[earthdweller]

Demand is on the floor at the moment, so I think it’s a good time to buy. Get the best condition you get afford. The 2.5i is the value sweet spot and plenty of fun, although the 3.0i is more sought after. To add to what Sonny said, it’s worth looking out for bi-xenon headlights as the halogens aren’t very good. I disagree about servicing though; in a low mileage application changing the oil every 6 months won’t confer any benefit over servicing every two years so long as the engine is in good condition to start with and the oil is checked regularly.

Funny, I gave the opposite advice re: xenon’s. Those “lifetime” xenon bulbs have failed me many, many times and cost $100 per bulb. Then there’s the big voltage box ( the proper name escapes me) that powers the xenon’s. The part costs $500 last time I checked. Ive gone through 2. I would avoid xenon and go halogen, then use a whiter temperature bulb. You can then avoid frequent headlight burnout at inconvenient times.

You are probably right. I wasn’t aware that there was a reliability issue with the xenons, I just know the performance of the halogens is not great. There are aftermarket upgrade options, notably 2Xcite in the UK.

The halogens are great at night …. Just so long as you know the road and don’t need to see where it goes

[Argyll Andy]

halogens are great at night …. Just so long as you know the road and don’t need to see where it goes

Or they follow your lead and are at the bar by the time it gets dark

[Sticks]

My first Z4 had the Xenons and I didn't have to change a bulb in them in the 2 years I had it.

My current one also has them and one bulb was failing when I got the car. I bought a pair of Osram bulbs that got fitted in March 2020 and they are still working fine.

Sometimes I guess it's just the luck of the draw! They are certainly noticeably brighter than the Halogens my 2nd Z4 had.

Mine are 18 years old now - famous last words etc.

Imho OP, just go for the one you can find which has been cared for the most, rather than must have one thing or another. That being said, the 3.0 comes with the most options as standard, and if there's one thing I regret not getting it's sports seats.

[sw4nny]

My first Z4 had the Xenons and I didn't have to change a bulb in them in the 2 years I had it.

My current one also has them and one bulb was failing when I got the car. I bought a pair of Osram bulbs that got fitted in March 2020 and they are still working fine.

Sometimes I guess it's just the luck of the draw! They are certainly noticeably brighter than the Halogens my 2nd Z4 had.

Mine are 18 years old now - famous last words etc.

Imho OP, just go for the one you can find which has been cared for the most, rather than must have one thing or another. That being said, the 3.0 comes with the most options as standard, and if there's one thing I regret not getting it's sports seats.

I concur with this, the standard seats do not hug you enough especially when your doing more spirited driving.