What is the mean average age of Z4 Drivers?

I’m considering one, be interested in your thoughts mate.
We have had 4 now. The latest is a little, lightweight, gem of a sports car. My current is a Mk4 2ltr roadster with skyactiv suspension and many toys. The engine sounds like a tractor, but has plenty of low down torque, to get you past those 4x4s. Fastest mx5 by some way, of those I have driven. The electronic steering is tuned to perfection, much sharper than previous models. The suspension is lithe and the whole car comes alive in your hands when driven properly. As a driving machine it is lots of fun.

The suspension is also pliant and comfy around town. The fuel consumption is other wordly after running an ///MR. Easily twice as good, when pushing on. Sixth gear is great on the motorway. Previous Mx5's only had 5.

As a car it had it's foibles. The boot space is tiny, after the MR and less than in my wifes folding HT mk3. The room in the cabin is also tight. Being 6ft 4" I probably notice that more than most, but again it is less than older models I have driven. Plus there is no glove box, which is a PITA and means my hat and gloves are in the boot when I need them. The engineers went to town saving weight, Even the bottom of door glass is drilled out. Alas than means some bits are fragile. I caught the passenger door mirror on the garage door pillar, reversing out. It literally exploded. I had done the same thing a couple of times in the ///MR and it just folded back in place both times.

The Mk4 is fully loaded with toys, it doesn't need. If you like toys then you will have hours of fun learning them. I simply enjoy classic FM.

So to round up. The perfect car for a day out driving B & C roads or nipping across the county for a pub lunch. Not a car I would buy to go on a European tour in though. For that the ///MR was far more suited.

Hope you find that useful.
 
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Picked mine up a couple weeks ago, just shy of my 43rd Birthday (from another forum member). Wish I had more time to drive other than just weekends, not sure when I last had so much fun driving. The X1 is comfy, but very vanilla.
 

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Not so much an age problem - I'm 58 - but it's the milage that's killing me.

6ft 2, broken back twice, cartilage mostly gone in joints - folding myself in to the z4 just wasn't working any more.

Nice car for shorties.
Good car for shorter drivers, my height and past injuries make it tough
 
Interesting that most of the regular old fogeys side stepped announcing their ages…🧐

A similar question was just asked elsewhere on an E89 forum and off the responses the majority were in there mid sixties or later with quite a few into their seventies..

I suspect the E85 segment here may be the ‘yoof’ element …relatively speaking…🧐😳😂
 
I didn't announce mine, but like you hovering over my avatar shows it anyway!
 
  • Haha
Reactions: B21
I was 57 when I bought my e89 (63 now) and it really only happened because someone hit my VW R32 and wrote it off. I’d been sharing my time with a Mk1 MX5 up til then and so started a chain of events that got me to here.
 
I’m considering one, be interested in your thoughts mate.
I have gone from a Mk III MX5 to a 28i E89 and wouldn't dream of going back. The Z4 just feels a much more competent and complete car.

If you do look at MX5s, certainly on MK I, II and III watch out for rust - it is everywhere.
 
We have had 4 now. The latest is a little, lightweight, gem of a sports car. My current is a Mk4 2ltr roadster with skyactiv suspension and many toys. The engine sounds like a tractor, but has plenty of low down torque, to get you past those 4x4s. Fastest mx5 by some way, of those I have driven. The electronic steering is tuned to perfection, much sharper than previous models. The suspension is lithe and the whole car comes alive in your hands when driven properly. As a driving machine it is lots of fun.

The suspension is also pliant and comfy around town. The fuel consumption is other wordly after running an ///MR. Easily twice as good, when pushing on. Sixth gear is great on the motorway. Previous Mx5's only had 5.

As a car it had it's foibles. The boot space is tiny, after the MR and less than in my wifes folding HT mk3. The room in the cabin is also tight. Being 6ft 4" I probably notice that more than most, but again it is less than older models I have driven. Plus there is no glove box, which is a PITA and means my hat and gloves are in the boot when I need them. The engineers went to town saving weight, Even the bottom of door glass is drilled out. Alas than means some bits are fragile. I caught the passenger door mirror on the garage door pillar, reversing out. It literally exploded. I had done the same thing a couple of times in the ///MR and it just folded back in place both times.

The Mk4 is fully loaded with toys, it doesn't need. If you like toys then you will have hours of fun learning them. I simply enjoy classic FM.

So to round up. The perfect car for a day out driving B & C roads or nipping across the county for a pub lunch. Not a car I would buy to go on a European tour in though. For that the ///MR was far more suited.

Hope you find that useful.
thanks mate, food for thought.
will look into it for next summer.
The Golf R is great, but i do miss a convertible.
 
The demographics of Z4 owners is interesting to me.
From what I have seen on here, other forums and out in the wild there is a fairly common theme which isn't represented well on forums, as 99.9% of car forum regulars are men. Women just don't get involved (except the odd one or two).

The below is very general with obvious exceptions

E85s seem to be owned by men over 60
E86s seem to be owned by men under 60, but not much younger
E89s seem to be owned mostly by women of all ages
G29s seem to be mostly owned by women over 50

But because there are no women represented on car forums, it seems as though most Z4s are owned by men over a certain age. Not in my experience. This skew of ownership demographic could be partly down to younger people not joining forums; most do car groups on social media these days.

Whether you (we) like it or not, in the UK, 2 seater convertibles are seen as women's cars by most. Therefore many men wouldn't go near them.

The above are just my observations. Shoot me if you like, I don't care! :p
 
I bought my first Z4 in 2014 when I was 55 and treated my self to my current one in 2019 after turning 60.

As Pondrew says forum members tend to be older because younger owners are more likely to use social media, which I don't want to go near!
 
I guess l first need to speak for the wife as she kinda got me into the z4 "thing" she's been drooling over the e89 since the 2009 launch and when she semi retired finally bought her dream e89, White with Red and that was about 5 years ago, so she would have been 55, and now she's on her second e89 but only because l was concerned about mileage, the 2013 car had just hit 85k when we sold it , but it was a difficult decision as the car had run like clockwork during the 50k she had added during this time and due to my obsession with detailing it looked immaculate. Deciding that she didn't want anything other than another e89 she sadly let it go to make way for one of the last built with minimal mileage, so l can see her being a Z owner when she's in her 70s.
As for me l only got the Z4 bug because of her and really fancied one of the e89 3.0 jobs in blue but couldn't face having two e89s in the family so opted for an E86 Coupe instead as I'd always fancied one, but to be honest l found it a little tame ( should have bought an E86 M Coupe) l would have been mid 50s when l had it a couple of years back but I've always like owning insanely stupid cars that either frighten to crap out of me or are just plan nuts , a brief list as follows starting with.....drum roll.......Austin Allegro 🤮 .............TR6.......TR7......LOTUS X1 LE MANS.....road legal but not very practical......TVR CERBERA.....when it worked it was insane.........CHRYSLER VIPER GTS running 850BHP with NOS....it always worked and was always insane........Austin Healey FROGEYE SPRITE ......hilarious to drive but faster by bicycle.....LOTUS EXIGE CUP 260......into my 50s at this point and brain cells couldn't keep up with its pace........LOTUS ELISE S1 ......definitely my favourite at this point but had to concede my ageing bones weren't happy with getting in n out of it.......then we finally get to my first Z4 at mid 50s......which l sold when in late 50s for current GTS speced Cayman which is a jacket n hide car.......drive in auto mode and it'll put you to sleep...or drive it in Sports Plus with sports exhaust switched on and its terrifying...but in an adrenaline pumping way......so I've pretty much been used to having some kind of sports car from the get go excluding the All Aggro......sorry that turned into a bit of an essay...so if l had a crystal ball I'd say when I'm in my early 60s I'll probably have a E86 M Coupe in blue as that's what will most probably be the porsche replacement.
 
I didn't announce mine, but like you hovering over my avatar shows it anyway!
Thanks for the most excellent tip, I'm really surprised by the ages of some, for instance, I would have bet that the ages of Pondrew and B21 were the other way around :ROFLMAO:
 
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