Daily driver... In reality.

[Pabby1980]

I'm a complete novice with the Z4, just bought mine a few weeks ago.

LOVE the car, and after I realised I wasn't pushing the clutch down far enough to engage each gear, and after seeing the orange light in the dash reminding me "you're not that good' when I go round a roundabout too fast, I've started to wonder whether or not it can be a daily driver, and if I should get rid of my trusty Ford.

So, my question is; do I need winter tyres? Do I need a hardtop? In essence, how do you guys take this car from being an impractical sports car, to something that will do everything a Ford Fiesta will do, minus the back seats?

Which tyres can go all year?

If I need winter tyres, which ones?

Hardtop at £800...worth it?

Sorry for the barrage of questions, but it's a lovely place to be in the zed, and if I can work out how to be in that position as often as possible....I'll be a happy man!

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[jan_tekin]

Mine was my daily, had it 6/7 years and done over 80.000 miles in it. Never has a set of winters or a hard top, did have a garage though

It only came impractical when my family became three

 

[sw4nny]

I have used mine as a daily for the last 4 years and around 40 k miles.
I would suggest a decent wet weather tyre
For all year round but if you want to stretch to it get a set of spare wheels with winter tyres on and use decent summer tyres.
If there is an amount of snow down get the bus or throw a sicky I personally will not be using mine again in the snow after ruining a set of wheels only going 10 mph and add to that a long walk home from work I have never felt the need for an hardtop and mine lives outdoors plus there is storage space required through the summer months .

 

[TR4man]

I have used my Coupe as a daily driver for the last two and a bit years going from 44,000 to 67,000 miles with no trouble whatsoever. Alll it has needed was servicing - slightly more frequently than BMW advise - and consumables such as decent Michelin tyres. You don't need winter tyres unless you live in the wilds of Scotland although a hardtop might be nice and snug in the winter it certainly isn't essential.
I think you are over-thinking the situation. Thousands of Zed owners use their cars all year with no difficulty whatsoever, so just use it and stop worrying.

 

[Rusky]

I use mine daily. I do have a hardtop but mainly because i prefer the look. Get the roof motor moved to the boot plenty on here csn do that for a small fee. Good set of all season tyres and a good layer of wax polish and ya is all set.

 

[groovy_hippy]

Mine's a daily driver, has been for the past almost 4 years. It lives outside. I don't have a hard top. I've not bothered with winter tyres since my commute is short, but it copes OK on longer trips in the winter. Snow is amusing but not impossible.

The boot is big enough for most 'normal things' (including an electric drum kit). I've even carried a 6 ft wooden giraffe in winter (lucky it was good weather as had the top down!) ...

They make for a fine daily driver - comfortable and nippy, and great fun when you can get your toe down :-D

 

[groovy_hippy]

I should also mention the other half had a VX220 turbo as a daily drive for about 3 years. Makes the z look like an armchair if I'm honest....

 

[dhobbs]

I've used mine as a daily drive and have a set of winter wheels.
It's kept outside and doesn't have a hardtop.
BMW have designed this car to be outside and used.
Also, think of how many MX5s are out there being used as a DD! If they can do it why can't you?

It's up to you though.

 

[Steve84N]

I daily drive mine 20kpa with no problems. I'd rather have less grip in the Winter on Summer tyres than All Season tyres which compromise grip in warm dry conditions when you want to have fun. The only thing they really can't handle is snow and ice which we virtually never get.

 

[Matt64]

Daily here too. Just keep putting good quality fuel & oil in it. Very easy car to drive, the zed is more of a "luxury sports" or GT car IMHO.

 

[RyanB88]

520d automatic with the trusty m47 engine as the daily, z4 3.0 manual as the evening/weekend car

Economy, practicality and luxury and fun in two cars!

 

[Marlon]

Another daily drive here. Winter tyres - depends on what your commute is and where you live, I'm in a town with a very short commute and so never have to deal with severe snow or ice.
I have a hard top for peace of mind in terms of security in works car park, plus I don't have a garage (I love the look too). We hire when we need more space, which is cheaper than running two cars. I have also had the roof motor relocated to the boot.

 

[Crazy Harry]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

If its your first sports car its going to feel different to cars you've had before. Some gear boxes feel a bit notchey and the advice on here is that swapping for a weighted gear knob (and a gearbox oil change) can help - both of these are next on my to do list.

If you lit the DSC light on a roundabout well done - I did mine in the first week of ownership on a hump backed bridge. I believe its all to do with wheel speeds relative to each other - I lit the tyre pressure light on surface water driving home from collecting it - again wheel speed related due to aquaplaning.

Mine is a DD only get one set of tyres so if its white over don't drive like it isn't - just drive to the conditions. Hard tops are good if you like them - secure; warm with some will say better lines but have to be taken off to drop the soft top. I don't have one for me its about being topless on sunny (especially winter days) at the drop of a hat (roof). Get the roof motor into the boot.

Just relax and enjoy it - because in the end the ford fiesta isn't a four seat Z4

 

[mmm-five]

I use (used) my Z4MC as a daily driver, at all times of the year, and have used summer tyres from day 1 (OE Conti M3, then Michelin PS2, then Michelin PSS) and have not been stuck once. However, it there's a foot of snow on the ground then I'm not silly enough to even try.

If you want an all-season tyre that's decent in the dry then it's got to be the Michelin Cross-Climate - although there's now a CrossClimate+. They're not as good in standing snow as some of their winter-tyre rivals, but they're much better in warmer/dryer conditions than those.

Otherwise a 2nd set of wheels and tyres is they way to go - but they you're left with the decision of when to put them on and take them off again

A month or two after I bought the car, I decided to drive around the dealers who'd serviced my car to get their 'forgotten' service stamps in the book. Very little else on the road all day, but it didn't stop me!


Arrived at the dealership about 2 hours later (only 60 miles way though), and they were about to close due to lack of (local) staff....

 

[Pabby1980]

Thanks for all the replies guys....i think the general consensus is that i need to man up a bit and start to view my car differently than i do at present. It's not an AC Cobra with a shoddy roof....nor a 2 seat Fiesta....and as mentioned it's designed to be used every day. I'm going to look into the tyres mentioned, and even though it's currently raining outside, i'm off for a drive.

I'm really starting to see why you guys love these cars so much......i'm getting very tempted to buy a coupe as well as the roadster.....not sure if the wife will agree though! Haha!

Cheers.

 

[dhobbs]

If you can afford a set of winter wheels and tyres and also have the space to store them, it's not a bad thing to do.
It means you can give the summer wheels a proper clean once a year whilst your winter wheels are on.
In theory, winter tyres give better grip below 7 degrees, but it depends how and where you drive.
I've done it more for peace of mind.

 

[NickDE]

My daily gets winter tyres. It's not about snow and ice, it's about having reasonable grip in cold conditions (as dhobbs says below 7C) which most of us experience most of the time. I also go down a wheel size in the winter to handle potholes better. A second hand set of wheels is easy to pick up cheaply, and whilst your winters are on the summers are not wearing out and vice versa, so both sets last twice as long.

 

[Pabby1980]

My daily gets winter tyres. It's not about snow and ice, it's about having reasonable grip in cold conditions (as dhobbs says below 7C) which most of us experience most of the time. I also go down a wheel size in the winter to handle potholes better. A second hand set of wheels is easy to pick up cheaply, and whilst your winters are on the summers are not wearing out and vice versa, so both sets last twice as long.

I think i'm going to take this advice.....is there a particular type of wheel and tyre you can recommend for winter? Also an idea of what i should be spending would be a great help.

I'm in a 2005 3.0i on 108 split rims atm.

Thanks for your help.

 

[NickDE]

I think i'm going to take this advice.....is there a particular type of wheel and tyre you can recommend for winter?

I would look for a set of Z4 or 3 series (E46) 17" wheels off ebay. So easy direct fit onto your car, with no need for different wheel bolts etc. Go for ones that are a bit scruffy to save money (in winter your wheels are always covered in crap anyway). I always buy premium brand tyres (summer or winter) - michelin, goodyear, dunlop etc. I have a look at reviews and prices when I am buying and then choose whatever looks like a good deal at the time.

 

[85genius]

Mines another with the roof motor moved to the boot - 100% worth doing that!

And I have a hardtop that goes on in winter but that's really personal preference I love the alternative look and the fact it gives 2 cars in one

Tyres get changed when they have no tread left not when it drops a few degrees, and even though some will think it's mad I'm still on runflats and happy with them