About to make a purchase, advice greatfully received

J

JVG1985

Member
Hi all,

After some anonymous lurking I decided it was time to take the plunge and join the forum (and hopefully gain some expert insight).

I've been thinking about the next purchase for some months and have landed on the Z4. I don't want to spend a huge amount as I'm getting married this year and have a wife (to be) who likes to spend a little, which kind of ruled our the M version. The si has rave reviews and certainly exceeds my needs so I'm delighted to be able to buy one.

I'm looking at a couple of 3.0 si's (coupe and convertible) this weekend and was keen to get some experienced views on whether I should look out for anything in a prospective purchase? By way of comparison, the last performance car I bought was a VX220 and the key things were engine & gearbox mounts etc. Is there anything I should look out for or be made aware of with the Z4 (c. 2008 model)?

Appreciate this is a somewhat brief intro but should I take the plunge I'll definitely be a more frequent poster. Any thoughts/insight/horror stories (hopefully not) would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks in advance

James

(ps. if there are any good examples that anyone knows of please do point them out, budget of 10k max)
 
Welcome James , if i was on the hunt right now with £10k i,d be all over this one :thumbsup:

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=62855
 
Hi JVG - welcome to the Forum.
You'll not be disappointed in the 3.0si - I part-exchanged my 2006 2.0i sport for a 2008 3.0si at £10,500 from a BMW dealership as an Authorised Used Car with 53.000mls and a years warranty - I wanted the reassurance of the warranty.

It's been wonderful and it is a terrific engine (though I love the 2.0 litre 4 pot I wanted to experience the ownership of the 6 pot). It is a very special car and very capable - terrific performance on the road and a brilliant overtaking tool. I think it makes sense to purchase a well cared for example with service history and good brakes (or factor this in with the costs) tyres too are relatively expensive - this is such a capable sports car that you want all in top condition to cope if you intend to enjoy the performance.

I love top down driving but the coupe owners are very positive about their driving experience which they find equally special - and the coupe is beautiful. The roadster looks brilliant with the roof down however and for me there is no better driving experience.

There are plenty about (though the pre facelift 3.0i is cheaper and more numerous - some having excellent history and are very well cared for) so take care over your choice - do research on this forum and be clear what colour and spec you want then be patient.

There is a brilliant 'what to look for' post on the forum - can't remember where it is (FAQ section I think) - someone post a link please or let JVC know where it can be found.

Good luck with your purchase.
:driving: :thumbsup:
 
JVG - The information worth a read through can be found:

Board index ‹ E85 / E86 Z4 Discussion (2003 - 2009)

Z4 Forum Official FAQ Post (posted near top of list)

2003 - 2009, roadster, coupe, facelift information.

:driving: :thumbsup:
 
Thanks for the pointers guys.

A little update; went and drove a 2007 3.0si coupe up for sale at a dealer in Hatfield on Saturday. Car was outstanding but a little untidy in places and, I think, quite strongly priced at 12k with 60k on the clock (spec was everything but the Nav, light blue {forget the name} and champagne leather). That said, the dealer was a nice chap and when requesting a test drive he gave me the keys and said come back in half an hour. Turned out to be 30 minutes of unsupervised bliss and I came back with a huge grin on my face. Was very tough walking away from it afterwards but I think I've just about reached the age where I can rule my heart with my head (shame the same can't be said about the previously mentioned fiancée who is doing a very good job of making me broke "wedding panning"!)

I get the impression that I can get a more loved example of a similar spec for around £10/10.5k privately. I'm abroad for work for the next few days but the plan is to come back and try and snap up a tasty example from a private seller. Will keep this updated with my progress, although I think it's fair to say I might be visiting Cardiff fairly soon...

by the way, Paulgs1000, a 2008 for 10.5k does seem like good value, especially from a BMW main dealer!

Ciao for now

James
 
Try a roadster. Open-top motoring, can't beat it. Not as hard-core as the VZ V220, but much more usable, and much better put together. :D
 
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