Anyone swapped from a 3 series coupe to Z4..

M

muzauk

New member
..as i said in another post i have a 2002 325 m sport coupe, was thinkin of changing to cab version then thought i'd give a Z4 a try. Was a 2.5 2003

I liked it but they are not as comfortable as a 3 series nor do they have all the creature comforts as standard. I know you guys are a little biase as you all own them :) but has anyone made the swap? Does anyone regret it any negatives ie not as practical? or is anyone totally won over?

Perfomance isn't really a motivator but it was a pleasant bonus to find the 2.5 was more spritely

Ta guys
 
Yep I made the swap from a 2005 320cd M Sport

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I have to say I dont have the confidence with the handling as I did with to coupe. I think most of this is down to the Run Flat tyres. I will have to wait till they wear out to change to normal tyres. everybody says this will reduce tramlining, and the very stiff ride.

Obviously the Z4 isnt as practical, I used to put my bike in the coupe, as the seats folded flat.

fuel economy isnt bad really, my coupe wad diesel 150bhp and I got avg 39 mpg, Z4 2.5si is 220bhp and getting acg of 32mpg. have changed route to work which helps as using more a roads than b's to reduce tyre wear and increase economy.

Positive side is the roof, or lack of in summer, cant wait for summer to return.

Do I regret changing, in short no, also looked at new three series 330d M Sport saloons but they dont stand out enough, wife preferred the Z4 over the 3 series, what more can I say
 
Swapped from an 04 M3, and had a 330 Sport before that. The 3 Coupe is a brilliant car, but I find the Z4MC handling much more confidence inspiring than either of my 3s and slightly more in touch with whats going on, especially steering feedback. Build is not quite as good as the 3 and I miss the practicality sometimes (boot space, carrying friends, somewhere to hang my suit jacket!) but the fun factor makes up for it. In most situations the Z4MC has a big enough boot and its much more dramatic, more interesting.

I would highly recommend my old E46s to anyone, but I decided to do the 2 seater thing while I still have few commitments and am relatively youn (25), so am more than happy with the compromise.

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I had a 2002 320d SE saloon 150bhp for 2 years, swapped it for a 2002 318ci cab last month and sold it within 2 weeks, way to slow compared to the diesel, I think 0-60 was about 10.8, a very dull drive and with it drinking 60% more fuel and returning 31mpg over motorway journeys I decided it had to go. Now I'm picking my 2003 2.5i grey roadster up tomorow so I will post a comment then! No much help till then I'm afraid.
 
2004 ZHP with DINAN Stage 3 Intake, throttle body, exhaust & SW to 2006 Z4MC. No regrets, I ordered the Coupe the day the worldwide press release announced its move from prototype to production. Two very different cars however. I only twice used the back seats in the three series and my clubs, balls, shoes etc. all fit in the Z4MC boot. 3 series definately more comfortable, but that's not what I was looking for.
 
I've got both (well, 3 actually - 325i with sport package, z4 2.5i, Z4 M Coupe) and if you don't spend a lot of time people-hauling, the Z4 (especially the coupe variants) can make quite livable daily drivers. I've only had the M Coupe a week, but I'm seriously considering using it as my only car.
 
I'v got both too, a 330Ci Clubsport and the Alpina. Main difference is I'm quite happy to cruise along in the 330 and admire the scenery etc. I've tried this in the Alpina but it never lasts more than five minutes before I have to stand on the loud pedal! The 330 is more practical obviously but that's never been a concern for me, I've got a Ford Focus Estate for doing all that boring practical stuff.

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I swapped a 2000 323i for a 2004 Z4 3.0 and haven't regretted it for a second. The Z4 is not practical but I too have another vehicle. The Z4 is also not nearly as comfortable. If you are looking for comfort over performance, you may not be happy with a Z4. Have you considered a convertable 3 series?
 
i swapped a 330d abet it wasnt a coupe for a 3.0z4 and apart from the lack of back seats and a few comforts the 330 had ,im more than happy with the zed,saying that im looking at an M3 cab this weekend so i may be going back to the e46s............. so there may be a 03 plate 30,000 mile 3.0 z4 up for sale!!!
 
I recently swapped a '05 Zed roadster for a E93 335i (the hardtop Vert). Both cars had/have sport package with the Z4 having "M" seats. The 3 has incredibly comfy seats with a multitude of adjustments, thigh, lumbar, headrest, bolsters - they are worth the price of admission alone. The suspension tuning with the runflats (3rd gen?) has been worked out to my satisfaction - it is much more compliant and not so pounding. I will probably replace with same when it is time.

The biggest adjustment to the 3 was the additional 1000 pounds over the Z. (all that top folding hardware/hydraulics adds up to 400lbs over the coupe) While the 3 is still the benchmark for handling in its class, it is not as tossable nor as quick reacting as the Z. One is always aware of the 3's girth. Overall, I consider the Z4 a true sports car whereas the E9x is more of a GT type car.

I do miss the 10 second top of the Z, but having a hardtop is great and is one of the main reasons for the switch - along with the two extra seats.
One area that BMW worked hard on with the E93 was the open cockpit air control - with the top down, windows up and a rear windscreen in place - the air is so still in the cockpit that a piece of paper laying on the rear seat wont flutter and fly out. Even without the windscreen, one only feels a light breeze at 80mph.

Another area where the 335i dominates is the power. The twin turbo's torque of 300ftlbs is available from 1400 to 5000rpm. The 40-90mph passing capability is incredible.

Would I ever get another Z? If the money was available - then I would go with a Z4M...or maybe a Z8.....But until then, Dinan just released an E9X ECU reflash pushing the turbo's to 384hp and 421 ftlbs tq...time to raid the kid's college fund.
 
Bcube said:
Another area where the 335i dominates is the power. The twin turbo's torque of 300ftlbs is available from 1400 to 5000rpm. The 40-90mph passing capability is incredible.
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I got one of these as a loaner while my Z got some repairs done. I concur completely, the passing cap. really is incredible! An awesome car :thumbsup:
Still though, I was excited to get back in my roadster.
 
I've got em both as well..I'll probably drive my 325Ci more then my 3.0 Z4, just save it for really nice warm days.. :)
 
went from 325Ci (beyond loaded) to 3.0 Z4

i'm bias because i love the feeling of a roadster. i have driven other roadsters as well and for my tastes, they are all more "fun" than my 3 series. my E46 was an excellent car and did everything i expected and was super reliable, but in the end, cannot beat the fun of a roadster. for all year round driving 325Ci for sure, comfy, classy, fast enough to get around town fuel efficient (for a 6 cyl)

here's where i find the Z4 a touch above all other roadsters i've tried ... luxery, comfort, trunk space, minimal noise w/ top up ... for performance, handling, value, class, useable space in the roadster world, it's hard to beat the Z4 (stock vs. stock)
 
i swapped from a 2002 330 coupe to a 3.0 z4 had an astra vxr for 10 weeks in between them but im trying to erase that from my memory z4 isnt as comfortable is the coupe but the better sound from the exhaust easily makes up for that nicer looking car just, e46 is a classic motor, i too have the use of the wifes car for the every day stuff so it makes me enjoy the zed even more, z4 is a bit twitchy on run flats but overall it just feels sharper in all departments over a 3 series, it deffinatley gets more looks if your into posing and im a lot more careful where i leave it parked up!
 
I thought everyone had both! Actually, we do have 2003 3 series and 2003 Z4. We are thinking on dumping both and getting new M3 convert.
 
jplanaux said:
I thought everyone had both! Actually, we do have 2003 3 series and 2003 Z4. We are thinking on dumping both and getting new M3 convert.
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:lol: That's actually how I ended up with both! I wanted an M3 and I wanted a convertible, but I'm not a fan of 4-seat convertibles. I split the money and bought a 2003 325i and a 2003 Z4 2.5i. If only BMW had come out with the Z4M Roadster in the first place...
 
epbrown said:
I've got both (well, 3 actually - 325i with sport package, z4 2.5i, Z4 M Coupe) and if you don't spend a lot of time people-hauling, the Z4 (especially the coupe variants) can make quite livable daily drivers. I've only had the M Coupe a week, but I'm seriously considering using it as my only car.
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You live in Chicago - right?

You think the Z4M will be okay with it's limited ground clearence as your only drive??
 
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