Buying advice.....

[Ozyboyross]

I’ve now sold my 118d (thank god) so I’m in a position to be zed shopping hurrah!

I have a budget of around 6k but the less I can spend the better.

First off would that money get me in a coupe? As I really think they are stunning to look at especially in grey!

Secondly is a 2.0 all that bad? As they are far cheaper and I could always step up to a 3.0 in a few years.....

Is the upgraded hifi worth looking for? As I do love music and most BMW’s I’ve had the base system is crap!

Think that’s it for now, thanks in advance

 

[Huzee4]

Go for six cylinders and you’ll not need a stereo

 

[Mr Tidy]

Good news about the sale of your 118d.

6 months ago that budget would have got you a Coupe but prices seem to have firmed up quite a bit since then, which hasn't been great news for me! https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=119180

You'd probably have to accept some serious mileage to get a Coupe now.

Personally I'd avoid the 2.0 litre ones because having a petrol straight 6 is one of the unique features of Z4s, and the 2 litres do seem to suffer from more issues than the 6 cylinder ones. And why buy a car that you'll want to replace in a few years when you could have a few years of fun knowing you got it right 1st time!

The base stereo isn't brilliant but it works better in a Z4 than a 3 Series, probably because the cabin is much smaller. And I think the upgraded systems (there were 2 options) are fairly rare so I wouldn't be put off buying a car that was otherwise good but had the base system and upgrading it. There is a top of the range 10 speaker DSP system for sale on here now.

And that is a good point by Huzee4 - my M Coupe has the DSP stereo but I hardly ever use it because that way I can hear the S54 engine with Powerflow back-boxes heading for the red-line much better. :lol:

Happy hunting.

 

[Jfgoldfish]

Hello and welcome!

I think 6k might just about get you a coupe but only just! You would be looking for a bargain and probably fairly high milage. It probably depends how long you are willing to wait for that bargain.

I assume you know that the coupe is only available as a 3 litre.

The 2 litre can be a great car. It is very subjective.
I came from driving a little underpowered hatchback when I got my zed so the 2 litre feels quite pokey to me. I did test drive a few different ones and I can tell you the 3 litre is a monster compared to the 2.0.
You will find that many of the owners here keep their zed as a weekend toy. If you are driving it daily the 2.0 has many benefits. If you are buying a toy then the 3.0 is the obvious choice.

My advice would be to test drive both. You might be underwhelmed by the 2.0 considering it won't be much faster in a straight line than your 118d.

The N46 engine has a very bad reputation but from my experience if you buy a decent one and service it well it can be a very reliable engine.

I have personally found the standard sound system in the zed to be quite good, maybe a little heavy/boomy on the mids. If you are after a very bass heavy sound it may be lacking for you. I would think upgrading the pair of bass woofers behind the seats would solve that one though.

Best of luck with the hunt!

 

[mr wilks]

I’ve now sold my 118d (thank god) so I’m in a position to be zed shopping hurrah!

I have a budget of around 6k but the less I can spend the better.

First off would that money get me in a coupe? As I really think they are stunning to look at especially in grey!

Secondly is a 2.0 all that bad? As they are far cheaper and I could always step up to a 3.0 in a few years.....

Is the upgraded hifi worth looking for? As I do love music and most BMW’s I’ve had the base system is crap!

Think that’s it for now, thanks in advance

With £6k its worth considering a 2.5Si E85 (218bhp) https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10595250?utm_expid=.tpJdMtjvQA-ox8DOzal2LQ.1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pistonheads.com%2Fclassifieds%3FCategory%3Dused-cars%26Distance%3D2147483647%26M%3D263%26MaxPrice%3D7000%26MinPrice%3D5000%26Postcode%3D.z.s.xxj.i.q.d9m.i7ab.kotw.ui.pxfzs.e.uw.q_.ibt94jzun.t.h.oc.g_-.q.t.o.fj0.v2.q9.gc8.h5.x.i9%26SortOptions%3DLocation

For a coupe you "might" get into a high mile Se which would be no bad thing but you would probably spend on it upgrading wheels , seats etc

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10556960?utm_expid=.tpJdMtjvQA-ox8DOzal2LQ.1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pistonheads.com%2Fclassifieds%3FCategory%3Dused-cars%26Distance%3D2147483647%26M%3D1147%26MaxPrice%3D7000%26MinPrice%3D5000%26Postcode%3D.z.s.xxj.i.q.d9m.i7ab.kotw.ui.pxfzs.e.uw.q_.ibt94jzun.t.h.oc.g_-.q.t.o.fj0.v2.q9.gc8.h5.x.i9%26SortOptions%3DLocation

 

[Z4paul]

I’ve now sold my 118d (thank god) so I’m in a position to be zed shopping hurrah!

I have a budget of around 6k but the less I can spend the better.

First off would that money get me in a coupe? As I really think they are stunning to look at especially in grey!

Secondly is a 2.0 all that bad? As they are far cheaper and I could always step up to a 3.0 in a few years.....

Is the upgraded hifi worth looking for? As I do love music and most BMW’s I’ve had the base system is crap!

Think that’s it for now, thanks in advance

With £6k its worth considering a 2.5Si E85 (218bhp) https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10595250?utm_expid=.tpJdMtjvQA-ox8DOzal2LQ.1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pistonheads.com%2Fclassifieds%3FCategory%3Dused-cars%26Distance%3D2147483647%26M%3D263%26MaxPrice%3D7000%26MinPrice%3D5000%26Postcode%3D.z.s.xxj.i.q.d9m.i7ab.kotw.ui.pxfzs.e.uw.q_.ibt94jzun.t.h.oc.g_-.q.t.o.fj0.v2.q9.gc8.h5.x.i9%26SortOptions%3DLocation

For a coupe you "might" get into a high mile Se which would be no bad thing but you would probably spend on it upgrading wheels , seats etc

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10556960?utm_expid=.tpJdMtjvQA-ox8DOzal2LQ.1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pistonheads.com%2Fclassifieds%3FCategory%3Dused-cars%26Distance%3D2147483647%26M%3D1147%26MaxPrice%3D7000%26MinPrice%3D5000%26Postcode%3D.z.s.xxj.i.q.d9m.i7ab.kotw.ui.pxfzs.e.uw.q_.ibt94jzun.t.h.oc.g_-.q.t.o.fj0.v2.q9.gc8.h5.x.i9%26SortOptions%3DLocation

That e85 really does hit the sweet spot regards good spec great condition clearly looked after and a fair price. Looks great on the 108's as well.

 

[Ozyboyross]

Hi all thanks for the replies!

I do agree the six cylinder sound would be amazing enough to not need a stereo when making progress but there are times when we are just cruising and that's when a nice stereo would be beneficial, I do like having some music on!

It seems a coupe may be a bit long in the tooth at my budget, and I would definitely want grey to give it that old school GT/Fastback look that I just love about it! maybe a coupe will be the car after this purchase!!

I have looked at 2.5si and they would definitely be another option that's for sure, I would prefer of course the 3.0si (Who wouldn't) but I would like to find the best car for my budget, not stretch it and buy something a bit ropey (been there done that far too many times!!)

 

[True-Blue]

The N46 is one of the worst engines BMW have ever made, whereas the 6 Pot’s in the Z4 are their finest work IMHO.

I have first hand experience of the N46, and I’d never, ever, buy another car that had one fitted.

It’s not just the lack of performance, it’s the massive reliability issues inherent in the N46 engine design.

I’d rather have the 2.2 E85 than 2.0 simply for reliability... not because of performance differences.

You might be one of the lucky few who gets a reliable N46.... but why take the risk when there are so many 6 pots for sale

 

[Ozyboyross]

The N46 is one of the worst engines BMW have ever made, whereas the 6 Pot’s in the Z4 are their finest work IMHO.

I have first hand experience of the N46, and I’d never, ever, buy another car that had one fitted.

It’s not just the lack of performance, it’s the massive reliability issues inherent in the N46 engine design.

I’d rather have the 2.2 E85 than 2.0 simply for reliability... not because of performance differences.

You might be one of the lucky few who gets a reliable N46.... but why take the risk when there are so many 6 pots for sale

that's a bold statement when my last car was an N47 diesel.... eek lol

I would rather have a 6 pot though for sure, just for the noise!

 

[True-Blue]

The N46 is one of the worst engines BMW have ever made, whereas the 6 Pot’s in the Z4 are their finest work IMHO.

I have first hand experience of the N46, and I’d never, ever, buy another car that had one fitted.

It’s not just the lack of performance, it’s the massive reliability issues inherent in the N46 engine design.

I’d rather have the 2.2 E85 than 2.0 simply for reliability... not because of performance differences.

You might be one of the lucky few who gets a reliable N46.... but why take the risk when there are so many 6 pots for sale

that's a bold statement when my last car was an N47 diesel.... eek lol

I would rather have a 6 pot though for sure, just for the noise!

It’s not really about servicing the N46 and looking after it, I was stupid and make the mistake of not researching properly before buying a car with this lump fitted. The car I bought had an impeccable BMW dealer history

Many stories from people who had reoccurring problems with brand new cars, let alone 15 year old cars.... avoid :thumbsdown:

 

[g3org3y]

IMVHO, don't waste your time with the 4 cylinder. Has to be a 6 cyl.

Take your time and hold out for a good spec. One thing I noticed when looking to buy mine was there were a lot of basic examples out there. Xenons and heated seats are must haves imo. The Pro Hifi is actually pretty decent. Admittedly I'm not an audiophile but to my ears, it sounds good. Not a deal breaker though.