Considering buying a Z4 2.5 si Sport (2006) - Any advice?

[Varixto]

I’ve no personal experience with it but not heard many issues with them (smg is the problem gearbox)

Thanks for the reply. I have had a look at another one (06 plate, 2.5 si sport) . It looks pretty good but it seems that it was imported. The seller, who has had the car for 3 years told me that the previous owner (who had the car for more than 10 years) had told him that it had been imported very early on from Ireland.
Do you know if there's any type of document I should request from the seller? I have done a HPI check. I can't see where it was first registered, as I would for a non-import car. However, in the first 3 entries of the mileage records I can see:
21/02/2007 1,102 MANUF'RER / 04/03/2010 12,429 MOT / 17/06/2010 14,000 DVLA
Would that first entry, by the manufacturer, the one that would have been done when doing the paperwork for the import and register the car in the UK?
This is the first car I ever look at with an "import car" check I got a quote for insurance and seemed ok. My only problem would be having a bit of difficulty selling the car in the future, as it could put off potential buyers. What do you think?

 

[Varixto]

What about this car OP? http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408253268509

Thanks for the link. I had a look at it but the one that has me thinking is this one: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-de...tmobcid=soc5&fromSavedAds=true&sort=relevance
The only problem is that it's an "import". It's got half the mileage and cost just a bit more. I do not know if this is only because the seller is struggling to get rid of it as it's an "import"... what are your thoughts? (I have explaiend abit more in depth in my previous reply).

 

[raymond.harper]

2006 was the first registration. https://www.carcheck.co.uk/bmw/A24GMJ

 

[Varixto]

2006 was the first registration. https://www.carcheck.co.uk/bmw/A24GMJ

Thank you for the info! Would you mind if I asked you what are your thoughts on the car? On paper it looks really good and the seller seemed legit and helpful over the phone. He has had the car for 3 years and the previous owner had it for 10 years. I don't know... am I being overly cautious? I will be having a look at it tomorrow morning.

 

[raymond.harper]

2006 was the first registration. https://www.carcheck.co.uk/bmw/A24GMJ

Thank you for the info! Would you mind if I asked you what are your thoughts on the car? On paper it looks really good and the seller seemed legit and helpful over the phone. He has had the car for 3 years and the previous owner had it for 10 years. I don't know... am I being overly cautious? I will be having a look at it tomorrow morning.

The driver's seat is worn, although heated not powered so manual adjustment, the seller has tried to hide the wear. This will cost money to fix. There could be a dent on the rear driver's wing, difficult to tell. The driver's side sill had faded and is quite obvious. Perhaps it has been repainted. Cup holders and rear parking sensors are present. Sat nav but most people use their phones, as is the owner! The front slam panel is rusty, she has not been garaged all her life. 5 previous owners, not bad really when you see 11 get worried! A full scan with a model-specific code reader would be advisable as would a club member who lives nearby to help you look at the car. It is a difficult market and cars are not selling. If you really want the car after a test drive and thorough examination of the service history, I would haggle at £5 but even at that, the price is a bit high.

 

[RMB]

What about this car OP? http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408253268509

Thanks for the link. I had a look at it but the one that has me thinking is this one: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-de...tmobcid=soc5&fromSavedAds=true&sort=relevance
The only problem is that it's an "import". It's got half the mileage and cost just a bit more. I do not know if this is only because the seller is struggling to get rid of it as it's an "import"... what are your thoughts? (I have explaiend abit more in depth in my previous reply).

But the 3.0si is cheaper has better standard spec and many desirable options on top. Plus is not a grey import. Have you checked insurance costs on an import?

 

[Varixto]

2006 was the first registration. https://www.carcheck.co.uk/bmw/A24GMJ

Thank you for the info! Would you mind if I asked you what are your thoughts on the car? On paper it looks really good and the seller seemed legit and helpful over the phone. He has had the car for 3 years and the previous owner had it for 10 years. I don't know... am I being overly cautious? I will be having a look at it tomorrow morning.

The driver's seat is worn, although heated not powered so manual adjustment, the seller has tried to hide the wear. This will cost money to fix. There could be a dent on the rear driver's wing, difficult to tell. The driver's side sill had faded and is quite obvious. Perhaps it has been repainted. Cup holders and rear parking sensors are present. Sat nav but most people use their phones, as is the owner! The front slam panel is rusty, she has not been garaged all her life. 5 previous owners, not bad really when you see 11 get worried! A full scan with a model-specific code reader would be advisable as would a club member who lives nearby to help you look at the car. It is a difficult market and cars are not selling. If you really want the car after a test drive and thorough examination of the service history, I would haggle at £5 but even at that, the price is a bit high.

Thank you SO much for your reply! Regarding the dent, I can't believe that I missed that! Having said that, it's something I could live with for the time being, provided that I got a reasonable discount! And your spotting of the rust in the slam panel is great. I had nto noticed that either! This gives me some weaponry and leeway to haggle, if necessary. Unfortunately, regarding the scan, I have an OBD 2 bluetooth portable scanner for my commuting car, which I can connect to my app. of choice (ie: Car Scanner). I know this is not what you recommended but do you reckon it still could be useful?
Thanks in advance for any further advice you may be able to give.

 

[Varixto]

But the 3.0si is cheaper has better standard spec and many desirable options on top. Plus is not a grey import. Have you checked insurance costs on an import?

What you are saying makes perfect sense...It's just that the "import" one has half the mileage. I have gone to price comparison websites and it seems that the quotes are practicallty identical for both the 3.0 SI you referred to and the import one I have been having a look at...At this moment, I really do not know what's best, to be honest.

 

[raymond.harper]

"Thank you SO much for your reply! Regarding the dent, I can't believe that I missed that! Having said that, it's something I could live with for the time being, provided that I got a reasonable discount! And your spotting of the rust in the slam panel is great. I had nto noticed that either! This gives me some weaponry and leeway to haggle, if necessary. Unfortunately, regarding the scan, I have an OBD 2 bluetooth portable scanner for my commuting car, which I can connect to my app. of choice (ie: Car Scanner). I know this is not what you recommended but do you reckon it still could be useful?
Thanks in advance for any further advice you may be able to give.
[/quote]."


Whenever I buy a car I always think that someday I am going to sell it and a mileage of over 100000 is going to be a hindrance even although the car is perfectly good. So this one at 59000 could be a wise buy. Ask when the water pump has been replaced, the part alone is £250 and the thermostat another £100 plus fitting, a common problem along with oil leaks. Look underneath, replacing the sump gasket is awkward. Oil cooler leaking is another thing to look for. Ask how long the car has been for sale, another bargaining point. Get an app for BMW, there is a thread about this on the forum. Good luck and bargain hard!

 

[raymond.harper]

As an adjunct to my last post, it seems this car is being advertised on Marketplace. The plot thickens https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/532605955956997/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A337c1e78-fdb3-402f-8ee0-da711fbc074c

 

[Varixto]

As an adjunct to my last post, it seems this car is being advertised on Marketplace. The plot thickens https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 711fbc074c

I have noticed that the marketplace ad is £50 cheaper. However, is the marketplace ad something that should make me approach this with caution? I have never used Facebook marketplace before so I do not have any knowledge of it...
The owner does sound fairly young on the phone so advertising on Facebook marketplace does not seem that dodgy to me. Am I being a bit naive? I wonder...
He said to me that he has recently relocated to London from Dorset. His driving licence and V5C have his Dorset address but he told me he lives at an address in Fulham, where we will meet tomorrow. I must admit that that rang alarm bells so I told him. He told me that because he has recently moved and he is renting, he has not changed the address yet. However, he said he could produce the parking permit to prove he lived at the address we're meeting at. Everything he has said about the car matches its history so far...I don't know...if he's a scammer, he is being really good at it. I will also ask to access the property to see for sure that he lives there.
Thank you very much in advance for taking the time to help me!

 

[Varixto]

"Thank you SO much for your reply! Regarding the dent, I can't believe that I missed that! Having said that, it's something I could live with for the time being, provided that I got a reasonable discount! And your spotting of the rust in the slam panel is great. I had nto noticed that either! This gives me some weaponry and leeway to haggle, if necessary. Unfortunately, regarding the scan, I have an OBD 2 bluetooth portable scanner for my commuting car, which I can connect to my app. of choice (ie: Car Scanner). I know this is not what you recommended but do you reckon it still could be useful?
Thanks in advance for any further advice you may be able to give.

."


Whenever I buy a car I always think that someday I am going to sell it and a mileage of over 100000 is going to be a hindrance even although the car is perfectly good. So this one at 59000 could be a wise buy. Ask when the water pump has been replaced, the part alone is £250 and the thermostat another £100 plus fitting, a common problem along with oil leaks. Look underneath, replacing the sump gasket is awkward. Oil cooler leaking is another thing to look for. Ask how long the car has been for sale, another bargaining point. Get an app for BMW, there is a thread about this on the forum. Good luck and bargain hard!
[/quote]

"Thank you SO much for your reply! Regarding the dent, I can't believe that I missed that! Having said that, it's something I could live with for the time being, provided that I got a reasonable discount! And your spotting of the rust in the slam panel is great. I had nto noticed that either! This gives me some weaponry and leeway to haggle, if necessary. Unfortunately, regarding the scan, I have an OBD 2 bluetooth portable scanner for my commuting car, which I can connect to my app. of choice (ie: Car Scanner). I know this is not what you recommended but do you reckon it still could be useful?
Thanks in advance for any further advice you may be able to give.

."


Whenever I buy a car I always think that someday I am going to sell it and a mileage of over 100000 is going to be a hindrance even although the car is perfectly good. So this one at 59000 could be a wise buy. Ask when the water pump has been replaced, the part alone is £250 and the thermostat another £100 plus fitting, a common problem along with oil leaks. Look underneath, replacing the sump gasket is awkward. Oil cooler leaking is another thing to look for. Ask how long the car has been for sale, another bargaining point. Get an app for BMW, there is a thread about this on the forum. Good luck and bargain hard!
[/quote]
Thanks for the advice, I will definitely mention it to the seller! I will also look into the BMW app for the OBD 2 reader. That's a good idea!

 

[raymond.harper]

Archie for one so young able to rent a property in Fulham, not exactly known for its cheapness, has a bit of cash or a good job. Ask to see the receipt from the previous owner.

 

[coldel]

Imports and insurance just isnt a thing anymore, you wont get a hiked cost for import insurance so dont worry about that.
The main issue with imports is often the service and history documentation is absent.
I live in London and plenty of younger people living in rented accommodation paying big money, long gone are the days of only getting big salaries as you get older. In my previous job we were hiring data scientists who were mid twenties a few years out of uni on £65k+ easily enough to pay rent in Fulham!

Just do all the sensible stuff, go into his property and sit in there. Run a vcheck proper on the car. Check vin numbers etc.

Personally, I decided against paying 8k for a lower mile Z4 and paid substantially less for a higher mile one and touch wood its been fantastic because it was so well cared for. Condition over mileage every time.

 

[Varixto]

Archie for one so young able to rent a property in Fulham, not exactly known for its cheapness, has a bit of cash or a good job. Ask to see the receipt from the previous owner.

I think that a bit of both....Archie was a nice chap to talk to, but a bit dishonest. I went to see the car and it was in a state...Clutch chatter, paint flaking in some places, a light cluster that looked as if someone had sanded it, the interior was really worn down... and It looked like it had not been washed in quite a while!!
The pics in the add must have been from ages ago, when he had just bought the car. Even though I had asked him to send me new ones, the extra ones he sent me were of poor quality and were hiding all the bad bits... quite cheeky Archie! Well, nevermind...

 

[raymond.harper]

A bullet dodged! You will have gained experience from the encounter so it was not a wasted trip.

 

[Varixto]

A bullet dodged! You will have gained experience from the encounter so it was not a wasted trip.

I have bought a Mk2 30i Sdrive today.... £8,800 with one previous owner and only 59k miles, full service history. Thank you very much anyway for the advice!

 

[raymond.harper]

It looks very nice, with only one owner. I would ask them to put a year's MOT on it. My advice with the E89 is to carry around a tarpaulin. The roof when it fails has no emergency bypass. May you enjoy many trouble-free miles!

 

[Varixto]

It looks very nice, with only one owner. I would ask them to put a year's MOT on it. My advice with the E89 is to carry around a tarpaulin. The roof when it fails has no emergency bypass. May you enjoy many trouble-free miles!

Thank you. It will have a fresh MOT and oil service when they give it to me on Tuesday. Thanks for the advice regarding the tarpaulin. I will definitely get one although I hope I won't have to use it! (fingers crossed).

 

[Z450]

That’s good at £8800 was that the one up for £9900?