Decided on a Z4 3.0i over a Honda S2000

A

andya1

Active member
Hi guys

I am new here and just wanted to say hello :) I currently have a nigh on mint 2004 MX5 as our weekend fun roadster it is my first roadster and I have to say I love open top motoring even on a cold crisp winters day that top will be down.

I now think that I should sell the 5 as it has only done 21.000 miles and get a roadster a bit newer as next year the 5 will be 10 years old!

So I had been set on a Honda S2000 but after being taken out in one it really did seem very lary and it did seem a very hard ride, my wife Linda would probably find it too hard a ride and we use the car to get out with our dog on the north york moors etc.

I don't know what steered me towards a Z4 as I don't like any BMW at all I think the styling isn't attractive apart from the Z4 which I think is a really great looking car, so that's what I am going to get.

I have been doing research and I decided on a 2.5 sport BUT then I found out the road tax on the 3.0 was only £20 more at £280! So I now think what the heck I will get that fantastic smooth 6 cylinder 3.0 engine I can only imagine how brilliant that will be to drive. Also with the S2000 the road tax went up to £450 a year from 2006 onwards! which is just stupid so I now know I would prefer a facelift model so it needs to be either a 2006 or a 2007, or am I limiting myself by not considering a pre face lift car? I can't seem to find out what the difference is between the two models as I might have gone for an 05.

So I am really enjoying reading the forum and am now on the lookout for a low mileage Z4 and I am so looking forward to owning one :)

Andy
 
Hi ANDY

welcome..
The 2.5 is a 6 cylinder, lots of little differences between the post and pre i e front bumper lights fog lights, rear bumper and rear lights.. not sure if the engines changed but i am sure someone will point it out. plenty out there so take your time i am sure either 2.5 or 3.0 will offer you all the thrills... there is an excellent 'buy it guide pmn here from Alan which should give you all the advice that you need.
 
andya1 :roll: " I don't like any BMW at all I think the styling isn't attractive apart from the Z4 " :o are you partially sighted ? :P
M3,s of any age , 6 series :? the 8 series ? & the E60 M5 :evil: all stunning motors .
You are right of course with the 3.0/2.5 debate , unless insurance is a major hike then the roadtax & economy are almost the same yet you get so much more .
Enjoy the search , its part of the ownership pleasure & feel free to link up any possibles :thumbsup:
 
Welcome :thumbsup:

Many people on here have driven both and plumped for the Z over the S2000, so you are in good company... Though I am not one of them.

There are styling and engine differences between the pre and post facelift 3.0. Styling is things like changes to the front and rear bumpers, rear lights changes, some interior plastics changed from grey to black and exterior colour options slightly different (no Maldives blue facelift that I know of, and introduction of phoenix yellow for example). The pre facelift 3.0 engine is the M54 with about 231bhp and five gears, the facelift is the N52 with about 265bhp and 6 gears.

There is a great thread that shows all the pre and post facelift specs and options for each variant. I will have a quick look for it for you...

Edited - here you go : http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=27852#p27852

It's a very long post with all the details for all the cars, but there is a link to go straight to the facelift info at the top.

There is also a great buyers guide in AlanJ's signature - go to members, sort by posts (click it twice to get highest to lowest ordering) and you'll find him on the list. Just click on his name, search his posts and choose one to find the link in his sig.
 
Wow thanks for all the quick responses there are some good links to read I will enjoy those.

Mr Wilks do you mean the original 6 series if so that was a nice looking car but surely you don't mean the current 6 as that is one of the ugliest BMW's I have ever seen :) My Sister loves BMW she has owned them for years so she will be impressed when I get a Z4 and of course we all like different cars but I don't doubt that most BMW's are good well made quality cars, there you go I think I might have got away with my earlier remarks :)

Andy
 
I had an S2K before my Z.

IMO it much more fun to drive.. more of a hooligans car.. its also less forgiving. If you got one... you'd never left you wife out in the rain in it... i've had several near misses in the rain due to how tail happy it is (get slightly excited on the loud pedal.. the vteck kicks in.. and you end up in a hedge!!)

imo if you can afford it i would go for a facelift 3.0si silky smooth and easy to drive.. also spec wise much more comes standard.. such as electric seats and autolights - things you can live without.. but are luxuries i'd never experienced before!

Bing said:
The pre facelift 3.0 engine is the M54 with about 231bhp and five gears, the facelift is the N52 with about 265bhp and 6 gears.
Click to expand...

The anorak in me says the pre facelift 3.0 also has a 6 speed box (only the 2.2 and 2.5 have 5 speed) :poke: :P
 
Thanks for that and I will go for a face lift model but it would have to be 2006/7 as I don't want to spend too much but I would be happy with either year as one of the reasons was to get a newer roadster than our 9 year old MX5 :) oh and the tail happiness of the S2000 is one thing that eventually put me off plus the very hard ride, but it is a great car but I know I will adore driving a 3.0i Z4 :)

Andy


aquazi said:
I had an S2K before my Z.

IMO it much more fun to drive.. more of a hooligans car.. its also less forgiving. If you got one... you'd never left you wife out in the rain in it... i've had several near misses in the rain due to how tail happy it is (get slightly excited on the loud pedal.. the vteck kicks in.. and you end up in a hedge!!)

imo if you can afford it i would go for a facelift 3.0si silky smooth and easy to drive.. also spec wise much more comes standard.. such as electric seats and autolights - things you can live without.. but are luxuries i'd never experienced before!

Bing said:
The pre facelift 3.0 engine is the M54 with about 231bhp and five gears, the facelift is the N52 with about 265bhp and 6 gears.
Click to expand...

The anorak in me says the pre facelift 3.0 also has a 6 speed box (only the 2.2 and 2.5 have 5 speed) :poke: :P
Click to expand...
 
I was in exactly same position, ended up with 3.0Si. Just fits the bill in every department, if you're addicted to that VTEC howl, the pick up about 5k rpm will tick that box.

For me, go for the best you can afford. In the long run, you buy this car out of passion and not with any kind of sensible aspect!
 
richarddaviesgb said:
I was in exactly same position, ended up with 3.0Si. Just fits the bill in every department, if you're addicted to that VTEC howl, the pick up about 5k rpm will tick that box.

For me, go for the best you can afford. In the long run, you buy this car out of passion and not with any kind of sensible aspect!
Click to expand...

Thanks I know what you mean in fact the more I think about it now I can't believe how I didn't decide on this car sooner I thought because from 2006 onwards the S2000 is £450 road tax I felt sure the Z4 would be the same especially the 3.0i, how wrong I was.
 
andya1 said:
Wow thanks for all the quick responses there are some good links to read I will enjoy those.

Mr Wilks do you mean the original 6 series if so that was a nice looking car but surely you don't mean the current 6 as that is one of the ugliest BMW's I have ever seen :) My Sister loves BMW she has owned them for years so she will be impressed when I get a Z4 and of course we all like different cars but I don't doubt that most BMW's are good well made quality cars, there you go I think I might have got away with my earlier remarks :)

Andy
Click to expand...


No mate i was meaning the E63 which for a car almost 10 years old was a design way beyond its time :wink:
still looks good on the road now IMO
http://i1164.photobucket.com/albums/q576/beaucostil/645Ci007.jpg
& with the V8 4.4 is without question the best all rounder ive ever owned :driving: although scorched a hole in my wallet :evil:
 
aquazi said:
The anorak in me says the pre facelift 3.0 also has a 6 speed box (only the 2.2 and 2.5 have 5 speed) :poke: :P
Click to expand...

This I did not know - I stand corrected :hattip:

However, aren't you supposed to be in your honeymoon :poke: :D
 
andya1 said:
Very nice that is mr wilks :)

Andy
Click to expand...

Cheers . No other car ive had could transport 4 adults in projectile fashion yet feel so comfortable & safe . Bearing in mind its age (mine was a 54) it came with
adaptive steering,adaptive suspension,adaptive lights & a computer system/nav/phone you could command with voice for all functions :cry:
Great use of technology but some poor components & high part prices meant we were destined for divorce after 6 months :(
Lovely engine noise though & on a decent run could hit 30mpg :thumbsup: downhill :P
 
To get 4 adults in, you must be very short Mr Wilks. I tried a 6 coupe a year or so ago, and with seat adjusted to my 5'11" it was virtually touching the rear seats. As for the looks, I'm with andya1 on that one!
 
DR-Z said:
To get 4 adults in, you must be very short Mr Wilks. I tried a 6 coupe a year or so ago, and with seat adjusted to my 5'11" it was virtually touching the rear seats. As for the looks, I'm with andya1 on that one!
Click to expand...

What size do we need to be DR-Z to qualify as adults ?
I,m 5,8 , wife 5,4 as is our daughter son 5,10 , all easily fitted in :oops:
we also fitted into our 996 but it was much more comfortable in the 6 series :thumbsup:
I appreciate the design doesn't work for all but as with the Z4 the design credentials are in the fact that even after 10 years on the road they both look fresh :)
 
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