I finally got the chance to take my Zed for a proper run this weekend, from London to Edinburgh and back which is just shy of 800 miles. I thought this might be useful to potential new owners.
Firstly, the car didn't miss a beat. The water temperature was rock-solid the whole journey, even through a couple of traffic jams, and it hasn't used a drop of coolant or oil having just checked both. These might sound like givens for a relatively modern car, but I've had my fair share of cooling system problems with previous BMWs and oil leaks are also common, so it's a real relief to know that it seems sound.
Secondly, it was raining almost the entire way there and back and I was really worried that I'd get home with a soaked carpet. But nope, bone dry, it seems to have kept 100% of the rain out
Replacing the weather membranes and fixing the windscreen wiper cover were definitely worth the expense and effort.
Economy - I averaged 34mpg which isn't bad but to be honest I was expecting a little better for such a small car. It's easy to hit 40mpg while cruising at 55/60, so I was hoping for high 30s on this trip as my average speed was probably about 65. I was doing a fair bit of 75/80 and also hit some traffic in a couple of places though so it's not bad. I do wish the fuel tank was slightly larger - it was not possible to do either journey on a single tank. It's nice only paying £60 to fill the tank, but it was good to get 500 miles+ between stops in my old 530i (albeit at a cost of nearly £100!)
Finally, the drive itself. I was really impressed to be honest, for such a small car it holds up well at high speeds, it's nice and quiet, the car feels solid, no steering wheel shake at any speed or under braking, and the seats are very comfortable. I hated taking my old Z3 on long journeys as it was such hard work, but this really was a pleasure. I think the Z4C is the perfect balance of fun/performance and everyday practicality, apart from the lack of rear seats of course :lol:
Anyway, I'm relieved that it passed its first major test, and am looking forward to the next road trip already
Firstly, the car didn't miss a beat. The water temperature was rock-solid the whole journey, even through a couple of traffic jams, and it hasn't used a drop of coolant or oil having just checked both. These might sound like givens for a relatively modern car, but I've had my fair share of cooling system problems with previous BMWs and oil leaks are also common, so it's a real relief to know that it seems sound.
Secondly, it was raining almost the entire way there and back and I was really worried that I'd get home with a soaked carpet. But nope, bone dry, it seems to have kept 100% of the rain out
Replacing the weather membranes and fixing the windscreen wiper cover were definitely worth the expense and effort.Economy - I averaged 34mpg which isn't bad but to be honest I was expecting a little better for such a small car. It's easy to hit 40mpg while cruising at 55/60, so I was hoping for high 30s on this trip as my average speed was probably about 65. I was doing a fair bit of 75/80 and also hit some traffic in a couple of places though so it's not bad. I do wish the fuel tank was slightly larger - it was not possible to do either journey on a single tank. It's nice only paying £60 to fill the tank, but it was good to get 500 miles+ between stops in my old 530i (albeit at a cost of nearly £100!)
Finally, the drive itself. I was really impressed to be honest, for such a small car it holds up well at high speeds, it's nice and quiet, the car feels solid, no steering wheel shake at any speed or under braking, and the seats are very comfortable. I hated taking my old Z3 on long journeys as it was such hard work, but this really was a pleasure. I think the Z4C is the perfect balance of fun/performance and everyday practicality, apart from the lack of rear seats of course :lol:
Anyway, I'm relieved that it passed its first major test, and am looking forward to the next road trip already
