First Z4 purchase

M

Mikel8318

Member
Hi Folks,
I’m thinking of buying my first Z4 i’ve been looking on autotrader, ebay and gumtree the past week. My Question is whats the best value for money z4 you can buy? I’m thinking of only spending about 5k max so will obviously just be an E85 soft top (i think 🤔?). I’d be looking to keep it in good nick so dont want to be spending a fortune on it, and hopefully garaged for the winter. What is mostly likely to go wrong with them or fail mot?, from what i’ve seen its either the brake pipes, headlights or windscreen wipers. Im no mechanic so just going off what i seen on the .gov website. Thanks in advance 😁
 
Welcome to the forum, useful forum buyers guide here: https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=21281
 
Thanks Marlon, i’ve never really used a forum like this so apologies if im repeating posts that have already been answered 😁
 
Any recommendations on engine size, year and trim to go for which will have least problems but still fun? Only want to spend about £5k max Cheers
 
Hello Mike, and welcome. If you've been looking around at what's on offer, you're probably already starting to get a feel for what you can get for your budget. As for which engine to go for...that is down to what you want from your Z4. The 3.0i engine will probably be the best you can afford in that price bracket, unless you go for a higher mileage/tattier 3.0Si. Alternatively of course, you could get a lower mileage 2.5. Only you know what you want from your purchase, so it's time to work out how you prioritise mileage, spec, condition, service history and power. I would recommend at least trying both the 2.5i and the 3.0i before making your decision. If you don't necessarily want to go fast, the 2.0i would be a fair bit cheaper so you could get a tidier car with fewer miles.

Definitely check out the forum's buyer's guide before you go looking at any cars :thumbsup:
 
Thanks Wonkydonkey, yeh was thinking of the 3.0l but like you said as well if i get a smaller engine can get a tidier car. Decisions decisions. I’ve just forked out £18k for a new car so this is just a bit of fun 😁
 
Mikel8318 said:
Thanks Marlon, i’ve never really used a forum like this so apologies if im repeating posts that have already been answered 😁
Click to expand...

No worries, we were all 'newbies' once - ask away, the folk on here are really helpful :)
 
Mikel8318 said:
Thanks Wonkydonkey, yeh was thinking of the 3.0l but like you said as well if i get a smaller engine can get a tidier car. Decisions decisions. I’ve just forked out £18k for a new car so this is just a bit of fun 😁
Click to expand...
I've always been a fusspot about car paint and bodywork. I'm extremely careful with my cars and go to great lengths to keep them free of damage. However, when it came to buying a Z4 as a weekend car, I was willing to end up with something less than perfect. The only condition was that it had to be well-priced for what it was, so I wouldn't have to lose too much/any money when I came to sell. I looked at cars from £3,000-£6,500 and ended up settling on a higher mileage car that's not in pristine condition. I like speed but I also enjoy working on cars, so a 3.0i that needed a bit of fettling was just the ticket. It cleans up okay and has given me lots of smiles.

Go and have a look at a few. There will be more and more for sale as the weather improves, so don't be shy. Prices will also now be nudging up in sync with the thermometers, so the earlier you buy, the cheaper they will be.
 
Welcome to the forum. The E85 is generally a reliable car. Best bang for your buck has to be the 3.0i
They are aging cars, but aging better than most. :) Look at a few, cared for cars are out there to be snapped up by the patient hunter Buy on condition, check the service history, bin any run flat tyres and hopefully you will have yourself a good little car for around the top end of your budget. :thumbsup:
 
Cheers, thanks for the advice. Yeh i was thinking prices will be going up, i read best time to purchase is xmas. I will be willing to wait to make sure i’ve got the best for my money. I’ve just been offered the attached for £2900 as its needing new rear discs and rear tyres. Im trying to get the reg to check history properly. Its a 2005 2.0i about 56k miles.

https://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/bmw-z4-convertible/1337164654?utm_campaign=socialbuttons&utm_content=app_ios&utm_medium=social&utm_source=ios_social
 
Hi and welcome to the forum, Mike. :thumbsup:

It may depend a bit on what you've had before, but personally I've always been attracted to the bigger engine options. :roll:

And as the pre-facelift 6 cylinder models all use a version of the same engine, just in different sizes, you might as well look for a 3.0i as the running costs will be the same for all of them - well for 2.2i, 2.5i and 3.0i anyway.

If you do stray into facelift territory you might want to avoid the 2.5i, but a 2.5Si or 3.0Si would be good. :thumbsup:
 
Thanks Mr Tidy, may be a stupid question but how will i know if its a facelift model by looking at it? This is the first weekend / fun summer car i will be replacing im just after something fun that doesnt cost a bomb 😁Cheers
 
Well a pre-facelift will be a 2.5i or a 3.0i.

Whereas a facelift will be a 2.5i (avoid at all costs), 2.5Si or 3.0Si.

Pre-facelifts have circular fog-lights!
 
Hi Mr Tidy,

You said to avoid the 2.5i facelift model ( without circular fog lights) whats the reason for this please?,

Would the 2.0i, 2.2i, 2.5i pre facelift be ok?, what about the facelift models though, are all the other engines apart from the 2.5i be ok?. Kinda thinking now i just want a cheap reliable one not fussed with a 3.0l. I’ve seen plenty of 2.0i and 2.2i SE around the £3-3500k mark

Thanks in advance
 
Hi Mikel,

Well the facelift 2.5i is just a restricted version of the facelift 2.5Si, so it seems a bit pointless really as you'll get exactly the same running costs without the performance! (I think it was intended to replace the pre-facelift 2.2i).

Personally I'd avoid any 2.0 model as it's a 4 cylinder engine, and a straight 6 is one of the Z4s more unique features. As well as giving performance more suited to a sports car, a straight 6 also sounds better!

But then maybe I'm just too much of a hooligan - I just replaced an E91 325i with an E90 330i because I found the 325i a bit gutless! :lol:

Anyway another bonus with facelift models is they came in 2 trim levels, SE and Sport. BMW typically confused everyone by calling the seats in the SE "Sport" seats, but calling the ones in the Sport models "M-Sport" seats. M-Sport seats are very desirable, with used pairs selling for the best part of 4 figures so retro-fitting isn't really economic unless you get the car dirt cheap. I've put a photo of an M-Sport seat at the bottom - they just seem so much better suited to a 2 seater sports car. They were an option on facelift SEs and all pre-facelifts, but not an option too many people chose!
 

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