Handling and feedback E85 3.0i

[willix]

Hi guys,
New to the forum.
I'm after an E85 3.0i manual as it, on paper, ticks all the boxes. But I'm after opinions on handling and feedback as a drivers car? And comparisons with other drivers cars please? I haven't driven one yet so obviously that's the next step but just trying to get an idea. I was 100% set on a z4 but I popped to have another look at one at a local garage yesterday just to see it and sit in it as I was passing by and my gut changed. Love the driving position, I miss being inches off the floor! But yeah, if someone can give me an idea on how they are, say in comparison to an S2000 or and MR2 turbo that'd be great. Cheers!
Will

 

[Midhurstman]

Had mine for about 9 months now, the following comments are from personal experience and other owners may not agree. It is a general agreement that If the car is on run flat tyres they tend to tramline badly. I changed within a month to Vredestein non run flats and saw a big improvement but not 100% cure of a very slightly twitchy front end at speeds above 60 mph. With 72,000 miles on the car, I have renewed all of the suspension back and front, including rear trailing arm bush shim limiters, fitted new Bilstein B8's shock absorbers and top mounts all round and had a hunter full alignment carried out. This tiny front end twitchiness, lightness, non planted feeling(so difficult to describe) is improved but still there. I am told by many including a couple of BMW specialists that have test driven the car that "early non facelift Z4's tend to do this". I love the car but, having owned over 100 cars(many sports models incl an MR2) in my time, I have never before experienced a car that behaves in this way unless a suspension/steering component is badly worn. I find it amazing that this should be considered acceptable in any car, let alone a BMW. I drive in Germany 2 or 3 times a year but find the car is so lacking in any stable, planted feeling once above 90 mph that I have to stay below this speed.

I am not giving up yet and I am about to fit a genuine BMW front top strut brace, even though logic tells me it will probably not help with this problem. If I cannot solve it, I may have to reconsider keeping it because my enjoyment of driving the car is seriously compromised. There are many other posts with similar complaints on the forum but most seem to be cured with tyre changes etc. I have to say that I have 18" wheels and M sport suspension as standard but when using my 17" winter wheels and tyres the problem was considerably diminished and the car much more enjoyable to drive. It appears to me that all the comments that E85/86 Z4's are very fussy on wheels and tyres are correct. if I was buying one now I would definitely go for 17" wheels with 225/40, or even 45 all round.