Help buying first Z4...!

S

sportadz

Member
Hi All,

I am looking to purchase a Z4 Coupe (2006-2009) E36 3.0 SI Sport and have some wide ranging questions that I am hoping you guys can provide some guidance/expert opinion on within this single post.

Specifically:

• Do all SI Sport models come with M Sport Seats and M Sport Steering Wheel?

• Do all SI Sport models come with M Sport Bumpers/styling - if not, would it have been a factory optional extra and is it worth paying more for a car that has these?

• Are 18 inch CSL replica wheels virtually indistinguishable from the original factory option? If not, how are they viewed by the Z4 community – good/bad?

• Do any particular leather seat colours age better than others / do any colours show wear worse than others?

• Are there are specific mileages to avoid when buying wrt significant service points i.e. what are the mileage points at which servicing costs might be higher or escalate?

• Has anyone driven the automatic and manual versions and if so which is smoother through the gears?

• Should I have an AA inspection of a car before buying or would a Full Service History and fairly recent MOT suffice?

My budget is not such as a consideration as its more important for me to find the right car. The Z4M version is too expensive and more than what I need in terms of performance so it has to be the Z4 Coupe 3.0 SI Sport. My initial thought is to search for the following spec:

• Black with Black Leather M Sport Seats
• M Sport Steering Wheel
• M Sport Front Bumper…?
• CSL alloys
• <70K miles..?
• Full Service History

Are there any other considerations I should be aware of?

I have read through various threads to get to this point but would really appreciate the expert view on all of the above. I am nervous about buying a car only to regret later that I had missed an ‘essential’ element in my research.

Any help very much appreciated, thank you.
 
sportadz said:
Hi All,

I am looking to purchase a Z4 Coupe (2006-2009) E36 3.0 SI Sport and have some wide ranging questions that I am hoping you guys can provide some guidance/expert opinion on within this single post.

Specifically:

• Do all SI Sport models come with M Sport Seats and M Sport Steering Wheel?

They should have yes, unless they were oddly de-specced.

• Do all SI Sport models come with M Sport Bumpers/styling - if not, would it have been a factory optional extra and is it worth paying more for a car that has these?

There are no external differences between Sport and SE models except for about 15MM height in the suspension and the wheels (18” standard on Sport)

• Are 18 inch CSL replica wheels virtually indistinguishable from the original factory option? If not, how are they viewed by the Z4 community – good/bad?

There were no 18” CSLs made by BMW as far as I’m aware so ALL are reps are technically distinguishable from the originals. That said, they can look great and aren’t frowned upon here from what I can tell. 19” preferred for looks though 👍🏼

• Do any particular leather seat colours age better than others / do any colours show wear worse than others?

All get bolster wear from what I’ve seen. Wear can be quite easily resolved with dye and renovate type kits. Champagne might show dirt more easily but again should be resolvable.

• Are there are specific mileages to avoid when buying wrt significant service points i.e. what are the mileage points at which servicing costs might be higher or escalate?

Allegedly Waterpump may need closer monitoring around 60-80k mark. But many have not experienced this. Other than that, all standard unless you want to change ‘lifetime’ gearbox or diff oils.

• Has anyone driven the automatic and manual versions and if so which is smoother through the gears?

I’ve not driven auto....


• Should I have an AA inspection of a car before buying or would a Full Service History and fairly recent MOT suffice?

My budget is not such as a consideration as its more important for me to find the right car. The Z4M version is too expensive and more than what I need in terms of performance so it has to be the Z4 Coupe 3.0 SI Sport. My initial thought is to search for the following spec:

• Black with Black Leather M Sport Seats
• M Sport Steering Wheel
• M Sport Front Bumper…?
• CSL alloys
• <70K miles..?
• Full Service History

Are there any other considerations I should be aware of?

I have read through various threads to get to this point but would really appreciate the expert view on all of the above. I am nervous about buying a car only to regret later that I had missed an ‘essential’ element in my research.

Any help very much appreciated, thank you.
Click to expand...

I’ve replied within the quote above. 👍🏼
 
You’re welcome. There really aren’t an awful lot of big problems with these cars and they are a joy to own and drive as far as I’m concerned. At approx 70k miles and 10+ years old you might be looking at some suspension refreshing.

This is relatively cheap if you’re handy with a socket set etc.
 
Black with black, are you sure? There are some much nicer colour combinations available on the z4c. Worth bearing in mind that a coupe with sport spec has the anthracite headlining too, so thanks going to be a very dark interior and a lacking some wow factor to set it apart from just another BMW saloon car. There are some interesting interior leather colours so don’t dismiss alternatives to black interior until you’ve sat in a few (Ok, maybe not the beige option with beige trim as that is just hideous!).

Chris
 
As for the interior I personally like the black on black. But I would love to have the caramel coloured leather.
The overall car is amazing to own and I get a buzz every time I drive it.
It's like being 20 again ( I'm 53 now ) driving my Capri thinking I'm the dogs bo**ocks :driving:
 
Thanks for the advice guys, I realise now that I need to look at some combinations in the flesh. Black black has always been my preference with cars, whilst they don’t look great dirty I think they look amazing when polished up.

I admit that I love the look of caramel interior but haven’t seen many online let alone any for sale. I also like the cream/champagne m sports seats but not sure about having the same colour on the door side panels. I suppose one of the main reasons I am drawn to this car, and have been for some time, is it’s timeless looks and hence I am looking for an interior that supports this - a more subtle interior fits the timeless look (for me).

Has anyone driven both manual and auto options? I think the manual gearbox suits the type of car that it is but I can see pros and cons in terms of cruising vs driving experience - any thoughts on this?
 
If you're anywhere near Sheffield / Rotherham you can have a run in mine E86 black / black auto
Stu
 
Thank you Stu, that’s a very kind offer. Unfortunately I am based down south otherwise I would have jumped at the chance. Was there any reason why you opted for the auto? I note that it was the more expensive option when the car was new and the gearbox gets excellent reviews.
 
That’s a kind offer, thanks Chris. I live in Buckinghamshire so next time I’m driving your way I’ll drop you a message in advance on the off chance you are in. These cars are pretty rare so it’s difficult to find any locally to see! Cheers, Adam
 
sportadz said:
That’s a kind offer, thanks Chris. I live in Buckinghamshire so next time I’m driving your way I’ll drop you a message in advance on the off chance you are in. These cars are pretty rare so it’s difficult to find any locally to see! Cheers, Adam
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:
 
Welcome OP. :thumbsup:

FWIW you are likely to have trouble finding one locally as it seems less than 3,000 came to the UK in the first place! Then when you start looking for just manual Sport models with less than 70K miles you narrow the numbers down pretty quickly! I went to Portsmouth for my 1st Coupe, and Rugby for my 2nd so expect to have to travel! :)

I know it limits your options even further, but there were quite a few things that were optional on these including Bi-Xenon headlights, cruise control, rear parking sensors, MFSW, heated seats and cup-holders. Of these cruise is probably the easiest to retro-fit, but if any are essential to you bear that in mind.

"rally-chris" has a really nice one (it's always cleaner than mine) :oops: but if you are ever around Sandhurst you'd be welcome to have a look at a Pearl Grey interior in mine. :)
 
Thanks Mr Tidy, again some really helpful info there and thank you for the offer. If you don’t mind me asking why did you decide to get a Montego Blue Z4C over the Ruby Black? I’ve never seen Montego Blue in the flesh, pictures look very nice but black does polish up well!
 
My change is a bit of a long story, but about 18 months into ownership of my 1st one I had the dreaded water pump failure ay 60K miles and 9 years of age.

It was in December so not the right time of year to even think about trying to swap one outdoors so off it went to my local Indy. Sadly he ordered the pump from BMW so it cost over £500 + fitting! As I hadn't long stopped working that hurt, and when someone on here was looking for one I replied and he ended up buying it.

But when I had one last drive I realised the error of my ways so set about finding my 2nd one!

Ruby Black would look great in this weather. In strong sunlight it tends to have shades of purple. But most of the year it just looks black, and obviously shows up any dirt - whereas Montego Blue looks blue all year round! And I really wanted something other than black, grey or silver so Montego fitted the bill!
 
I've currently got a Montego Blue with Pearl Grey Oregon leather. Best combo for me although the seats are a bugger to keep clean!
When the Montego is fresh out of the valet it is simply stunning.

I've driven both Manual and Auto and preferred the manual. The auto box is good but just prefer the overall driving experience of the manual.
 
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