Help! Z4M Coupe or Z4 3.0 Coupe?

F

FrankyJ

New member
I am in the midst of purchasing a fully loaded Z4M Coupe. It's a Sep 06 with 7k on the clock. I drove a 3.0 before I tried the M and found it plenty quick enough...am I making the right choice? I am concious I can have a slightly newer (07 car) 3.0 Coupe for £4-£5k less and it will be easier to drive quickly day to day, more refined and cheaper to run...whereas the Z4M will be harder work and bite back more easily. As a day to day car, should I go for a 3.0 instead? Or will the M be fine?

Also is it still a depreciation nightmare or has that passed? Reading on hear I am a bit worried! Car has Sat Nav, Bluetotoh, parking sensors, 6CD, Hi Fi upgrade, telematics and is £31k.

Any advice appreciated!
 
I use the M every day and its fine for me.

I think it depends what you really want. Do you want the extra pace and M characteristics or are you more than happy with the 3 litre?

If your more than happy with the 3 then I would save yourself some cash.
 
Look into my eyes . . . .
Listen carefully . . .

Buy the M . . .
Buy the M . . .
Buy the M . . .

:innocent:


Seriously, you learn to drive the M, and it's ok for daily use, I never have much problem driving in rush traffic. It might be a bit hard on the clutch and you will kangaroo it in the start as the throttle is sensitive, but it's a matter of getting the right feel for it.

And it's sooooo nice to always have that extra oomph and the sound of that M engine is soo coool !!! 8)

Especially when it's cold and you are inside a garage, that's a mean sound!

Did i mention the more aggressive looking front bumper, hood, large brakes etc . . .? The M's subtle exterior changes over the 3.0 gives the car a more meaner look. Of course this you can change yourself later but for an extra price.

Oh, I forgot the limited slip differential of the M, if you plan to track the car this will make a difference.

If you asked me before I got the M I would probably have gone with the 3.0 for use as a daily driver, now I would say the M :-))

:D :D
 
i will make an assumption that you are a car enthusiast and as such you have decided to come down the road of looking for a roadster-like driving car and that you are after the finer side of driving, as such it would seem that this is a no brainer when comparing the 2 products

the M would be my choice if it was affordable, you will get hosed on depreciation, no doubt, but if money was that much of an issue, i will also assume that you wouldn't be looking in this class of cars at all

if i had the bux, i definitely would've gone with the M Roadster over my 3.0 (2003) ... i really enjoy driving such a fun and tossable car and just needed more than the 2.5 (2003) had to offer ... so i splurged and paid a few more bux for the 3.0 ... if an M roadster was only another 10% more of something like that, i DEFINITELY would've gone with the M
 
i've met, chatted with, and know enough ppl with an M ... either M3, M5, or whatever and NONE have come back and said "damn i wish i had saved that money and bought the lower model"

although i find it kinda neat to be able to say "I drive a BMW Z4" there is something extra classy and cool about being able to say "I drive an M"

in short, as the posts above say, GET THE M!!!

:thumbsup:
 
M no question, I use mine daily, do 4 hr runs every week or so and love it to bits, a 3.0 will always be the one that is not the M
 
taffy said:
M no question, I use mine daily, do 4 hr runs every week or so and love it to bits, a 3.0 will always be the one that is not the M
Click to expand...

unfortunately he is right ... my car will never be an M ... but i love it anyways :D
 
Get the M - I faced the same dilemma but everytime I go down to my garage and fire her up, I know exactly why I bought the M. Pure driving bliss :thumbsup:
 
I have to agree with everyone else. I saved some money and got the 3.0 but I salivate over all the M pictures on this site everyday! :heat:
 
FrankyJ said:
...Also is it still a depreciation nightmare or has that passed? Reading on hear I am a bit worried! Car has Sat Nav, Bluetotoh, parking sensors, 6CD, Hi Fi upgrade, telematics and is £31k.

Any advice appreciated!
Click to expand...
The ///M is £31k? If so you won't go too far wrong, the spec is good. It's worth the extra if you can afford it :thumbsup:
 
Interesting, I asked the same question a month or so ago and the answer was obvious. I couldn't be more chuffed with the car I got and after driving it in the track yesterday I just love it to bits.

However, I don't drive my car every day and fuel consumption is an issue. I get about 20mpg in town whereas the 3.0si would get about 26, so you may want to consider it when deciding what to buy.

I also found the 3.0si to safe and sanitized. It is like any other modern car that has no soul. It will allow you to reach its limits easily and will be predictable. Still a good car, very capable, but built to satisfy everybody. The M is more of a beast and is harder to drive. It is more tyring in long journeys, but for the moments in which you can unleash it in the twisties or rev the engine up in the straights it is eye-watering delicious.
 
Cheers guys. I just sold my 2002 M3, and yeah I love my M cars and I am used to the MPG / servicing costs. There is just this nagging doubt the the 3.0 would be smoother, more refined etc...but I drove both back to back and the Z4M was nowhere near as brutal as I was expecting, so maybe I am imagining it. I used to get 28-30MPG out of the M3 on a motorway run, will the Z4M manage that?

Wondermike said:
The ///M is £31k? If so you won't go too far wrong, the spec is good. It's worth the extra if you can afford it :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Yeah, its basically £3k more for the M than a 3.0 with a lower spec...as long as the worst of the depreciation is over I think it'll be fine....cars depreciate no matter what you buy so no point worrying about it - enjoy the car. I just don't want to lose £15k a year LOL
 
Well - I hate to go against the grain here, but I decided to get a 3.0si instead of the ///M and have no regrets at all. I simply had no need for the extra power of the ///M version and wanted an engine that would be less maintenance in the long run. Cost of the car was not an issue at all. I loaded mine up to well within the price range of a lot of the ///Ms anyway.

The 3.0si Coupe has turned out to be a delightful choice as far as I am concerned and was a "just right" fit for my needs as both a daily driver and a very nice road trip car.

For all those who bought and love their ///Ms I am glad for you and your choice but don't bother with a screaming match over whether I needed the ///M or not - I don't and I have no intention of debating the point.
 
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