Looking to buy my first Z4 and could do with some help..

[WE88Y]

A picture tells a thousand words as they say - what a lovely looking Zed, I love the red seats (M Sport seats are a must - although I'd personally hold out for heated M Sports Seats in a roadster :wink: ) and the black and red colour combo is a winner for me. The mesh grilles look ok, not a deal breaker anyway - bugger to keep clean though.
The only thing (and its a big thing for me) would be the lowly 177bhp, but I guess that all depends on what you want from the car and what you are used to driving.

Exactly why I'm a bit in love with this one, Its a very very nice looking car. A car with red seats has been on my bucket list since I was a kid! The grills are marmite I agree, and yes cleaning would be a nightmare - But that's just more of an excuse to constantly clean the car .

In terms of power, It does 0-60 in 7 seconds.. My current Astra does it in 8.5 which is a decent improvement. Its quick enough for me and its not all about speed, Its cruising with the top down on Welsh country roads listening to the sound of the engine.

I understand its not going to sound as good as the 3L with the sound generator but its hardly going to sound bad..

 

[Marlon]

A picture tells a thousand words as they say - what a lovely looking Zed, I love the red seats (M Sport seats are a must - although I'd personally hold out for heated M Sports Seats in a roadster :wink: ) and the black and red colour combo is a winner for me. The mesh grilles look ok, not a deal breaker anyway - bugger to keep clean though.
The only thing (and its a big thing for me) would be the lowly 177bhp, but I guess that all depends on what you want from the car and what you are used to driving.

Exactly why I'm a bit in love with this one, Its a very very nice looking car. A car with red seats has been on my bucket list since I was a kid! The grills are marmite I agree, and yes cleaning would be a nightmare - But that's just more of an excuse to constantly clean the car .

In terms of power, It does 0-60 in 7 seconds.. My current Astra does it in 8.5 which is a decent improvement. Its quick enough for me and its not all about speed, Its cruising with the top down on Welsh country roads listening to the sound of the engine.

I understand its not going to sound as good as the 3L with the sound generator but its hardly going to sound bad..

Well there's no denying its a great looking Zed (a negative of mine lol)

 

[Chris_D]

If you're planning some year-round topdown driving through those welsh mountain roads you WILL miss the heated seats! Can get pretty chilly over there.
jus sayin.
:wink:

 

[WE88Y]

If you're planning some year-round topdown driving through those welsh mountain roads you WILL miss the heated seats! Can get pretty chilly over there.
jus sayin.
:wink:

I do enjoy heated seats.. As I'm sure everyone does. Had an MX-5 as a second car a few years back and enjoyed that even with no heated seats!

Talking of getting Chilly, Looks like snow is coming this weekend.. Probably not the best time to collect a Z4.

How much do you find the cars fluctuate in value between winter and summer?

 

[Roundozo]

Also are those "M Power" badges I spy stuck on the rear and wings? You might want to get those removed rather sharpish if you do purchase otherwise the forum police might be on to you! olice:

It does look nice and clean. I would see if you can find a 3.0 with heated seats near you and take for a test drive, then you can compare when it comes to decision time.

I know the feeling of wanting to buy asap but sometimes it's worth a wait.

Getting one without warranty will be a lot cheaper. You can then put the money you save into a pot in case you do need it. If not it's a bonus and you can spend it on something nice for the car. Usually (famous last words) these are sturdy cars and don't often come with expensive repair bills unless it is something major like the DSC unit. You'd probably find your warranty wouldn't cover this anyway.

I'd also check what the warranty you get will cover. Sometimes they're not worth the paper they're written on.

 

[Chris_D]

If you're planning some year-round topdown driving through those welsh mountain roads you WILL miss the heated seats! Can get pretty chilly over there.
jus sayin.
:wink:

I do enjoy heated seats.. As I'm sure everyone does. Had an MX-5 as a second car a few years back and enjoyed that even with no heated seats!

Talking of getting Chilly, Looks like snow is coming this weekend.. Probably not the best time to collect a Z4.

How much do you find the cars fluctuate in value between winter and summer?

I started looking around Jan/Feb 2016 and found one by the end of summer. I didn't see much seasonal fluctuation tbh as the budget I had set meant that it's almost at 100% depreciation in any case.
I think at 6k though you're a step up in terms of where you're looking in the market so you might see a little bit of fluctuation, but not much.
A lot of cars are put away for winter meaning a lot of owners will tax for only 6 months of the year and although this goes in favour of the cars' sellability it also adds to the residual value. That's not to say it isn't a very good allyear-round car however.

I honestly think you should look longer and harder as you sound very keen on small details. It's easy to fall in love very quickly but you will kick yourself if you spot one later on thats cheaper, better specced etc.
I was sold on mine due to the condition, colour and spec. the paintwork is absolutely flawless for a 13 year old car. It's prob had a respray at some point in its' life but the 9 others i'd looked at didnt even come close.
I knew it had some minor issues to address but this didnt put me off and the repair work that I did myself has given me an invaluable insight to the cars' mechanicals so don't let any small niggles put you off either as you can bargain down on the asking price if you're competent enough to tackle them yourself....
have a scout around on gumtree and you're bound to find a lot more going north to merseyside or south to swansea/bristol...

 

[paulgs1000]

OP the facelift 2.5 litre was produced initially in two engine powers 177 (2.5i) and 215bhp (2.5si). You are purchasing the lower powered model and this will have a detrimental effect on selling in the future - as will it being a 2.5 litre - therefore the price should reflect this. . . .

It's a shame because the Zed looks to be presented well. Having said that I would not be happy with a Zed that had stood for so long - I imagine all sorts of seals and moving parts may have dried out and become mis-shaped (I may be wrong and I'm no mechanic). I much prefer a car that has been used and maintained whenever issues arrive.

You are also looking at the higher end of the price point. So. . . . .

To put this into context I bought my first Zed overpriced and with a warranty. It wasn't 'til later that I found out (via the forum) that the 3.0si would have been the sensible choice and that my 2.0i Sport was not an 'M' version! You live and learn and you've had lots pointed out about this Zed. Nevertheless, I subsequently loved my 2.0 litre and still think they are under-rated. So, with lots more info from the forum than I had, you can go on to make your own mind up. They are all special cars and offer lots of enjoyable motoring way beyond their price point.

 

[Mike6]

Wouldnt worry about those advisories, standard stuff from a fussy MOT station. Mine always flags up undertrays obscuring bodywork. Always listen for noises on tickover, difficulty changing gears and if you dont have a dipstick remove the oil filler cap and look out for gunk/mayo which is evidence of a worn engine.

 

[raymond.harper]

Autotrader values the car at £5500 for private sale but £6400 to £7100 for dealer sale. The car had no advisories on last MOT so assuming a reputable MOT station all these faults have been fixed. The drivers seat does had a little wear. However they do have a nice SLK manual at a good price which caught my eye. Take it for a test drive ! Not as sporty but is a nice car. This car also spent a year doing nothing. Maybe a coincidence ? If you are worried suggest you get an AA inspection.

 

[maxman]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201610259116513?make=BMW&maximum-mileage=70000&advertising-location=at_cars&price-from=4500&radius=1500&body-type=Convertible&model=Z4&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&postcode=ll139uz&sort=sponsored&price-to=7000&page=1
This z has the more powerful engine.Looks a nice example.

 

[firebobby]

Just checked with the dealership to clear up some of the MOT question marks.. Front ball joints have been replaced, Brakes were done 3000 miles ago and new tyres at the same time. Been sent the service history, Serviced every 10k miles first 50k all BMW service history final 2 are independent. Car would also get a full service before sale.

Car was previously for sale for £7k until very recently so probably explains why it didn't fly off the forecourt.

I have googled the garage for reviews and it's not all rosy, "not pleasant if things go wrong", Abusive owner, Warranty was crap.

The MOT history shows 3 fails since 2010,
It's your money mate, but I would look around as there are plenty of nice cars out there

 

[WE88Y]

Thanks for all your help guys I really appreciate it, Turns out the Garage got the mileage slightly wrong on the advert and has done about 2k miles since the last MOT. May still go and see it.. However I have heard of a car up for sale much closer to me that isn't advertised yet that's the more powerful 2.5 SI Sport model and has all the bells and whistles etc.. (heated seats for starters) Looks very clean. I will update you when I know more!!

 

[kis]

Zed does look nice but gives me a 'Spidey sense is tingling' sort of feel about it. Garage got it slightly wrong? Maybe they were trying to hide it intentionally? What else have they 'made a mistake on'. May be for the best to just walk away?
Check the 2.5 out and take your partners uncle as well if you can. Helps when someone knows their way around the Zed
Good luck on your hunt and keep us posted.

 

[Smartbear]

Wouldnt worry about those advisories, standard stuff from a fussy MOT station. Mine always flags up undertrays obscuring bodywork. Always listen for noises on tickover, difficulty changing gears and if you dont have a dipstick remove the oil filler cap and look out for gunk/mayo which is evidence of a worn engine.

Not necessarily Mike, gunk under the filler cap is just as likely to be evidence of overly long oil change intervals/short journeys. The problem occurs because the engine doesn't get hot enough, for long enough to burn off the condensation created.
This often causes issues with the ccv as well
Rob

 

[WE88Y]

Just to update, Gave up on the car discussed here.. Didn't feel right and was a bit put of by the dealer in the end. Looked into a 2.5si but there was some bodywork issues!

Looking at a 3.0 SE 2004 at the moment, I don't really want to go to that age but i'm investigating on the basis people said i should look at a 3L!

What sort of money should these cars cost? the one i've seen is FSH & around 75k on the clock... its got heated M seats , Overall condition seems very good.. 3rd break light has a slight crack and there is small wear on the side of the drivers seat.

If you guys had the choice of a 2.5SI around 06-07 or a 3.0 around 04 what would be your pick? Also im planning for this to be my daily drive, albeit an average of 10 miles a day.

 

[jabber]

When I bought my first zed I tried both the 2.5 and the 3.0 and decided I would miss the power of the 3.0 so that's
what I bought. The 3.0 seems to hold their price so personally I would go for an older 3.0 a must for me is heated seats sat nav is nice to have but I never use mine as I use my tom tom

 

[WE88Y]

When I bought my first zed I tried both the 2.5 and the 3.0 and decided I would miss the power of the 3.0 so that's
what I bought. The 3.0 seems to hold their price so personally I would go for an older 3.0 a must for me is heated seats sat nav is nice to have but I never use mine as I use my tom tom

Never owned one before so literally have no idea regarding reliability either, Am i correct in thinking i'm going to have more go wrong with the older 3.0? Of course its going to be driven daily so needs to be not breaking down!! Most of the 3.0's i see are auto too.. Not sure how i feel about that

 

[jabber]

When I bought my first zed I tried both the 2.5 and the 3.0 and decided I would miss the power of the 3.0 so that's
what I bought. The 3.0 seems to hold their price so personally I would go for an older 3.0 a must for me is heated seats sat nav is nice to have but I never use mine as I use my tom tom

Never owned one before so literally have no idea regarding reliability either, Am i correct in thinking i'm going to have more go wrong with the older 3.0? Of course its going to be driven daily so needs to be not breaking down!! Most of the 3.0's i see are auto too.. Not sure how i feel about that

You should be able to find a manual z4 as to an older zed being unreliable if it has been serviced correctly and you have it checked out I doubt there would be less reliable it depends more on how its been looked after

 

[maxman]

The trick as is with most cars is to buy a well looked after one.The early e85 3.0 is a very reliable car.The main weakness is the roof motor,this problem affects the later Z4 also.If the car is kept outside I would get the motor moved to the boot.
The later 3.0 Z4 as the mileage goes above 70k has a potential of a problematic water pump costing around £600 to have replaced..

 

[WE88Y]

This forum has already taught me that one of the first things I am going to do is swap the roof motor position You say the later 3.0 Z4 has the water pump issue? Am i understanding correctly that this isn't the case for a 2.5 or pre facelift 3.0?