Looking to make the jump to an ///M

N

n1nja-frog

Member
 Derby
I have a 3.0si roadster that i've owned since May 2014, it's been a very reliable car with reasonable running costs.

However i'm getting the itch (yes I know you can get a cream for that) ............ for a new car :driving:

And i'm, against all logical, sensible and financial thoughts, looking at a Z4MR as an upgrade, this after justifying a new car purchase to the missus by saying i'd get a 4 door sensible car . Pah what do they know - her response was 'they're the same car' :rofl:

Anyway, looking at the market values of ///Ms has been something of a shock as they seem to have increased a bit since I was in the market for a Z! This car will be my daily driver, with an annual mileage of 9k per annum (I can sense you dry weather drivers cringing already :rofl: )

Now i've been reading, reading and reading this particular section of the forum to try and get an idea of the overall costs and potential bills of such a car, after being advised that the S54 engine is a reliable prospect, to see that there are a few issues that could lead to BIG bills! Vanos and rod bearing wear being amongst those :| .

One of the things most oft repeated on here regarding the reliability of this engine seem to be how is was initially ran in, and the care taken by previous owners regarding interim oil changes every year, not ragging from cold etc, and obviously this is total pot luck it seems :? .

I've already factored in around a decrease in MPG to around 22, a rough increase in servicing costs of 50%, the obvious tax increase and increase in wear and tear items costs such as brakes. However the more I read, the more i'm getting nervous about making such a move!

So, am I stupid to be looking at a Z4MR as a sensible(ish) daily drive to replace the reliable 3.0si?

(Just to add my budget is 16k and looking for a car of 35k - 50k).

Looking forward to any replies, opinions and advice :)
 
I was worried about the Vanos when I bought mine. Not heard of on going yet though on the zed S54. Camshaft failure seems to be the most common issue I would say, maybe followed by bottom end.

You can do much about the history and can't find out, so other than checking it has the running in service and the car has been serviced to schedule (difficult for some owners and dealers to work out) there isn't a lot you can do.

Good driving habits will help ongoing though, like waiting till the engine is warm before going over 3k etc...

If you can afford the extra costs then do it, but costs of brakes, servicing etc is a bit of a step up from a non ///M so factor these in as well.
 
I'm thinking of doing the same move in a year or 2, as I've had the M itch for years, and using it as a daily, although my commute is only 6 miles, as long as you go in with eyes open to running costs I say why not daily an M, if you can deal with the depreciation that piling on the miles affects. After all cars are meant to be driven! Do it! I think youll be hard pushed to find a sub 50k mile car for 16k, that seems to be the entry level price nowadays for an 80k-ish car, but good luck!
 
84k miles on mine now as my daily driver. Average mid 20s mpg overall though I don't have any stop start traffic. Hit a best of 32mpg recently and it has definitely improved since having the vanos replaced around 80k and starting/running much less lumpy. Any oil leaks around that area would be caution but you could just keep the oil topped up or replace the vanos seals for £400 or so I believe (parts not expensive but a lot needs to come out to get access).

Tyres for me last 10k on the back though if you go below 3mm or so there is a lot more care/fun/caution needed and best to change them before winter.
 
If you can afford the running costs, you're going to see some of that spend back when it comes to sale time after a few years driving (when compared to other models)...and you might* even earn a little (if the market has another spike). Even if you whack 30k miles on a 50k mile car it's still going to be worth £12k ish in 2019....so makes for relatively cheap motoring overall!

I have been DD my coupe and it's been pretty faultless over the last 2 years...I'd say buy one off here that has been loved and you'll be well set for a few years motoring.
 
I bought my ///M back in June (2016) and paid around the 15k mark from an independent dealer (i.e. not a private sale), it had 52k miles on it.

History was decent but was missing the valve clearance check from the Inspection II; however I bought it and had that done a couple of days later (when checked they were all within tolerances and only one was adjusted). Additionally the differential oil was due a change, so that was done, and annoyingly while that was carried out I was advised that the pinion seal was leaking, which I told them to replace (however the more I read about this now the more I don't believe it was actually needed, but that's another matter).

After that being done I took it over Stockport for Darren to give it a look over and change the brake fluid as I was planning on putting some decent miles on it and wanted piece of mind the basics were sorted. While there he also plugged in his diagnostics gave me the bluetooth pin code for no cost (which took 30 seconds and BMW wanted to charge £60 for the privilege!).

The car itself has everything I wanted, Imola Red, and was effectively fully specced apart from cruise control, aux input, and cupholders. It even has extended leather (after seeing ones with and without, I decided I couldn't get one without that option!!) and has the digital (freeview) television!

I wanted aux ability, so I bought the adaptor from Fruity Car Cables and fitted it myself including drilling a beautifully clean hole for it in the sloped plastic under the heater controls so it's nicely hidden. Installation took me almost 2 hours end-to-end, but I was super cautious/careful and slow; doing it again it'd be a 30 minute job at most (getting the vents out was the most difficult part).

In preparation for a road-trip over on the continent I bought an OEM cupholder from BMW, £60 ( :| ), and despite what I'd read it worked flawlessly. Used it for bottled water and with the air-con on the coldest setting it produced ice cold water due to the location of it; an unintended happy side-effect :D

The only other negative when I bought it, was the tyres. It had Bridgestone Potenza all round, the rears were low anyway, but they were lethal in anything other than perfectly dry weather; and I buy my cars to use them (while treating them as best I can in my time of ownership). I replaced them with Michelin Pilot Super Sports, and the can was literally transformed. Even in wet weather I feel very comfortable pushing on and "making progress". I would have gone for the Michelin Pilot Sport 4's but Michelin had a shortage of the front's at the time, and I needed something sooner, so settled with what I have now (and am very happy with them).

Other than what's noted above, and the road tax (ouch, but you know the cost of this if you're considering one), I've not spent anything apart from running costs. It's not even used any oil. I have always stucking below 3k RPM until it's warmed up and before enjoying that wonderful engine, and once warm it's been used well.

I've put 6,805 miles on the clock since buying it, mostly consisting of a couple of trips up to Scotland, and the jaunt over on the continent (furthest point was visiting friends in Vodice, Croatia). It has done the odd short (6 mile) journey but it's effectively a toy, and used as such.

It has averaged 26.7mpg (with a best of 31.48mpg). That's real-world, having used 1,168 litres of fuel (mostly super, but occasionally a tank of 95 in places where better wasn't available). Every single fuel stop in my ownership has been logged (39 of them so far, I'm a geek, what can I say).

It's due a basic oil service in approximately 2,700 miles; should be nice and cheap comparatively. Then it's the Inspection I in 10,000 miles after. I purchased mine because of the history and being at that point in it's life where short-term future servicing should be fairly easily manageable/cheap. If it was due the Inspection II next then costs would obviously be more.

Read all of this as you will, it's my experiences so far. I considered the 3.0 (E85) and the 3.5si (E89) but the heart won and the ///M ended up in the garage. There's just something about an ///M car that makes you smile :) And I definitely look twice when closing the garage door.
 
bmwaddict said:
I'm thinking of doing the same move in a year or 2, as I've had the M itch for years, and using it as a daily, although my commute is only 6 miles, as long as you go in with eyes open to running costs I say why not daily an M, if you can deal with the depreciation that piling on the miles affects. After all cars are meant to be driven! Do it! I think youll be hard pushed to find a sub 50k mile car for 16k, that seems to be the entry level price nowadays for an 80k-ish car, but good luck!
Click to expand...
I was commuting my M for 5 miles each way,killed 2 sets of o2 sensors doing this and bought a cheaper runaround for work, these cars need to be run a bit and fully warmed up or problems will occur, they don't like stop/start milkfloat type journeys.
 
True, my commute is 6 miles each way on 60mph fast roads with no traffic, and always get fully warm before I'm even half way, and I give my car a good run on weekends.
 
Sorry, your car/engine is NOT getting fully warm in 6 miles, only your coolant is... that's why it has a thermostate.
 
vester86 said:
Sorry, your car/engine is NOT getting fully warm in 6 miles, only your coolant is... that's why it has a thermostate.
Click to expand...

I disagree. My oil gets up to temp in only a few miles...
 
breezer said:
vester86 said:
Sorry, your car/engine is NOT getting fully warm in 6 miles, only your coolant is... that's why it has a thermostate.
Click to expand...

I disagree. My oil gets up to temp in only a few miles...and I drive really gently until it's nearly 100 degrees
Click to expand...
 
breezer said:
vester86 said:
Sorry, your car/engine is NOT getting fully warm in 6 miles, only your coolant is... that's why it has a thermostate.
Click to expand...

I disagree. My oil gets up to temp in only a few miles...
Click to expand...


Mine is warmed up by 6 miles also, that's coolant and oil. Always try and keep the revs as low a possible.


Just buy an M, they're great fun. The tax is a bitch but the rest is manageable. :thumbsup:
 
Yorkie Z said:
breezer said:
vester86 said:
Sorry, your car/engine is NOT getting fully warm in 6 miles, only your coolant is... that's why it has a thermostate.
Click to expand...

I disagree. My oil gets up to temp in only a few miles...
Click to expand...


Mine is warmed up by 6 miles also, that's coolant and oil. Always try and keep the revs as low a possible.


Just buy an M, they're great fun. The tax is a bitch but the rest is manageable. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...


Takes about 10 miles for mine to be fully warm, going by oil temp, and that includes about 5 miles at 70 in sixth keeping it under 3k RPM.
 
My experience is the same as Bing's - depending on the ambient temperature,it's 8-10 miles until fully hot.

If you want/need an M then go for it. I did and haven't stopped smiling - my costs have only been servicing - £200 Oil, £750 Insp 2 - plus tyres (and road tax @ £500 :thumbsdown: ). Tucking money away every month into the "just in case" fund. Petrol cost only make a difference if you do a lot of miles.
 
Angelus666 said:
If you're averaging 26 mpg then you must not be driving it correctly...! Most people get 20-21 at best...
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Put enough motorway miles on it between track days / hooning / ring trips and you'll easily average more than 26mpg :poke:
 
mmm-five said:
Angelus666 said:
If you're averaging 26 mpg then you must not be driving it correctly...! Most people get 20-21 at best...
Click to expand...
Put enough motorway miles on it between track days / hooning / ring trips and you'll easily average more than 26mpg :poke:
Click to expand...

Exactly. I'm getting 29 on my current trip to Germany, and I'm not being that careful. They're pretty good on motorways in 6th gear. 80mph most of the way, with the odd 160mph sprint or two!
 
Angelus666 said:
If you're averaging 26 mpg then you must not be driving it correctly...! Most people get 20-21 at best...
Click to expand...

If that's aimed at me, I can assure you it gets used very well. I've had plenty of low 20's, but given the trip over on the continent it spent enough time on motorways/autobahns to get to the fun places that those fuel-ups bumped the average up slightly.

Here's the Fuelly profile for it: http://www.fuelly.com/car/bmw/z4/2006/christopherrobinson/443154
 
I do about 8k miles a year in my ///MR. Fun driving though, not commuting. I seldom drive it less that 60 miles once if it's out of the garage. They need to be warmed through gently, as others have said. I had a Micra over take me this morning pulling out onto the A38 400 yards from home. 15 miles later nicely warmed through I was chasing a Noble down a B road :driving: Any way the good news, currently pushing 52K on the clock and no trouble apart from a radiator fan in 5 1/2 years. :D
 
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