Mileage/Age/Value on Z4MC...

W

Woody

Senior member
 Bristol
Hi all, thanks for reading

I'm currently selling my 3.0i SE and intending to purchase a Z4MC. One of the main things that attracted me to my car when I bought it was the low mileage (29k at the time, now on 36,750). It was also in great condition (still is!) and has lots of equipment with good SH etc.

I was intending to apply the same philosophy and approach to the purchase of an MC, picking up a garage queen but then I guess you have to pay a premium for that...? Something like this: http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=38637

Looking at the market (AT,eBay,PH and FS on here) I'm trying to find out current price and mileage/age averages and your opinions on this. Is it a good time to buy now?

And also when looking at the cheaper cars with 60k+ miles on and 06/56 reg, in your opinion is this something to worry about? I'm planning on keeping the car for about a year and will probably put about 10k miles on in that time. So say in a years time when I come to sell it will be at 75k miles, would that put a lot of people off and lose me a lot of money? It seems more often than not the MC's I've seen advertised are under 50k miles, do the older higher miler ones sell as well? I would only buy a car with a good FSH and a decent amount of extras so don't need to worry about that. I guess you pay less in the first place and will sell for less later so it's all relative? What would you do in the same situation?

I've just always bought low milers and paid a little bit extra for peace of mind I guess. But once you get over say 60/70k miles what's your feelings about this?

Thanks :)
 
Hi

You have been thinking about that Coupe for a while now. :wub:

I thought you would've got it sorted by now after your near miss last year. :)
 
Z4 TEX said:
Hi

You have been thinking about that Coupe for a while now. :wub:

I thought you would've got it sorted by now after your near miss last year. :)
Click to expand...

Ha yes, well remembered :oops: Well I've been pondering it for a while and decided to go for it, just the slight distraction of my wedding has got in the way a bit... :P

Anyway, what's your opinion on my questions above :poke: ?!!
 
I got mine on a 56 plate with 46k on it, what attracted me to the car was the spec and that it was available trying to find the right car when only 500 were made is very hard. Only 3 BMW AUC cars were available at the time. You will pay a premium for queens like 18+ from a BMW garage 16+ from private but if your only going to keep it a year buy one thats cheaper but in great nick, most Z4Mcs will be in fine condition with a little TLC will bring them back to perfect condition. What would worry me is having all the right stamps. Mechanically they are sound, but without proper maintenance they are worth considerably less and would be put off straight away big alarm bells.

Would I be put off by 60k maybe maybe not you have to remember even at 60k on a 56 plate that is under average milage. I would worry more if the car has done little millage, more likely to have been sitting and parts start to wear... that you wouldn't expect. Would also never buy an M without a warranty people may disagree but mine has had over £1600 spent on it in warranty repairs in the first 6 months to make it right. If something goes wrong big money. But they are generally good mechanically mine has all been on other things.. like dodgy sensors window motor, ECU etc But now its sorted its perfect. Got mine with a BMW AUC 2 year warranty.

Just make sure its in good nick... has the right stamps and is clean. Cant go wrong. Have a look at Pazas Car its a lovely example and he wants a smug under 15k for it.
 
tomscott said:
I got mine on a 56 plate with 46k on it, what attracted me to the car was the spec and that it was available trying to find the right car when only 500 were made is very hard. Only 3 BMW AUC cars were available at the time. You will pay a premium for queens like 18+ from a BMW garage 16+ from private but if your only going to keep it a year buy one thats cheaper but in great nick, most Z4Mcs will be in fine condition with a little TLC will bring them back to perfect condition. What would worry me is having all the right stamps. Mechanically they are sound, but without proper maintenance they are worth considerably less and would be put off straight away big alarm bells.

Would I be put off by 60k maybe maybe not you have to remember even at 60k on a 56 plate that is under average milage. I would worry more if the car has done little millage, more likely to have been sitting and parts start to wear... that you wouldn't expect. Would also never buy an M without a warranty people may disagree but mine has had over £1600 spent on it in warranty repairs in the first 6 months to make it right. If something goes wrong big money. But they are generally good mechanically mine has all been on other things.. like dodgy sensors window motor, ECU etc But now its sorted its perfect. Got mine with a BMW AUC 2 year warranty.

Just make sure its in good nick... has the right stamps and is clean. Cant go wrong. Have a look at Pazas Car its a lovely example and he wants a smug under 15k for it.
Click to expand...

Well Tom excellent response and thanks :wink: all joking aside could not have said it better myself. All I can ad for the Op is when I purchased mine I did not have the funds to buy a "Queen" at 18k but I had enough to purchase mine and it was in budget , so therefore did not over stretch myself due house extension etc. So In turn I did not pay for her at the top end of the market for her so when I have come to sell the car its pitched correctly at the value associate with the mileage.

As ever its down to ££££. Service is imperative as is the all important run-in service. Also if one around 50k it’s most certainly due an inspection 2 which is quite an expense but necessary service so add £1000 to the price. After that it all gravy really oil - 1-oil -etc

Good luck in your search :thumbsup:
 
Obviously I'm biased, but anyway :)

Say you have two Z4MC's sat next to each other. One has done 10k miles, the other 70k miles. Both have Full BMWSH. I would bet my house that if you went over them with a fine tooth comb overall the 70k 'er would be in better working order. And go a step further and strip the engine down I bet the engine is in better condition too.

Anything with too low mileage has either spent a lot of time standing (giving moisture a chance to get in everywhere, mucking about with electrics, causing rust) or its done a lot of short, stop and start journeys (putting more strain on the parts, not to mention lots of running the engine whilst cold therefore causing premature wear)

On the opposite side of the coin a higher mileage car has spent less time running cold. Any niggles are likely to have been addressed already.

So I believe there are pro's and con's for high milers and low milers. Difference being you'll pay less for a high miler :)

And as for prices, they depreciate at a %. So a more expensive, low miler will cost you more in depreciation than spending less on a high miler :thumbsup:
 
M@r said:
{"]Obviously I'm biased, but anyway :)

Say you have two Z4MC's sat next to each other. One has done 10k miles, the other 70k miles. Both have Full BMWSH. I would bet my house that if you went over them with a fine tooth comb overall the 70k 'er would be in better working order. And go a step further and strip the engine down I bet the engine is in better condition too.

Anything with too low mileage has either spent a lot of time standing (giving moisture a chance to get in everywhere, mucking about with electrics, causing rust) or its done a lot of short, stop and start journeys (putting more strain on the parts, not to mention lots of running the engine whilst cold therefore causing premature wear)

On the opposite side of the coin a higher mileage car has spent less time running cold. Any niggles are likely to have been addressed already.

So I believe there are pro's and con's for high milers and low milers. Difference being you'll pay less for a high miler :)

And as for prices, they depreciate at a %. So a more expensive, low miler will cost you more in depreciation than spending less on a high miler :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Mark you're making some assumptions here that aren't necessarily valid. Low mileage does not necessarily equal short journeys, not being used does not necessarily mean standing outside in the rain. Even in a high mileage car that is, say, used for 2 hours a day it's still stood idle for 22 hours.

High mileage means worn dampers, track rods, perished bushes etc, etc which will all affect how a car feels. That's why low mileage cars feel tight and high mileage cars do not, relatively. There is a sweet spot in a car's life where the running costs remain low, depreciation is minimal, but major wear hasn't set in. I don't know where this is on a Z4m but it's not at over 100k miles is it?
 
Good luck in the search; it wont disappoint.

Pretty much as the others say on here to be honest. Additionally if you can find one in the FS section of this forum then you'll more than likely end up with a choice thats been looked after and has some sort of providence. Plus of course, you can look up historically and see what has been a problem/got sorted etc. via the past threads.

Good Luck!
 
Glass half full or half empty?

Used for 2 hrs a day, yes stood for 22hrs. But surely thats preferrable to being stood for 2 weeks!

My assumptions about low milers are valid. Either they are used regularly for short journeys or infrequently. If that wasn't the case they'd have higher miles.

I didn't say high milers don't have their cons. Of course they do. But for me personally, I'd prefer to have the easier job of replacing the odd wear and tear item than have to worry about the electrical gremlins, prematurely worn engine, gearbox, diff etc (which you will have on a car that has spent 50% of its life running on cold oil)

And bear in mind. You're already over £6k better off with a high miler (purchase price). So by the time you take into account the extra depreciation of a low miler you'd have to be really unlucky to be worse off after 3yrs with a high miler. Take into account the % saved on that £6k saving and I'm sorry, it almost becomes a no brainer :thumbsup:
 
Alternatively, you look for a 60k+ car that's had bushes, springs, dampers, etc. done within the last 10,000 miles and it will feel as good as a 10,000 mile car - all for a few grand cheaper.

BTW, mine's had new springs all round - not because they failed, but because I though 50k miles was enough on them. I wish they had failed as I'd have gotten them replaced under warranty, but they were cheap enough to replace at my indy.

I bought mine 4 years ago with 9.5k miles on it - it's now got 65k on it. I didn't go out with the intention of buying a low mileage model, but rather had a range of specs in mind, and I managed to find 4 of them for sale. I went round each of the dealers (with 200 miles between some of them), and spent about 3 hours looking, talking, driving at each before I made my mind up. The only specific item I didn't want was all black or bi-colour leather, and didn't want Interlagos/Imola.

I turned down a Sepang Bronze with light sepang leather as I didn't like the colour in the photo's, so didn't even go to see it, but I've seen the same combo in the flesh and am kicking myself for not having a look at the time. I would have also saved myself £5k on the similarly spec'd car.

You've just got to decide whether to spend all your budget on the lowest mileage, 'best' car out there, or spend 75% of your budget on the car and have a contingency fund for anything unexpected - which can happen on a 60k car or a 5k car (mine had a new engine under warranty at 22k miles, despite it doing most of those 13k miles on a regular 200 mile each way motorway commute - no warning, just a yellow EML light, then back of a recovery truck, and new engine fitted after lengthy diagnostics).

The only downside to a higher mileage car - even with an extended insured warranty - is that the warranty terms cover less & less as the mileage creeps up. The first stage gate is 60k miles, then 100k miles. After that it's not really worth it. Mine's still got it's warranty, and besides the engine it had in it's first year with me it's only been used for 2 PDC sensors and a wiper relay (i.e. no coils, O2/lamda sensors, springs).
 
James_G said:
M@r said:
{"]Obviously I'm biased, but anyway :)

Say you have two Z4MC's sat next to each other. One has done 10k miles, the other 70k miles. Both have Full BMWSH. I would bet my house that if you went over them with a fine tooth comb overall the 70k 'er would be in better working order. And go a step further and strip the engine down I bet the engine is in better condition too.

Anything with too low mileage has either spent a lot of time standing (giving moisture a chance to get in everywhere, mucking about with electrics, causing rust) or its done a lot of short, stop and start journeys (putting more strain on the parts, not to mention lots of running the engine whilst cold therefore causing premature wear)

On the opposite side of the coin a higher mileage car has spent less time running cold. Any niggles are likely to have been addressed already.

So I believe there are pro's and con's for high milers and low milers. Difference being you'll pay less for a high miler :)

And as for prices, they depreciate at a %. So a more expensive, low miler will cost you more in depreciation than spending less on a high miler :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Mark you're making some assumptions here that aren't necessarily valid. Low mileage does not necessarily equal short journeys, not being used does not necessarily mean standing outside in the rain. Even in a high mileage car that is, say, used for 2 hours a day it's still stood idle for 22 hours.

High mileage means worn dampers, track rods, perished bushes etc, etc which will all affect how a car feels. That's why low mileage cars feel tight and high mileage cars do not, relatively. There is a sweet spot in a car's life where the running costs remain low, depreciation is minimal, but major wear hasn't set in. I don't know where this is on a Z4m but it's not at over 100k miles is it?
Click to expand...

absolutely.... making some big assumptions their mark, my car for example 11k miles..... sits in my dry heated garage coverd, when it comes out the garage its used all day usually in one long drive to start, then at the track for a half or full day session, it never does stop start journeys, the shortest drive it does is to the MOT station, my car looks new inside, out, and underneath..... its used hard reguarly and is enjoyed..... dont assume all low mileage cars are just trotting backwards and forward to the shops.... ;-) Overall the mileage is low as it only see's saturday or sunday usage. These cars with 1 owner, low mileage are now super rare, let alone As new z4m's with proper and i mean proper maintenance history, id buy a car like that every day of the week imo.....

Theirs cars at both ends of the spectrum i WOULDNT want.... Other than that OP pick the best car you can and enjoy it.... i think these cars will eventually be collectors items.... eventually.
 
overall, enjoy driving this fantastic car!!! they really are big big fun.... low mileage, high mileage, just find one thats been properly maintained and be happy!!
 
Ye but your car is an exception Beedub bet there isn't one other M in the country thats pampered to the extent your is. :thumbsup:
 
I think without offending some owners on both camps as we are all precious over are p&j's

So some basics I guess:

- If you buy a M with average miles for its year let’s say 60k, then service history and general appearance and drive are key - Also expect to pay aprox £15,000 and below key rule do not buy one with 8 owners! :roll:

- If you have a greater budget - Lets say £18,000 ideal you get a corker but the same rules still, how many owners? does the Mots stack up along with history etc etc.

Bottom line is cars will wear out, are bushes expense ..no, are brake pads that expense no etc (fronts discs are :lol: ) so it’s part of ownership regardless of miles. Lets remember we are driving a serious piece of kit here and not a Vauxhall corsa.

I do feel a car driven more will of course turn up inherent faults sooner than a low milage car but this will not always be the case of course.

I gave my M the greatest test drive ever last month 3178 miles in 7 days across Europe the car was impeccable and did not miss a single beat and was the greatest driving pleasure I have ever had. I also knew if there was a problem looming it was going to happen on the trip so I have complete piece of mind with my M

These fantastic engines will go on and on you only have to look at the e46 m3 most are pushing well over a 100k.

Basically it comes down to how much you have to spend on buying one.
 
The main problem with higher milage cars is bodywork and interior. The interior in the Z4 is not BMWs finest moment and youl find scratches, wear and tear, rough/shiney leather seats and steering wheel etc etc but can all be remedied (pet hate of mine is shiny steering wheels dead give away for short journeys). Lower milage cars are nicer it just depends how well they are treated. Like mine is pretty much spotless for a 50k mile car but another 50K might be rough in comparison. It depends on car to car, and obviously all cars need money spent on them at some point so... its a personal decision I think a car with 35-50k miles you can't go wrong with 60k neither a problem but need to look over them with a finer tooth comb. If everything is right with correct maintenance then go for it!

I disagree with the comment about the 70k vs 10k, the 70k will have obvious signs like chips marks scratches and obvious wear and tear on the interior. But just because the 70k has more milage with a bit of TLC they can look and drive like they came out of the factory. Depends on ho much work you want to put in. Personally I enjoy it part of owning the car :thumbsup:
 
then gain i saw a 62k mile z4m yesterday that looked AS NEW... it was fantastic..... I've seen low mileage ones at the dealers the dealers that look like s**t!!! its horses for courses, i reckon most cars on an owners forum like this one will be loved and pampered, just some to more of a degree than others.
 
There's some truth in the "can't judge a book by it's cover" thing

My car has just under 50k on it, but it's done all of the last 30k doing nice long trips (25 miles+) on open roads, hardly any stop-start town stuff, never revved when cold and well maintained. However, because it's a daily driver it has a bunch of stone chips, could use a good detail.

If you looked at a nice any shiny city-based garage queen with 10k miles on the clock that's done almost all of them either stuck in traffic or on a track, the chances are you;d pay a shed-load more money for a car that might look better but isn't half as good where it counts
 
Guys thanks so much for all your comments so far, really helpful and so interesting to hear your views on it all :thumbsup:

So really as long as the SH is all up together and it's a decent well looked after motor then it doesn't really matter an awful lot what the mileage is? So eg one with 15k on it will go for top money (£18-£20k), 40k (£16k), 65k (£13.5k) and 90k (£11.5k)... I guess of those 4 examples, I would be more happy with the 2 in the middle, so then it's down to how much you want to spend at the start. It's just trying to work out which will depreciate the least?

I guess resale value on an MC with say 90k miles on it won't be great but as long as its all up together it should still see decent money (the right side of £10k). Can't say I've seen many that have got more than 80k miles on.

Mmmmm5 you've done some miles in 4 years! But then I guess you're enjoying the car and that's what it's all about :) Beedub that motor of yours sounds like it'll be a collector's item one day!

Just off topic slightly is there a website that exists that shows what cars are left including colour. Would be interested to know just how many MC's are left in the UK and what colour they are etc...Have found the site howmanyleft.com but that doesn't seem to show much, just that there are 1k+ M's left in the UK?!

Mmmmmmm
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom