New to the BMW world!

T

tsak

Member
Hello,

I am from Greece and i plan on purchasing my first car. After long discussions and debates a Z4 won! I have already found a few pre-owned z4 E85 2.0I (EU) with Production Date 2006-01-08 that i am about to check and would like your input on a few topics.

As i am new on this world i would like to know:
1. What should i check to ensure that the pre-owned car is in a good condition
2. Common issues that can be found
3. Any tips for a newbie :)

Thank you!
 
Hello and welcome to the forum.This guide may help with looking at the car
https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21281

If you do buy one then don't forget to post some photos. We all like photos of zeds.
 
Welcome to the forum . :) Is there any particular reason you are only looking at the 2ltr?
 
Well i was looking for all versions, 2.0 - 3.0 but the only ones that were in good condition and with not many KM ( the current i am looking only has 59000km ) were the 2.0 ones.
 
These cars do well with big km :) so I wouldn't be put off by higher mileage. In my personal opinion a 2.5 and over suits the z4 more.
 
What is the estimate consumption per 100km for a 2.5 and also if you have any details for the 2.0-2.2 would be great

I mainly looking for a manual transmit with 6 gears. To be honest this will be my first owned car, I am a motorcycle junkie having plenty of superbikes thus I am not missing the feeling of speed and adrenaline. I want a car that would be great on all aspects and will be fun to drive also. Top speed matters but I believe that it won’t be the main reason for choosing a car. From the moment I saw the z4 on pictures I loved it and today that I saw one from close I knew that this was the car I have to buy. Imagine what will happen on the first test drive hehehhe
 
Don't test drive a 6 cylinder if you're aiming to get a 4 pot Zed.

Welcome to the forum.
 
Biggest difference with the 2.5 six for me is not just speed its flexibility. Will pull in fifth from very low speeds to licence loosing speeds with vigour and without fuss. :driving:
 
Welcome to the forum OP. :thumbsup:

To be honest I wouldn't worry so much about mileage, more condition and history.

My E86 has done 85K miles (or 135,000 km) and the engine still runs great!

Good luck finding one - then we can see the photos. :)
 
bowler said:
Biggest difference with the 2.5 six for me is not just speed its flexibility. Will pull in fifth from very low speeds to licence loosing speeds with vigour and without fuss. :driving:
Click to expand...

Can't agree more.

However what I would say is go with what you are happy with test drive quite a few, the 2.0L are very different to any of the straight sixes. For me they didn't feel sporty enough, they didn't feel any faster than my Mini One and they didn't sound sporty either. Even the 2.2L 6cyl which I think is about the same performance as the 2.0L sounded nicer and felt faster. So I would encourage you to try a few if at all possible.

The one you are looking at looks very nice in the photographs I must say. But give it a thorough checkover.
 
It wont be easy to find a 2.2 or 2.5 in a good condition but i will check them out... I was initially aiming for the 2.2 one but got sidetracked due to the low number of available pre-owned cars. I am going to check another 2.0 one the upcoming week and then will see if i can find a any 2.2 - 2.5 ones.
 
Is it an authorized dealer? Is there any warranty?
59k km seems too 'convenient' for most of the dealers in Greece.
would definitely choose a private sell/buy. Don't rush.
Can you deal with the running costs of a 6 pot = road tax, servicing, insurance?
 
It is not an authorized BMW dealer but based on the owners manual that is included all services were made under an authorized BMW location. I have a plan to go check based on the VIN number i got and see if the numbers match. I also got the option to take the car into my mechanic at any time i want before the final purchase that would have better knowledge on what to check/verify and spot any issues.

Also i can afford the petrol, servicing and insurance costs. This wont be an issue for the moment. As mentioned the above one that i shared screenshots with is in a really great condition based on a non-mechanic eyes. I will see another 2.0 one the upcoming week that is from another dealer ( not authorized one but with a great name in Greece ) and after that i will also try to find a few 2.2 from a non-dealer.

Can anyone share their petrol/gas consumption per 100KM? would prefer if you know for all versions. Also what is the estimate servicing cost? I know that this can vary on multiply factors but any numbers would be great help for me.
 
as for indy garage; it would be wrong comparing greek labour hours cost to english ones..
different philosophy, entirely.
besides, most of the pretty common things such as oil & filter change, air filter, coolant, transmission and differential fluid (when times comes) could be done by you.
 
I have a few 2.2 ‘04 ones I can also check. Those are from a private seller. The negative part is that the first one has 102.000km and the second one 150.000km but as mentioned before if the owner was not abusing them and was making the servicing on time it won’t matter right ?

Do 04 ones had ESP ? I could not find that info
 
I’ve had my 2.2 for 10 years and it’s always been a good reliable car. I don’t use it very often now but when it was my daily I got around 30mpg. 6 cyl (2.2 upwards are generally more reliable).
Welcome.
 
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