Newbie looking at the E89

[Smash]

It has the spec for sure and the price is right, just would be great to see it in person. I enquired about getting an RAC inspection to which they replied it takes about a week for a inspector to arrive at the vehicle, I said that’s mad as the car could be sold and I’ve forked out £250, I Would have expected them to turn up within 48 hours.

Surely that's refundable if the car is sold in the meantime - I would image Gwest would do a walk round and he has been a member a while so not just joined to sell a car which is also a good sign

[ref]Smash[/ref],

Will who bought my 35iS recently was outside London and I’m in Argyll, Scotland so he couldn’t just pop up for a look. I took 3 or 4 2 minute videos of all the bits he wanted to see, shorter ones of the roof going up and down. One running through all the vehicle status on the iDrive and then got the car run through a diagnostic machine and screenshoted every completed check and sent those too him too.

He tried to get an RAC check but they don’t cover my area as it’s too remote so this is what we did in its place.

I identified a small issue, stone-chip on bumper and highlighted it and gave close ups of that.

As far as Will and I were concerned, this worked perfectly well and he felt the car had been accurately described and never got any surprises when he turned up in person.

As Sean says [ref]Gwest44[/ref], is an established member and I’m sure would accommodate any reasonable request to assist you

Thanks for the advice. Thankfully starting to get back to the real world today so can now focus better. The video idea is great to check the bodywork, engine startup, interior trim and the roof mechanism hmmm

 

[Gwest44]

Smash glad to hear you on the mend - happy to do a video walkround just let me know. I have someone coming from Derby tomorrow to have a look and another person interested who is looking to view on Monday.

 

[Ole gits rule]

Smash glad to hear you on the mend - happy to do a video walkround just let me know. I have someone coming from Derby tomorrow to have a look and another person interested who is looking to view on Monday.

Some interest then - not surprised its a great car at a decent price with all the rights but

 

[Smash]

Smash glad to hear you on the mend - happy to do a video walkround just let me know. I have someone coming from Derby tomorrow to have a look and another person interested who is looking to view on Monday.

That would be great if you could but it sounds you may have a buyer before I can get to you. It would be midweek if I was to get the train up.

 

[Gwest44]

Smash glad to hear you on the mend - happy to do a video walkround just let me know. I have someone coming from Derby tomorrow to have a look and another person interested who is looking to view on Monday.

That would be great if you could but it sounds you may have a buyer before I can get to you. It would be midweek if I was to get the train up.

Looks like you were right - the first viewer has left a deposit ahead of collection later in the week. Will obviously let you know if the sale doesn't complete but more importantly I hope you are back to full health soon and driving a Zed

 

[Smash]

Smash glad to hear you on the mend - happy to do a video walkround just let me know. I have someone coming from Derby tomorrow to have a look and another person interested who is looking to view on Monday.

That would be great if you could but it sounds you may have a buyer before I can get to you. It would be midweek if I was to get the train up.

Looks like you were right - the first viewer has left a deposit ahead of collection later in the week. Will obviously let you know if the sale doesn't complete but more importantly I hope you are back to full health soon and driving a Zed

Thank you for letting me know, I’m sure the deal will go through it is a great car. All the best.

 

[YDB]

Don't give up Smash, take your time and find the car you want and feel happy with. I bought my 28i just over two years ago and is my first entry into the 'fun' car world. Love it! The MX5 is nice, but you will realise this is so much nicer. I was going to say that MX5 drivers look at you as if to say that one day they will upgrade to the big car, but thought that might upset some MX5 people.

 

[Ole gits rule]

Don't give up Smash, take your time and find the car you want and feel happy with. I bought my 28i just over two years ago and is my first entry into the 'fun' car world. Love it! The MX5 is nice, but you will realise this is so much nicer. I was going to say that MX5 drivers look at you as if to say that one day they will upgrade to the big car, but thought that might upset some MX5 people.

I agree if GWEST car is sold, just bide your time, you will be surprised how many people on here wait 2 or 3 months for the exact car they want.

OGR

 

[Smash]

Thanks YDB and OGR, I’m sure one will pop up that will tick the boxes. Again my preference is the 23i, manual with Idrive system and good history but the budget is tight and 10k really is the upper limit, anything under would be great. The odd thing I find is the pricing is all over the place, these Z4s can range from 6k to 18k for 2009-2013 models and have the same kit and engines.

 

[jamesgarbett]

The pricing is weird - suspect it's a lack of supply. When I was looking in January there were almost 200 Z4's on the BMW used site. Now there are less than 100. Maybe it's the lifting of lockdown, or people buying convertibles for the summer.

 

[tiglon]

I would think £10k is enough for a manual 23i and the spec you want - I probably wouldn't pay more than that even if the budget was there.

The 30i is really very similar so might be worth considering as well, it would give a few more options.

Just curious, why the need for iDrive? I've had one with and one without, and to be honest I wouldn't miss it if I went back. I use bluetooth for music but that's no easier/better than just plugging in an aux cable - other than being able to skip songs on the steering wheel with bluetooth. The only other thing I use it for is sat nav, but I found my Samsung phone wedged nicely into the compartment where iDrive would be and google maps is 10x better than iDrive nav.

I suspect a lot of manuals were ordered because it was cheaper, and therefore a lot of them have low spec and no iDrive.

 

[Smash]

I would think £10k is enough for a manual 23i and the spec you want - I probably wouldn't pay more than that even if the budget was there.

The 30i is really very similar so might be worth considering as well, it would give a few more options.

Just curious, why the need for iDrive? I've had one with and one without, and to be honest I wouldn't miss it if I went back. I use bluetooth for music but that's no easier/better than just plugging in an aux cable - other than being able to skip songs on the steering wheel with bluetooth. The only other thing I use it for is sat nav, but I found my Samsung phone wedged nicely into the compartment where iDrive would be and google maps is 10x better than iDrive nav.

I suspect a lot of manuals were ordered because it was cheaper, and therefore a lot of them have low spec and no iDrive.

I wouldn’t turn down a non idrive e89 if the price was right but do like the features it has. I mean I took out a 23i, manual at a local garage without the idrive and would have bought the car as it drove fantastic but it was 13.5k 2011 plate which i think is overpriced. It is still for sale.

I may consider the 30i too if the price again is in the right ballpark.

 

[tiglon]

I would think £10k is enough for a manual 23i and the spec you want - I probably wouldn't pay more than that even if the budget was there.

The 30i is really very similar so might be worth considering as well, it would give a few more options.

Just curious, why the need for iDrive? I've had one with and one without, and to be honest I wouldn't miss it if I went back. I use bluetooth for music but that's no easier/better than just plugging in an aux cable - other than being able to skip songs on the steering wheel with bluetooth. The only other thing I use it for is sat nav, but I found my Samsung phone wedged nicely into the compartment where iDrive would be and google maps is 10x better than iDrive nav.

I suspect a lot of manuals were ordered because it was cheaper, and therefore a lot of them have low spec and no iDrive.

I wouldn’t turn down a non idrive e89 if the price was right but do like the features it has. I mean I took out a 23i, manual at a local garage without the idrive and would have bought the car as it drove fantastic but it was 13.5k 2011 plate which i think is overpriced. It is still for sale.

I may consider the 30i too if the price again is in the right ballpark.

That is definitely overpriced IMHO. Always best to wait for the right car, then pounce quickly when it crops up.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105112488966?minimum-badge-engine-size=2.4&sort=price-asc&transmission=Manual&maximum-mileage=50000&price-from=5500&radius=1500&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&advertising-location=at_cars&model=Z4&postcode=co11uw&include-delivery-option=on&year-from=2009&make=BMW&page=1

This one looks stunning - no iDrive but heated seats and wind deflector are big pluses.

 

[Ole gits rule]

I would think £10k is enough for a manual 23i and the spec you want - I probably wouldn't pay more than that even if the budget was there.

The 30i is really very similar so might be worth considering as well, it would give a few more options.

Just curious, why the need for iDrive? I've had one with and one without, and to be honest I wouldn't miss it if I went back. I use bluetooth for music but that's no easier/better than just plugging in an aux cable - other than being able to skip songs on the steering wheel with bluetooth. The only other thing I use it for is sat nav, but I found my Samsung phone wedged nicely into the compartment where iDrive would be and google maps is 10x better than iDrive nav.

I suspect a lot of manuals were ordered because it was cheaper, and therefore a lot of them have low spec and no iDrive.

I wouldn’t turn down a non idrive e89 if the price was right but do like the features it has. I mean I took out a 23i, manual at a local garage without the idrive and would have bought the car as it drove fantastic but it was 13.5k 2011 plate which i think is overpriced. It is still for sale.

I may consider the 30i too if the price again is in the right ballpark.

There are some out there but you will have to travel, again I bought men for 10K with all the spec you want - it is an MSport Highline in white, 74k miles and drives great - just go to keep looking something will pop up

 

[Ole gits rule]

I would think £10k is enough for a manual 23i and the spec you want - I probably wouldn't pay more than that even if the budget was there.

The 30i is really very similar so might be worth considering as well, it would give a few more options.

Just curious, why the need for iDrive? I've had one with and one without, and to be honest I wouldn't miss it if I went back. I use bluetooth for music but that's no easier/better than just plugging in an aux cable - other than being able to skip songs on the steering wheel with bluetooth. The only other thing I use it for is sat nav, but I found my Samsung phone wedged nicely into the compartment where iDrive would be and google maps is 10x better than iDrive nav.

I suspect a lot of manuals were ordered because it was cheaper, and therefore a lot of them have low spec and no iDrive.

I wouldn’t turn down a non idrive e89 if the price was right but do like the features it has. I mean I took out a 23i, manual at a local garage without the idrive and would have bought the car as it drove fantastic but it was 13.5k 2011 plate which i think is overpriced. It is still for sale.

I may consider the 30i too if the price again is in the right ballpark.

That is definitely overpriced IMHO. Always best to wait for the right car, then pounce quickly when it crops up.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105112488966?minimum-badge-engine-size=2.4&sort=price-asc&transmission=Manual&maximum-mileage=50000&price-from=5500&radius=1500&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&advertising-location=at_cars&model=Z4&postcode=co11uw&include-delivery-option=on&year-from=2009&make=BMW&page=1

This one looks stunning - no iDrive but heated seats and wind deflector are big pluses.

That looks nice, has decent mileage but nearly £10k for an 09 plate - think that's expensive myself

 

[Smash]

I would think £10k is enough for a manual 23i and the spec you want - I probably wouldn't pay more than that even if the budget was there.

The 30i is really very similar so might be worth considering as well, it would give a few more options.

Just curious, why the need for iDrive? I've had one with and one without, and to be honest I wouldn't miss it if I went back. I use bluetooth for music but that's no easier/better than just plugging in an aux cable - other than being able to skip songs on the steering wheel with bluetooth. The only other thing I use it for is sat nav, but I found my Samsung phone wedged nicely into the compartment where iDrive would be and google maps is 10x better than iDrive nav.

I suspect a lot of manuals were ordered because it was cheaper, and therefore a lot of them have low spec and no iDrive.

I wouldn’t turn down a non idrive e89 if the price was right but do like the features it has. I mean I took out a 23i, manual at a local garage without the idrive and would have bought the car as it drove fantastic but it was 13.5k 2011 plate which i think is overpriced. It is still for sale.

I may consider the 30i too if the price again is in the right ballpark.

There are some out there but you will have to travel, again I bought men for 10K with all the spec you want - it is an MSport Highline in white, 74k miles and drives great - just go to keep looking something will pop up

Yes the MSport Highline is lovely, there was one put up for sale on here the other day, Silver for 11k but in Scotland and 1k over the budget but well looked after motor.

 

[Ole gits rule]

The Highline seem to be going up in price, having just looked - cheapest Msport is over @12k

Have you seen this one - https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105192829396?sort=price-asc&aggregatedTrim=M%20Sport&model=Z4&include-delivery-option=on&make=BMW&advertising-location=at_cars&radius=200&price-from=7000&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&postcode=np45xf&page=1

I am sure there is ideal to be had somewhere on this one - has drive etc. I know its a 4 pot but could be good value or do you defo want a 6 pot

 

[Smash]

The Highline seem to be going up in price, having just looked - cheapest Msport is over @12k

Have you seen this one - https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105192829396?sort=price-asc&aggregatedTrim=M%20Sport&model=Z4&include-delivery-option=on&make=BMW&advertising-location=at_cars&radius=200&price-from=7000&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&postcode=np45xf&page=1

I am sure there is ideal to be had somewhere on this one - has drive etc. I know its a 4 pot but could be good value or do you defo want a 6 pot

Seems a decent price and probably take less but sadly I really want the 6 pot. His photography skills are a bit lacking

 

[Ole gits rule]

The Highline seem to be going up in price, having just looked - cheapest Msport is over @12k

Have you seen this one - https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105192829396?sort=price-asc&aggregatedTrim=M%20Sport&model=Z4&include-delivery-option=on&make=BMW&advertising-location=at_cars&radius=200&price-from=7000&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&postcode=np45xf&page=1

I am sure there is ideal to be had somewhere on this one - has drive etc. I know its a 4 pot but could be good value or do you defo want a 6 pot

Seems a decent price and probably take less but sadly I really want the 6 pot. His photography skills are a bit lacking

It is indeed a crap ad - is £10k the max budget or can it be squeezed a little?

 

[Ole gits rule]

Have you seen these - https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105112477953?sort=relevance&min-engine-power=200&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&include-delivery-option=on&advertising-location=at_cars&radius=200&model=Z4&postcode=np45xf&price-from=7000&make=BMW&page=2

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104040966394?sort=relevance&min-engine-power=200&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&price-from=7000&include-delivery-option=on&advertising-location=at_cars&radius=200&model=Z4&postcode=np45xf&make=BMW&page=5

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105132583098?sort=relevance&advertising-location=at_cars&include-delivery-option=on&price-from=7000&radius=200&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&min-engine-power=200&model=Z4&postcode=np45xf&make=BMW&page=9

there are quite a few on A/T under 10k but mayn't have the full spec you want.