Pointers needed on buying 2006 3L. Open for ideas.
- Thread starter Theog
- Start date
half tempted to sell a kidney for this one... I see its a cat C though... anyone got thoughts about buying cat C?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201601230335581/usedcars?logcode=visc
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201601230335581/usedcars?logcode=visc
I wouldn't as it is a Cat C write off, and it doesn't look cared for if you ask me. Wheels are an awful home paint job by the looks of it, and at that price for an M, there is something not quite right there.Theog said:
Alarm bells ringing for me. Better spending that sort of money on a 3.0si unless you can stretch a bit further for the M.
I think you should definitely prioritise an si sport at your budget... you will get the better seats a nice set of 18 inch alloys and the lovely chunky steering wheel as standard and chances are you may well get the 10 speaker stereo and xenons too as most si sports that come up usually seem well specced... that said you should definitely not rule out a nicely specced pre facelift.. keep all your options open and be prepared to be patient and travel as far as necessary to pick up the right motor... good luck with your search and welcome
Ok point taken regarding the Cat C... I thought that was a little too good to be true. I prefer the idea of a safe investment rather than a risky one. God knows how much the M parts cost as well.
At the moment I'm stuck with the whole M54 / N52 (2006 or older). I have looked at some videos and the same things keep on popping up. Pre 2006 has a tendency for sticky steering, while post 2006 has a tendency for the engine ticking. Then a whole bunch of other smaller issues around and about. So I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Couple more questions:
- If I were to get the M54 (pre 2006) or N52 (2006 and after), which would be (as a very general rule of thumb) more reliable? E.g. costs generally associated with faulty parts of facelift vs original... or is this impossible to say? Theoretically they should have sorted most of them out, but it doesn't seem that way.
- They say the newer N52 is more powerful, lighter and economical. Is it really noticeable to have those extra few ponies (231bhp vs 265bhp)... also is economy really that much better on the N52?
Really appreciate it guys... big help!
At the moment I'm stuck with the whole M54 / N52 (2006 or older). I have looked at some videos and the same things keep on popping up. Pre 2006 has a tendency for sticky steering, while post 2006 has a tendency for the engine ticking. Then a whole bunch of other smaller issues around and about. So I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Couple more questions:
- If I were to get the M54 (pre 2006) or N52 (2006 and after), which would be (as a very general rule of thumb) more reliable? E.g. costs generally associated with faulty parts of facelift vs original... or is this impossible to say? Theoretically they should have sorted most of them out, but it doesn't seem that way.
- They say the newer N52 is more powerful, lighter and economical. Is it really noticeable to have those extra few ponies (231bhp vs 265bhp)... also is economy really that much better on the N52?
Really appreciate it guys... big help!
Theog said:
Both engines are fairly bullet proof, you will get for's and against's for both. With your budget I would go for the N52 facelift roadster (no surprise there as I have one :wink: ) I prefer the slight styling changes, and whats not to like about an extra 34 bhp
You will be getting a newer car, and the average mpg is very good - I'm getting 31.5 with a heavy right foot.or this just come up on the forum.... personally imho a little overpriced but certainly if you could come to an agreement on price this seems a beautiful car
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=85334
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=85334
Theog said:
Hi theog, bmw's own figures claim 12% more power & 8% more economy over the older m54 engined car.
Regarding the cylinder head tick, don't worry about it as it's never affected reliability & nobodys engine has grenaded because of it-more regular oil changes (always a good thing anyways) and avoid using it for short journeys where it doesn't warm up properly, most ticking will disappear using this regime.
Regards
Smartbear said:
Agree but still a disgrace they ever put the engine into mass production in that state especially in vehicles that buyers were parting with around £40k for! As I said earlier I currently have both engines and find it no surprise that the N52's reign was so short in comparison to that of the M54. The OP should also keep an eye on road tax prices. Not sure whether this affects Zeds in the same way but I know that the road tax for our X3 would be £290 rather than £490 if I had got one with the M54 registered pre March 2006. It would be good if someone could confirm if the facelifted 3.0si Zeds registered after March 2006 are still in the £290 a year bracket.
Yep the X3 is a big heavy beast. Good that the later 3.0si Zeds are still only £290 a year! Makes them a bit more viable as second cars at least. Smartbear I see you are in Chelmsford, I was there last week, went to an Italian place called Olio for a meal on Tuesday night. It was very nice indeed!
ahh yeah that looks perfect!
Unfortunately I didn't get the job I was hoping. Major let-down. So, I'm going to have to hold off for a little while. Needles to say, as soon as job confirmed I will be out there test driving asap
I was speaking to a couple of friends about Z4's. Seems like everyone's looking to buy a z4 these days! I suppose the prices have come down quite a bit, so cant really go too wrong!
Unfortunately I didn't get the job I was hoping. Major let-down. So, I'm going to have to hold off for a little while. Needles to say, as soon as job confirmed I will be out there test driving asap
I was speaking to a couple of friends about Z4's. Seems like everyone's looking to buy a z4 these days! I suppose the prices have come down quite a bit, so cant really go too wrong!
