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Re-visiting your choices

With the benefit of hindsight which Z4 would you choose if you were starting over?...and....

  • I'd choose the same model within the E85/6 family

    Votes: 11 21.6%
  • I'd choose a different model within the E85/6 family

    Votes: 2 3.9%
  • I'd choose the same model within the E89 family

    Votes: 19 37.3%
  • I'd choose a different model within the E89 family

    Votes: 12 23.5%
  • I'd choose the same model within the G29 family

    Votes: 4 7.8%
  • I'd choose a different model within the G29 family

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I wouldn't modify my choice at all

    Votes: 6 11.8%
  • I would modify a bit

    Votes: 15 29.4%
  • I would modify it a lot

    Votes: 4 7.8%

  • Total voters
    51

B21

Lifer
Scottish Borders
We learn a lot about our cars, most I suspect after we buy them and use them.

With hindsight, would you make the same choices?
 
I’ve had my M40i for eight weeks and have completed nearly 3000 miles, I am very happy with all my choices, it’s a great car and I love it :thumbsup:
 
I love my remapped 20i e89 but if the money was back in the bank I’d buy a Z4m roadster instead, definitely the best looking of all the Z4 convertibles IMHO.
 
I had 19k to spend about 8 years ago so it was a choice between an early Cayman S, E89 Z4 35i, Audi TTS or an E86 MCoupe.

The M Coupe would be worth exactly what I paid for it, the 35i is probably worth about 7k less now. So financially it wasn't the best choice but that's still pretty good depreciation. Much better than if I'd have spent that 19k on a diesel 3 series.

The only thing I'd change is the colour. I really wanted a blue one but that was the last priority and at the time there wasn't much choice.
 
Same choices..? Yes, I would. No regrets and I'm so loathe to get rid of any of mine, they all have their flaws but yet they all tick so many boxes. Pinning any one down is crazy hard but quite honestly the one I'd miss most is the E89, jelly chassis and heavy but you CAN do something about that to some extent, as you know, and they just have something that fits just that little bit more than the others, in 35 guise that is, can't really speak for others as I've only driven a 28i i in 4pot guise on a test run.

They're all going to have to go to make way for a GTS 4.0 though before they quit making them. But if it works out there'll be an E89 of some age and miles in there as a winter\project car. If not then the M roady stays with an E89, just love them for some reason.
 
Money no object, Melbourne red metallic with kansas beige 35is auto.
I didn't really know the various models when i bought 9 years ago, could only afford base 23i.
But happy with what i have for now.
 
R.E92 said:
I had 19k to spend about 8 years ago so it was a choice between an early Cayman S, E89 Z4 35i, Audi TTS or an E86 MCoupe.
I had 18k to spend 9 years ago, cheapest 35i was 30k.
 
I'd happily choose the same E89 again. Didn't want loads of gadgets, no use for satnav or parking sensors, and intend to keep it so not worried about the resale value. Would definitely have VO again as well.
However, I do wish I'd bought in to the E85 earlier. Only had M54s so far to base my opinion on, but I'd love to have had a 3.0i from new.
 
I would have liked the 3.0 litre engine in my e89 but as my colour combo was pretty much fixed I was willing to compromise on the engine size as long as it had 6 cylinders
 
I bought the right model for me. Which is why I still enjoy it 11 years on. Only changes I would have made with hind sight, would be to not have sat nav and possibly to have Sepang paint. 8)
 
i bought the right model for me too. the earliest, cheapest E85 3 litre i could find, so i could use it for trackdays. if i was to do it again, i might consider an E85 3.0si or an E86, but the greatly increased price for basically the same car would soon have me back at the cheapest 3.0i again.

if i got into cross continental cruising i might consider an E89, but then, if that was my thing then economy would be a factor, and i'd probably sway towards a 3 series convertible instead, with a diesel engine.
 
I think I would have bought a lower mileage newer Z4M tbh.

Mines been used as intended by its previous owners and if feels like it. I’m about 6k into it without any aesthetics and I’ve still not done the bigger jobs like bearings, mounts, Vanos.

Paid 14k it had 63, now nearly 3 years later has 73 and I’ve spent 10k on it in total including insurance tax servicing etc with at least I would think another 5 to go. Mainly the lack of use is because it’s needed a lot to get it to my standard.

They aren’t cheap to run once they get to a decent age and need constant attention.

The other thing I’ve learned is buying a 15 year old car and expecting it to drive like the previous one I had (which was 7 years old when I sold it) is a big mistake. The suspensions mostly needs replacing to make it feel like it did. It’s so soft and the shocks are doing very little.

What’s annoying my driveway has a step and stock I caught the front fang so I can’t lower it either. My old one had H&Rs which is about as low as you’d want to go.

I will preserver and get it sorted tho! If only to ensure a good example stays on the road. There aren’t many from when I was looking.
 
At the time, 18 months ago, I could have bought a 35is for not much more than a 3.0.
Didn't, purely because I wanted a manual and I didn't want any more "potential" issues with the dct/shocks/turbo. Plenty of issues, it turns out, with any E89 :). Couldn't be happier though, heated seats are a bonus too, only found out after I bought it :)
 
A few have commented on the "soft" suspension, that's not how mine feels. Actually feels very solid in fact I've now got a squeak from left rear corner which could I suspect be a broken spring?
 
Sometimes I think maybe I should have gone for a 6 cylinder but I haven’t test driven one so I can’t miss what I never had :tumbleweed:
 
Very happy with my choices, I decided exactly what I wanted from a car and did my research. I knew exactly what I was getting and the reasons for choosing the 35is vs all the alternatives are still exactly the same.
 
Bristolcot90 said:
Sometimes I think maybe I should have gone for a 6 cylinder but I haven’t test driven one so I can’t miss what I never had

Sound plan! If you are happy with your 4 don't drive a 6.

I was happy with my 6s, until I drove a couple of Ms. :lol:
 
Very happy with my 35is and would by another one if they were available new today but as todays equivalent is the M40i, that's what I would order today!

One thing I’ve learned is, buy the best you can sensibly afford of you will invariably be left thinking, if only I’d spent just a little bit more.
 
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