Should I purchase a Z4... using it as a daily? Thoughts & Feedback

[Evo_57]

Agree with JackZ4, except that I find the M seats OK even after a 4-5hr drive. Mine has M suspension, M seats, M steering wheel. But NOT runflats! On a decent run such as Midlands to Devon we get 38mpg which I think is amazing Ample room in the boot for luggage, even with a wife who packs for all eventualities

Hey Jl-C! I think the Coupe Sport model will be the one I opt for - which indeed has the M Sport goodies. Wow, 38mpg isn't half bad at all. How do you find the suspension? My current car is on Koni FSDs and lowered springs, it's quite harsh on the terrible UK roads/backlanes.

 

[Evo_57]

19mpg average is very low, I must be a proper granny driver at 34mpg

Smiles per miles eh? 34mpg is pretty decent, I'm lucky to get around 30mpg in my 1.4 turbo! 35-40 is dream for the ol wallet.

 

[Mr Tidy]

Plenty of good advice already OP.

Budget-wise any Coupe around £7K will have done 100K miles at least - but the engines seem to be pretty bullet-proof to be fair. Although some people can't deal with the idea of that sort of mileage. :?

I've had 2 E86s (i.e. Coupes) in the last 4 and a half years, although neither has been a daily.

Both were Sport models with the M-Sport seats, and I've done 200+ miles and up to 5 hours in them in 1 sitting without any aches - and I'm nearly 3 times your age! :lol: Nearly forgot, both were on Bridgestone run-flats too!

All 3 litre Z4s have the sound generator - good advice to play about removing 1 or both foam inserts until you get a noise level you can live with on a daily basis. I haven't even looked at that on my current one as it's had a custom cat-back exhaust. :lol:

Springs do tend to break, but new ones aren't dear.

Electric water pumps do fail, and when they do it is dramatic - mechanical ones tend to give some warning by dripping coolant and/or squealing. Electric ones just stop working, so the temperature gauge gets from normal to overheated in a mile or so! And you don't want to drive it far once it's gone or it will go into limp-mode.

The main issue with the pumps is that they aren't cheap - an OEM Pierburg pump from Euro Car Parts is usually around £250 for the part!

BTW I wouldn't see going from a 200 bhp hatch to a 265 bhp 2 seater as a downgrade to be fair!

As I said mine isn't a daily, so most miles are done on dual-carriageways/motorways out of rush hours, but my OBC is showing an average of 33.6 mpg - even though the average speed is 42 mph!

If you want some ride comfort the general advice is to ditch the run-flat tyres - if I used mine the way you plan to use yours I'd look for an SE with the M-Sport seats. The potential upside is that an SE should be cheaper than a Sport, so if you find one with the right seats you might get a good deal and Sport models also came with M-Sport suspension which is stiffer and 10mm lower. Don't buy an SE with "Sport" seats intending to upgrade to M-Sport seats - used ones will still cost you the best part of £1,000!

Sport models had the MV2 wheels (Style 135M) as standard (which are a PITA to clean) or the split-rim Style 108 wheels that corrode around the bolt-heads due to a chemical reaction between the different metals of the bolts and the wheels which lifts the lacquer (I sold my 108s while they were still in good condition).

Some SE models had 107 Ellipsoid wheels (still staggered 18" rims) that IMO look better than MV2s or 108s, but I wouldn't worry too much about wheels - you ought to be able to swap them for a couple of hundred by the time you've sold the old ones!

Bear in mind BMW were a bit stingy with standard equipment on them - Bi-Xenons, heated seats, cruise control, rear parking sensors, electric folding mirrors, and cup-holders were all options so if any of those are "essential" make sure you look for them! Of those, cruise is probably the easiest to retro-fit.

Anyway enough waffle from an E86 fan - might as well end with photos:-

 

[Evo_57]

Plenty of good advice already OP.

Budget-wise any Coupe around £7K will have done 100K miles at least - but the engines seem to be pretty bullet-proof to be fair. Although some people can't deal with the idea of that sort of mileage.

Their certainly has been, a pleasant surprise from this group/forum. I've read through your reply, very passionate and informative so.. thank you! I'll respond to points individually below.

I was looking to downgrade to something closer to the £5k-£6k mark from the APE, but... these Z4 Coupes are very tempting so I may stretch the budget. The thought of 100k mileage does make me shudder when you think of the amount of money you're spending.. my 2001 fiesta had just over 100k mileage and that was 'old'.

Ideally, the 80-90k mark would be preferred but to be honest, I doubt I'll get any lower miles for less. Considering I'm likely to put a fair few miles down mine - it's probably not a bad things it's already somewhat high mileage as it can't depreciate much more after all!

I've had 2 E86s (i.e. Coupes) in the last 4 and a half years, although neither has been a daily.

Both were Sport models with the M-Sport seats, and I've done 200+ miles and up to 5 hours in them in 1 sitting without any aches - and I'm nearly 3 times your age! Nearly forgot, both were on Bridgestone run-flats too!

Wicked stuff, great to hear! My commutes aren't long generally - 40 minutes / 20 miles to work; it's just a very painful journey down back lanes at the moment. The sport model is tempting, I've heard varied thoughts on the run-flats.

All 3 litre Z4s have the sound generator - good advice to play about removing 1 or both foam inserts until you get a noise level you can live with on a daily basis. I haven't even looked at that on my current one as it's had a custom cat-back exhaust.

Thanks! I understand there's a pipe which feeds in induction to the cabin; which has foam by standard. I'd probably look to remove that, but most importantly... a back-box delete seems very appealing!

Springs do tend to break, but new ones aren't dear.

Worth knowing, easily rectifiable. I've fitted several sets of coilovers and just replaced springs on my APE.

Electric water pumps do fail, and when they do it is dramatic - mechanical ones tend to give some warning by dripping coolant and/or squealing. Electric ones just stop working, so the temperature gauge gets from normal to overheated in a mile or so! And you don't want to drive it far once it's gone or it will go into limp-mode.

The main issue with the pumps is that they aren't cheap - an OEM Pierburg pump from Euro Car Parts is usually around £250 for the part!

Again, thanks for the heads up - well worth knowing. I'll try and factor in a budget for that when I purchase unless there's a receipt to prove it's already been done recently.

BTW I wouldn't see going from a 200 bhp hatch to a 265 bhp 2 seater as a downgrade to be fair!

As I said mine isn't a daily, so most miles are done on dual-carriageways/motorways out of rush hours, but my OBC is showing an average of 33.6 mpg - even though the average speed is 42 mph!

The issue is.. my current car is very limited and worth approximately £12,000. It doesn't deserve to be thrashed down muddy backlanes - it's not very enjoyable and I spend more time watching the mileage (only 40k at the moment) and worrying about the value/damage to the car.

Albeit, purchasing a Z4 will be a cheaper car overall which is a huge financial benefit, I guess it's just as juicy on fuel and probably just as firm in terms of the suspension/comfort hence why I was looking for something 'more practical'. This is my in-between, I'm not ready for a sensible family car yet.. I'm trying to ascertain whether this is a sensible decision or whether I'm just going down the route of another car I'll fall in love, which is expensive and I'll end up spending more time worrying about it and the money side of things.

RWD, Coupe, the personality of the car, 3L roar and everything else is making it very tempting though!

As I said mine isn't a daily, so most miles are done on dual-carriageways/motorways out of rush hours, but my OBC is showing an average of 33.6 mpg - even though the average speed is 42 mph!

If you want some ride comfort the general advice is to ditch the run-flat tyres - if I used mine the way you plan to use yours I'd look for an SE with the M-Sport seats. The potential upside is that an SE should be cheaper than a Sport, so if you find one with the right seats you might get a good deal and Sport models also came with M-Sport suspension which is stiffer and 10mm lower. Don't buy an SE with "Sport" seats intending to upgrade to M-Sport seats - used ones will still cost you the best part of £1,000!

Sport models had the MV2 wheels (Style 135M) as standard (which are a PITA to clean) or the split-rim Style 108 wheels that corrode around the bolt-heads due to a chemical reaction between the different metals of the bolts and the wheels which lifts the lacquer (I sold my 108s while they were still in good condition).

Some SE models had 107 Ellipsoid wheels (still staggered 18" rims) that IMO look better than MV2s or 108s, but I wouldn't worry too much about wheels - you ought to be able to swap them for a couple of hundred by the time you've sold the old ones!

What makes you recommend the SE model? What's the different to that and the Si? I presume it's still available in a Coupe (2006-08). I'm thinking it's wise to go for the Si Sport in the first place - I'll end up forking out in the upgrades in the near future anyway. However, I guess the standard suspension and such would probably be more 'practical'. I'll need to compare the specs between the two and prices to make that duty call!

Bear in mind BMW were a bit stingy with standard equipment on them - Bi-Xenons, heated seats, cruise control, rear parking sensors, electric folding mirrors, and cup-holders were all options so if any of those are "essential" make sure you look for them! Of those, cruise is probably the easiest to retro-fit.

Ah really? Bugger! All of those upgrades/accessories sound like essential extra's - I'll bare that in mind when it comes to viewing.

Anyway enough waffle from an E86 fan - might as well end with photos:

Look superb as always matey, look immaculate; I can tell you're very passionate and enjoy them too! Thank you for the in-depth comments/info. Very much so appreciated.

 

[Smartbear]

Hi, the si is available in both sport & se versions-the engines are the same with just the interior/suspension being different.
All z4’s are petrol also
Rob

 

[Evo_57]

Hi, the si is available in both sport & se versions-the engines are the same with just the interior/suspension being different.
All z4’s are petrol also
Rob

Cheers Rob! Touch decision, the Si Sport is certainly my preferred option.

The SE's don't seem to be any or 'much' cheaper from a quick scroll on the market, but I guess standard suspension may be more comfortable/practical.

 

[Smartbear]

Hi, the si is available in both sport & se versions-the engines are the same with just the interior/suspension being different.
All z4’s are petrol also
Rob

Cheers Rob! Touch decision, the Si Sport is certainly my preferred option.

The SE's don't seem to be any or 'much' cheaper from a quick scroll on the market, but I guess standard suspension may be more comfortable/practical.

There’s a degree of overlap between the models as well, my si se had all the si sport options specced from new so was an se in name only really :?
Rob

 

[Mr Tidy]

Well all Coupes (as in E86 models) are facelifts, so all are 3.0 Sis with 265 bhp.

I only suggested the SE model as you are planning to use it as a daily, so the slightly more compliant suspension may suit you better for that use - but the M-Sport seats are so much better than the "Sport" seats that the SE had as standard.

I can see why you may want to sell your current car before you put silly miles on it - after all it is a real rarity and high mileage is likely to have a huge impact on value!

But as less than 2,500 Z4 Coupes were registered in the UK, they aren't exactly common-place.

Although mileage seems to be a big factor in terms of value with Z4Cs too, I'm not sure why 100K miles is a such a big issue!

But then my E91 325i with a 2.5 litre version of the same N52 engine has just got to 137K miles and is still working very well - but it does have full main agent history.

 

[JackZ4]

Hey Evo,

I hope this information helps, but at least it's here for your thoughts.

Hi Jack, Thank you for your detailed response, I've just had a quick read through - phenomenal stuff. I just wanted to say thank you before I dive in to my responses.

I have owned a 2006 Coupe Si for the past 4 years and 4 months which I have been using as a daily in all weathers, sun, rain and snow, clocked up 63,000 miles during this time and averaging 19/21mpg in traffic to work and 40mpg+ on motorways, however, this also depends on how heavy your right foot is

Wow, you've owned it for a reasonable duration and enough to know it inside out no doubt. I've owned three cars in three years, can't seem to hold on to them for longer than a year. I really just want to find one, stick to it, renew everything and enjoy it! Glad to hear you've driven in all weather, do you mind me asking how much you paid for it and how much you think it's worth now? My work commute is backlanes and A road, 30MPG+ is about the bare minimum I can live with in terms of fuel economy.. my Punto is eating a good 27MPG at the moment so I guess I can learn to live with the fuel cost (maybe, 'says the wallet')

I believe the interior styling of the coupes are lovely and the boot has adequate amount of space due to the coupe styling, I have never had an issue with space. The seats are comfortable in my opinion for short journeys, but for longer ones you sometimes tend to get aches in your back, being currently at 24 years old I may regret it in future

Great input and feedback, thank you! I'd be option for the Si Sport for the M Sport goodies (seats too). Generally I only drive for an hour or so max, currently I've got bucket seats so I'm used to the stiff ride and lack of comfort. I'm currently 20, so this must've been about the same time you decided to get yours! Deja vu?

If you do decide on a Z4 Coupe, i highly recommend taking the foam out of the sound generator, it a free and easy mod which will increase the sound within the cabin area, highly recommended In addition to this, if you're using the vehicle as a daily, do not use run flats, the sound from the road gets on your nerves after a while.

Out of all the models, it seems to be the one I desire. Extra BHP than what I've currently got, offers the M sports extra's and I love the exterior of the coupe (Whispers... I'm not a fan of the convertible soft top to be honest). A good set of 18" alloys would be on the list, partnered up with some top notch rubber - I've heard about those run flats!

I've never owned a coupe, 2 seater or a BMW for that matter... so your input is very helpful for someone who's on the edge to buy one. It's a big commitment selling my current and the whole changeover process.

• Is maintenance expensive?

• Are parts easy to source online?

• I'm suppose to be downgrading from a hothatch with all the sporty upgrades, is it a comfortable and reliable daily?

Finally those photo's are wicked! I'm looking for a grey/silver one if possible.

Cheers again! Look forward to your response..

No problem, any help or advice I can provide, I will, and thanks, a friend of mine takes all the photos which I probably will upload

I won't say the price that I paid for the my z4, however, it's currently sitting around the 102,000 mark.

I believe Mr Tidy has produced a solid reply, as he has mentioned some of the issues to watch out for, water pump and suspension, and I'm pretty sure I've read about problems for sticky steering, a loose heatshield near backbox, bushes and coil packs but haven't experienced this myself - somebody speak up if this doesn't relate to the coupes.

Anyways, I know during the lifetime of the z4 whilst under my ownership, I have had a bit of maintenance, new clutch and flywheel I believe around 85,000 miles, water pump, overheating due to faulty thermostat, a new panel wielded on the silencer (exhaust) to fix/remove a crack, and of course, the normal wear and tear of tyres, brakes, etc.

I highly recommend that if you're planning to buy a z4 coupe, do not cheap out, always use BMW or a BMW specialist for services/repairs as they have the knowledge and expertise to help you along the way by using proper genuine BMW parts, which may come at a premium, but you will be thankful in the long run

Jack

 

[Jl-c]

I would say the M suspension is roughly the same as standard on my 911, not crashingly hard but I wouldnt want it any harder. Definately NOT runflats, use ‘normal’ tyres and carry a can of gunk!

 

[Bing]

Plenty has been said already, all good advice... I am also based in Maidstone driving a silver grey M roadster (as a daily ), so give me a wave if you see me, I’ll keep an eye out for you when you’ve got your car

 

[thecremeegg]

I use my 2003 as my daily, doing about 20k a year at the moment - currently on 141k or so.
I've had new suspension all round, and it has poly bushes and the right is certainly firm, though not enough for me to not want to drive it every day!
MPG I think I probably average about 28-30, mix of both town and motorway.
Boot is a good size meaning it's surprisingly practical.
Only issues I've had are the starter motor and now an oil leak, it's been pretty well behaved for an old BMW that's for sure!

 

[Papa_Zee]

First experience was with a 2.5 Si and was hooked, several cars later, got my current 2.0 Sports daily. Looks good but as you can imagine, performance-wise not so good.
Hence, my garage queen is a '56 M roadster which is phenomenal. This is my 3rd E85!
As others have said, try and get an Si model for the M Goodies (Sport seats - A must, Suspension etc). Once bitten... Goodluck!

2.5 Si - Black
Daily Driver 2.0 Sport - Silver
M Roadster - Red

 

[Capa]

I daily my coupe, down some unpleasantly surfaced single track roads on the way to work on a 15 mile or so journey each way. In answer to your question about it being a comfortable daily; no it isn't.

Couple of things I'd note.

* As several have mentioned, consider a non-M sport edition, the SE. These have a higher ride height and softer springs. I suspect they may have more comfortable seats also. (I can verify that whilst they look nice, the seats in an M-Sport aren't particularly comfortable or supportive)

* At your budget, I suspect you'll be looking for a higher mileage (80k-120k) example. I think generally they wear their miles well, but if ride comfort is important, I'd consider budgeting for new dampers and as others have said (potentially) new springs. I am hopeful this is the root cause of a lot of the issues with my 106k coupe - as it stands, putting the power down on a rutted backroad is not a pleasant experience.

There are a heck of a lot of upsides to owning one - they start with just looking at it, and go on to the fact the engine is a right pearler - but if someone's after a comfy cruiser, I'd advise caution around a Z4C. At the time the Z4 convertible wasn't thought of as a well riding, compliant car, and the increased stiffness that the coupe provides hasn't made that situation any better... Whilst BM termed the car as a 'pocket GT', I find the uncomprimising ride, eager, responsive motor and short gearing put the car firmly in sports car territory when stacked up against a Boxster S or TT.

 

[Marlon]

I daily my coupe, down some unpleasantly surfaced single track roads on the way to work on a 15 mile or so journey each way. In answer to your question about it being a comfortable daily; no it isn't.

Couple of things I'd note.

* As several have mentioned, consider a non-M sport edition, the SE. These have a higher ride height and softer springs. I suspect they may have more comfortable seats also. (I can verify that whilst they look nice, the seats in an M-Sport aren't particularly comfortable or supportive)

* At your budget, I suspect you'll be looking for a higher mileage (80k-120k) example. I think generally they wear their miles well, but if ride comfort is important, I'd consider budgeting for new dampers and as others have said (potentially) new springs. I am hopeful this is the root cause of a lot of the issues with my 106k coupe - as it stands, putting the power down on a rutted backroad is not a pleasant experience.

There are a heck of a lot of upsides to owning one - they start with just looking at it, and go on to the fact the engine is a right pearler - but if someone's after a comfy cruiser, I'd advise caution around a Z4C. At the time the Z4 convertible wasn't thought of as a well riding, compliant car, and the increased stiffness that the coupe provides hasn't made that situation any better... Whilst BM termed the car as a 'pocket GT', I find the uncomprimising ride, eager, responsive motor and short gearing put the car firmly in sports car territory when stacked up against a Boxster S or TT.

Interesting post, good to have another perspective. One thing I would say is that my roadster is a 3.0Si SE and although the ride is less harsh than my previous Zed which had M sport springs, the SE 'sport seats' are very poor in comparison to the M Sport seats. In fact after 6 months I spent a tidy sum swapping them out for M sports seats, which I find very comfortable on log journeys and much better in the twisties because of the side bolsters.

 

[ph001]

One other point to note that I don't think has been mentioned is that the 3.0Si did have a revised engine halfway through it's life with a black cam cover (engine build date Sep 2006 so tends to appear in 2007 cars) known as the N52K and has modifications in the following areas:

• New cylinder head cover with improved CCV system
• Lighter hydroformed Camshafts
• Crankshaft optimisations
• Stronger con-rods
• Stem diameter of exhaust valves increased to 6 mm instead of 5 mm
• Torsional vibration damper improvements
• Revised Hot-film air mass meter (HFM)
• New Throttle valve with magnetoresistive position feedback
• New MSV80 Digital motor electronics
• New 2nd gen water pump

...full thread with images here... https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=105709&start=30

 

[Mr Tidy]

My 1st Coupe was built in October 2006, but registered 22/12/06 so had the later version - the one with the "New 2nd gen water pump" that died after just 10 years and 60K miles! :lol:

My current one was built in August 2006, but not registered until 29/12/06 for some reason - so it has the earlier version. :?

The good new is both drive just the same - as in loads of fun available! :lol:

 

[ph001]

Apparently the 2nd gen water pump just has a slightly more efficient impeller design - the electronics are just the same so fail equally as often as 1st gen (which seems to be about 1 in 10 cars after 40k miles if you look at the E90 polls on it). Not a big deal on the Z4 though really - they are readily available for £200 and an easy DIY to swap out (a lot easier then on the other N52 cars). Just budget one in at around 60k miles or so. Nothing else really goes wrong with the N52.

 

[Capa]

Interesting post, good to have another perspective. One thing I would say is that my roadster is a 3.0Si SE and although the ride is less harsh than my previous Zed which had M sport springs, the SE 'sport seats' are very poor in comparison to the M Sport seats. In fact after 6 months I spent a tidy sum swapping them out for M sports seats, which I find very comfortable on log journeys and much better in the twisties because of the side bolsters.

Oh really - that's good to know. It's interesting - I'm currently toying with the idea of spending some dollar on some proper Recaro recliners. Perhaps I'll hold off until the suspension's sorted; maybe that's the culprit here and I'm throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

 

[Thunderous One]

Hi Ladies & Gents,

First time post, actually - I'm a complete noob to the Z4 world; have never owned a BMW before actually. Long story short, I'm looking at purchasing a Z4 3.0 'Si' (Sport Petrol Model) in the Coupe Variant - I believe these where introduced from 2006 to 08. From the outset, I'm impressed. Good performance, acceptable fuel economy and nice aesthetics (interior and exterior).

Why am I selling my current car?
A little bit of background, I currently drive a Abarth Punto Evo, it's a 1.4 turbo pushing just over 200BHP. Brembo 4 pots, floating discs, Koni FSD suspension - it's overall well specced. It's got everything I could desire, however... there's only 10 of these limited models (scorpione) in the UK and unfortunately has become my daily; it doesn't deserve to be thrashed down the back lanes to work nor does it like clocking up the mileage! Also, it doesn't handle the poor UK roads well - very bumpy and you feel every pot hole. I'm looking at selling up and purchasing a new daily which will overall have less value (I spend more time worrying about the value and rarity of the Abarth, than I do driving it..) and hopefully be more practical, cheaper to run, better comfort and more convenient as a daily overall.

Z4 Time!
I've seen the Z4's float around the £6000 - £8,000 mark, significantly more on lower mileage examples to. Realistically, I only want to spend £6-7k. I've begun researching their specification and have quickly become obsessed with them and the forum. I'd really appreciate some insight as to where to start, average values, recommended mods, pro's and con's etc.

In essence, I think that the Z4 sounds just as fun and probably... just an impractical! Convince me otherwise...
I'm not ready to buy a boring car with no character just yet..

• Are they practical? - I'm not to phased about the lack of seats, the boot seems adequate and overall I can't see anything I'll be missing out on.

• Are they comfortable? - UK roads are awful, my current commute isn't straightforward, several back lanes, various road surfaces etc

• Average Value? - How much is a good price to pick one up for.

• Pro's / Cons - I've read about the runflats being a tad bumpy, rear springs and water pump requiring attention.

• Modifications - I've read up about a 'sound generator', exhaust would certainly be desirable... CSL wheels look amazing; any other useful/recommended mods ?

That's a start for the most part. It'll just be great to get some feedback from the very owners on this forum!

Thanks in advance, look forward to discussing!

hi, where are you based?
I live in Northampton and have a coupe
If you wanted a test drive or a closer inspection, feel free to ask