Taking the Z4 plunge - but which one is best?

[Foyzy]

Hi all,

I'm a brand new member having finally decided to take the plunge on a Zed. With so many options though I am struggling to decide which one is right for me so would really appreciate any advice. I'm 32 and will be using the car at weekends only for getaways out of the city. Budget is £7,500.

Firstly, I think I've decided that a 2.0 is out as from what I've heard you 'need' a straight 6 on these cars to really enjoy them. This leaves me with the 2.2, 2.5 and 3.0 and some key questions:

1) What's the fuel consumption like between the 2.2, 2.5 and 3.0 from your experience? Is the 3.0 going to cost me twice as much to get around, or are we talking minimal difference given I'm not doing huge mileage / commuting every day?
2) Other than fuel, how do the general running costs compare between the three? (tax is the same!)
3) Am I right to disregard the 2.0 completely? Is the sound and experience that much better on the 2.2 upwards? Is the 2.0 going to be super economical to run compared to the others?
4) Insurance. Bizarrely, of the quotes I have got, the 2.5 is is the cheapest followed by the 3.0. 2.0 is more to insure than 3.0, and the 2.2 is the most of any of them! Is this right and why would this be? It seems the wrong way round but maybe there is a reason.

Sorry, lots of newbie questions here I know. I am most tempted by the 2.5 I think but any guidance gratefully received.

Cheers

 

[Shire]

I was in the same boat as you last year and went for the 3.0L because if I went for the 2.5 I'd have always regretted it! (Now I wish I had an ///M but they're a fair bit more expensive).

I think the 3.0L comes with a better spec as standard over the 2.5L and also has a six speed gear box but I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Like you, I only use mine in the weekends (I cycle to work) and I seem to be getting about 34mpg.

I'm 28 and I pay £450 a year fully comp for my insurance. Hope this helps and good luck with your search

 

[Finisterre]

2.0 37 mpg mine
3.0 31 mpg reported

 

[wegras]

Agree completely with shire
with the planned use being recreational go for 3.0
You will love it and now is a good time as the spring rush hasn't pushed the prices up
get best spec and biggest engine for you money
watch the forum often one for sale
and welcome

 

[srhutch]

If you can stretch to a facelift then the 2.5si is very similar in performance to the old 3.0i

The pre facelift 2.2 2.5 and 3.0 all use the M54 engine.

 

[ZermattV]

For 7.5k I would go 3.0i pre- facelift as my main choice however I would not discount a good 2.5 if one came up .

This straw poll is early days but most popular on here is the 30 ...........0 http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&p=688506#p688506 ( shameless plug but we need the votes to make it worthwhile)

But I would ask yourself this do you plan to Mod? If so a 2.5si which already comes with clear front lights might be worth the extra cash.

 

[JuniorJet]

I'm 28 and I pay £450 a year fully comp for my insurance. Hope this helps and good luck with your search

Lucky f***. Add £1k and you have my insurance

On topic; I only do short distance journeys and I get between 19-24mpg in my M. You definitely want a six speed if you do any motorway driving at all.

 

[Foyzy]

Thanks for all the great replies. So is 31 mpg about right for the 3.0 then from your experience? And fair to say the 2.5 is about the same?

What I'm getting from this is the 3.0 is pretty much the same as the 2.5 in terms of costs. Besides fuel and tax am I right in saying running costs / parts / servicing etc are the same regardless of which engine you choose?

And am I right to completely forget about the 2.0? It does seem much more economical. Is the driving experience that much worse?

Thanks again everyone - this is all a huge help!

 

[srhutch]

I'm 28 and I pay £450 a year fully comp for my insurance. Hope this helps and good luck with your search

Lucky f***. Add £1k and you have my insurance

On topic; I only do short distance journeys and I get between 19-24mpg in my M. You definitely want a six speed if you do any motorway driving at all.

Partly due to your mister meaner

 

[Finisterre]

the 2.0 is a perky little number. I guess your choice depends on your environs. I live in the Peak District, I don't often drive the fast swooping A roads that a quicker car would shine on. The 2 is great on single track lanes and bumpy B roads though. It's your choice, take a few out. The 3 definitely seemed eager to fly when I tried one.

 

[OwenT]

I started with an e85 2.0i, 3 yrs on in an e89 23i... Would 110% recommend 2.0, it's the smoothest most responsive 4 you'll find & definitely a fantastic motor - you may move on to something bigger later, but you'll never regret the 2.0


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ollymeister]

I too have just taken the plunge, 2 weeks ago! I got the 3.0Si Coupe and wouldn't have it anyway. I love it! I was a little apprehensive with the auto box but the paddles and sport mode make it so much fun to drive. I'm 26 and my insurance is around £600 from elephant. On a run depending how you drive it you can achieve around 34mpg but around town I would say I average 25mpg. If you can find a 3.0 you won't regret it. I already wish I had the M!

 

[Shire]

I'm 28 and I pay £450 a year fully comp for my insurance. Hope this helps and good luck with your search

Lucky f***. Add £1k and you have my insurance

On topic; I only do short distance journeys and I get between 19-24mpg in my M. You definitely want a six speed if you do any motorway driving at all.

Partly due to your mister meaner

Well I am very well behaved in mine so that'd explain it

 

[Ewazix]

I had the same questions three years ago when I was looking, in the end I went for the best car I could afford being a mint, well equipped low mileage 2.5 SE with full history over a lesser 3.0

I'de driven 2.5 & 3.0 and whilst there a little more urgency in the 3.0 there is no way it will leave the 2.5 behind, driver having far more impact than 500cc. I'de also add that it will make no difference to your enjoyment of the car once you have the roof down whether it's a 2.0, 2.5 or a 3.0

I think the road tax may be cheaper on the 2.5?

 

[Jembo]

I always consider how easy it would be to sell when im finished with it, so I base it in no particular order of

- mileage
- fair few options & good colour (heated seats a must in a convertible for me)
- service, repair & accident history
- how scuffed the alloys are & whether they're ones i like (generally reflects how careful an owner is with their car)
- the quality of parts used ie whether has cheap as chips tyres or something of quality
- whether has been garaged

With the Zed, has to be the straight 6 just because of the sound... test drive one & you'll understand straight away

... and when u go to test drive, turn up in something decent,

 

[Foyzy]

Thanks for all the advice. It would appear that the 3l isn't much more expensive to run than the 2l, especially as it is just for weekends. I'm going to go for a 3.0 I think.

 

[JuniorJet]

I'm 28 and I pay £450 a year fully comp for my insurance. Hope this helps and good luck with your search

Lucky f***. Add £1k and you have my insurance

On topic; I only do short distance journeys and I get between 19-24mpg in my M. You definitely want a six speed if you do any motorway driving at all.

Partly due to your mister meaner

Thank you for stating the obvious... :roll:

Thanks for all the advice. It would appear that the 3l isn't much more expensive to run than the 2l, especially as it is just for weekends. I'm going to go for a 3.0 I think.

Coupe or Roadster?

 

[simvaughan1]

Hi pal, as an idea to what you can get for your money, I bought my 3.0i at the end of November last year for 7250, with 44k miles on the clock, 54 plate, from a private seller. Can see some pics and spec here:

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=46362

After the general stuff like mileage and service history were out of the way, what I wanted above all were the heated M-Sport seats. I think they look a fair bit better and offer lots of support. A few people complain about them but I haven't had any issues! Next up the Xenons: Supposed to make a world of difference when driving at night. Indeed they seem ok, but I have never driven one without the xenons! The Multi-Function Steering Wheel is pretty handy too, and one of my parking sensors is kaput so not used those yet Cruise control is nice too on occasion!

Over 1800 miles I've got 28.9 mpg out of her: the odd motorway journey here and there, but mostly commuting to and from work. Minimum I've seen per tank is 22 mpg, and most I've seen is 33.5 mpg.

Hope this helps, and get some pictures up once you get one!

 

[Foyzy]

JuniorJet - I'm going for the Roadster. With a £7k budget the Coupe is out of reach and I think I actually prefer the look of the roadster anyway.

Simvaughan, thanks for the info. Your car is exactly what I am looking for - right spec, right colour etc. Love those seats. Where are all the decent black 3.0 Zeds for sale? There's nothing around at the moment!

 

[simvaughan1]

I would say take your time and find exactly what you're looking for!

Go look at a few and you'll know when you've found the right one!

Has to be fate