What other cars did you consider when buying your Z4?

[klarky]

It was a choice between a Z4, 350z, RX8 and a S2000.

350z just felt too cheap
RX8 would have required me to take a second job to run (came close thou)
S2000 would have been tooooo impractical

A Z wasn't even on my original list but test drove one and was hooked.

pretty much the same for me, but didnt consider a z4 as i thought they would be out of my price range but was surprised to find i could. didnt like the nose to begin with but now i think its one of the most striking cars on the road still. signed up to this forum and within 50 days bought the 2.5i se.

 

[peddy]

We have two gundogs and take the out shooting most weekends(19" wheels not going near farm). I use my company van for that!

I thought shooting was almost outlawed in the UK now ? A little off topic I know.....

fox hunting was outlawed a couple of years back, but you can still shoot birds, dears, etc...

fox hunting was outlawed because with other you would eat them. killing foxes were just for pure fun!

I've never done any sort of hunting, so I may not be 100% correct here...

 

[no fit state]

Honda S2000 and the outside sensible choice was the Golf R32.

 

[sammyz]

Boxster S,- pros - great badge, fantastic piece of engineering-fast- cons- looks like a push-me pull-you- a little underwhelming
Lotus Elise- pros - nimble, cheap to run, great to drive. cons- couldn't get into it, couldn't get out of it, a tad impractical.
350Z pros- fast, great engine, muscle car cons- cheap interior, it's a Nissan.
Z4- pros - great badge, classic looks, quality interior, as fast as you want it! - cons- hmmm can't think of any, ah crap rear springs

 

[eyup]

330 Coupe
Cayman S

.....where the only others really on the shopping list. Cayman probably a little over what I wanted to pay so left the 330. But, I thought maybe a little common on the roads.

Not really any contest in the end. Fav car of all time has always been a 911. One day I say. However, soon as I saw the Z4 I loved it and was so thankful when the coupe was launched!

 

[James_G]

I had a E46 330i Sport before and cars I test drove were:

E90 330i Sport manual - too similar to above
E92 330d Coupe auto - nice, but still unconvinced with diesels

Then I thought I'd keep my 330i and buy an S2000 as a replacement for my 944 S2 track car.

Then I thought I'd keep my 330i and buy a 964 as a replacement for my 944

Then I thought I should have one car that does both so I drove:

Cayman S - non PASM. Really liked it but it was stretching the budget for something less than three years

Another Cayman S this time with PASM, which made me feel seasick and in Sport mode is frankly unbearable.

And a whole host of Z4MCs until I found mine. If Porsche gave their cars three rather than two years warranty from new I feel sure I'd have bought a Cayman S. As it was the the Z4MC was/is better value and has far more of an "epic drive" factor, although in the real world of traffic, M25, driving to work in the rain, driving home from work in the dark I reckon a Cayman would have been the better everyday choice. Alas most Caymans out there have been specced with pointless nonsense like Sport Chrono and red seat belts and are missing useful things like xenons.

 

[SSG S]

I looked into an s2000 because I had previously owned one and being my first convertible it was something to go back to...then i drifted off to a 1968-1972 chrome bumpers corvette. My pops used to have one back in the day and I've been in love with that car since i saw it on Rush Hour.... dont
Another one i looked at was the Boxter S and finally the infinity FX35. Pretty odd list I know but when i drove the Zed, I was madly in love <3

SSG S

 

[jhbuining]

Coming from a MINI Cooper S (2003 version) which I really loved, I might've gone for another MINI, or something smaller, maybe hybrid, more economical, and add a motorbike again (probably either a Yamaha TDM, or a Ducati) for fun and excitement. Didn't really like the styling of the face-lifted MINI, couldn't get myself to buy a hybrid... so... just looked for a new daily driver I could fall in love with. Now, my dad had owned a Z4 3.0i Roadster, which I liked very much, handling wise, but ragtops just aren't my thing. I'd never seen a Z4 Coupe before, they are extremely rare here, but he had a brochure of it lying around and I just fell in love. Took me quite some time take the plunge (expensive...) but absolutely love my Z4 :sweetheart:

Competitors? an S2000 or an Elise nah... too small & impractical, 350Z mmm... maybe, 911 too pricy, Cayman :wkr:, TT :sick2:, SLK :hairdryer:

 

[PawnSacrifice]

Boxster - tried a few, too clinical for me. Not too keen on the 986 interior.
S2000 - loved the engine, but something didn't quite fit

964 was on the list, didn't drive one, was put off by potential rebuild costs. If I had have driven one it would have been purchased, not doubt! Of the cars driven the 993 (C2S) is possibly my favourite and the 2 are very similar.

E64 330 Coupe - in there for practicality. Great car. Glad I didn't.

On balance, very happy! If I were to change now it would be a Z4M or a bank loan and buy a friends 996 C4S (in that don't care about the interior).

 

[Dreamer]

Had an S2000 for a while and when that was gone looked to the usual competitors....

A boxster S - To expensive to get a good one and the running costs/IMS issue were a bit of a concern.

RX8 - Drove one and it was great. The engine noise though was unforgiveable.

Audi TT Convetible - felt like a boat and the windscreen was a mile away, really un-sports car like.

Stuff i considered but never drove - Golf R32, BMW 330 convertible

The Z4 didnt occur to me as I thought it was out of budget, at the time they seemed like really expensive cars and i guess they still do to joe public as people often remark i must have lots of money or something.
I nearly bought a 2.5 but a mate said if you can, always buy the biggest engine varient, you'll soon save money again after the purchase and you will never regret it. Glad i did as its a nice cross between the S2000 and previous cars with more torque that i have owned.

 

[a11y]

i was considering getting another fiat punto sport 1.2 (mk1)... i love them cars almost as much as my zed.

I loved my old one, but would never go back there again!


Seems a lot of cars crop up on several people's lists. One I didn't consider was the S2000, but only because I previously owned a Civic Type R and just didn't get on with the nature of the VTEC delivery - prefer more low-down torque. Plus the interior in them is cack.

Boxster S was on the edge of my list having driven in my father-in-law's 3.2 several times, but the servicing and parts costs put me off. Plus the image. Excellent drive though.

 

[Sticks]

i was considering getting another fiat punto sport 1.2 (mk1)... i love them cars almost as much as my zed.

I loved my old one, but would never go back there again!


Seems a lot of cars crop up on several people's lists. One I didn't consider was the S2000, but only because I previously owned a Civic Type R and just didn't get on with the nature of the VTEC delivery - prefer more low-down torque. Plus the interior in them is cack.

Boxster S was on the edge of my list having driven in my father-in-law's 3.2 several times, but the servicing and parts costs put me off. Plus the image. Excellent drive though.

Just what I was going to say, as well as the Boxster was more common in 04 when I got the Z, and local stealer has a bad reputation - and didn't even call me back. Thought about the SLK as it looked great in the pics but new model wasn't out and I didn't want to wait and see.

After a lot of sensible thinking about best options I saw a black roadster, thought it looked cool, ok, like a Batmobile, and that was that

 

[cambs_mikey]

Having had 2 TTs I assumed I would move up to the new shape 2.0T FSI but when I test drove it was very disappointed. That completely threw me as had not considered anything else. Had a quick look at a 350z and then struggled. Was just browsing through the BMW website to see what was in my budget when I saw the Z4 and the rest is history

 

[un1eash]

I looked at.....

TT, Dont like the old shape, there everywhere and the new ones were still fetching 20k.

350Z, would of been an older 2004-2005 car and running costs were to much.

RX-8, again running costs and they dont seem to hold there value very well.

MX-5, Test drove a 2.0 Sport and it was top of my list at one point.

Z4, Always loved them and there looks and once i saw how cheap they were back in Jan 2009 i had to have one.

 

[Rudd]

I looked at.....

TT, Dont like the old shape, there everywhere and the new ones were still fetching 20k.

350Z, would of been an older 2004-2005 car and running costs were to much.

RX-8, again running costs and they dont seem to hold there value very well.

MX-5, Test drove a 2.0 Sport and it was top of my list at one point.

Z4, Always loved them and there looks and once i saw how cheap they were back in Jan 2009 i had to have one.

exactly the same list as me but add in a porsche boxter (i wasnt feeling my self that day)

 

[un1eash]

Yeah i looked at boxter's too but it would of been an early 2000-2001 and i could see massive repair bills in my future.

 

[Lucy]

I wanted something fast that looked really nice, something you don't see a lot of, something quite new, i had to be able to get insured on it (i was 20 at the time and had my driving licence for less than 2 years) with a budget of around 25k.

I looked into the Vauxhall VX220 Turbo, Lotus Elise and Exige, Alfa Romeo Brera, Ford Focus ST3, Nissan 350Z and the Z4 Coupe. My shortlist came down to the last 3:

Ford Focus ST3
I'd always liked fast Fords and loved the look of this one. The turbo made it very tempting and they are easy to tune to 300bhp.

Nissan 350Z Coupe
Always liked the look of these and they seemed to have the power, looks and everything that i wanted.

BMW Z4 Coupe
Again they had everything i wanted. Which personally i don't think there are many cars that look sophisticated, stunning but sporty and are pretty fast.

My parents were pushing me towards the Z4 because they've had BMW's for the last 10 years and cannot fault them. They thought the Z4 looked gorgeous and didn't even know why i was contemplating the 350Z and FST.

So after searching around on the internet for weeks i eventually came across one at Soper BMW in Lincoln that seemed perfect for me. A 2008 sapphire black 3.0si sport Coupe with anthracite and imola bi coloured interior, most of the extra's, 4000 miles on the clock, manual transmission (couldn't be doing with auto) and priced at 24k i couldn't resist going to look at it. So my Dad took me down to Lincoln the following week. It was absolutely stunning. The pictures didn't do it justice and i thought it was fantastic when i took it on a test drive. I knew that was what i wanted and i didn't even want to go and look at any other cars. So i bought it

On the way home from the dealership i saw a black 350Z and thought to myself, why on earth was i even contemplating one of those compared to that stunning machine that i just bought??!

1 year and 4 months on it still makes me smile everytime i'm in it, and i have never once regretted my decision. I love it.

 

[un1eash]

I consider the VX220 and Elise 135 Tourer aswell, but then i remembered how hard it was to get in and out and living with one everyday would drive me mad eventually.

 

[Muzz]

I had a 330ci M Sport but got bored with it after a month, after originally considering the Z4 before getting the E46 i straight swapped it for my Z4 on Tuesday and already love it 100x more than my 330.

 

[Shooter]

Out of a Peugeot 206 CC, my criterias were simple : no roof, rear wheel drive, 2/4 seater, at least the same performance as the 206, useable on a day-to-day basis, and preferably good looking.
My list was : Z4, S2000, MX-5 (NB or NC...), Boxster (old one, 986 like), Toy MR, MG-TF, 350Z.
Cars like Elise or Speedster were discarded due to the lack of practicality (does this word really exist ? ).
So....
Toy MR : don't like the look of the car.
Boxster : don't really like the look of the 986, and in my budget, i could only afford a 10 years old car with 100.000++ km on the board.
350Z : too expensive. But i'm considering it now.
MG-TF : i really like the car, but some details are just "no way", like the non-adjustable steering wheel or the non-reliable engine...
MX-5 NC : was brand new at the time, so buying one meant loosing a bunch of money.
MX-5 NB : it was a close call. Very very close. Cheaper than the Z4, less powerfull but i think the fun and driving pleasure would have been in the same order of magnitude. And would have been a good introduction to a future Z4...
S2000 : now, here i have a problem. I love the car, love the engine, love the way it handles, juste fondamentally love the gearbox.... but already 3 friends of mine ahev one. Don't want to be the 4th in line... and depending on how you look at the car, it's sometimes gorgeous, and sometimes just ugly.

And then, i came upon an ad for a 2003 Z4 with only 25.000 km on the counter, just in my budget... and for 2 and a half year now, it's been the best choice i ever made (concerning cars at least ).