Z4 3.0si vs. Z4M roadster Maintenance?

A

atreidy

Member
Hey guys:

Contemplating between an '06 si and an '06 M roadster. The price difference between these two is strikingly small here in the states ($4k USD maybe)

In terms of maintenance (brakes, service inspections, clutch, tires, etc),

What am I going to expect to see cost MORE going from an '06si to an '06 M?

Any other things I should be thinking about in making a decision between '06si vs '06M?

Thanks!
 
Your service intervals will be shorter and parts will be just a bit more costly. BUT, you should drive both and if the M brings a larger smile to your face, then buy it.

I bought an 07 Si coupe 'cause it's a daily driver and more than meets my expectations.
 
I like how you put it.. whichever "brings a larger smile to your face". Indeed I have never driven an M yet and only an SI. I will definitely follow your advice and check it out.

Further questions, please: When are the different service intervals for the Z4M?

I am a relatively novice stick-shift driver (i haven't gotten to doing smooth downshifts via rev matching etc,, just stop and go without dying)..
...is the M going to be any less forgiving to me "learning" on it?

I am going to be using it as a daily drier.. about 10 miles each way for work and then maybe an extra 100 miles over the weekend. I've read some posts about the SI being much better for normal driving.

I honestly won't be tracking the car probably but enjoy opening her up on freeways and taking turns optimally. Just wondering if the M is going to be very fatiguing to use as a "normal" car, because it is by no means a normal car!

Thanks!!
 
Well, I don't think the Si is a normal car either!!! I ran my coupe on the Dragon (LOTS of fun in the mountains of NC and TN) and she was fabulous. If the Tennessee cops would have left me alone and let me run it by myself, I don't see taking it at less than 55 average. Loved the way my coupe handled and that was on the OEM runflats!!!!!

Ms don't use runflats and they have a limited slip differential plus the steering is "old school" and not the electronic one we have in the Si. You get about 100 horsepower more, but you have to burn gas to get the ponies. Low end torque, the Si actually has a little bit more.

Just did a run to Richmond, VA and back--364 miles, running about 73 mph, 2 people, luggage, 33 mpg. Can't ask for more.

The M drivers will all say get the M. Us Si will tell you we love our Si's. My decision making process was mine was to be a daily driver, I wasn't going to track her, and I wanted more of a bump in horsepower for my $1K "gas guzzler" tax than the Z4MC gave me.

The M won't be fatiguing at all. No more so than the Si. BMW builds solid trannys and clutches so don't worry about being a relative newbie. Rev matching comes later, just be as smooth as you can--trail brake until you get going. I don't rev match that often unless I'm making a turn I can get off the brake a little before and roll into the revs. Did it quite a bit on the Dragon to keep her revs up a bit in lower gears.

Tuschi test them both and be as objective as you can. Of course, I'm not saying there won't be an M3 in my garage to go with my Z, but hubby has to hurry and win the lottery!!!!! :driving:
 
atreidy, as someone that has owned both an SI and the ///M I currently own I can add to the spot on comments that Smokin has already made.

Concerning maintenance costs. The valve adjustments seems to be the only thing that is a lot more expensive on the ///M than on the standard Z. Overall I find I get about 7 to 8 MPG less with the ///M. You do pay for that extra power.

Test drive both and it will be a hard decision because the SI is a great car.... :thumbsup:
 
hehe you guys are right, SI is not a normal car at all- I didn't mean it that way! :) I guess what I was saying is that I've test driven the 3.0si and I feel like it would be a great day-to-day car. I just don't know how the "sportier" additions in the M will take away from that day-to-day drive-ability. You guys have answered that question quite well

How often do valves need to get adjusted?

I know I would love both cars and I'm sure the M would put a bigger smile on my face.

In reality, I think the 06si would be a great car for me and is my target car. However my biggest issue is finding one with the right spec. I've been searching for 3 months and only found one that was reasonably priced and I missed it because I couldn't get a car loan in the middle of a home refi.

There are just very few manual 06si's with Sat Nav, too. I'll find one with all the right specs/color except it'll be automatic and the dealers inflate the prices by $4-5k!! Literally poorer spec'ed 06si's (and even 06i's) are being priced at similar levels as the M!

M's, however, are usually driven by enthusiasts who are willing to pay for the high spec, so most used Ms have the spec I want. That's really why I'm starting to consider the "M" even though it's honestly $4-5k above my budget.

How many cars do you drive in your lifetime, though, right? My current one (since beginning of college) has been about 8-9 years. What's $5-10k extra for a car that you'll drive for that long?

You can't afford to NOT spend the extra money if you'll be miserable for almost 10 years in a car that wasn't quite what you wanted!
 
To be honest, if I were you, I'd get the M because of the price they are now. Although on the road you won't notice the extra performance much, the handling of the M you will notice! :wink:
 
Man, guys

I went and test drove the 06 z4 M. A silver one with 37k miles.

Don't know how else to put it... The car simply made me blush. Inside out it was such a sexy beast.

While the interior "M" accents were supposed to be sportier, I found the steering wheel, the shift knob and m seats to make the car feel even more luxurious inside. Sitting in it simply made me smile. My girlfriend's first reaction was, "oh, no... this is REALLY nice..", knowing I was immediately hooked even before driving the car.

Comments on the M's performance.

-first and second gear are noticeably notchy shifting into the gears.. I think I read posts on this. It was immediately obvious.

-first gear obviously had less torque than the 3.0si, but at the same time my novice self had a harder time keeping the car from lunging a bit from a start. After that though, the torque curve was obviously biased toward the higher RPMs.

-heard some sloshing liquid sound when I tested the brakes with a sudden stop. Not sure what it was (gas?). I never noticed it on 3.0i or 3.0si models. Nevertheless the brakes stopped with more authority.

-suspension was stiff but to me quite comfortable. Not much different from the si, perhaps due to lack of run flats, but isn't the M suspension supposed to be higher performance? Or is it only the differential that is changed? In any event the handling on the M was noticeably better.

-the car I drove was silver but I'm also looking at an interlagos blue with only 15k miles. The silver really didn't make the car stand out despite being an M. The car was next to several other lower spec z4s and some boxsters and honestly it didn't stand out. At the same time I worry the interlagos blue would almost draw too much attention (the negative kind that will get your car keyed or vandalized here in the states if you're a young punk driving too nice of a car for your age).

Now I'm at a dilemma because after taxes, registration and fees, the M is $6k over my intended budget. Actually originally I had set out to get an '04 or '05 which would be $10-12k less overall. But the M has set my bar high now. Not sure if I would be content with an older year model.

I actually have never splurged and am always financially responsible so it makes me feel guilty buying the M. I passed up on an incredible '06si 4 weeks ago because I was in the middle of a home refi that kept me from taking out a car loan. Even though I might have been ok buying it at the time, the responsible side of me told me to close the refi first. I'm 27 and always thinking about buying the next property. Getting the M is definitely going to set me back a year :)

But like I said I never really treated myself to anything ever since University and reallllllly want to do this before I start a family (mid-twenties crisis).

Oh yeah one last thing. The car had some rattles going over rougher countryside road. Not terrible but was noticeable and persistent. Is this normal?
 
Judging by that post, I'd now buy the 3.0si! Sounds like the M didn't really blow you away compared to the 3.0si. To be honest, on the road, I found the same! :wink:
 
I don't think my comments should be taken as a review or evaluation of "M"s in general.

I didn't take the car to its limits or use it to its potential (by a long shot).

I'm not even skilled enough to, even if the sales lady wouldn't have been freaked out :)

My comments are just for my own evaluation..

and actually my conclusion was that I would really really want the M. I just don't know if I can afford it to be honest. I could get the car and pay the maintenance costs but it'll be overall uncomfortable I imagine, not to mention slow down my other financial goals by a year or so.

It's gut check time. My problem is that I can't find a high spec'ed '06si for several thousand less
 
Splurge on the M. Its a once in a lifetime car.

I had an si and upgraded to an M. Huge difference, and I haven't even tracked it yet to test it out.

I had driven stick shift /manual only a few times before buying the M, and it was a bit of a learning curve. Its NOT an easy car to drive (coming from my experienced OH) but once you get the hang of it, its fine. I haven't worked out rev matching yet, so I'm still quite gentle with it.
 
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