Z4M running costs advice

[srhutch]

In the 3 1/2 years I've had mine it's cost me just over £80 per month.

Insurance
Tax (8 months a year)
Oil service
Inspection 2 (early, could have left it a year or two)
2 brake fluid changes
3 mots

Only thing not added is fuel, super unleaded for around 5k mileage in that time.

 

[beanie]

Oh yeah, tax, I forgot to add that in! No wonder I was pleasantly surprised

 

[Bing]

As I'm doing 14-15k miles a year in mine I refuse to do these maths - it'll hurt my head and spoil the fun as I'll have services once a year, way more on consumables like tyres and brakes, and my insurance is way higher than most. Well except Adamski's

Though at least half the fuel is funded by expenses, which is something I guess.

 

[MickAdams]

Just highlighting this, seems quite steep to me, my guy charged £26 for a brake fluid change

Is that just the cost of the fluid though? I'm not sure exactly what it cost when I had the M done, but on my other cars it's always cost around £80-100, although that's normally with main stealers It's actually due soon, so I'll find out

 

[srhutch]

Just highlighting this, seems quite steep to me, my guy charged £26 for a brake fluid change

Is that just the cost of the fluid though? I'm not sure exactly what it cost when I had the M done, but on my other cars it's always cost around £80-100, although that's normally with main stealers It's actually due soon, so I'll find out

Most indi's are around £50-60. Down south anyway.

 

[jimmybell]

Excluding fuel + mods, in my two years of ownership i'm on around £280/month for around 7k miles/yr. Upcoming this year i'll be doing some tyres and brakes no doubt that will continue that trend. It's not that much really, for the car you get (and i had a chunky bill to fix BMW's f**ckup).

 

[MickAdams]

As I'm doing 14-15k miles a year in mine I refuse to do these maths - it'll hurt my head and spoil the fun

Fair enough, maybe I'm odd, but I I've always preferred to know how much things are costing me

 

[Darren Slone]

Just highlighting this, seems quite steep to me, my guy charged £26 for a brake fluid change

Is that just the cost of the fluid though? I'm not sure exactly what it cost when I had the M done, but on my other cars it's always cost around £80-100, although that's normally with main stealers It's actually due soon, so I'll find out

Hi, my labour costs for the whole service was £57.50 so part of that would be for the BF change, the £26 must've been for the BF, the stealers know how to bump up the cost, makes their free coffee more expensive than Starbucks

 

[Angelus666]

Just to add some additional colour here, I've had a new gearbox, dual mass flywheel and clutch fitted a couple of months back. The bill would have been £7k. I've also had both xenons replaced, bill would have bene over £1500. All thankfully under AUC warranty. It's going in for it's driveshaft diff replacement next month as these are seeping oil a little (which I only saw from the car being on the ramp at Dick Lovett Bristol).

As with any performance car nearing 10 years old, if you expect to drive it, then don't expect them to be 'cheap' to run. My neighbour has ploughed over £10k into his e46 M3 SMG this last 5 years.....he really hates the car for it now, but becomes pointless selling it! If you're genuinely worried about the unexpected costs of this car then you should only really buy a AUC.

 

[wantaz4m]

Just to add some additional colour here, I've had a new gearbox, dual mass flywheel and clutch fitted a couple of months back. The bill would have been £7k. I've also had both xenons replaced, bill would have bene over £1500. All thankfully under AUC warranty. It's going in for it's driveshaft diff replacement next month as these are seeping oil a little (which I only saw from the car being on the ramp at Dick Lovett Bristol).

As with any performance car nearing 10 years old, if you expect to drive it, then don't expect them to be 'cheap' to run. My neighbour has ploughed over £10k into his e46 M3 SMG this last 5 years.....he really hates the car for it now, but becomes pointless selling it! If you're genuinely worried about the unexpected costs of this car then you should only really buy a AUC.

OMG

Thats's scary without a warranty!!!

In fact it's put me off buying an M without the warranty! I was going to go buy a private one, now I am going to think twice...

 

[Crusoe]

Just to add some additional colour here, I've had a new gearbox, dual mass flywheel and clutch fitted a couple of months back. The bill would have been £7k. I've also had both xenons replaced, bill would have bene over £1500. All thankfully under AUC warranty. It's going in for it's driveshaft diff replacement next month as these are seeping oil a little (which I only saw from the car being on the ramp at Dick Lovett Bristol).

As with any performance car nearing 10 years old, if you expect to drive it, then don't expect them to be 'cheap' to run. My neighbour has ploughed over £10k into his e46 M3 SMG this last 5 years.....he really hates the car for it now, but becomes pointless selling it! If you're genuinely worried about the unexpected costs of this car then you should only really buy a AUC.

OMG

Thats's scary without a warranty!!!

In fact it's put me off buying an M without the warranty! I was going to go buy a private one, now I am going to think twice...

On the flip side I've had mine three months and only cost so far has been a £3 bulb I fitted myself and a suspected failed screen wash pump which ended up just needing a clean of the filter as a 5min job I could do myself.

On the above they could have just replaced the diff seals rather than a new diff and topped up the oil or if it was damaged a reconditioned or second hand unit would have been fitted if you didn't have a warranty. Same with gearbox, flywheel and clutch, probably not really necessary to replace them all unless BMW was picking up the bill. A gearbox rebuild could have been done or aftermarket clutch and flywheel etc. which would have reduced the bill. Any car can throw up large bills but Z4 is fairly robust especially compared to the competition (Porsche, Merc etc.)

 

[CornishRob]

Just to add some additional colour here, I've had a new gearbox, dual mass flywheel and clutch fitted a couple of months back. The bill would have been £7k. I've also had both xenons replaced, bill would have bene over £1500. All thankfully under AUC warranty. It's going in for it's driveshaft diff replacement next month as these are seeping oil a little (which I only saw from the car being on the ramp at Dick Lovett Bristol).

As with any performance car nearing 10 years old, if you expect to drive it, then don't expect them to be 'cheap' to run. My neighbour has ploughed over £10k into his e46 M3 SMG this last 5 years.....he really hates the car for it now, but becomes pointless selling it! If you're genuinely worried about the unexpected costs of this car then you should only really buy a AUC.

OMG

Thats's scary without a warranty!!!

In fact it's put me off buying an M without the warranty! I was going to go buy a private one, now I am going to think twice...

My friend has an Audi A4 2.0tdi. Over the last couple of years, he has spent literally thousands on it, I think about £6k including servicing, but not fuel or ins/tax etc. Makes my M look cheap.

He has had roughly

2 x EGR
1 x Turbo
1 x Intercooler
Part of the exhaust
Various Wheel bearings
Engine Sensors
Coolant hoses
Oil Pump + other bits (Front end strip)

Now it needs a new Clutch & Flywheel = £1200 - £1500 fitted


Basically, all cars can be expensive.

 

[mmm-five]

For anyone driving any ///M car more than about 5,000 miles a year, then I'd highly recommend a warranty.

My e34 M5s never had a warranty, but with fuel/tax/insurance they probably cost over £1000/month to do a similar mileage/duty that the Z4 does now. They were a bit worse on fuel though and really needed its 90L tank, and servicing was twice as frequent, suspension/tyres/brakes lasted half as long due to the extra weight.

The Z4 is comparatively cheap in terms of parts costs. The electronic suspension was replaced twice (at my cost) in 100,000 miles and the fronts were £800-£1200/side (when you include labour, ancillaries, etc.) as all the parts increased in price as the cars got older.

My bills under AUC/Mondial warranty include:

• Engine - £8k-£14k depending who you listen to (slight misfire, yellow EML, no other issues) + £3.5k diagnostics/fitting/labour
• Diff - £1.5k
• Wheel bearing
• Parking sensors x 3
• Washer jet
• Front n/s caliper
• Various modules for lights/wipers x 3

No clutch/flywheel, no springs, no O2 sensors (although an EML has recently come on and is being investigated when it's in for inspection).

 

[Adamski]

Insurance renewal arrived yesterday. Not paying nearly £1,000 for another year so made a few calls. Got my insurance down to £760. Good result

 

[Z4M-2006]

Why so expensive ?

 

[jimmybell]

Any decent insurer? I'm with Sky Insurance atm, but that was a battle last year as they messed me around - would like to move to someone who does London and includes trackdays should i ever venture out and do one... (dreaming..)

 

[mr wilks]

Insurance renewal arrived yesterday. Not paying nearly £1,000 for another year so made a few calls. Got my insurance down to £760. Good result

Have you tried Classicline on a future classic basis ? I paid £340 for the year with them last week & no need for NCB

 

[Adamski]

Why so expensive ?

Post code is high risk, despite the car being kept in a locked, CCTV monitored, underground car park. Also had a claim 4 years back which is still pushing the premium up.

I've got 6 yrs NCB, clean licence. I have a medical condition too, which might be pushing the premium up. Who knows...

 

[Adamski]

Oh, and all my mods are declared and insured on a like for like basis...

 

[Z4M-2006]

Aye.... i guess you have a few things going against you,although i wouldnt have thought Edinburgh was "high" risk....

London,Manchester and Birmingham must be horrendous then....lol..