So you know Z4's ? Then tell me about this

[raul1]

First post , new member! Please make me feel welcome here..

Im in the market for my 1st Z4. Looking at a pre owned 06 3.0si in decent condition..

Details here
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...20589671&Log=0

Questions:
What's a good price to shoot for ? 18k?
What are things i need to check for (inspection) in this type of car ?
In general, what are your thoughts on this car ?
I'm a bit concerned about 60k miles on the car. Does the performance
start to deteriorate at >50k for such cars ?
Is there a 60k checklist for scheduled maintenance ?

Thanks a lot

[All American 6]

Looks like it's fully loaded except extended leather. Those M seats are nice.

There's 18 for sale within a 100 miles (7 of those are black).

Take it to a shop you know for an inspection. They can quickly tell if there has been any paint work. There's no record of maintenance on the car fax.

The guy is probably not going to lower his price by $1800. If it's really what you want I wouldn't let $1000 stop me from having it.

[KLH]

It appears the present owner bought it a couple of years ago and has put 34K miles on it. Looks like a nice car. Have you looked at in person? A PPI is always recommended...even if you know what to look for. Good Luck.

[Doctor Jeff]

That looks like a decent price if in good shape. Subtract for any items which are broken or not in good shape, even lights, cupholders, etc., as these can be difficult to find and pricy to replace. (e.g., fog lights ~$100 each, rear light $120, etc.)

The mileage should not dissuade you, and you should not expect any appreciable deterioration in function even at 100,000 miles IF the car has been properly maintained. Mine has 93,000 and drives and handles like a charm. Ride is a little rough, but I don't imagine it was much better when new. :-/

I would check to make sure no accidents, all maintenance done by a reputable shop and up to date. You could have a BMW shop inspect it for a modest charge. Watch out for leaky transmission and oil filter housing seals, as these can be expensive and lead to major problems. Obviously make sure belts are OK.

Overall these are very reliable engines and chassis compared to other vehicles, with the exception of the usual stuff and a few problems that are common to the inline 6 M54/N52engines (i.e., seals which deteriorate over time).

[raul1]

I drove the car. Seemed Ok. Here is my dilema

I have a sporty car as a DD and this is more of a pleasure car. I just did not get the "wow" factor in the z4 as i was expecting.

from a performance perspective, do i then need to look at either the z4m or other cars ? any opinions on corvettes?

also, im not crazy about the sticky steering issue, lack of ipod integration and the prohibitive cost of repair on z4s.

[Doctor Jeff]

A couple of points: I have never had sticky steering. If that problem has not shown up by now, it's unlikely it will.

Not a lot of cars in 2006 had full iPod integration, but I make do with an auxiliary connector. I'm not thrilled with iPod integration on most vehicles even new BMW's because the radio menus are so confusing, especially when trying to drive. I prefer to just operate my iPhone the way I normally do - have it mounted on the dash for easy access. I access Sirius, pandora, rhapsody and of course the iPhone music player.

Re repairs, I doubt anything that would compare to a z4 performance-wise would be a cheap repair. Anybody with Corvette experience can chime in...

Re performance--IMO it takes awhile to get to know a car, especially an automatic. You have to disable all the driving nannies and shift for yourself before you see what it can really do. You can buy faster cars for about the same price but I doubt you will find a car that handles better short of a Porsche. The American-made muscle cars just don't handle that well.

IMO the z4 is a rare combination of styling and performance.

[raul1]

Thanks doctorjeff. I did not get to fully explore the handling of the car, the owner was sitting right by me so i was conservating on braking and turning. I did get to accelerate the car boldly and that was where the car fell well short in my experience. also the car did not seem to be as sticky to the ground as i expected

[Doctor Jeff]

Acceleration with the 3.0 engine is very good in my experience. Zero to 60 in 5.5 seconds is not too shabby, also 60 to 100 is sweet. Again, you can buy a faster car, but not with handling of Z4 and especially gas mileage. You show me a car that will accelerate as fast getting 30 mpg. Hard to come by.

Re' stickiness--it is very sticky for the most part (depending on tires of course), but there is enough oversteer when you corner tight you can throw the tail out easily. Once you get used to it it is fun and a real crowd pleaser. Also a great car for wet weather--no problems with sliding at all if you drive like a reasonable person.

You can gather from what I've written that this car rewards an experienced driver. It does not drive itself as much as other cars like the 3 series automatics with steering assist. The downside is after a day of driving around 60-80 miles between hospitals in Omaha I can be pretty worn out! The upside is that every drive is enjoyable and I always feel alert and engaged, which helps avoid accidents. IMO.

[santov]

I wouldn't sweat 60k miles. The only degrading of performance would be lack of maintenance.

It looks to be in great shape. If I bought it I'd swap all the fluids, filters and plugs. That's what I did for my 2007 3.0si when I bought it with 24k miles. Granted not everything needed replacing, but I wanted to learn about my new used car. Runs like a champ!

[raul1]

Yup, spirited 0-60. Does the engine/performance deteriorate after a certain amount of miles ? I'd be more confident paying more for a 40k miles car than 60k miles car.

The car had Michelin runflats on it with a good amt of tread left. Did not get a great feel though.

In general, do folks here buy extended warranty (BMW or 3rd party) ?

[-c-]

Well bought mine at around 29k miles and now have 63k miles and it's still as tight as a drum.

Just keep up on the scheduled maintenance and you should be fine other than just normal where and tear items. It shares a lot with the e46 3 series so parts aren't outrageous. All in all it's a very stable car. The M's are quicker and more raw but it does come with a price. As the maitenence is a little more involved where the N 52 is pretty rock solid, minus the lifter thing lol.....

Plus parts will cost you more for the M in the long run.

But if it doesn't give you that wow factor keep looking ..... Otherwise every time you pay that car note unless your paying cash you will wish you waited for the right one....

Bought a CPO and it's paid off in a big way. Not sure of 3rd party players though but I don't hear the best things ....

Also noted you drove an auto, driving a manual may give you more driving pleasure unless your sold on an auto.
The auto's are slower.

[dubsesd]

If you want a quicker car with more "wow" and prefer paying a premium for a car with lower milage then look for a z4m

[raul1]

What about the 09+ models ? Do they drive any differently from the older gen ?
Can someone here compare / contrast the Z4 with the Corvette or Boxster ?

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by raul1

What about the 09+ models ? Do they drive any differently from the older gen ?

Yes. Turbo vs. NA engine. Different suspension. Heavier. Retractable hardtop. More compliant ride. Less raw. Go drive both, very different cars. Both are quite nice, and offer pros/cons. Depends on what you're looking for in a car.

Originally Posted by raul1

Can someone here compare / contrast the Z4 with the Corvette or Boxster ?

Which Boxster? The Gen II Boxster or the Gen I? If Gen I (Cayman or Boxster) I there are issues. Boxsters pre 06 have IMS failures and other issues. Gen I Cayman S seems to have a high number of engine failures. On the track "ice pedal" has been a problem for some (brakes don't work) and power steering system is know to overheat and melt. (I owned a Cayman S Gen I at one point.) On the plus side great handling, great steering, and on the road really good brakes and brake pedal feel. Check Planet-9 for more info on these things.

Gen II Boxsters and Caymans were redesigned, totally new engine, and don't suffer from these issues. Again, Planet-9 is your friend on those cars.