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      08-30-2013, 09:03 PM   #1
donoman
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The Z4 2.5i is the best car EVER

Top down, 75mph on the freeway, Friday afternoon after work... I just smile and realize how much I love this car. I have owned MANY cars, many BMW's. I have a 1990 911 Carrera 2, and just sold my E39M5. I've owned E36M3's, Miata R-pkg, E46's, Lexus IS300, and the Z4 takes the cake for a great everyday car. Not the best weekend car, maybe, but for the daily grind, this thing ROCKS!!!

Under the car, you immediately see how much engineering went into the chassis. So much bracing you will swear they were paranoid. Solid as a rock, yet supple and great handling. That is a quality that the Miata and S2000's are lacking. Quiet!!! This is a convertible and I can have a conversation and do 8 hour days in the saddle. This Z4 is a real road car and perfect for me.

2.5L 5sp (yes, maybe a 3.0 is better) so it gets great gas mileage but still enough pull at 75mph in 5th gear to feel fun. I average 25MPG with spirited driving. With the CDV removed, it shifts great and is so engaging to rev through all the gears. Yes, I've owned faster cars, but it's all about the balance that this car brings to the table. It's not a hotrodded family car. This car is so easy to drive, I was actually able to teach my girlfriend how to drive manual transmission on it!!! This is a car made for real roads and real fun.

Enough parts overlap with E46's so the parts are cheap and there is a huge knowledge base surrounding them. Cheap aux input solution (See: mini aux adapter). The motor isn't cracked out and on the brink of destruction (see: S62 V8). Just enough oomph and nothing more. In a package that won't leave you stranded on the side of the road or at the mechanic every few months (knock on wood).

And that ass. I love this car.
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      08-31-2013, 09:44 PM   #2
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It is a heck of a lot of fun. I actually bought it BECAUSE it was simpler. No sport mode, nothing fancy inside. When I drive it, it's just a stripped down experience. Motor, 5 speed, radio, top down. That's all I wanted. I've considered the M because of the power, but the 2.5 is so much fun, why bother. Cheers!
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      08-31-2013, 09:47 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by donoman View Post
Top down, 75mph on the freeway, Friday afternoon after work... I just smile and realize how much I love this car. I have owned MANY cars, many BMW's. I have a 1990 911 Carrera 2, and just sold my E39M5. I've owned E36M3's, Miata R-pkg, E46's, Lexus IS300, and the Z4 takes the cake for a great everyday car. Not the best weekend car, maybe, but for the daily grind, this thing ROCKS!!!

Under the car, you immediately see how much engineering went into the chassis. So much bracing you will swear they were paranoid. Solid as a rock, yet supple and great handling. That is a quality that the Miata and S2000's are lacking. Quiet!!! This is a convertible and I can have a conversation and do 8 hour days in the saddle. This Z4 is a real road car and perfect for me.

2.5L 5sp (yes, maybe a 3.0 is better) so it gets great gas mileage but still enough pull at 75mph in 5th gear to feel fun. I average 25MPG with spirited driving. With the CDV removed, it shifts great and is so engaging to rev through all the gears. Yes, I've owned faster cars, but it's all about the balance that this car brings to the table. It's not a hotrodded family car. This car is so easy to drive, I was actually able to teach my girlfriend how to drive manual transmission on it!!! This is a car made for real roads and real fun.

Enough parts overlap with E46's so the parts are cheap and there is a huge knowledge base surrounding them. Cheap aux input solution (See: mini aux adapter). The motor isn't cracked out and on the brink of destruction (see: S62 V8). Just enough oomph and nothing more. In a package that won't leave you stranded on the side of the road or at the mechanic every few months (knock on wood).

And that ass. I love this car.
Great Review! I was looking into getting a 2003 2.5l, and was wondering what kind of leather does the car come with?
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      09-01-2013, 08:18 AM   #4
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Great post! Yes, the 2.5i is a fun car, and enough so that it won't get you in trouble, but will still provide that smile from driving a fun roadster. The M54, while not the quickest from a stop, will get you north of 100 from 60 mph in no time, and will keep on pulling into the 120's while screaming a wonderful note from the exhaust. To top it off, routine maintenance is fairly easy and fun too.
A nice set of wheels will do wonders for the aesthetics, and if you ever want to dive into the suspension, there are several options that make the car that much more fun.
Here's mine after installing ST Coil-overs a few weeks ago:


And yes, that ass...
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      09-01-2013, 10:21 AM   #5
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^ Love it! Good to see a 2.5 love thread.
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      09-02-2013, 08:20 AM   #6
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Hi
Had to laugh as I read this post. It's exactly why I bought the 2.5. I don't want to race others, I don't want to be able to say I have the fastest; I just want to enjoy the ride.
I've had the car less than a year and if I go more than two days without driving it I get really antsy and have to take it out on the road.
What I enjoy most is the precise handling, better than any car that I personally have driven.
The only problem I have is that I have to store it six months of the year.

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      09-02-2013, 11:33 AM   #7
donoman
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Yes! Those wheels do look the business!!! My Z4 is pretty much all stock, and it's still a lot of fun. My main problem with most convertibles is cowl shake, noise and size (I'm a big dude). Somehow the Z4 still manages to be sophisticated even when topless. I guess there is a stripper analogy in there somewhere!!!

Accent, how about some studded tires ;-)
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      09-02-2013, 01:13 PM   #8
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No arguments from me!



One of the sweetest looking Z4s in my town is a bright red 2.5i with 18 inch CSL reproduction rims. It turns heads everywhere it goes.
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      09-02-2013, 03:40 PM   #9
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Op hit the nail on the head, 2.5 is my commuter and I love it, rough day at office? Drop the top and enjoy the commute. Got it in 05 and drive the wheels off, wouldn't do that in an m
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      09-03-2013, 08:39 AM   #10
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hi donoman
Sorry, studded tires are illegal in Ontario.
The only way around the winter is to head South, have considered doing that, taking the car to S Carolina in November, storing it there and then in January take it out of storage and drive it till Spring comes back to Ontario.
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      04-16-2014, 05:38 PM   #11
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Guys, I joined the dark side and got an M Coupe.

I had been driving it for 3 days since buying it and finally gave my 2.5i a spin to work today... I still love driving it. It's a much more friendly experience and easier to drive all around. Shifter is easier, clutch is easier, steering is easier, suspension is more forgiving. Sure the motor isn't as powerful as the M Coupe but it's still what I consider good enough.

I just liked the 2.5i so much that I eventually settled on getting a Coupe too.
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      04-17-2014, 08:25 AM   #12
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Glad to see the appreciation of "lower" models in the BMW line. As the OP said, it's about balance. BMW does a great job with its base models and we often fail to appreciate that when we have M this, Alpina that, etc. Stay the course, you made a great choice!
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      04-17-2014, 07:30 PM   #13
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You took the words out of my mouth. I've had mine for five years and never even once have I wished for more power. The balance of the 2.5 is perfect.
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      04-17-2014, 09:02 PM   #14
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I fully agree with Donoman. At 54 years of age, I bought my Z4 about 8 months ago and use it as my dd. Every time I get in the car I have a big smile on my face. I love this car.
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      04-18-2014, 10:02 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by donoman View Post
Guys, I joined the dark side and got an M Coupe.

I had been driving it for 3 days since buying it and finally gave my 2.5i a spin to work today... I still love driving it. It's a much more friendly experience and easier to drive all around. Shifter is easier, clutch is easier, steering is easier, suspension is more forgiving. Sure the motor isn't as powerful as the M Coupe but it's still what I consider good enough.

I just liked the 2.5i so much that I eventually settled on getting a Coupe too.
Z addiction, love it,

Join in on some more fun, https://www.facebook.com/groups/ZSCCACalifornia/
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      04-18-2014, 01:08 PM   #16
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I loved my 2.5i. It was such a great car, easy to toss around, no stress, low maintenance, gearbox felt much better than the M. There really is nothing wrong with that car and would recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat.
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