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11-04-2023, 09:23 PM | #1 |
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Z4M with 120k miles for $16.75k or 3.0si with 65k miles for $13k
Having a bit of a dilemma.
I've been in the market for a clean manual e85 3.0si for the past several weeks and managed to find a super clean one with 65k miles in black (but sadly without sport seats) about 15 hours from me for $13k. However, I also managed to stumble upon an imola red Z4M roadster with a stellar service history with 120k miles. It's about 8 hours from me and near my gf's parents so it would be easy to get. The road bearings haven't been done yet, so I was able to get him to go down to $16.75k. Now I'm torn on which is the better choice. Obviously ignoring price and mileage, the M is the obvious choice as the better car and can still be driven at 8/10ths relatively legally, but then everyone describes the 3.0si as an absolute sweetheart with just the right amount of power to drive 10/10ths and the N52 as a bit more bulletproof than the S54. I have more than enough money to buy both and to do the rod bearings if I go with the M or upgrade the seats if I go with the 3.0si, but is an M with twice as many miles and for $4k more a better choice than the 3.0si? I guess the ultimate difference is the market for each, since I can afford both. Basically, if I own the M for 3 years and then sell it with 150k miles (hoping I'll love it so much I won't sell it that soon), would the resale value be better than the 3.0si's in 3 years and at that point 105k miles? Basically the real cost to own calculation. If it seems like I would lose less on an M with 150k miles than a 3.0si with 105k miles (again, not necessarily planning to sell but a cost of ownership), then I would probably go with the M, but I can't tell if the $16.75k price tag positions me well or not. Is 120k miles a lot for an S54 after the rod bearings are done that nobody would wanna touch if in several years for resale? I don't think I'd be upset with the experience of the 3.0si at all, but then an M would be all the better. The red is also much prettier than the black imo. Thanks! Need to decide soon before either get bought up so appreciate your thoughts. I guess at the end of the day for me it doesn't come down to experience, I'd love both, but rather better value for money and/or longevity of the engine at their respective mileages. |
11-05-2023, 09:42 AM | #3 |
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With my past experience owning a 3.0si roadster, M roadster, and currently an M coupe, if this is going to be an extra weekend fun car. I would pick the M variant even with those miles, imo its a raw visceral feeling a more racecar type. If its going to be a daily driver primary car the 3.0si roadster, lively enough to be fun but more liveable for daily, mpg consumption, and cheaper overall cost/maintenance. Either are great choices and can be both driven daily if you chose! Welcome to the ZPost!
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11-05-2023, 11:22 AM | #4 |
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It will boil down to which side of your brain will be making the ultimate decision? The emotional side would say M while the logical side always goes for the Si.
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11-10-2023, 04:17 PM | #5 |
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You said it yourself: you can afford to buy both. Do it. The cars are different enough and comparing them one on one is a real kick. I did it with coupes. And, by the way, the M is not the "better" car. It's the "other" car.
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11-10-2023, 04:35 PM | #6 |
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I love my M coupe but I have also driven a friends 3.0si and it was nothing to sneeze at, I kept up easily with the rest of the Z4M's on a 2 hr spirited drive.
I was quite impressed with it, it was lots of fun to drive.
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TRiCC264.50 E93Seattle (Racerbruce)799.50 |
11-11-2023, 10:04 PM | #8 | |
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For a daily driver, the si is the more civilized better choice and more than capable, but as a 2nd car for fun, it is the ///M FTW... It's amazing how different these 2 cars are from each other. The best advice I can give to the OP is drive both and decide. |
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11-12-2023, 01:48 PM | #10 |
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Some SI reviews:
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...ake-road-test/ http://www.moto123.com/imprimer_article.spy?artid=90628 Good luck with the hunt! |
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11-12-2023, 07:43 PM | #11 |
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The motors are somewhat the same up until the SI tach says stop and the M says GO. Many people don't get up there. If I had an M, I would live there.
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11-12-2023, 09:42 PM | #12 |
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The M does rev higher but it also has more torque in general. The 3.0si just sings sweetly all the the way through. I’ll keep saying it — they are two very different experiences.
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11-12-2023, 10:04 PM | #13 |
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I had a 130i which had the si engine, and I remapped it and had the OE performance exhaust and intake, and never it came close to the S54, as. Sweet as the N52 is, is nothing like the S54.
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11-13-2023, 10:35 AM | #14 | |
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I guess my main point is that, when I had both cars, I had a hard time deciding which set of keys to grab when heading out for a drive. They're both great; different, but great. |
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Efthreeoh17315.00 |
11-13-2023, 05:19 PM | #15 |
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8/10ths vs. 10/10ths... legally...(?)...
So, you mean driven on the street. I have a 3.0si Coupe. If you drive the 3.0si at 10/10ths on the street, you'll eventually end up in jail. Yup, the M is much faster because it has more HP and a slightly better suspension, but the N52 E85 has plenty of power for the chassis and on back country roads will not get lost from the M version. You can only go so fast on the street. My 2 cents. |
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11-13-2023, 08:19 PM | #16 | |
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Not even speaking of reliability |
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11-14-2023, 07:15 AM | #18 |
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From the Car and Driver article I poster a link to, above:
“The suspension tweaks improve the ride while maintaining the great handling. In fact, we think the 3.0si more nimbly changes direction than an M roadster, largely due to the lighter engine over its nose.” |
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11-15-2023, 06:33 AM | #19 | |
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And I'm no stranger to BMW steering systems after at-that-time being a 26-year BMW veteran. I know you prefer the hydraulic Z4, but the electric system is a very good emulation to fluid-assist, unlike later EPS systems from BMW (cough.. cough... F30).
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A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."
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11-15-2023, 02:39 PM | #20 | ||
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11-17-2023, 05:35 AM | #22 | |
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The EPS in my Bronco is quite good as well; yes, it's an ORV but within the perspective of that vehicle type, the EPS well executed by Ford. |
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