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      12-11-2018, 09:26 PM   #1
Rapidrunner
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Should I buy Z4 with 91K miles?

Don't own the Z4 yet (but probably will). I have been looking at Z4 coupes while working in Japan, for the last 2 1/2 months (returning home soon) wondering how I was going to get a pre purchase inspection done remotely, no listings in Northern Idaho. Then today I received an alert that the BMW dealership less than 20 miles from my house received a 2007 Z4 coupe trade-in with sport and premium packages. Great! But it has 91,516 miles on it, I had wanted something in the 50K to 60K range. Too early to talk about a Carfax yet, but after reading many online, most are better than nothing, the ones with thorough maintenance records are rare. Assuming a pre purchase inspection doesn't reveal anything beyond what $1K could take care of, is buying this a good idea?
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      12-11-2018, 10:02 PM   #2
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If the car has lived its life in Idaho, I would be concerned with how driving it on salted roads has treated the car. I sheet metal may be in good shape rust wise, but all the rest of the metal parts may have not fared was well. There's a huge difference in the condition of the exterior parts from a car from a salt belt belt compared to say a car from socal or s carolina.



Plus you never mentioned a price, so hard to say if it's worth buying. If it was well cared for, yes, if it was abused and neglected, no.


These cars are far and few between especially if it's a manual.
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      12-11-2018, 10:10 PM   #3
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M Coupe, or 3.0 si?

A thorough PPI is a must, but in all honesty, if $1K in maintenance budget is a deal breaker for you, you're going to be in for a bad time w/ any 11 year old car, much less an 11 year old German car, much less an 11 year old German car w/ close to 100,000 miles on it.

At that age, almost everything is a consumable - brake components, dampers, springs, clutch, guibo, A/C compressor, etc. - have all done their time. So be ready to spend.

What I've learned w/ BMWs - (2003 330i and 2007 Z4MC) is decide on the body and chassis. Is it rust free? Is it accident free? Is it stock (vs. modded and hooned)? If it passes those 3 tests, and is in reasonable mechanical shape, then that's about as good as you're going to get w/o an extended, long search.

Anyway - where I'm going with this is - plan on it being an ongoing expense, and accept that you'll pay it because you're passionate about the vehicle; BUT - if you're going to be passionate about it, get the RIGHT one. Don't settle for one because its close. Wait for what you want, and purchase a vehicle you'll feel good about spending money on.
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      12-11-2018, 10:12 PM   #4
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Also, welcome to the club! By even knowing that these cars exist, and expressing an interest in owning one, you are part of a small but dedicated community. I've only been here a few months, but there is a very engaged and supportive owner and vendor community around the Z4 that makes ownership all the more rewarding.
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      12-11-2018, 11:17 PM   #5
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Thanks for the guidance and greetings. The car is a si, not the money or wife for a M. The one mitigation for ongoing expenses I have, is that the last sports car I had, a supercharged MR2, is that in nine years I only put 10K miles on it. So definitely not a daily driver. But I understand, no getting around that 91K mile thing. Last year I found a 2016 MB with only 10K miles, at the right price, and was willing to fly to L.A. and drive it home without a PPI, but the complicated logistics of conscientiously buying a 10 or 11 year old used car in another part of the country is discouraging. Thanks again.
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      12-11-2018, 11:18 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by winnipegz4m View Post
Don't settle for one because its close. Wait for what you want, and purchase a vehicle you'll feel good about spending money on.
That entire post was excellent, and the final point was especially on-point. DO NOT SETTLE! Take the time to find the right car.

As for this 91k-mile car, if it passes all those tests, the other one I'd be concerned about is maintenance history. If it's somewhat complete, and if the dealer is willing to do the Inspection 1 service that's due about now, then this car might be a solid choice, at the right price of course.
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      12-11-2018, 11:31 PM   #7
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Love the "not the money or wife for a M" line. I wait until my Wife goes out of town to buy parts.
I DD my sports cars. I sold (actually gave away) my '88 MR2 SC after 22 years and 225k miles.
I now have 186k miles on the Z and it still runs great (but looks like hell).
But it hasn't exactly been cheap or easy.
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      12-12-2018, 11:41 AM   #8
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I get full support from the wife or I don't make a move. Thankfully, she's fully supportive of anything automotive I've wanted to do.

I made the decision to find another Z4MC recently after missing my original since I sold it in 2015. I pulled money out of my IRA to do it - money that was a huge paper gain on Apple stock that I'd bought in 2010 & 2011 and not sold any of to that point. I got out at $213 and it immediately started to plummet - which is fine other than the fact that I still have about 2/3rds of it left and need to see that price rise again - which I'm sure it will.

I did the math and my original, split-adjusted cost for the stock that I raised $34.5k from to buy the coupe was about $5k. Quite a bargain.
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      12-12-2018, 12:31 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rapidrunner View Post
Thanks for the guidance and greetings. The car is a si, not the money or wife for a M. The one mitigation for ongoing expenses I have, is that the last sports car I had, a supercharged MR2, is that in nine years I only put 10K miles on it. So definitely not a daily driver. But I understand, no getting around that 91K mile thing. Last year I found a 2016 MB with only 10K miles, at the right price, and was willing to fly to L.A. and drive it home without a PPI, but the complicated logistics of conscientiously buying a 10 or 11 year old used car in another part of the country is discouraging. Thanks again.
Yes - I bought mine site unseen, and had to fly to get it - but I had the benefit of a very cooperative seller, and a good local garage - the seller was willing to take the car to the garage and leave it there for a few weeks for PPI and some work to get done (on my dime) - not every seller will be willing to make the effort to make a distance purchase make sense.
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      12-23-2018, 03:59 PM   #10
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Apologies for the possible late response, but I'd like to give you my opinion. My discussion is assuming the Z4 you are interested in is a 3.0si Coupe. I have a 2006 E90 325i and a 2008 Z4 3.0si Coupe. Both cars use BMW's N52 naturally aspirated in-line six. My Coupe just passed 91,000 miles. I bought it from CarMax () 4 years ago with 23,000 miles on the clock. A significant point to understand is my E90 has 361,000 miles on it. I've owned the E90 since new (3 miles). I've wrenched all my own cars for 40 years so I know the N52 very well and the Z4 Coupe chassis very well.

Based on the 4 years I've had my Z4 and the 70K I've run it, I can tell you it is probably one of the most stout cars BMW has ever made. I've been around BMWs for 40 years (most all have been 3 series) and the build quality of the Z4 Coupe is excellent. My Z4 has the extended leather package and the sport package with the M sport seats, and even with little care the interior hasn't aged a bit in the 4 years I've had it. Mechanically, it's the same. I'm do for spark plugs at 100,000. Other than that I've changed the oil 7 times, and the airfilter twice (the 2nd just recently). The N52 in the Z4 is as robust as the less powerful one in my E90. The N52 in my E90 still pulls as good as the day I bought it in May 2006. I see no reason the higher out put N52 of the Z4 would not be any less reliable. If the car you are considering hasn't been totally abused and reasonably well maintained and the price is around $14K you should seriously consider the car. If you do get the Z4 and don't have the maintenance records, then change the driveline fluids, the coolant, and the brake fluid to baseline the maintenance so you can keep track of it during your ownership.

My 2 cents.
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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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      12-25-2018, 06:18 AM   #11
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With a few minutes of detective work I found the listing of the Coupe you are interested in. The dealer just had a single photo of it so I couldn't confirm, but it's got the premium and sport package plus the M Sport seats according to the write up. You definitely want the M sport seats. It is an automatic, but maybe that is the preferable transmission for you. With the sport package comes the sport setting button that tightens up the shift points.
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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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      12-25-2018, 03:53 PM   #12
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If it helps I bought a 2005 Z4 in Scotland with 106k miles and it hasnt caused too many issues
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      12-27-2018, 01:26 AM   #13
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91k in 11 years works out to 8319 miles per year. That is low mileage in any book.
I would actually be concerned if a 10 plus year old car with only 50k has had it's rubber parts maintained, gaskets, hoses and bushings break down by years as well as mileage. If some one isn't driving their car very often, are they still maintaining it, or just parking it?
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      12-27-2018, 08:39 AM   #14
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Reliable

I am surprised at the number who seem to be worried about maintenance costs for a Z4. I do not want to sound as if it is not important, but my 2003 2.5 has cost me approximately $400 in maintenance items, besides the usual oil changes, brake and rad flushes.
This is the eighth season I have owned the car and put approximately 5000km on it each year. It had just turned the 100,000 mile mark before I put it away for this year.
I have not owned a more reliable car than this one, though I do not treat my cars rough nor do I skip scheduled maintenance.
If I were to buy a Z4 again, the documented maintenance of the car would be the thing I would demand
If maintained, I believe the Z4 is a very reliable car.
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      12-27-2018, 08:59 AM   #15
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I have almost 140k miles on mine with no major issues. Just basic normal stuff that happens with age. I don't feel it's a very expensive car to maintain, I've actually been surprised how reliable and cheap it is to repair.
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      12-30-2018, 08:37 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WAMz4 View Post
91k in 11 years works out to 8319 miles per year. That is low mileage in any book.
I would actually be concerned if a 10 plus year old car with only 50k has had it's rubber parts maintained, gaskets, hoses and bushings break down by years as well as mileage. If some one isn't driving their car very often, are they still maintaining it, or just parking it?
I bought my 2008 3.0si Coupe in December 2014. The build date is November 2007, so it was 7 years old when I acquired it. The original owner drove it 23,000 miles from sometime between January 2008 though October 2014 (when I found it at CarMax), so around 3,500 miles/year. I've now had it 4 years and it's parked outside in a carport, it has 91,000 miles on it now. I have a lift, so I inspect the car thoroughly several times a year during routine maintenance and tire rotations. The oil pan, valve cover, and OFHG are bone dry (I have a 12-year old very high mileage E90 with the N52, so I'm very familiar with the N52 drivetrain). The transmission output shaft seal and shift-rod seal are bone dry as are the 3 differential seals.

All hoses and rubber door seals and window seals are still soft and flexible. I've treated the window seals once with silicone once just to see if it made a difference. Biggest issue I have is the hatch struts are weakening and will need replacement soon.

I have a friend with a 2007 Z4 roadster. His windshield trim disintegrated. He just replaced it. I think it was over-treated with Armor-all, which dries out rubber.

Obviously, every car is subject to the environment it lives in, my car was from Columbus, Ohio and now resides in Central, Virginia. A car from the south west or north east may be different, but my car is in great shape regarding seals, gaskets, and rubber components.
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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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      01-07-2019, 10:07 AM   #17
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I have had my 2004 3.0 for about 8-9 years now, bought it at 80k, now has about 110k on it (summer car only). I haven't really had too many issues, and wouldn't be concerned buying the car again if I trusted the seller and had service records.

My car's issues:
1 - Randomly started misfiring, mechanics couldn't figure it out but went away on its own. Possibly bad gas.
2 - Soft top motor drain holes plugged and corroded motor - took out, cleaned up the corrosion and it has worked fine ever since
3 - Radiator Expansion tank had a tiny pinhole leak - fairly easy process to change out.
4 - Someone popped their hitch through my bumper in a parking lot - replacement used rear bumper cover on ebay was an easy fix.
5 - Console top latch squeak - took apart and sprayed with teflon.
6 - Airbag checklight - used a special code reader to reset the Airbag sensor and it hasn't come back on.
7 - Rear springs look corroded at base and will need get replaced soon.
8 - Battery terminal accident disconnect sensor had an issue causing check engine light. Used a resistor so the sensor would think its fine, and disconnect.
9 - Serpentine belts replaced, Fluids to happen soon.
10 - Steering wheel "catch" in hot weather -seems to have a catch point in the travel of the steering wheel that takes extra pressure to overcome. Liekly a servo issue and a bigger fix than I cared to take on. Went away on its own except for in very hot weather, still a little annoying.
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