Facebook , very tidy looking Z4 2.5 , just had service and mot, no advisories. 52k miles. New roof motor. £ 4250.
Z3 or Z4? I'm weighing things up....
- Thread starter BoxClever
- Start date
That’s a better car already Ken. Does it says if the roof motor was relocated in the boot?
Tony.
Tony.
I think I’m waiting on his reply
My 2c worth having recently acquired an e85 M and still owning a 1998 2.8 Z3 . While not a standard E85 there are many similarities .
I actually drove the Z3 to work today after driving the Z4 a bit this week.
The answer is it depends on what you want and what you enjoy. My 3 has had a suspension refresh including poly axle beam bushes and the front control arm bushes from a Z3m so its is handling nicely.
To me the 3 is much more of a raw roadster than the 4. There is more steering feel and the rack is quicker even than the Z4m. I can feel the road surface very clearly though the wheel and there is a lot of feeling in the car overall as to what is going on.
Limits are lower than the 4 but about matching my talent so in either case I run out of talent before the car does.
I feel more out in the open in the 3 and I can use pretty much all the power most of the time without anyone really noticing. After driving the 4m I do however find myself waiting for the horsepower fairy to arrive!
I considered selling the 3 but the cars are just so different from each other that I feel that they have their own niche.
Internally the 3 feels bigger (not as a car just interior room) and its interior storage space is definitely better than the 4. I also think the interior has aged very well and to me still looks elegant. It feels like an old school open sports car and i feel very engaged with the elements.
The 4 is more modern in every way. I feel more enclosed and protected. It also feels more solid however I don't get the same attached to the road & elements feeling I get in the 3. The clutch is much heavier (this might be an M thing) and it is very planted. I do think the interior has aged worse than the 3 and it has almost nowhere to put anything once you are in there.
An E85 4 is probably a better daily than than the 3 but I love them both.
If I had to choose between a 3 liter Z3 and a non M E85 it would be a tough choice. For me anyway.
Good luck.
PS the 3 is a lot easier to work on for simple things and has good aftermarket support still.
I actually drove the Z3 to work today after driving the Z4 a bit this week.
The answer is it depends on what you want and what you enjoy. My 3 has had a suspension refresh including poly axle beam bushes and the front control arm bushes from a Z3m so its is handling nicely.
To me the 3 is much more of a raw roadster than the 4. There is more steering feel and the rack is quicker even than the Z4m. I can feel the road surface very clearly though the wheel and there is a lot of feeling in the car overall as to what is going on.
Limits are lower than the 4 but about matching my talent so in either case I run out of talent before the car does.
I feel more out in the open in the 3 and I can use pretty much all the power most of the time without anyone really noticing. After driving the 4m I do however find myself waiting for the horsepower fairy to arrive!
I considered selling the 3 but the cars are just so different from each other that I feel that they have their own niche.
Internally the 3 feels bigger (not as a car just interior room) and its interior storage space is definitely better than the 4. I also think the interior has aged very well and to me still looks elegant. It feels like an old school open sports car and i feel very engaged with the elements.
The 4 is more modern in every way. I feel more enclosed and protected. It also feels more solid however I don't get the same attached to the road & elements feeling I get in the 3. The clutch is much heavier (this might be an M thing) and it is very planted. I do think the interior has aged worse than the 3 and it has almost nowhere to put anything once you are in there.
An E85 4 is probably a better daily than than the 3 but I love them both.
If I had to choose between a 3 liter Z3 and a non M E85 it would be a tough choice. For me anyway.
Good luck.
PS the 3 is a lot easier to work on for simple things and has good aftermarket support still.
A mazda MX-5 recently dissapeard quickly into a very small dot out in the Yorkshire Dales recently 
There's a case for every model in the Zed range and an infinite number of variables that could be applied to the decision of buying one - obviously you know that hence the original request.
I'm on my 12th Zed since 2018 and in that time I've had everything from the 140bhp M44 to the 340bhp S54 engine.
For me I've landed in a 2010 E89 23i for 2 main reasons - sound & comfort.
As much as I loved the Z3 with the M44 engine I hated the sound of the 4 cylinder E89 I had and across all the variants I realised that the sound of the car was a really big factor for me. I was really close to sticking with a Z3 2.2 Sport which was a great sounding car but the 23i E89 came along and I couldn’t resist.
All that said with a £4k budget and need for daily use I think you only have one choice - the E85. If it was me I'd be looking to buy a pre-facelift version with the M54 engine - they all sound great so you really can't go wrong with the 2.2, 2.5 or 3.0 (yes I've had them all) so buy on condition and maintenance and try to hold out for one with an exterior / interior colour combination you like.
Finally if at all possible get one with the 107's and avoid the 108's - for me the 107's really suit the car and although the 108's look nice they are really expensive to refurb.
Most importantly have fun in the search - at some of the price points on offer these cars represent great value for money and it can be really hard to resist.
Now pass me the classifieds - after all that I think I need to start the search for my next steed
I'm on my 12th Zed since 2018 and in that time I've had everything from the 140bhp M44 to the 340bhp S54 engine.
For me I've landed in a 2010 E89 23i for 2 main reasons - sound & comfort.
As much as I loved the Z3 with the M44 engine I hated the sound of the 4 cylinder E89 I had and across all the variants I realised that the sound of the car was a really big factor for me. I was really close to sticking with a Z3 2.2 Sport which was a great sounding car but the 23i E89 came along and I couldn’t resist.
All that said with a £4k budget and need for daily use I think you only have one choice - the E85. If it was me I'd be looking to buy a pre-facelift version with the M54 engine - they all sound great so you really can't go wrong with the 2.2, 2.5 or 3.0 (yes I've had them all) so buy on condition and maintenance and try to hold out for one with an exterior / interior colour combination you like.
Finally if at all possible get one with the 107's and avoid the 108's - for me the 107's really suit the car and although the 108's look nice they are really expensive to refurb.
Most importantly have fun in the search - at some of the price points on offer these cars represent great value for money and it can be really hard to resist.
Now pass me the classifieds - after all that I think I need to start the search for my next steed
Thanks mate. I think I have settled on either a 2.2 or 2.5 M54 variant of a prefacelift E85 - if I decide to do it.
Had a loss in the family today so may be taking a bit more time to come back to this.
Thanks for everyone’s input, it’s definitely helped
Cars will still be there. Condolences on the loss in the family.
Tony.
Tony.
Sorry for the lossThanks mate. I think I have settled on either a 2.2 or 2.5 M54 variant of a prefacelift E85 - if I decide to do it.
Had a loss in the family today so may be taking a bit more time to come back to this.
Thanks for everyone’s input, it’s definitely helped