My wife Sandra currently drives a 2003 Desert Sky blue T-Bird. After driving our recently purchased family car 325xi she now has the BMW bug and we are seeking to adopt a 2006+ z4. Not sure which engine to look for (2.5, 3.0, si) and/or packages to avoid. This will be her daily driver as she will sell her beloved bird (fickle females!). Must haves: Blue with tan top and interior Slush box (go figure) Any input and/or help in finding one would be appreciated ($$). v/r Andres
I'd go for a 3.0; however, the extra power may not be important to your wife. That said, it sounds like she feels color is a primary factor along with an auto tranny. That tends to narrow the field a bit. A lot depends on how far a field you are willing go to find a car, but I think the old adage applies; buy the best car you can afford. Look for maintenance records, one owner, finish and interior not worn, etc., etc. You know the drill. Take your time and look at as many as you can. There will always be another one available so don't feel like you have to buy one just because you are afraid it won't be there tomorrow. Good luck!
Get the 3.0 engine. Coming from the V8 in the T-Bird, she may not like the difference in power between the T-Bird and the 2.5 Z4. That said, both engines are great. I have the 3.0 and auto combo and it makes for an excellent daily driver combo. Fuel economy is reasonable, ease of operation is obviously simple, the power is easy to modulate and these engines tend to be reliable with basic maintenance. Figure out if heated seats matter. Mine doesn't have them and I'm fine without them. We've got them in our Jetta and simply don't use them much. In fact, as long as it's not raining, I drive top down. I turn the heater up a bit - which is plenty powerful for our Seattle "winter". Car is pretty quiet top up, too, with the double lined roof. She'll notice a BIG difference in: 1 - interior space 2 - storage space 3 - her location in relation to the corners of the car - this takes getting used to My recent shopping experience proved to me that autos boxes were easy to find around the PNW. As mentioned, shopping for color will complicate your search a bit, but Autotrader and Craigslist will help you understand you local situation pretty quickly. My shopping also confirmed for me that dealers tend to have at least $3000 mark up on cars. Mine cane down almost $4k during negotiations. While it's going to be tougher with you color demands, just be ready to walk away from any car if you are not getting the deal you want. Better to continue shopping than to overpay to have it sooner, methinks.
Take a few minutes and look at the Z4 Forums on the internet. There is a wealth of information there and will probably answer many of your questions.
Tires are key for a tolerable ride. I recommend ditching the runflats if your intended vehicle has them. FYI browse to zpost.com and look at the z4 forums there.
In 2006 that was a facelift year and the 2.5L engine was no longer available. I like the 3.0si version of the car with the wider tires, slightly more powerful engine, premium sound. In addition, if you get the sport package in the si, you get the style 108 wheels (see my car) which I think are the best standard wheels available. There are currently huge bargains on "off lease" 2006 and 2007 Z4's. You can use BMWUSA,com and do a model search for available CPO cars. Blue Z4's are awfully hard to find but I absolutely love the Blue / Tan combo. My first Z had a black top and the second had beige. I probably preferred the black top, but could not find one locally. (If you are really desperate to find what you are looking for, make me an offer!) If you are really lucky, you can find a car that has been a low mileage garage queen. When I bought my Z4 in 2009, it was off a three year lease and only had 17K miles on it. The taillights for the 2006+ years are much better than the pre facelift (pre 2006) version. If you go the CPO route, it is much more expensive, but that extended warranty is a valuable peace of mind. Make sure you get the sport package regardless of 3.0i or 3.0si. It is a lot more fun to drive that way. Ditch the runflats as fast as you can.
Thanks this is my second Montego Blue Z4. The wheels are style 108 that come standard on the 3.0si with the sports package from 2006 to 2008. By the way, Merlot is a great color as well. My first time I test drove a Z4 was when I saw a hot Merlot Z at a dealer and decided I needed to start looking to buy a Z4. They should have continued offering that color in 2006 and beyond.
2005 Z4 2.5L Si All options, except Nav, plus extras I have the perfect car for you. I purchased my Maldives Blue 2005 Z4 in August/Sept. 2005 with 7k miles on it (Certified BMW, from Steve Thomas BMW, Camarillo, CA -- original dealer seller). The salesman had sold me my previous 1995 BMW 740 iL. I traded that one in, on my dream retirement car. Trouble is, my wife does not like it, period. Oh well. I've added BMW iPhone interface cable to to make perfect match for charging. Phone Bluetooth synchronizes perfectly the the Bluetooth original factory option to complement the all options package, except Navigation. For those who know, that includes Xenon headlights, leather, power electric with heated seats, wood trim, premium sounds and everything else available, including $400 Maldives Blue paint, auto trans. New tags. Perfect condition. All records, plus extras. 11k current mileage. $23K Firm birdogger Santa Barbara
