Advice

[Pabby1980]

The bottom line is that the 3.0i is the desirable car used, so in a sense you're in a very strong position if you have to go for the 2.0. There are LOADS of them available, and therefor you can A) maybe haggle the price down and B) not settle for anything that isn't as close to perfect as your budget allows.

Personally i'd narrow it down to 3 or 4 cars, go and see them all, choose the one you like and get the RAC/AA to do a vehicle inspection on it before you buy. It's about £200, but money VERY well spent.

[MACK]

the 2.0 engine isn't the one to go for the 3.0 is. it's a much more reliable engine. why are you looking at a 2.0?

I personally wouldn't bother with the 2.0 zeds in the e85 shape - even if in good condition it'll still be under powered and prone to a lot of issues !

Absolute Rubbish! Do you guys just make this stuff up randomly lol
Your suggesting the 3.0 is reliable while the the 2.0 unreliable? There BOTH solid engines and both renowned for being reliable, if anything the 2.0lt engine is one of the most reliable engines in circulation and has LESS issues than the 3.0lt.

Ultimately the 3.0lt Z4 the better one to go for in the sense that its more powerful, more tuneable, but dont make up nonsense about reliability.

What planet are you on?! Never mine where are your manners?! Laying into folks like that yet talking utter rubbish at the same time. Utterly Clueless!!!!:x The N42 and the later N46 used in the Z4 E85 (based on the N42) are generally regarded to be one of the worst engines BMW ever built, both in terms of reliability and diveability. 2.0 is more reliable than the 3.0 WTH! Please dont spout such nonsense and check your facts. Particularly when it come to the M54 3.0 which is generally regarded to be one of the best engine BMW ever built and certainly is a damn site more reliable than the 2.0 N46.

OP if I were you I would consider a good 2.2 as they're the same insurance group as the 2.0 but are a much better/smoother car to drive and generally much more reliable. As others have said Z4's can be relatively insurance friendly and if you haven't all ready run a quote on a 2.5 and 3.0 just to see.

[MT94]

That does sound quite a good idea having never bought a car that is this complex and expensive parts wise I think it maybe a good idea to get some pre inspection as I will be using this as my daily driver to and from work.
Also the 2 litre gets quite a bit of hate is there anyone out there who has a 2 litre that isn't too much trouble to live with or am I the only one mad (stupid) enough to consider buying one ?
Cheers
Matt

[Marlon]

That does sound quite a good idea having never bought a car that is this complex and expensive parts wise I think it maybe a good idea to get some pre inspection as I will be using this as my daily driver to and from work.
Also the 2 litre gets quite a bit of hate is there anyone out there who has a 2 litre that isn't too much trouble to live with or am I the only one mad (stupid) enough to consider buying one ?
Cheers
Matt

My first Zed was a 2 litre, I upgraded to a 3 litre after 6 months as I found it underpowered. It also gave intermittent dashboard warning lights that I never got to the bottom of. The 2 litre engine is known for engine warning light issues as many members will verify.

Some other interesting views on the 2 litre here: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=96175&p=1412582&hi ... s#p1412582

[ESP]

the 2.0 engine isn't the one to go for the 3.0 is. it's a much more reliable engine. why are you looking at a 2.0?

I personally wouldn't bother with the 2.0 zeds in the e85 shape - even if in good condition it'll still be under powered and prone to a lot of issues !

Absolute Rubbish! Do you guys just make this stuff up randomly lol
Your suggesting the 3.0 is reliable while the the 2.0 unreliable? There BOTH solid engines and both renowned for being reliable, if anything the 2.0lt engine is one of the most reliable engines in circulation and has LESS issues than the 3.0lt.

Ultimately the 3.0lt Z4 the better one to go for in the sense that its more powerful, more tuneable, but dont make up nonsense about reliability.

What planet are you on?! Never mine where are your manners?! Laying into folks like that yet talking utter rubbish at the same time. Utterly Clueless!!!!:x The N42 and the later N46 used in the Z4 E85 (based on the N42) are generally regarded to be one of the worst engines BMW ever built, both in terms of reliability and diveability. 2.0 is more reliable than the 3.0 WTH! Please dont spout such nonsense and check your facts. Particularly when it come to the M54 3.0 which is generally regarded to be one of the best engine BMW ever built and certainly is a damn site more reliable than the 2.0 N46.

OP if I were you I would consider a good 2.2 as they're the same insurance group as the 2.0 but are a much better/smoother car to drive and generally much more reliable. As others have said Z4's can be relatively insurance friendly and if you haven't all ready run a quote on a 2.5 and 3.0 just to see.

FACTS
I am sorry if you think i am lacking in Manners, but ill stand by what i said.

Diveabilty is just a (Bull crap) Marketing word. Ive owned a couple of 3.0 BMs in the past, and yes they are good and its a solid engine, but it doesn't make anything else "Less drivable". Define 'Diveabilty, does anything thats not a 3.0lt become difficult and awkward to drive? Are they prone to fly off the road at any moment? Does mean driving a 2.0lt BMW is 'lacks driveablity' and becomes tiring and difficult over a long period at the wheel? NO

Z4 E85 (based on the N42) are generally regarded to be one of the worst engines BMW ever built, both in terms of reliability and diveability.

By some 3.0lt Z4 drivers maybe lol, but across the board its 'well held opinion', and compared to competitors engines its not. Im not suggesting its a good / amazing engine, but reliable it is and fit for task. Words like "Reliability" are being wrongly used as advice here for a future Z4 owner, which annoyed me.

Its obvious from the guys posts that 'Budget' is a key factor here, so for that based on Cost to buy, cost to insure, cost to tax, cost to run and repair, the 2.0lt is the one to go for. And regards to future reliability worries i dont think he should have any more or less than with any other Z4 model.

[MT94]

Wow I think I really have started something here I appreciate all of your comments there is a lot of useful information that people have given me it has made it more clear what I need to look for and what I need to expect, I do agree with what the last person says I am on a limited budget in terms of buying, insuring, taxing and running as I don't wanna spend everything on buying it or insuring it as I'm sure there will be some issues that I'll need to take care of mechanically.
With a bit of luck I should be able to find a good 2 litre and drive with my fingers crossed
I will defo be checking out this site as in one day I have learnt so much.
Cheers
Matt

[MACK]

Absolute Rubbish! Do you guys just make this stuff up randomly lol
Your suggesting the 3.0 is reliable while the the 2.0 unreliable? There BOTH solid engines and both renowned for being reliable, if anything the 2.0lt engine is one of the most reliable engines in circulation and has LESS issues than the 3.0lt.

Ultimately the 3.0lt Z4 the better one to go for in the sense that its more powerful, more tuneable, but dont make up nonsense about reliability.

What planet are you on?! Never mine where are your manners?! Laying into folks like that yet talking utter rubbish at the same time. Utterly Clueless!!!!:x The N42 and the later N46 used in the Z4 E85 (based on the N42) are generally regarded to be one of the worst engines BMW ever built, both in terms of reliability and diveability. 2.0 is more reliable than the 3.0 WTH! Please dont spout such nonsense and check your facts. Particularly when it come to the M54 3.0 which is generally regarded to be one of the best engine BMW ever built and certainly is a damn site more reliable than the 2.0 N46.

OP if I were you I would consider a good 2.2 as they're the same insurance group as the 2.0 but are a much better/smoother car to drive and generally much more reliable. As others have said Z4's can be relatively insurance friendly and if you haven't all ready run a quote on a 2.5 and 3.0 just to see.

FACTS
I am sorry if you think i am lacking in Manners, but ill stand by what i said.

Diveabilty is just a (Bull crap) Marketing word. Ive owned a couple of 3.0 BMs in the past, and yes they are good and its a solid engine, but it doesn't make anything else "Less drivable". Define 'Diveabilty, does anything thats not a 3.0lt become difficult and awkward to drive? Are they prone to fly off the road at any moment? Does mean driving a 2.0lt BMW is 'lacks driveablity' and becomes tiring and difficult over a long period at the wheel? NO

Z4 E85 (based on the N42) are generally regarded to be one of the worst engines BMW ever built, both in terms of reliability and diveability.

By some 3.0lt Z4 drivers maybe lol, but across the board its 'well held opinion', and compared to competitors engines its not. Im not suggesting its a good / amazing engine, but reliable it is and fit for task. Words like "Reliability" are being wrongly used as advice here for a future Z4 owner, which annoyed me.

Its obvious from the guys posts that 'Budget' is a key factor here, so for that based on Cost to buy, cost to insure, cost to tax, cost to run and repair, the 2.0lt is the one to go for. And regards to future reliability worries i dont think he should have any more or less than with any other Z4 model.

Driveability is Bull Crap?! WTH!!! Honestly your post is just laughable nonsense from what surely is a blinkered deluded owner who won't have a word said against his precious 2.0. If you genuinely can't tell the difference in the smoothness/torque/power of the N46 and I6 engines then your driving skills are truly woeful and your wasting everyone's time offering any sort of opinion because your quite frankly making a fool of yourself.
The facts are out there, but don't take my word for it, talk to BMW specialists, engine builders, dealers, fleet companies, whoever you like (who actually know what their talking about) and they will tell you the "facts" of their considerable first hand experience with the engine. A 2.2 with cost the same if not less to buy than a 2.0 and is proven as an M54 engine variant to be far more reliable, better to drive and it even sounds niicer than the N46. Insurance is the same and the only aspect a N46 will out perform a i6 on is fuel economy. Factor in just one of the many expensive issues a N46 is likely to develop and that cost of repair with far outway any extra fuel costs.

E85's are all relatively cheap cars these days so a 2.0 makes zero financial sense. Ten years or so ago it was a different story, with a £10k difference in asking price between a 2.0 and a 3.0 and a three year warranty to fall back on a 2.0 would be very appealing to an awful lot of people, hence why half the E85's on sale these days seem to 2.0. But as a buyer in todays market, why would you?!

OP dont take my word for it, do you your own homework and listen to the consensus of the masses and experts, not one owner with their nose put out of joint because someone said nasty things about their engine

[blackabbot]

OP, Bought my 2.0i sport in Febuary not had any problems with it, absolutely love the car, I personally don't find it under powered, Good luck with your search

[Pabby1980]

That does sound quite a good idea having never bought a car that is this complex and expensive parts wise I think it maybe a good idea to get some pre inspection as I will be using this as my daily driver to and from work.
Also the 2 litre gets quite a bit of hate is there anyone out there who has a 2 litre that isn't too much trouble to live with or am I the only one mad (stupid) enough to consider buying one ?
Cheers
Matt

Definitely a good idea to get an inspection mate if you're not a mechanic yourself. I know bugger all about cars and although £200 seems like a lot, it's cheap for peace of mind.

The other thing to remember is that the RAC/AA guy will give you a breakdown of what's wrong with the car (and there will be things wrong with ANY used car you buy) but you can use these points to get the price down. Hopefully (as happened to me on the car i brought previous to my Z4) you can get the price down by at least £200.....so the inspection pays for itself.

The 2.0 is still a very good car, it's just not as bulletproof an engine as the 3.0. You'll still have lots of fun and if you get the right one it'll last you a long time. Do think about a 2.2 though if you can stretch to it insurance wise etc.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[MT94]

That does sound quite a good idea having never bought a car that is this complex and expensive parts wise I think it maybe a good idea to get some pre inspection as I will be using this as my daily driver to and from work.
Also the 2 litre gets quite a bit of hate is there anyone out there who has a 2 litre that isn't too much trouble to live with or am I the only one mad (stupid) enough to consider buying one ?
Cheers
Matt

Definitely a good idea to get an inspection mate if you're not a mechanic yourself. I know bugger all about cars and although £200 seems like a lot, it's cheap for peace of mind.

The other thing to remember is that the RAC/AA guy will give you a breakdown of what's wrong with the car (and there will be things wrong with ANY used car you buy) but you can use these points to get the price down. Hopefully (as happened to me on the car i brought previous to my Z4) you can get the price down by at least £200.....so the inspection pays for itself.

The 2.0 is still a very good car, it's just not as bulletproof an engine as the 3.0. You'll still have lots of fun and if you get the right one it'll last you a long time. Do think about a 2.2 though if you can stretch to it insurance wise etc.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I will seriously look into getting it inspected like you say one way or another it will pay for itself, I am looking at a 2.2 just have to see how money goes, thanks for the advice and I'll keep you updated if I get one.
Cheers
Matt

[keith777]

OP, Bought my 2.0i sport in Febuary not had any problems with it, absolutely love the car, I personally don't find it under powered, Good luck with your search

I bought mine on here off Cossie in February and am very happy with it so far, no problems whatsoever!
Cheers Keith.

[ESP]

Driveability is Bull Crap?! WTH!!! Honestly your post is just laughable nonsense from what surely is a blinkered deluded owner who won't have a word said against his precious 2.0. If you genuinely can't tell the difference in the smoothness/torque/power of the N46 and I6 engines then your driving skills are truly woeful and your wasting everyone's time offering any sort of opinion because your quite frankly making a fool of yourself.

If Driveability is "smoothness/torque/power" your describing a Rover 75 lol. We're talking about a Roadster, as previously quoted, Driveability is 'Fun', pushing the car from 90-100% of the limit, not Smoothly driving in a straight line. Plus your comment goes both ways. You sound like a "Precious" 3.0lt owner that thinks size matters. Apparently 2.0lt Z4's suffer heavily from engine warning lights, but currently there are Several different 3.0lt cars on this forum mentioning in different threads that they have this issue hmmm

All cars used will in time have the odd issue.

FYI Your assumption is I am a "blinkered deluded owner who won't have a word said against his precious 2.0." Yeah, ill defend it because its a great classic Roadster, Obvs ive never owned any other cars, right............. (try me)

Ill happily hear you out on your expert advice advice you heard from other people in a "Blinkered" fashion, but i have my own Non-blinkered opinion based on real first hand experience and knowledge, and 'bad reliability' is not a factor i would tag against Z4 2.0lt.

Good night

[MACK]

Driveability is Bull Crap?! WTH!!! Honestly your post is just laughable nonsense from what surely is a blinkered deluded owner who won't have a word said against his precious 2.0. If you genuinely can't tell the difference in the smoothness/torque/power of the N46 and I6 engines then your driving skills are truly woeful and your wasting everyone's time offering any sort of opinion because your quite frankly making a fool of yourself.

If Driveability is "smoothness/torque/power" your describing a Rover 75 lol. We're talking about a Roadster, as previously quoted, Driveability is 'Fun', pushing the car from 90-100% of the limit, not Smoothly driving in a straight line. Plus your comment goes both ways. You sound like a "Precious" 3.0lt owner that thinks size matters. Apparently 2.0lt Z4's suffer heavily from engine warning lights, but currently there are Several different 3.0lt cars on this forum mentioning in different threads that they have this issue hmmm

All cars used will in time have the odd issue.

FYI Your assumption is I am a "blinkered deluded owner who won't have a word said against his precious 2.0." Yeah, ill defend it because its a great classic Roadster, Obvs ive never owned any other cars, right............. (try me)

Ill happily hear you out on your expert advice advice you heard from other people in a "Blinkered" fashion, but i have my own Non-blinkered opinion based on real first hand experience and knowledge, and 'bad reliability' is not a factor i would tag against Z4 2.0lt.

Good night

"currently there are several different....blah...blah!" WTH. Seriously I wish all that ever went wrong with a 2.0 was a few rogue warning lights not the timing chains/guides/tensioners, vanos, valvetronic, head gaskets, oil leaks, poor idle to name but a few! So thats your evidence the 2.0 is a better more reliable engine a few posts about a few warning lights! Couple this to your infantile "driveability is fun" and the fact your whole blinkered argument is based solely on your own personal experience of one particularly entry level car can only lead to two conclusions. You've been lucky so far and your the personification of "Some people really are so stupid they're blissfully unaware how stupid they actually are."

The fact remains if anyone is about to buy a E85 the model that is the least desirable/enjoyable/rewarding to drive with inferior performance to every other model and statistically the worst reliablity due to WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUES with its engine IS THE 2.0. Its not just an opinion its UNDISPUTIBLE FACT. If you only bothered to look for yourself then the many past and present owners of N42/6 engined BMWs and other knowledgable/interested parties that are clearly more honest and better qualified to comment that you, would set you straight but your clearly the type who wont be told. So stop crying because someone said a bad word about your car and accept reality.

[Mr Tidy]

Hi Matt
The 2.0 is a four cylinder engine. Why not try the 2.2 which is a straight six and much smoother. I tried both and the 6 was the one I chose.
OK the performance is not as good as the 2.5 or 3.0 but you still get a great sound and the insurance would be lower
Where are you based BTW?

Good luck with the search

Chris

Hi Chris I am based in south London Kent borders not to far from dartford with regard to the insurance I could pay £700 ish for the 2.0 but anything over that goes up to over £1000 and at the moment is a little more than I want to pay shame because the sound is much better than the standard 4 cylinder maybe next year.
Matt.

Just a thought, but if you have the patience could you wait a year to get straight into a 6 cylinder Z4?

[ESP]

"currently there are several different....blah...blah!" WTH. So that's your evidence the 2.0 is a better more reliable engine. Couple this to your infantile "driveability is fun" and the fact your whole blinkered argument is based solely on your own personal experience of one particularly entry level car can only lead to one conclusion. "Some people really are so stupid they're blissfully unaware how stupid they actually are."

Where did i say its better?
Pretty sure i am defending its (apparent) "WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUES" with reliability.
#Looser

Where did i say im basing my "whole blinkered argument" on my own personal Z4
Ive got a 2008 V8 Audi R8 outside,
Ive previously owned a 997,
E90 335 coupe,
E46 M coupe,
Imported Rev 3 MR2 Turbo,
Jaguar XK,
Land Lover with a ford 3.2lt V6,
currently have a Defender with a Jaguar 4.2 i built.
Astra 1.4 (Engine replaced with 2.0lt Turbo)

So stop crying because someone said a bad word about your car and accept reality

lol, is that your best insult? Go read you 'WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUES' your totally boring me now and clearly not qualified to discuss these matters with me