Former NA Miata owner, decided it's time for a BMW roadster. Considered the Z3, love the look but it seems harder to find good examples than for a Z4. Budget: under $10k, preferably around $8k. I've read through the forums and have a good idea of the issues to watch out for. I've sort of narrowed it down to '04 and above, maybe '06 to avoid the steering issue? Do folks here have thoughts on dealer vs private seller? I know I can probably get a better deal with a private seller, get a feel for how they cared for the car, etc. However, I'd really like to find a Z4 in something other than silver, black or white but they've been hard to find. Specifically, this one caught my eye at a dealer: http://www.agmotorcars.com/vehicle-d...a74145e6845e7/
Should I forget dealers and focus strictly on private sales, or give this type of smaller, specialty dealer a shot?
Hello and welcome to the forum! I wouldn't limit myself to one or the other, you'll likely be able to find the car you're looking for from a dealer or private party - though you are absolutely correct about private-part pricing. For dealers, I would check out places like CarMax, if you find one that you like at a certain location, they may be able to bring it over to the closest one to you. Lastly, I'm attaching a link to our site's DIY tech articles on the Z4 platform - this should help you with maintenance and repairs down the line. Just my 2 cents, best of luck.
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...W_Z4M_Tech.htm
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I suggest setting up alerts at cars.com and check car gurus.com as often as you can get away with it.
Deals do show up.
Here's a 2007 with 89k for $10k close to me(Cincinnati, Ohio) and its not black, silver or white? States it's green and you never see this color around here?
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/invent...ting=187219637
I wouldn't limit to just private parties, as these cars are not that easy to find. Because of that, you may also need to consider finding one out of state. I went two states away to find mine. I concentrated on 06-08, as those were post face lift. Be patient, as it may take awhile to find just the one you want, especially if your budget is only $10K.
2006 Z4 ///M - Interlagos Blue/Beige
$10k is a lot for a Z4. There are nice Z3's for that money too, but each car has it's advantage and disadvantages. Z3's have trunkfloor problems, Z4's have soft top problems and steering issues. Be cogniscent of all issues relating to the car. I'd also test drive both a Z3 and Z4 before deciding
Personally I'd buy private party. Buying from a dealership just means the dealership made some profit. Same car private party will usually be 20-25% cheaper.
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Thanks for the good advice. I have some leads I'll be chasing down over the next week or two. A couple more questions: is it worth getting a pre-purchase inspection? General advice is to get one but I've also seen complaints that some dealers charge $$ and just check basic stuff like brakes and suspension that I assume will need work anyway. And at one point should I start to worry about mileage? I see a 2007 3.0 with 166k at a very good price, I feel like it should be okay if well maintained.
Yes, definitely get a PPI report done; it'll save you a possible headache in the long-term. I also would recommend getting it done at an independent shop vs. a dealership; it'll probably be less expensive too. I would be looking at ones with less than 100k miles, maybe in the 60-80k range. Please let us know if you have any other questions.
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Definitely get a PPI, but find a local indie shop to do it. If you can, go for a car with <100K miles.
2006 Z4 ///M - Interlagos Blue/Beige
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