Would 200k miles scare you off a 2003 Z4 3.0?

[15flounder]

My ‘97 328is got totaled last week so I’m looking for something to replace it. My old BMW was completely reliable at 162k and it took a beating in my hands for 55k over 10 years.

There is a nice looking Z4 about an hour away for $6000. The car has 212,356 miles on the odometer. It’s hard to find manual transmission cars anymore so I’m considering it. I haven’t gone to look at the Z yet but I’m hoping it was just cruised on the highway for long commutes.

-Who’s got the highest mileage Z4? / How many do you think they’re good for?

-Anything in particular I should be looking out for?

-Is the 3.0 M54 as reliable as the 2.8 M52B28?

Thanks for any advice.

[Muzz258]

The M54 3.0L is just as reliable as your old M52B28. One thing that BMW did differently with the M54 was to use a different style of oil control ring on the piston. The M54 has a habit of drinking oil if the oil control ring clogs up with carbon. If the car has done lots of around town miles, then expect oil consumption. If it has done lots of highway miles, it should be good.

[jclausen]

To much money for such high mileage I don’t care how well it’s maintained and have you driven a z4 yet completely different than the e36

[Liquidity]

Only classic American car owners think 212k is high mileage. I don’t think I own a car with less than 200k and they all run fine. If the car is in perfect shape and hasn’t been modded at all and owned by a responsible adult, it’s probably worth $6k. The b30 is definitely as reliable as the b28, and it’s way better than your b28 because it’s an alloy engine, not the iron slug you have.

[BruceJ]

212k miles can be a lot, depending on the roads, the drivers and the maintenance performed. BMW is notorious for engineering suspension and engine components that require changing every 40-60K miles, as maintenance. Many are labor intensive, and OEM parts are not cheap, while still not always being the premium part you should get for the price. These components can be changed as preventative maintenance, or after the car has been on the side of the road. The car will put you down if you dont pay attention to it.
If things are worn out, i.e. suspension, cooling system, clutch, engine seals, driveline, convertible top, etc; you need to make a list of all that may need to be replaced, cost of that, think about the pain of changing it or additional $ for labor and decide. Your $6k car could cost $20k when through. Most are worth it, IF you turn the wrench and if you plan to keep it for 4-5 years and drive it another 60-80k miles. If you will launch it in 2 years after all that work then its not worth it $ wise.
IMHO a z4 with that mileage isn't worth more than $4k unless a lot has been done recently (within 20k miles).
Good Luck