2005 z4

Will Anyone that has a 2005 Z4 tell me know about your experience with your car? I'm considering trading my '01 Z3 3 litre Roadster for a '05 Z4 3 liter Roadster. I just want some idea how reliable the '05 models are performing and what to expect in the way of repairs. Hopefully most of the kinks have been worked out since the inception of the '03. Looking forward to hearing from you guys.

Originally Posted by morrieschoice

Will Anyone that has a 2005 Z4 tell me know about your experience with your car? I'm considering trading my '01 Z3 3 litre Roadster for a '05 Z4 3 liter Roadster. I just want some idea how reliable the '05 models are performing and what to expect in the way of repairs. Hopefully most of the kinks have been worked out since the inception of the '03. Looking forward to hearing from you guys.

I had an 05.

It was very reliable and nice to drive - 05's were the last year before the midlife refresh which brought newer engines and more refinement.

I liked the more brutish feel of the pre refresh models, so an 05 would be fine for me, but the 06's and up are quieter and ride better.

Thanks...curious...why did you let it go??

Originally Posted by EdCT

I had an 05.

It was very reliable and nice to drive - 05's were the last year before the midlife refresh which brought newer engines and more refinement.

I liked the more brutish feel of the pre refresh models, so an 05 would be fine for me, but the 06's and up are quieter and ride better.

What was changed in the midlife refresh that made it less 'brutish'. Not talking about styling changes, engines, wheels and things, but changes to suspension, noise insulation?

Originally Posted by morrieschoice

Thanks...curious...why did you let it go??

My wife was having really bad back problems (eventually requiring surgery), so I began shopping for an 06, which had a more compliant and less jolting ride - particularly at the rear.

While shopping, a dealer had an 06 ZHP vert that I was intrigued by, so I took it for a test drive and fell in love - I liked its steering, short shift kit and handling better than the Si's I had tested, in fact, the ZHP felt more like the M Roadsters I test drove.

After 3 years, I still love it, but I do miss the classic roadster feel - perhaps I'll move to another roadster next.

Nothing wrong with Z4's, though, but do try and drive an 06 Si as well as an 05 3.0 and compare.

Originally Posted by dwulffusa

What was changed in the midlife refresh that made it less 'brutish'. Not talking about styling changes, engines, wheels and things, but changes to suspension, noise insulation?

There were definite suspension tweaks on the 06's, although I'm not certain BMW ever published exactly what they were. My 05 3.0 with its sport package (and low profile RF's) had a nasty tendency to snap its rear end over sharp bumps and lose contact with the road on fast, bumpy turns. Hitting certain potholes or even just large bumps a certain way would elicit a shock throughout the cabin that has to be experienced to be believed - it's as if someone was taking a baseball bat to the structure.

The 06 Si's were much different - they were quieter too by nature of the new 255 hp I6's and, I would guess, some additional sound insulation. I'd have one today had I not experienced the brilliance of the ZHP

My car has treated me well (except for breaking my wallet a few times) thus far in the space of 6 months of ownership. I bought the car in May 09 from a private party. At a negotiated purchase price of $20k, the car is fully loaded with Sterling Gray paint, Navigation, Bluetooth, 18"Elipsoid wheels, M sport seats and more.

Maintenance Costs in the space of 6 months:

* Tires: 4 new All season Falken tires, Total cost w/installation: $650
* Oil Change at 30k miles: Bought 7 quarts of Castrol Edge 5W-30: $40-$15 rebate for 5 Quarts from Castrol. Total cost of oil: $25 + $15 (cost to mechanic for oil change). So total cost = $40. To compare, my local BMW dealership cost for the same = $156.
* Installed ceramic brake pads @ $ 250. Parts cost incl. brake sensors(from carstuff.com) = $85. Total cost for brake job = $335.
* Induction service to clean carbon deposits = $277 (done by a trusted independent mechanic using BG44)
* Battery Voltage issue with car so I took it to the dealership for diagnosis= $152.

3 of the 4 items is normal maintenance considering the car currently has 35000 miles on the clock.

Cons: The ride is hard especially with the M sport seats. You have to constantly eye the road for cracks and potholes.

Expectations: Take it for what it is. Its a 2 seat roadster so look for practicality elsewhere. From what I know, it has the best trunk space in its class. Electrical issues can be pricey (surprise surprise-its a BMW). Just make sure to check the battery voltage every 3 months.

I've got an '06 3.0 Si. Its reasonably quiet and occasionally I find myself wishing i could hear the engine more, particularly with the top up.

In terms of the ride, the city streets here are full of patched potholes so the car rides roughly in the city. On the highways though, which are much smoother and better maintained, it rides beautifully. I found myslelf cruising along at almost 100 mph one day in a 60 mph zone and I was unaware of the speed. Until I glanced at the speedometer and realized how fast I really was going. [I should have known better - my car was imported from the US and has the mph numbers in larger font than the kph numbers. Up here in Canada, its all kph. I assumed that when I was reading "100" it was kph. Thankfully, the brakes are darn good and there were no Mounties around that day!!]

Huzz

Originally Posted by Huz-Z

I've got an '06 3.0 Si. Its reasonably quiet and occasionally I find myself wishing i could hear the engine more, particularly with the top up.]

Huzz

Try taking the piece of foam out of the sound generator (Part # 6 or 9 I forget which one it is in) - it will add a little sound.

Part number 9, it has a piece of foam in each end. That was one of the first things I did when I got my car.