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      07-18-2011, 02:57 PM   #1
dalr
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Cool Which Z4?

Hey guys,

I'm new here. I'm thinking about getting a Z4 and need some advices.

First, to introduce me a bit. I'm living in lovely Switzerland, near the ever more so lovely lake Neuchâtel. A few years ago, I had a superb Z3 3.0. I was madly in love with this car. Unfortunately, due to a few out-of-scope circumstances, I had to sell it and took instead a Series 1, 118d. It's a good and reliable car, but it lacks that "thing".

Now, my leasing on this Series 1 is about to end and I will hand over the car. Since I didn't use all of the kilometers of the contract, the dealer said he would make me a sweet deal on my next car.

My commute is a 15 minutes drive, on a 80 km/h (50 mph), straight line road. Quite a dull drive. But I enjoy a good ride in the mountains on the weekends. We have beautiful passes in Switzerland.

So... I'm sold on the Z4, of course. But I can't really make up my mind on which model to go for. I can afford the sDrive35is if I want to, but it feels like an overkill for my use. But it looks just that much more fun to drive.

What would you guys do? Go for a reasonable sDrive23i, or go for the full-fledged and unjustifiable sDrive35is?

Thanks for your input
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      07-18-2011, 03:05 PM   #2
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I'd say go for the max you can afford.. You only live once!
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      07-18-2011, 03:29 PM   #3
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We have a 35i with DCT. It is incredibly fun and quick. However, as I have said before on this site I would buy the 30i with MT if I could do it over again. I just miss the perfect smoothness and instant torque of a NA I6 from BMW and now that the turbo 4 is about to replace what I consider to be one of the best motors made, I would jump on the 30i now before it is too late. All of the DCT, twin turbo crap is super cool, but it doesn't make the car more fun or fulfilling to drive.

Our 35i is loaded, but I would order a 30i with M Sport, MT, upgraded wheels, heated seats, and upgraded sound (w/iPod connection) only if I had another shot. Probably titan silver with walnut interior (not that you asked).

Last edited by Vintage; 07-18-2011 at 03:35 PM..
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      07-18-2011, 04:05 PM   #4
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Just because the salesperson used the opportunity that you did not use all the kilometers on your 1 Series lease to tell you he could give you a "sweet deal" on a Z4, does not mean he will automatically just give you their best deal.

You are just turning in the 1 Series at lease end, not trading it in. Since you are not actually trading in the 1 Series, the price on the new Z4 is not dependent on whether you went over by thousands of Kilometers or are under by thousands. If another person went over buy thousands of kilometers on their 1 Series at lease end and wanted to buy a Z4, they would have told them not to worry as they were just turning in the vehicle and it had no effect on the price of the Z4.

Remember, salespeople are trained to tell you what you want to hear.

You will still need to negotiate the best deal on the Z4.

Last edited by BlueZ4AZ; 07-18-2011 at 04:11 PM..
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      07-18-2011, 04:44 PM   #5
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Z4 35 i or 30i. I ordered the latter. I don't need the 300hp.
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      07-18-2011, 05:15 PM   #6
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Hi dair, I just posted my recently ordered UK spec in the noobs section with some additional info about 2012MY changes, may be worth a look.
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      07-18-2011, 05:19 PM   #7
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Hey!

I live in Geneva, I just bought a Z4 sDrive2.3i deep blue sea with walnut interior and I think personnally it's way enough for our roads in Switzerland!

I drive it for daily use and I think it's a good combination.
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      07-18-2011, 08:11 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dalr View Post
uch more fun to drive.

What would you guys do? Go for a reasonable sDrive23i, or go for the full-fledged and unjustifiable sDrive35is?

Thanks for your input
dalr,
I would not buy the 30i or the 23i, we still have a 3.0 liter Z3 with 171K miles on it and while it's a nice engine, it has nowhere near the torque or HP of the 35i with 6Speed MT. If I had to do it again, I'd buy exactly what we just bought, 35i, M-Sport, MT, Cold Weather, Premium Package, Alarm, 6-CD player (for my wife) and 325M 18" wheels. Not a doubt in my mind.

If you really want advice, that's mine.
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      07-19-2011, 12:38 AM   #9
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Thanks guys!!! Very useful insights.

Of course, the dealer is a salesman first. I'll keep that in mind.

Regarding the car, I think I'll either go for the DCT or the normal automatic transmission. The reason is that I'm a lazy cow and I hate having a MT when stuck in traffic So, yeah, with the DCT, at least I'd have the shift pedals on the wheel.

This is not a "useful" buy in any way you turn it around. In Switzerland, you don't need a roadster. Heck, even the small 23i is still a big engine compared to most cars. This is by all means an emotional buy. Whatever I choose, it's for my pleasure before anything else.

Once again, thanks for your replies!
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      07-19-2011, 12:59 AM   #10
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I have a 30i.... but it lacks the power I crave... If I were to do it all over; I'd go 35i with the same options I have! Plus more modding potential!
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      07-19-2011, 02:31 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VintageBMW View Post
...I would buy the 30i with MT if I could do it over again... All of the DCT, twin turbo crap is super cool, but it doesn't make the car more fun or fulfilling to drive.
I understand that sentiment! Given another chance, I would probably get a manual 30i with that ceramic white/brown nappa combo. I find I hit silly speeds before getting into my stride with the 35i, and I miss the connection I had with my E92 323i. It was much slower, but I felt like I was master of that car and was brave enough to explore it at the limit.
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      07-19-2011, 05:26 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by parnassus View Post
I understand that sentiment! Given another chance, I would probably get a manual 30i with that ceramic white/brown nappa combo. I find I hit silly speeds before getting into my stride with the 35i, and I miss the connection I had with my E92 323i. It was much slower, but I felt like I was master of that car and was brave enough to explore it at the limit.
Very true, NA I6 + manual is more fun than turbo + DCT.
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      07-19-2011, 06:26 AM   #13
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Just drive the models you're considering.

I found the power difference between the 30i and the 35i substantial, moreover I loved the DCT-gearbox so I opted for the latter.
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      07-19-2011, 06:31 AM   #14
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u can get a 35i with manual, chip it and have tons of fun.
35is is a bit overpriced but it has great upgrades if u dont want to do any self modding
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      07-19-2011, 07:30 AM   #15
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Look, the DCT is a modern marvel and if you are "a lazy cow" then this is the option you really need - I am still amazed by this transmission. I also love motorcycles and I have found that more power is not more fun because you can't really use it unless you track the bike or car, which I have never done because I seem to be working all of the time and when not working, trying to be a good family man. Don't get me wrong, I like power but there is a point at which it seems almost silly - for me, the 35i is great but it would probably be more fun to me wringing out the 255hp NA 30i with a MT. The 35i is funny because people try to race me all of the time (Mustangs and Camaros mainly) and boy are they surprised.
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      07-19-2011, 09:46 AM   #16
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35iS... Because in reality it was only 5K more with the options I chose and never wanted to experience that "What if" feeling of regret.
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      07-19-2011, 10:01 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wraith. View Post
35iS... Because in reality it was only 5K more with the options I chose and never wanted to experience that "What if" feeling of regret.
good point - the price difference is pretty minimal
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      07-19-2011, 10:55 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VintageBMW View Post
Look, the DCT is a modern marvel and if you are "a lazy cow" then this is the option you really need - I am still amazed by this transmission. I also love motorcycles and I have found that more power is not more fun because you can't really use it unless you track the bike or car, which I have never done because I seem to be working all of the time and when not working, trying to be a good family man. Don't get me wrong, I like power but there is a point at which it seems almost silly - for me, the 35i is great but it would probably be more fun to me wringing out the 255hp NA 30i with a MT. The 35i is funny because people try to race me all of the time (Mustangs and Camaros mainly) and boy are they surprised.
"Lazy cow??!" You're generalizing too much.

I drove a manual for 10 years.

Then, before I made a decision on which Z4 to get, I test drove a 6 speed 30i, then the 35i with DCT. For me personally, the 35i was much more fun, so that is why I went with it. I did not all of a sudden become too lazy to want to shift.

Last edited by BlueZ4AZ; 07-19-2011 at 11:25 AM..
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      07-19-2011, 01:48 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueZ4AZ View Post
"Lazy cow??!" You're generalizing too much.

I drove a manual for 10 years.

Then, before I made a decision on which Z4 to get, I test drove a 6 speed 30i, then the 35i with DCT. For me personally, the 35i was much more fun, so that is why I went with it. I did not all of a sudden become too lazy to want to shift.
Hey, when I wrote "lazy cow", I was speaking of myself and myself only

As for the price difference... I made a few tests using the configurator. It really seems like I will be aiming for the 35is instead of the 30 or 35i. As for the 23i, don't think it's worth it on the "price vs pleasure" scale.

Next step: going for a test drive.
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      07-19-2011, 07:51 PM   #20
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I'm a lazy cow.

I have always had manuals.
I bought the DCT because I liked the technology and the ability to go full manual override, but damn, I think I have driven about 100km so far in full manual mode out of 17,000km - its just too easy to let it shift for me (it does such a good job) and then I can flip down when I want a quick reponse for overtaking.

Moooo!
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      07-19-2011, 08:45 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VintageBMW View Post
The 35i is funny because people try to race me all of the time (Mustangs and Camaros mainly) and boy are they surprised.
Thanks for spreading that power around. There used to be some loser in a Chevy Monte Carlo SS that always harassed me in my S2000 on the way to work in the morning, and I've seen him try to drag race other people at stoplights too (though ugly, it turns out that the Monte SS is actually fast). For some reason, he doesn't even make eye contact with me now. I am convinced he has confused my humble 30i for a 35is... The M-sport package is deceptive.
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      07-19-2011, 08:53 PM   #22
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Considering your circumstances, I would go with what I bought, the s30i with a 6MT. You can easily get 30 mpg on the highway if you stay around 70 mph. The car is very well balanced. I owned two 335i, an 07 and an 09. They were nice cars but after driving them in Germany I found that I could not appreciate and use their power in the US. Considering the price of fuel in Europe you might also consider the s23i as we don't have this model in the US I don't know if the gas mileage is substantially more than the s30i. Another factor is the HPFP issue in the TT cars. I understand it is not as prevalent in Europe but here in the US it has really given BMW a black eye including quite a bit of negative airtime on national television. Good luck with your decision.
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