bmw Z3????

Question

My mom is thinking about buying me a BMW Z3 for my first car. She found a used one that was in really good condition. It's a '98 but it has 124,000 miles on it. Will the miles affect it at all??

Answer 1

I owned a BMW and drove it for 5 years, sold it to my niece and she drove it for 5 years, she sold it to her brother and he drove it until he totaled it. The car had almost 400,000 miles on it.

BUT...

They are VERY expensive to fix. The lightbulb in my ashtray went out. To replace the lightbulb was going to cost me $847 (and this was years ago) because they were going to have to remove the whole dash just to get to the light to replace the $5 bulb. I said FORGET IT!

Back in the early 90's, my mechanic told me I should expect to pay at least $1,000 a year for maintenance on it. I'm sure that price has tripled by now.

But no...the miles won't effect it, if it has been taken care of. Have you priced insurance on a BMW for a new driver yet?

Answer 2

I have a z3 2.8L and I've racked up the mileage to just over 100K miles. The thing about BMWs is that with proper preventative maintenance they are great cars and will EASILY last more than 250K miles. The problem is, preventative maintenance requires a time schedule that most new drivers don't understand and can cost alot of money.

If it's a manual it will probably need a new clutch (assuming it hasn't had one already in it's lifetime). The new clutch will run you about 900 dollars. It will also likely need a tune-up (if this hasn't been done at 100K miles) and that's going to cost a pretty penny too. An inspection done at the local BMW dealership can give you a better idea about the mechanical condition of the car.

As to it being a good first car, I wouldn't recommend it. the body is very lightweight and the bhp to weight ratio is fairly high. Top that up with an inexperienced driver and rear wheel drive and you just boost the chances of getting into an accident while cornering (especially since z3s are bad in rain, and worthless in snow). Being a convertable, getting into an accident and rolling because you don't have enough road experience to handle an RWD is a stupid way to die.

Also, as a first time driver, your insurance on a z3 is going to be through the roof.

If you want my recommendation, get a better car for a first time driver. Front wheel drive, weighs more than 3300 lbs, handles well in rain, hard top (in case you roll in an accident), and more significant protections (don't forget, there's always a chance someone at your school can run into you). Why make your first car, the one you're most likely to get in a wreck in, the car you want to keep around forever? Save money and get a more appropriate first car. (if you insist on going with BMW, a good 3 series would be a better car... like a nice 328)

Answer 3

Just to let you know, it is a great car... I got mine when I turned 16, that was many years ago though. On the Z3 it is the easiest BMW to notice that there is anything wrong with, everything is so straight forward with the Z. The only concern that you should have is if it has a auto transmission, since it has a lifetime oil filter many of the higher mile Z with this auto trans. have had problems. And under breaking there is usually a slight jurk of the steering wheel (nothing to be concerned over), but other than this it is an amazing car. As for the insurance if you have the car under your moms name and your name under a junky old car as the primary driver you wont have a problem.

Answer 4

Ask if the owner has all the maintenance records. If so, take those records and the car to an independent BMW shop and ask them to do a pre-purchase inspection.

With high mileage cars, (of any brand) you want to make sure that the parts that need to be replaced at high mileage have been done. If not, you'll end up spending a lot of money getting it into a reliable state. If the maintenance was properly done, and preventative maintenance items have been replaced, then a BMW can easily last 300,000 miles or more.

In particular, things to watch for are the replacement of the cooling system, like water pump, thermostat, coolant hoses, and radiator. In addition, regular oil changes, transmission services, differential gear oil changes, fuel filter changes, and brake fluid changes are crucial to ensure the car will last a long time.

Answer 5

it is going to need more frequent tune ups.

my dad hates bmws. says they fall apart really easy (Big Money Waste-BMW). i on the other hand love z3's. well my dad went car shopping and saw one that he almost bought me, custom color, automatic, 7 miles, never been outside, it was a park-in-the-garage car. well, needless to say, he didn't get it for me. because it's a two seater and i have a 3 month old, so where would i put him? i said i would take it and park it somewhere for now, but of course that didn't work. damn.

Answer 6

Wow, chill out everyone, spoiled as she is, she is just a kid... And as far as the car goes, no, that wont be a problem. Have it checked out, BMW's are hit or miss. If they find its good, chances are it will run for a long time. My friend has a 5 series that has 250,000 miles and his mechanic says it will go for another 250,000.

PS - Get a used 3 series from around 93 or so, its still a BMW and you wont have to deal with people calling you spoiled... And at least your going BMW, spoiled people who drive Mercedes are no good :)

Answer 7

BMW's get expensive to own when they get old. Better check it out real well. Nothing like hidden high dollar repairs,

Answer 8

terrible first car. Theyre unreliable, expensive to fix, and the insurance on them is outrageous, esp for a first car.

get something boring for your first car, so A: you actually appreciate it, and B: its not the end of the world when you total it.

the z3 was one of the worst BMWs ever made, after the old 318s.

Answer 9

Doesn't sound like a very good 1st car to me, unless you care more about vanity than anything else.