[Straight6_N54]

Hello everyone,

I am currently facing a difficult decision regarding the potential upgrade of my 2010 BMW Z4 E89. It has been eight years since I purchased this pre-owned Z4, except for few instances my ownership has been fantastic. However, over the past two years, I have encountered numerous maintenance issues that have become increasingly frequent. While it is expected for a 14-year-old BMW, the rising expense and experience ratio are prompting me to consider an upgrade.

My Z4 is an exceptional car, with the six-cylinder engine , straight-piped exhaust, and thehard top conversion its the whole package. After covering few interstate road trips, It has proven to be a reliable and enjoyable touring vehicle.

Given the mounting maintenance costs, I have two options:

Option 1: Dedicate myself to maintaining the current car and extending its lifespan.

Pros:
1. Emotional attachment: This car holds significant sentimental value for me and my family. I have spend considerable time and care for her almost like my significant other. My family treats this car like our own family member and to retain this car would mean alot for us.

2. Avoidance of substantial additional expenses: Buying a new car would incur costs of purchase, registration, and insurance. It would cost maybe 1/4 of this price for the entire maintanance.

Cons:

1. Potential escalation of maintenance costs: Older BMWs are known for their leaky hoses and connections, and the roof mechanism adds an increasing repair expenses.

2. Dated interiors and iDrive system

3. Rising insurance premiums and availability of parts

4. Concerns about reliability always lingering in the back of my head


Option 2: Consider upgrading to a newer convertible.

Pre-owned options within my budget include:

1. BMW Z4 G29 M40i variant:

- A superior vehicle in most aspects, except for its design, which is a personal preference.
- Modern interiors with more reliable engine.
- the only con is that many cars are currently priced above 75 lakhs, that is above my budget

2. Porsche 718 Boxter:
- While the engine is a downgrade, it offers solid handling and Porsche dynamics.

3. Porsche 981 Boxter:
- Features a beautiful flat-six engine and is one of the most beautiful Porsche's models.
- considering its age, reliability and maintenance concerns would be another problem.

Porsche 911 Cabriolets are beyond my budget.

I would appreciate the collective opinion of my fellow enthusiasts regarding this dilemma. Additionally, kindly opine an appropriate negotiation price for the 718 Boxter and the G29 Z4. Given the current state of the car market, there is an ample room for negotiation. Many team-bhpians have extensive experience with German vehicles, we greatly appreciate your valuable insights.

[GTO]

A 14-year old BMW has done enough duty on Indian roads, and you have experienced her enough in your 8 years with her. I would suggest selling it & buying something newer, fresher for all those road-trips.

You are on the right track with the Z4 M40i & Porsche 718 (981 too old IMHO). Also be open to the Audi RS5. Great car, fun, fast and very road-tripable. I'd taken it for a highway run & was pleasantly surprised at how much fun it was.

M2 might be too hardcore for you. I would consider the Mustang as well. Lots of cars available and it's meant to be a daily driver. People have road-tripped in it without issues. Long-term reliability is good too.

[Straight6_N54]

Thank you for the response GTO, you are right 14 years is long time for BMW.

My preference is only a convertible, as myself and dad primarily drives it for the open roof experience. In Kerala we cannot experience half of the potential of an M2. Currently the Z4 M40i and 718 Boxters have an absurd asking price, i will be on the hunt for a good deal.

[Turbanator]

4 cylinder 718 are about the same or more when those were sold new, so I will look at some low-run 6 cylinders. That will be a meaningful upgrade. Having owned enough BMWs, I can safely say that one should experience a Porsche at least once. Not the regular Audi/ Skoda models though.

If you are unable to find the 6-cylinder, do look for a low run 4 cylinder. Yes, these are expensive but they hold value as well. Good luck with your hunt.

[androdev]

Would you mind sharing what kind of maintenance issues you have faced, current mileage of the car and your expected annual usage? That will provide a proper context to a discussion like this.

Z4 is a special car. I would not part with it for the fear of uncertain maintenance issues. A 2010 BMW is very much maintainable and the costs will not be anywhere close to the cost of replacement. The only thing different about this car would be the roof mechanism - I personally love a hard top convertible and I don't mind the expense of maintaining it. In my case, if I enjoy driving my old car, I stop worrying about the residual value of the car and commit myself to maintaining it to perfection.

Of course, if you fancy a better car, go ahead and upgrade by all means. Do keep in mind that this is not an average sedan/SUV where latest infotainment system and modern interiors are required to make it more desirable.

You might also want to add MG Cyberster to your list of options - not perfect but has few good things going for it. Personally, I would consider a Porsche convertible to be a proper upgrade in your case - but it's not cheap to buy or maintain it.

[Straight6_N54]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

If you are unable to find the 6-cylinder, do look for a low run 4 cylinder. Yes, these are expensive but they hold value as well. Good luck with your hunt.

Thank you so much Turbanator, on the hunt for a decent run 718 Boxter possibly in Racing Yellow ��, fingers crossed.

Originally Posted by androdev

Would you mind sharing what kind of maintenance issues you have faced, current mileage of the car and your expected annual usage? That will provide a proper context to a discussion like this.

Hi Androdev, been following many posts of yours. My initial 6 years were absolute joy, it started with thermostat issues which resulted in faulty coolant lines. Fixed that and next 6 months were smooth. Then out of nowhere car would go into Limp mode ( power reduced, drive moderately), fixed a vacuum pump and that was resolved. Then the battery, replaced that. Currently 1 step of the hardtop closure doesn't click, so need diagnose that which requires extensive search for faulty switches or wiring. These hard tops have fragile wiring and switches which can get faulty with age and repeated flex at the joints.

Now lately multitudes of errors come up randomly, DSC failure, FTM failure, Transmission fault, the mechanic has attributed all of this to the battery. Currently battery is replaced under the warranty of the prior battery and registered as a different battery to see how everything checks out.

I absolutely love the Z4, and you are right we don't bother about the residual value but the recurring expenses without a complete resolution is messing with the experience. Myself and dad was super busy and when do find time for driving its frustrating to handle these issues. For many of the above mentioned faults i have spend countless hours behind the car.

One under rated upgrade benefit is better headlights. After driving modern Germans, Z4 OEM headlights are pretty weak and even throw if not as powerful. Its just a matter changing the bulb possibly, I believe its much more complicated in BMW's.

Routine maintenance is surprisingly cheap and it costs same or slightly cheaper than my other Germans.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by Straight6_N54

I absolutely love the Z4, and you are right we don't bother about the residual value but the recurring expenses without a complete resolution is messing with the experience. Myself and dad was super busy and when do find time for driving its frustrating to handle these issues.

I'm a bit of a romantic when it comes to car ownership - it's emotionally more rewarding to experience highs and lows in any relationship. I would consider Z4 to be special enough to put up with some headache especially when you are not likely to have an inexpensive way out of this.

When it comes the battery, use a top quality AGM battery (Varta) along with a battery charger/tender (Bosch C7) - both are easily available in India. There is no killjoy like seeing a random error code when you start the car.

Other than hardtop related issues, I feel all other issues can be fixed easily at a BMW A.S.S (without involving your personal time) or a good FNG (involving your personal time). Many times, these cars throw a bunch problems after 1st innings and once you fix them, the car is ready for trouble free 2nd innings. Like I said, it's not worth going through this hassle for regular cars but I would 100% do it for a Z4. Another thing I must add is that, with growing disposable income, our streets are flooded with expensive cars and there is no exclusivity any more. Old cars like Z4, if maintained well, are going be very desirable.

Hardtop roof issue will need research on BMW forums and based on what you find, you may take a call. IMO, this is the only reason to give up as I believe all other issues are very much fixable. Just to give you an example, my Mercedes-Benz service advisor (Sundaram dealership) who knew me from the day I bought the car told me: "Sir, don't ever sell this car fearing maintenance issues. I'm 100% confident of fixing any problem you face. I can't say the same for the new generation S Class".

One under rated upgrade benefit is better headlights. After driving modern Germans, Z4 OEM headlights are pretty weak and even throw if not as powerful. Its just a matter changing the bulb possibly, I believe its much more complicated in BMW's.

Yeah, I can relate to this. I changed the bulbs to higher rating ones on my S Class and it didn't make much difference. I'm told there is a child part (lens or glass piece) in the headlight assembly that becomes dull over a period of time and changing bulbs makes no difference. You can explore BMW forum to see if there are any after-market solutions for the same. For my 911, I bought after-market LED headlights and they do a fabulous job - at the cost of losing the original OEM look.

For many of the above mentioned faults i have spend countless hours behind the car.

Switch to A.S.S and let them deal with it. FNGs are good when it comes to routine maintenance and repairing expensive parts when replacement by A.S.S is the only other option. Typically A.S.S refuse to repair and insist on replacement.

Here is an excellent post by @Samba:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...ml#post5920444 (What's a common scam or shady practice at garages that people should be aware of?)

[Straight6_N54]

Originally Posted by androdev

I'm a bit of a romantic when it comes to car ownership - it's emotionally more rewarding to experience highs and lows in any relationship. I would consider Z4 to be special enough to put up with some headache especially when you are not likely to have an inexpensive way out of this. Here is an excellent post by @Samba:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...ml#post5920444 (What's a common scam or shady practice at garages that people should be aware of?)

Thank You for this Excellent advise. I can relate to emtions conveyed through this post. In our home we have not sold any cars till now, we still own our '07 Ford Endeavour because of the our relationship with cars. Your points are inspiring to maintain my Z4 and enjoy it for another inning. My hometown is in a Tier 3 city and access to A.S.S is a pain considering that half of national highways are in shambles in Kochi. I rely on an FNG, and they do a good work.

For now we have decided to tackle the issues and retain the Z4 unless an excellent Porsche comes by. Our Z4 also came home out of the blue, it is an interesting story where we planned an X3 and ended up ' YOLO' and drove home a Z4 . I do believe certain cars come into our lives when the time is right, and maybe one day a Porsche might come along. Though we own another BMW and Mercedes, Z4 has a lot of emotions. She never let us down even when roads were horrible and I was on a 13 hours drive between two states.

I will read through your suggested article. Team BHP'iams have the most authentic car advises. I would have read through all the reviews and maintanance tipcs from GTO, Turbinator and Androdev

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Straight6_N54

Hello everyone,

I am currently facing a difficult decision regarding the potential upgrade of my 2010 BMW Z4 E89. It Many team-bhpians have extensive experience with German vehicles, we greatly appreciate your valuable insights.

Simple. Keep it. You’ll never get another one like it and you simply don't want to spend the rest of your days with your head cradled in your hands while tearfully lamenting the one that got away.

Like Sir Androdev, I too am a foolish romantic when it comes to my cars. And therefore, I am keeping my 13 year old Mini Cooper S R56 (2012) for the exact same reason.

Inspired by ‘Je Suis Ecolo, Je Garde ma Vieille Auto’…and similar sentiments.

Yes it can be a bit hard to get parts if needed but one can always buy and import and pay the duty. But then one should certainly do that just for the love of the car. Im grateful that I live in Bangalore and do have access to a very good neighbourhood garage who help me maintain the car.

Frankly, the Z4 is one of those cars that will always give one a thrill when starting it up and driving it and it will always turn heads, no matter how old it may be. It is a very practical convertible tourer too! You’ll always turn back to look at it when you park it. Nothing and no one can change that!

[Straight6_N54]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

And therefore, I am keeping my 13 year old Mini Cooper S R56 (2012) for the exact same reason.

Frankly, the Z4 is one of those cars that will always give one a thrill when starting it up and driving it and it will always turn heads, no matter how old it may be. It is a very practical convertible tourer too! You’ll always turn back to look at it when you park it. Nothing and no one can change that!

Thank you for the excellent write up Shankar. Your R56 is a beautiful car, appreciate the effort you put into it. Yes, currently the Z4 is getting the transmission fluid replaced and a new battery is on the way. I shall fix each issues and keep her for another inning. Happy motoring

[suhaas307]

You sound like you are smitten by your Z4. I am assuming it’s the E89 gen Z4? Sorry if this was mentioned in your post and I may have missed it.

While maintaining the N54 and ancillaries can be a bit of a challenge, it can also be a rewarding experience especially if you identify the right FNG and also get more involved in the maintenance process.

Modern cars don’t do it for me anymore. My F30 328i is 12 years old, and it was going to be a stop-gap solution before I eventually bite the bullet and purchase a newer sports sedan. But with everything going digital on the dashboard and engine-exhaust sounds being piped into the cabin via speakers, I’d much rather find myself agonising over maintenance of a pre-loved 987 Porsche Cayman or something similar.

My suggestion would be to hold onto your Z4 for a little longer and try getting your hands dirty. If it is not your jam, you could consider a newer sports car. By then, a new gen used Z4 should be available in the market, or even a M2.

A wild card you could consider is a used 987.2 Cayman (listed on T-BHP classifieds). The car is super clean (probably the cleanest one in the country, and owned by a true enthusiast) and I have been eyeing it for a while. My bank account however isn’t quite there yet and hence, I am left drooling over the pictures of the same car in the ownership thread on the forum. :(

[ex-innova-guy]

Since you are looking for a Convertible, here are two wildcard suggestions: the SLK 55 AMG or the SLC 43 AMG.

[FlyingSpur]

A bit late to this thread. Do not rule out a strong 981. There is a reason 718s and 981s can be had for comparable prices in the US - the NA 6cyl experience died when the 718 was introduced, and is a worthwhile pure driving experience to hold on to. A turbo four is a turbo four even if the 718 is tuned beautifully. I test-drove 20+ in total across both Boxster gens.