Month: June 2020

5 Reasons to Buy a BMW Z4 E89

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Today I’m going to talk about 5 Reasons Why You need to pick up a BMW Z4 e89 right now!

  • I’ll start by talking a little bit about the driving experience
    • If you truly enjoy driving and a car to you is more than an appliance. You’ll enjoy driving a Z4 every time. You are fully engaged in the driving experience whenever you are behind the wheel of this car. You get the wind and the sun, the unique sounding inline 6 or even the 4 banger, a manual gear box and a sporty, yet comfortable handling car all in one. With its sporty ride, a fantastic feel of the road and a cool breeze blowing through your hair, it’s hard to say no. This is not a hardcore sports car, more of a Grand Tourer that can act sporty when you ask it to.
    • The engines put into these Z4s were mainly the N52/N54 which were incredibly strong/award-winning engines with adequate power and a beautiful sound out of the in-line 6. The N20 engine is not as robust, but the later models are not a bad choice.
    • Not to mention, the N54 Engines are easily tunable to over 400 HP and even more torque which equates to more speed and even more dynamic driving experience.
  • The next reason for me is the looks
    • One of the main reasons to get this car is because of the unique BMW design.  She’s a timeless beauty that seems to get better with age and always puts a smile on your face. Whether the top is up or down, you’ll love the shape and aggressive but sleek design. It looks great as a coupe, and even better as a roadster. To me, it’s the only convertible car that looks just as sexy as coupe as it does as a convertible.
    • The exterior design also seems to be aging very well, most people don’t believe it’s a 12 year old design. With that long hood, It has the looks of a (future) classic and allows you to sit all the way back almost on the rear wheels.
    • The Z4 will put a smile on your face every time you get in and drive it, even if it’s for a simple reason that every time you park, you’ll turn your head to look back and glance at the unique shape. It’s art on wheels with long, sexy and voluptuous curves. Never seizes to amaze me how much of a head-turner this car really is.
    • The interior is exclusive, refined with those rounded knobs and integrated leather. It definitely takes inspiration from the Z8. It may look a little dated now; especially, with the old looking radio, but at least it’s not like many current BMWs that look the same on the inside.
    • Fun fact: This is the first and I believe only BMW to ever be designed by a team of women designers
  • The Next reason is Exclusivity
    • BMW E89 doesn’t look like the rest of the cars, it is not a common sight; especially in the Midwest where I live. Which makes this car very unique and exclusive. Not only is it distinctive from other makes, it’s even unique in the BMW family as this is the only hard top roadster that BMW has made in recent history. This makes it a very special and exclusive looking BMW on the road.
    • I’ve always loved cars with long hoods like the Mercedes GTS or the Dodge Viper, so being able to afford a car with this exclusive feature was a great feeling and just added to the classy, sexy and aggressive look that the car projects.
    • And if you think about it, it’s also excusive because you can only take one other person with you, which will make your lady friend feel very special!
  • Next, let’s talk about the value and cost of ownership
    • I believe these cars will be appreciating in value soon. People are starting to realize what a cool car this is and good examples are now being kept in garages. To be clear, not every Z4 will go up in value. As an example, my Z4 has lots of miles, a replacement engine and doesn’t have all of the fancy options or the top spec engine, but they still sell for more than the KBB value.
    • These cars also tend to have better specs and technology compared to other roadsters in this price range. 
  • Now let’s take a look at the cost of ownership and how it compares to other cars like this
    • For being such a unique and fun car to drive, it surprisingly is not crazy expensive to run and maintain. The N52 and later N54 engines are some of the more reliable BMW engines. The n20 engine is a bit of a troublemaker, but parts aren’t expensive. To learn which models are best, check out my videos on BMW Z4 Problems to Expect.
    • You also get lots of technology, especially on the higher trims that you wouldn’t get in the less expensive cars like the MX-5, which makes this car more suited for a luxury daily driver or a fun weekend cruiser.
    • Not to mention it’s cheaper than a Porsche Boxster.
  • Speaking of the Boxster, let’s compare how the two cars stack up
    • I have noticed a lot of people comparing the Z4 with the Boxster. While I do not deny that a Boxster is a great car, I do think the Z4 represents a better car for the money.
    • It’s less expensive
    • It has a hardtop and it’s arguably a more reliable and easier to work on car. The engine and many other mechanical parts fit from many other BMWs, like the 3 series, which are plentiful.
    • It’s also rare compared to the Boxster and even cars like the SLKs and MX-5’s. You see those on the road all the time.
    • Not to mention it’s one of the few roadsters that fits a person over 6 foot tall. My taller friend couldn’t get into the SLK or Boxster but just fits in this car.
    • Of course, if we take a look at a Porsche 718 Boxster,  it most likely is a superior machine in every ways, but when it comes to looks; especially, with the roof up and down, and looking at the price, it’s a very hard sell at being twice as expensive.

In conclusion, It’s just an amazing car, a great combination between Sportiness and Luxury. Enough modern features and tech giving you the best of both worlds, a beautiful convertible and a sexy coupe.  If you can afford the 35s or 35is then definitely go for those models for the great sounding, silky smooth straight six engine. If you cannot, the smaller engines are still a great buy as you will love looking at it, driving it, and love how you look in it.

5 Ways to Keep Your BMW Reliable

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BMW is one of the most sought-after premium brands in the world. Blending power and performance with sporty appeal, BMW are sophisticated, classy, and pretty much everything you would want in a car. BMW, as well as their fellow German brands, put all their focus on performance. This can come at a cost to reliability.

If you are a BMW owner, tell us how you keep your BMW reliable down below in the comments.

  1. Do your research (Either before you buy or even after you have bought the car already)
    • Research common failures and be ready to deal with those and do the repair before it’s too late once you have the car.
    • Don’t buy or let your car become neglected    
    • Make an informed decision – get pre-purchase inspection, best way to have a reliable car when buying used is to buy a well taken care of car.
    • Realize that BMWs cost more to maintain, so if you are looking for one, include that in your budget. If you couldn’t afford maintenance on a new BMW and can’t work on your own cars, BMW may not be the best choice.
  2. Keep it stock
    • If you want your BMW to stay reliable skip the performance mods and concentrate on suspension, brakes and visual modifications. Squeezing more power out of an engine will decrease it’s like in most cases.
    • I’d also suggest disabling auto start/stop, especially on the early versions of the feature.
  3. Follow maintenance schedules for items as suggested in your service manual.
    • Excluding oil changes, change every 5k miles.
    • Hardtop roof must be maintained if you have one
    • Buy quality parts, not super cheap knock offs (point to sensor video).
  4. Preventative maintenance is key. When certain parts have ran past their expected life, change them proactively.
    • New OEM spark plugs, coils, air filters – let your engine breathe
    • Thermostat, oil filter housing, valve cover, charge pipe
    • Change gaskets as soon as you start seeing any kind of leak
    • Especially check for leaks around Oil Filter Gasket and Valve Cover Gasket.
    • Once you start seeing a leak or two in your cooling system, replace plastic parts of the cooling system.
    • Timing chain on certain engine if you’re well over 100k miles
    • Wash your car at a touchless carwash if you live in an area where they salt roads
    • Apply leather conditioner every 3 months
    • Lubricate the rubber parts so that they don’t crack and let water in over time.
  5. Learn how to work on your own car if you have the space.
    • Don’t go for crazy power unless you know what you are doing and can fix issues it may cause
    • Mechanic’s tools don’t have to be expensive, check out this video on the tools I use
    • Get a good BMW scanner
  • Drive it… often. Never let any car sit and become a garage queen
    • Don’t store it over winter unless it’s on a trickle charger
    • If the car sits, put it on a trickle charger, most modern BMWs use some power while sitting and will drain your battery putting unnecessary stress on your battery and alternator.
    • Most fluids also have a life time even if you aren’t using it. So, it is wise to drive car every so often and not let it sit.
    • Enjoy your car, don’t let it sit and ‘keep the value’ by not putting any miles on it. It’s not worth it.

Mechanical parts on BMWs are usually very high quality and will last a long time (other than certain engine specific issues like N20 timing chains that affect some engines); however, electronics and the use of plastic parts can cause issues down the road. These small things cause big problems for owners that don’t want to spend a lot of time at the dealer. So, that is something consider and another reason why most people stay away from high end BMWs on the used market.