Hey i am planning to trade in my Z3 for a Z4 if anyone has gone through this process let me know how you feel about your choice even if you never had a Z3 let me know how much you like your Z4

thanks
Mike

Hey, maybe this is help a little- copied from another post I just wrote it in:


Quote:
Originally posted by MontoyaWannaBe
out of curiousity, ridgeway, which car do you prefer to drive? the z4 or z3? noticed in your sig that you have both, just wondering your preference as you most likely know the pros/cons of each better than most here

<--- 7up dude


I usually drive hte Z3 75+% of the time.

Re: preference, its hard to give a straight answer.
When I am in the mood for more spirited driving I always hop in the Z3 as it has the larger engine which allows a little more fun. There is only a 5 hp difference, but the Z3 weighs less and has another ~25 ft/tq which makes a very noticable difference in acceleration under 4k rpm.

The Z4 isn't quite as fast, but handles much better. The big difference in the Z4 is that it is alot more refined and luxurious in the interior. The seats are more comfortable, the sound is exponentially better, everything inside it just all around better in the Z4, with one exception. That being- for some odd reason the center dash is tilted @ an odd angle. The radio portion tilts up as if the driver is 7 feet tall, this results in not having a great viewing angle of it, and allows it 95% of the time to be washed out by the sun when the top is down.

All in all they are each very different beasts.
I love both cars, though I must say that if I had a Z4 3.0 I don't think I'd ever drive the Z3(except when another party is driving the Z4, which is rather often...).

One very noticable difference when driving the cars is visibility. This is not really much of an issue with the tops down but when they are up it is a major factor. The Z4 is nigh on dangerous imo with the top up if one is not familiar with the car. IE it takes more effort to get the mirros adjusted properly to allow a decent side viewing area out of the smaller(M3 sized) mirrors(I usually just lean forward quickly...). Additionally there is obviously a rear window difference. The Z3 has a large plastic window which allows a great deal of visibility though lacks clarity(here I must say I have been very pleased with incresed clarity after applying Plexus...did wonders on the plastic), vs. the Z4 which has a tiny window that is minimally useful yet is clear and has defroster capability which is totally lacking on the Z3(I may end up with a hardtop next year if this proves to be much of an issue this year...).

Styling is obviously debated by some, but I think each car looks great- and I get quite a number of stares and comments while in the Z4(the merlot looks splendid in the sunlight).

For traveling both cars pretty much suck, but the Z4 is superior here- with a much larger trunk, bigger interior and more comfortable seats. Additionally the Z4 is far quieter inside(mostly due to the Z3 lacking a second lining on the roof that I think 98+ models have).

Oh, and also in the rain I try to take the Z4 as my Z3 likes to leak in several areas during heavy rain.


I think that covers most aspects.

You summed it up good. Given all that, I'd take the Z3 any day.

Thanks.

If you are going after the Z4, the dealer incentive ends December 1, 2003 PERIOD. It will not be extended. As people here have indicated, you can get about $7500 off from MSRP. I am trying to get my local dealer to go down $9K (Hey, he has 15 of them on his lot .....) to bring my cap cost down as low as possible because of the residual right now ...

Agreed Hugo. If I need trunk space, I'll drive the 7...

James, good luck. But don't be surprised if you find some crazy deals over the Winter months in this part of the country. They may not be advertised as widely, but they will be there for the taking...

I got my Z3 in December, it was a 2001 leftover, and I got it for like $2500 under invoice...