Ok, so what's the good points about the BMW Z3? Well, it's a sporty coupe that looks half decent and performs quite well. It always turns heads and there aren't actually that many of the road, so it keeps its rarity well. It always gets lots of attention when parked up, which is surprising for a car that's ten years old.
Bad points are that it's just nowhere near as good as the Z4. Sure, that is the replacement car, but it makes you realise how bad the Z3 was. There isn't enough room, isn't enough kit, isn't enough power and isn't enough technology. It needs a good kick up the rear end.
I'll be getting rid of it soon, and while its been a good car, it hasn't been great. It's let me down a few times on the motorway and repair costs have been scary.
If you want one just make sure it's a good one. If you can afford an older Z4, then get that.
Had my BMW Z3 for about six months only now, still makes me feel like a God every time I get in it and start up the engine. I put the roof down and drive around for no real reason sometimes and I get a lot of looks. This is what I bought the car for (being honest) but I do appreciate that it's a good motor, too.
Great leather interiors, amazing performance from the engine (though I never go over the limit of course ;)), beautiful sound too. Of course the running costs are far higher than I can afford but it's worth it really. This is the car of kings!
If you want a 2-seater sports car (this is my first one), then I strongly suggest you give theBMW Z3 a test drive. A word of warning though - don't do it if you can't afford it as you'll almost definitely end up driving it home!
BMW's first attempt at a sports coupe was the Z3 and i snapped at the chance to own it. At the time, it looked great. It looked sporty and typical BMW. The missis loved it and because we didn't have any kids, practicality wasn't an issue.
Obviously, because it's a two-seater, you've no chance for luggage or taking friends to the golf club, but that really missing the point. It's all about the driving experience in a droptop coupe, and in a Z3, you're in good hands.
It drives like a mini-go-kart; smooth gear change, lovely driving position and decent performance. The problem, however, is the performance. Unlike it's bigger brother, the Z4, the Z3 2.0-litre just doesn't have enough to keep you entertained. It's a real shame.
If you fancy one, go for the bigger engined version - or a Z4.
Fine fine call it a mid life crisis!! Who cares, this little demon is everything I was after and more. My mid life budget wasn't immense but I knew I wanted a fun BMW so I opted for a BMW Z3 second hand at 8 years old. Not saying how much I paid but what a steal!
Now, the first thing is that this is for people who do long drives and want it to be more fun but still nice and comfy. The Z3 is NOT a race car and it doesn't like to be tugged round tight corners at 90 or anything like that. Once you know that limitation though, you'll have nothing but pleasurable experiences. The 2.8 engine is massively powerful, especially given the weight of the car. It just rockets up and happily cruises along, 'eats up the road' as they say! For a two seater it's still got bags of space inside, and the seats are extremely supportive, and heated!! We're not especially tall though and it may be a bit cramped if you are. Like I said, stick to the motorways and it's a dream, quite a bit less so on bumpier or hillier roads. There are some canny little spaces just behind the seats (only if the roof is up) which gives it easily enough storage for myself and my dearest to toddle off for a week away (I mean, between those spaces and the boot).
The mpg is good for a powerful car like this. I don't drive it like a maniac and I'd say I get about 35 miles a gallon on the straight. I'm afraid insurance is understandably high though. The roof on our BMW Z3 is a hard one, not fabric. We do have a garage but I thought it would be a silly risk to invite theft when it was out and about. I'd just be twitching and looking out at it the whole time! That has also paid off in terms of warmth and also noise when it gets up to speed, it's really every bit as quiet as a normal car.
Little criticisms include visibility, not great but to be expected really with a low down sporty car like this. I think more modern cars have fancy sensors to help with parking, but that was out of my budget. Also the rear windscreen can be a bit useless in the frost. The bonnet on the Z3 doesn't help with parking, it is a bit enormous, but you'll always smile knowing what's inside it! I haven't really had any mechanical problems to report, just a tyre last year and a bit of a suspension tweaking. Service costs are quite high though with BMW, we might go independent from now on as the car has probably lost most of its value by now, hence being nice and cheap for me second hand.