NEVER Buy A BMW Z3, Here's Why

Cost to fix my BMW Z3's Glovebox: • The OBSCENE Cost BMW C...

[@Kaan._G]

1/10 ragebait,

[@GsK5832]

It's not the car's fault that you're broke. You didn't describe many bmw z3 problems. You talked mostly about 26yo shitbox problems.

[@Alltracavenger]

As someone who has owned an '01 3.0 Roadster for the past two years(and riding in a parent's '99 2.8 when I was in high school), I have to disagree a bit. Point 1: I like the fact the car is older. It's more raw and analog; it's not bloated with the distracting technostuff that will eventually get outdated when the 'next big thing' comes out. I prefer driving the Z3 over my 2019 Lexus RC350 daily because of that. With proposed(and slated) regulations in brand new cars to include speed limiting devices, driver monitoring technologies and other 'nanny features' I simply refuse to own anything newer. Point 2: I don't feel the Z3 is inherently unsafe, but you DO have to practice defensive driving and be aware of what other people are doing around you. Use the car's strengths(such as its handling and smaller size) to your advantage. As far as cargo space goes it is limited, though you can work with it. I've done a 3-4 day trip with someone else and we had space for our essentials and some souvenirs to bring home. I could probably do extended solo road trips with the Z3 without any trouble, and I have used it for grocery shopping. The previous owner used it to go surfing; just put his board in the passenger seat with the top down and went out to the beach. Point 3: All cars are going to cost you money and time. Every car is going to break down in some fashion; whether it's a Z3 or a brand new Corolla. If you can't(or won't) fix it yourself you will have to pay a bunch of cash to have a shop fix it for you. If you can't try to find secondhand parts or come up with creative solutions to fix things, the dealership is going to rip you off each and every time. If you're going to own a car that is more than 10-15 years old and isn't super basic(again, Yaris, Corolla, Fit, Civic, or something like that) you're either going to have to learn to wrench to save costs or bust out the wallet if you need something fixed. You shouldn't be taking any car that is out of production to the dealership to be worked on; you should be going to a trusted independent mechanic with experience with these engines/platforms. Since you have friends who are helping you work on your car, that's a great thing and you've got a great way to learn how to work on it. Point 4: Older convertibles leak; that's an unfortunate fact of life. With the new roof you'll need to adjust your windows and seals; even with my hardtop it leaks a bit. Again, that's where creativeness and knowing how to turn a wrench is just about necessary when owning an older car. Perfection isn't even attainable with a new car; that first door ding or gravel chip is going to be disheartening. I have the same feeling about my Z3; it's a link to an arguably better past and I love taking it on my work commute as it's fun and NOT one of the featureless modern boxes that people tend to want these days. My RC350 is different because it's a coupe and not some soulless crossover/SUV, but when I want a more cerebral experience I take the Z3. :)

[@Ross-vd9bd]

Couldnt agree with you more, i owned a 2.2 z3 for 2 years until i unfortunately crashed it, bought a bigger newer car that i thought it liked but ultimately missed the z3 and the way it drove so bought a 3.0 in march. Had to fix a few things on it unfortunately electrical wise so couldnt be done by myself so it did cost a fair bit of money, but still nowhere near the price of a dull newer car. Since march i think ive done around 10k miles in it including a 4000 mile roadtrip around europe and it never missed a beat. Brilliant little car

[@Phoenixette]

I’m gonna be honest, I do see where you’re coming from and I have to admit, it’s very true. I meant the video more as a “this car isn’t for the faint of heart, if you want that get a Miata or something” type of thing. There are definitely some who’re fine with this type of thing but, that being said, a lot of people aren’t and that’s what this type of video was made for. I’m not sure if I misinterpreted your point but that’s how I’m seeing at in an, admittedly, very tired state lol

[@Alltracavenger]

@@Phoenixette : No worries, and I totally get it. These cars, especially as they get older, aren't for those who aren't able(or willing) to swing wrenches or take some of these factors into consideration. For me, my continued ownership is equal parts nostalgia(very strong as I have many fond memories of my mom owning one when I was in high school; we -really- bonded over that car and I managed to surprise her by buying my 3.0 right before we were about to do our annual road trip), the fact it's an incredibly fun and agile car to drive, and the fact I have an even older car(1988 Celica GT-Four) that is far, far more difficult to work on and source parts for. It really comes down to who is willing to take the cons with the pros. However, these cars are fairly easy to turn a wrench on... at least opposed to a transverse-mounted, AWD turbo I4 shoved in a chassis that was never really meant for one, haha.

[@Alltracavenger]

@@Ross-vd9bd I've put about 6-7K on mine(bought with 42K, now at 49K); I haven't had any electrical issues on mine(save for the seat heaters and hardtop defogger not working), though I've had to do a lot of resealing on the engine. I farmed out the timing cover job to a local shop(who managed to screw it up so bad the head gasket blew, yay) and I'm dealing with a residual valve cover leak that I'm just going to DIY, but overall the car's been fantastic. Having the torque of the M54B30 is probably the best combination for this car, with probably cheaper running costs of the Z3M. It doesn't have the power(though comes close to the US-spec pre-'01 Z3M), but overall it's a great engine with good power delivery, awesome torque and good fuel economy. I love it to the point where I use my Lexus(with its nearly 100hp greater output) as my work commute car and the Z3 for practically everything else. :)

[@pennateguin]

Brotha you are daily driving a 26 year old automatic bimmer. I have a 2002 2.5i z3 I only use two or three times a week and it’s a dream! Also the later models have side curtain airbags so they’re much safer!

[@pennateguin]

Also you really have to be willing to do a lot of the work yourself on them or you will just go broke

[@Phoenixette]

Very true. That’s why there’s a lot of videos of me and my friends, but in reality they’re doing all the work, working on the Z

[@Zuilt]

2 minutes into this video, I'm expecting mechanical issues and this dude is just complaining that he bought a small old car. if you didn't want an old small car then don't buy one or simply sell what you have. know what you are buying

[@Pierre-i1d]

So you want all the latest safety features and a bigger car to feel safe. You also want to go to the dealership for any problem that you have with a 26 year old car and buy OEM parts. You need a garage to store it to keep the bugs and bird poop off of it. Those are some pretty solid reasons to dislike your car (sic). You also say that "we" have owned much more reliable cars but this is your first car (?). After all that you want to go cruising in your convertible. Yeah well I think I will not be subscribing to this guy's page (and it looks like several are doing the same, LOL).

[@canbost]

Bro sounds like Lance Stroll.

[@gregm7508]

‘97 2.8 manual for 4500 but I overpayed by 1000 imo. It’s currently in my garage rebuilding the head. That’s not cheap either. I do all my own work and it’s still expensive.

[@Phoenixette]

Parts on these cars have insane costs. That’s why I went aftermarket with the roof.

[@gregm7508]

@@Phoenixette very! Also there are very convincing scammers claiming to have z3 parts - I almost fell for one because I was having trouble finding a color match hard top and he claimed to have it. -_-

[@Ross-vd9bd]

I didnt realise the prices of them in the us, in the uk a 1.9 can be bought for around £1500 depending on mileage and condition of course

[@Phoenixette]

Oh yeah. Mine had about 114k miles when I bought it (or about 183k km) for the $6200

[@Ross-vd9bd]

@@Phoenixette gheez, i bought my 3.0 manual in march wwith 105k miles for £6k so around $8000

[@boabie1463]

Only buy a z3 if you don’t mind looking after it yourself. I got mine 4 years ago, wasn’t a car guy and could still manage to google how to do a head gasket replacement myself. I’ve done everything so far now and prob saved around 8k 😂. Get some black sealant for those windows pillars for god sake. Also spray some lithium grease down the interior slots too to get rid of squeaks and rattles- this hack is mint

[@Phoenixette]

That’s fair. The repairs from when the car was broken into saved me about 10k doing it in my buddy’s driveway. I didn’t know about black sealant tho or lithium grease. Thanks for suggesting it