Tempting Z4, shold I pull the trigger?

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Old 06-07-2007 | 10:09 AM
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Tempting Z4, shold I pull the trigger?

there's a guy in near by school, who is selling his Z4.

I believe it's 03 (maybe 04) model with around 33k miles on it.
It has sports and premium package with SMG.

the guy said he is working on getting an extended warranty, which is perfect.

and here's the best part. All this for under $22k

the seller is local, so it is not a scam, and he said he will get it serviced for any fluid changes and so forth next week.

What do you guys think AZ members?

oh forgot to mention it's 3.0 L
Old 06-07-2007 | 10:34 AM
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i'd do it..i drove my bro's z4 manual and it was fun...not sure about smg though..how does that work? like tiptronic?
Old 06-07-2007 | 10:53 AM
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I love the 3.0 Z4, go for it.
Old 06-07-2007 | 11:46 AM
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Originally Posted by poohlikeshunny
i'd do it..i drove my bro's z4 manual and it was fun...not sure about smg though..how does that work? like tiptronic?
supposedly it's a clutchless manual / tiptronic. It does not have torque converter, though. If I'm correct, it was introduced in m3 first, then z4. And after few years, now BMW dropped it, I guess due to reported problems.
Old 06-07-2007 | 11:50 AM
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no, the z4 is a heavy car and the smg is garbage if you are planning on modding you will be hard pressed to find any parts that wont blow out the transmission.
Old 06-07-2007 | 11:54 AM
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Originally Posted by gtg710w
supposedly it's a clutchless manual / tiptronic. It does not have torque converter, though. If I'm correct, it was introduced in m3 first, then z4. And after few years, now BMW dropped it, I guess due to reported problems.
so it operates like a full manual minus the clutch? i have seen the shifter and it looks like a shift boot with a gate for P, R, N, D and + - signs...so you have to drive it around and upshift/downshift all the time just without a clutch? Seems kinda ghey IMO...
Old 06-07-2007 | 11:57 AM
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Originally Posted by poohlikeshunny
so it operates like a full manual minus the clutch? i have seen the shifter and it looks like a shift boot with a gate for P, R, N, D and + - signs...so you have to drive it around and upshift/downshift all the time just without a clutch? Seems kinda ghey IMO...
on top of that you get the another set of shifter mounted to the steering wheel. So kinda like F1 style in cool terms.
Old 06-07-2007 | 12:00 PM
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SMG is BMW's clutchless manual, if your in a metro area I wouldn't do it, they are really jerky and hard to drive at low speeds. Drive it to a parking lot and park it, if you can do it without giving yourself whip lash or hitting another car your set.
Old 06-07-2007 | 12:00 PM
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Originally Posted by mrproul
no, the z4 is a heavy car and the smg is garbage if you are planning on modding you will be hard pressed to find any parts that wont blow out the transmission.

^stupid..

I think the same SMG was used in E46 M3 with 333hp, and I have not heard any blown SMG in M3 forums..
Old 06-07-2007 | 12:01 PM
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Not meaning to be rude, but were you not complaining about how your TSX was too nice for you and that you wanted something with BETTER GAS mileage?????? A z4 is opposite of both of those.

I think you don't know what you want. People like you piss me off, You'll never be satisfied with what you have.

Like I said it before: If you want to do buy it, then buy it. Getting rid of a 1 year old Acura for no particular reason sounds dumb as shit.
Old 06-07-2007 | 12:01 PM
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Originally Posted by runnerX
^stupid..

I think the same SMG was used in E46 M3 with 333hp, and I have not heard any blown SMG in M3 forums..
runnerx do you own a Z4? if so, any comments?
Old 06-07-2007 | 12:01 PM
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wow, reading that now shows it was little bit harsh, my bad.
Old 06-07-2007 | 12:03 PM
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Originally Posted by bulldawg
Not meaning to be rude, but were you not complaining about how your TSX was too nice for you and that you wanted something with BETTER GAS mileage?????? A z4 is opposite of both of those.

I think you don't know what you want. People like you piss me off, You'll never be satisfied with what you have.

Like I said it before: If you want to do buy it, then buy it. Getting rid of a 1 year old Acura for no particular reason sounds dumb as shit.
well the fact that I am gaining $ as I go from TSX to Z4 in terms of resale value, it's not too bad of trade off. Thank you for your generous comment, fellow Atlantan.
Old 06-07-2007 | 12:16 PM
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Oh, and anyone have any idea what extended warranty covers?
Old 06-07-2007 | 12:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Tireguy
SMG is BMW's clutchless manual, if your in a metro area I wouldn't do it, they are really jerky and hard to drive at low speeds. Drive it to a parking lot and park it, if you can do it without giving yourself whip lash or hitting another car your set.

Yep and thats why BMW dropped it. They are coming out with a dual clutch setup soon that will be much smoother.

As far as the SMG in the z4, its not the same as the M3 but the same concept.

Although i would had gotten it if they offered it in the 335.

Last edited by Crazy Bimmer; 06-07-2007 at 12:34 PM.
Old 06-07-2007 | 12:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Crazy Sellout
Yep and thats why BMW dropped it. They are coming out with a dual clutch setup soon that will be much smoother.

As far as the SMG in the z4, its not the same as the M3 but the same concept.

Although i would had gotten it if they offered it in the 335.
I thought you were going to correct me, its not a clutchless manual in the sense that it has no clutch, but its an automated clutch - there is no clutch pedal.
Old 06-07-2007 | 12:48 PM
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From what I have read online the DSG in the audis seems to be really good. I have never driven one but everyone seems to love those.

As far as the Z4 I drove my dads friends and damn is that car fun to drive. The only things I didnt like was I didnt find the seats comfortable for long amounts of time or at least as comfortable as my car. However, see for yourself if you like them.
Old 06-07-2007 | 12:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Crazy Sellout
Yep and thats why BMW dropped it. They are coming out with a dual clutch setup soon that will be much smoother.

As far as the SMG in the z4, its not the same as the M3 but the same concept.

Although i would had gotten it if they offered it in the 335.
so did BMW drop SMG due to frequent mechanical failure? or just because of its lack of smoothness?
Old 06-07-2007 | 01:01 PM
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Originally Posted by gtg710w
runnerx do you own a Z4? if so, any comments?
The one I have is Z4 M, it is different from the regular Z4 (different suspension, engine, and tranny). I only driven 2.5 once but that was about three/four years ago. I heard both 2.5 & 3.0 have rough ride quality since they come with RFTs. I would suggest you to drive it. Most ppl probably would agree with me that Bimmer gives much better driving pleasure than Acura, that was why I bought another bimmer in less than a year.
Old 06-07-2007 | 01:19 PM
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i have to agree with ^...i'm no fan of bangled styling, but my bro's Z4 was really fun...not s2k fun, but damn near close with more torque and luxury amenities. although the headlights on the s2k are far superior...
Old 06-07-2007 | 01:38 PM
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Originally Posted by gtg710w
so did BMW drop SMG due to frequent mechanical failure? or just because of its lack of smoothness?
I have yet to hear about any mechanical failures with SMG. But not many were sold with them anyways... i personally think it was bad marketing.

Originally Posted by Tireguy
I thought you were going to correct me, its not a clutchless manual in the sense that it has no clutch, but its an automated clutch - there is no clutch pedal.

I knew what you were trying to say.
Old 06-07-2007 | 01:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Crazy Sellout
I have yet to hear about any mechanical failures with SMG. But not many were sold with them anyways... i personally think it was bad marketing.
That is true that BMW did not market it. We have a neigbhor with a 645Ci and he wanted the SMG but the dealer told him not to do it and he would be much better off with an automatic. So in the end they got the automatic.
Old 06-07-2007 | 02:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Crazy Sellout
I have yet to hear about any mechanical failures with SMG. But not many were sold with them anyways... i personally think it was bad marketing.




I knew what you were trying to say.
I went to bimmer forum to check it out, and there were two memberes or so with same problem. The gear selector would stick to one gear and not up or down shirt, until you either put it in the N or R, and come back to D. So I was a little worried about that. Hopefully the seller can get extended warranty issue out of the way, and have the transmission covered.
Old 06-07-2007 | 02:34 PM
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Originally Posted by gtg710w
I went to bimmer forum to check it out, and there were two memberes or so with same problem. The gear selector would stick to one gear and not up or down shirt, until you either put it in the N or R, and come back to D. So I was a little worried about that. Hopefully the seller can get extended warranty issue out of the way, and have the transmission covered.
i know it sounds like a sweet deal but u should definitely test drive it and see for yourself , maybe after driving it u might not like it as much
Old 06-07-2007 | 03:28 PM
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so are you going to trade your tsx for it?
Old 06-07-2007 | 03:38 PM
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shit after all this talk I wanna go see for myslf how crappy smg is...
Old 06-07-2007 | 03:53 PM
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Tell you what, if you don't buy it, send me his information b/c I'm interested it.

Color Combo? Clean Carfax? Sounds little low if you ask me. I've seen at least $25k for that kind of mileage/options.
Old 06-07-2007 | 04:46 PM
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Originally Posted by INSPIRE 32V
i know it sounds like a sweet deal but u should definitely test drive it and see for yourself , maybe after driving it u might not like it as much
yeah I will test drive it, but this week is one of busiest week for me, so probably this saturday.
Old 06-07-2007 | 04:46 PM
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Originally Posted by S14 n Tsx
so are you going to trade your tsx for it?
if all works out to be well, yes, I will be selling it to a dealer I know.
Old 06-07-2007 | 04:47 PM
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Originally Posted by baboya96
Tell you what, if you don't buy it, send me his information b/c I'm interested it.

Color Combo? Clean Carfax? Sounds little low if you ask me. I've seen at least $25k for that kind of mileage/options.
haha there's at least good 3 people lined up behind me. And I am still waiting on VIN number.
Old 06-07-2007 | 04:50 PM
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Originally Posted by poohlikeshunny
shit after all this talk I wanna go see for myslf how crappy smg is...
Drive the SMG car then go to Audi or VW and drive a DSG car, then you'll see why it failed.

I hang out on a few exotic car forums Maserati and Lambo tend to have VERY short clutch life on their clutchless manual, 10k miles or less is not uncommon.
Old 06-07-2007 | 04:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Tireguy
Drive the SMG car then go to Audi or VW and drive a DSG car, then you'll see why it failed.

I hang out on a few exotic car forums Maserati and Lambo tend to have VERY short clutch life on their clutchless manual, 10k miles or less is not uncommon.
probably due to the fact they have high hp and tq? but 10,000 miles?
Old 06-07-2007 | 06:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Tireguy
Drive the SMG car then go to Audi or VW and drive a DSG car, then you'll see why it failed.

I hang out on a few exotic car forums Maserati and Lambo tend to have VERY short clutch life on their clutchless manual, 10k miles or less is not uncommon.
Normal clutches on those cars don't last much longer. SMG will not kill your clutch. I've seen a few SMGs with higher mileage and still on their original clutch.

SMG is not utter crap, its just not very well suited for most day to day driving. If you get the hang of it, its not bad but you will definetly notice it when driving at slow speeds around parking lots.
Old 06-07-2007 | 08:08 PM
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I almost bought one.

DO IT
Old 06-07-2007 | 09:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Tireguy
Drive the SMG car then go to Audi or VW and drive a DSG car, then you'll see why it failed.

I hang out on a few exotic car forums Maserati and Lambo tend to have VERY short clutch life on their clutchless manual, 10k miles or less is not uncommon.
Yup! even BMW is dropping SMG for a 7-speed DSG for the new M3!
Old 06-07-2007 | 10:30 PM
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I like the car, but the SMG on the Z4 is a cheapo version, with half the technology of the one found in the M3. If 10 people complained that the M3's SMG is bad, 100 would have complained that the Z4's is worse.
Old 06-08-2007 | 10:54 AM
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whats the diff between driving dynamics of SMG vs. DSG? same thing different name (other than dual clutch)?
Old 06-08-2007 | 12:10 PM
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Originally Posted by poohlikeshunny
whats the diff between driving dynamics of SMG vs. DSG? same thing different name (other than dual clutch)?
The smg just isn't near as smooth, in particular at low speeds or when your going from reverse to first, it tends to buck heavily... this was a problem typical of all early automated manuals. I only drove it once, but the early Quattroporte was a horrible experience in a parking lot.
Old 06-08-2007 | 01:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Shoofin
I like the car, but the SMG on the Z4 is a cheapo version, with half the technology of the one found in the M3. If 10 people complained that the M3's SMG is bad, 100 would have complained that the Z4's is worse.
can you elaborate on that? I need much info as possible as the transmission goes, as it seems to cause most of problems in the car.

thanks in advance
Old 06-08-2007 | 02:25 PM
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got any pics? what color is it?


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