ajlafleche

It's been a while since I posted here, so I'm not sure how many people know me.

After nine years with my S2000, it finally came time to shop for another car. After several trips to car dealers and many searches online, we made the switch as seen below. The S is in the immediate background and Judy's Fit behind that. The dealership was Prestige Motorcars of Warwick RI which has my old S on their website.



It was more than a little hard to let the car go, but the new one, a 2007 Z4 3.0si, is a very sweet ride and has a lot more ammenities than the S did such as built in navigation, traction control, auto dimming interior and driver's outside mirrors, more usable trunk space, heated seats and a rating of 35 more hp. The lateral support on the seats isn't as aggressive as on the S but better than the base seats in the Z4.

Vadster

Nice car, sir.



I peek in Armorama about once a quarter.

Lainey

Congrats, Al.

Chazmo

sweet ride. I've always felt the Z4 was overpriced, but I can certainly understand the allure. Enjoy!

mosesbotbol

What other cars did you shop? Z4 was on my "list", but needed some behind the seat room it did not offer.

ScottyBallistic

"a lot more amenities than the S" Just means your getting old ;P




Congrats on your new toy

YoG628

Congrats on the new ride . I think I will be shopping for a convertible 335i if the time ever comes for me to try something new.

ajlafleche

I had a few ciriteria: it had to be a (1) convertible (2) sports car (3) able to accept a bike rack. That eliminiated any of the hardtop roadsters immedialtely.

We tried out an MX5 Club edition which has nice graphics and a good set of ammenitie (for us vintage folks) and were underwhelmed by the noise level and poor sound system.

I tried to test Mustang GT from one of New England's largest dealers with a Ford store in Westboro. I had a confirmed appointment with a sales person or his "team mate" and the car was supposed to be ready to drive when I got there. The guy and his partner weren't there, no on seemed to know of my appointment, the car was inside the showroom with a dead battery and was not as described. It also looked a lot larger in person than seeing it on the road. I got increasingly pissed off and by the time the sales person brought out the manaager who wanted to sit down with me, I was telling him they'd absolutely lost me. The guy I spoke to never called me back as a follow up.

I tried out an automatic Z4 at a BMW dealer in town and really liked it, thinking I could learn to like paddle shifters. When I called to bring Judy the next day, they said it was no longer available, though it remained on the website and in the lot for another 3 weeks. Supposedly it was "structurally unsound."

The dealership with the Mustang had an 05 Berlina at his Honda dealership in Seekonk but was listing it at over $25k, which was several thousand more than wha the my new car wasgoing for with essentially equal mileage. And afterthe BS at his Ford store, thee was no way I'd even think of goin to another of his places.

Interestingly, depite a larger engine and more power, I'm getting as good mileage in the Z as I did in the S. It has a VTEC like response near 4k rpm.

kenta

From a drivability &sportiness view point how would you compare the two cars? I've always liked the Z4, particularly the coupe

ajlafleche

The Z feels more solid, tied to the ground. I hit the gas with an inch of snow and no snow tires in an empty lot and the car went straight and true. The S, even with Blizzacks, would have started to come around in the same conditions. I drove a couple friends' 3 Series many years ago as well as the Subarus we had. Kind of felt like that. Heavier and more substantial but nimble at the same time. The shifter throw is a bit longer and is not quite as si;ky smooth as the S but much better than the manuals in the Subarus. The power seats (heated, with really good heating elements up the back) offer multiple positions for a more custom feel ad have nearly teh same laeral supports (these are tehsport package seats, not the basic ones) The steering wheel telescoses and tilts. There are a lot more controls for sound, navigation and climate control. It's a lot qieter which could be a factor of the age of my S and the lining the roof has on the Z. As you know, he S screams when you jump on th accelerator, the Z thrums up to a deeper growl. Judy even likes the exhaust note.

I guess, in short, it's very like the S but more sophisticated.

I still love the lines on the nose of the S but the nice built in spoiler look on the tali of the Z has more character than the stock S tail.