Was actually quite surprised by the total! Obviously doesn’t include MOTs, Oil, Fuel etc, but you have those costs with any car. Not too bad I guess when you divide it over 2 and a half years and 45,000 miles! Thanks for watching.

It's a 15 year old car, all you have paid for is routine maintenance, cheap cool fun motoring, Compare this with the people who make do with Ford Fiesta's on PCPs, they pay way more and drive shit boxes that they can't find in the supermarket car park because every other car looks the same

I got my Z with 20,726 miles. I currently have 150,100 miles on it. I have extra stuff like two sets of wheels and summer/ASW tires. My approach to maintaining my Z is to make it last as I do not intend to sell it. As such, I've replaced parts with new parts that have lifetime components. For example, I replaced my DISA valve with one that had a stainless steel pin. I replaced my water pump with a stainless steel impeller. I serviced my VANOS unit with new 'rubber' o-rings what will not flatten out due to wear, heat, and compound. I fixed (myself) two of four common Z4 oil leaks and replaced my spark plugs with iridium ones (120,00 mile service life) and 6 high capacity coils. I could go on. Just note that I've worked on my Z for the last 4 years doing the above as well as fluid changes, brakes, tires, suspension, etc. Over the last 10 months, I've only had to deal with tires and fluids. I know every clicking noise, exhaust pop, and belt sound. I love my Z. I drive it like crazy, and on a good day it would only fetch 1/4 of what I've paid for and put into it. But it is one hell of a car to drive and I doubt if I will ever experience a similar car in the future.

I just want to thank you Joel. I absolutely love the looks of the Z4 and am considering purchasing one. I will continue to watch your videos and research everything I can find on the Z4. Your videos are very informative I and I do appreciate.

Hey Joel. Thx for the advice and inspiration. After testing Boxters and SLKsI just bought a 2004 z4. 40000 miles. Looking forward to the open road!

One of your best videos - really good information 👍👌

Brilliant and highly insightful video Joel and given the age and mileage of your Z4 those cost are I think excellent as most of it is just general wear and tear. I think I without actually adding up the cost I have spent about £1200 on mine. It had a slight misting on one of its front shock absorbers so I had both fronts replaced, plus I had to have the rear front wishbone bushes replaced on both sides and my front disc and pads, all were nothing more than advisories apart from the wishbone bushes, plus I had my car fully serviced last year and it's due again next week which it's booked in for. I have had my Z4 for almost 2 years its on the 2007 plate and cost £6000 with 47.567 miles when i purchased it and had a full service history, and consider it incredibly reliable. Hopefully this will continue. Sorry for such a long message.

Cheers for doing this buddy, it's interesting the actual costs. The comment section to this vid is amazing too.

Man, i been watching some of your videos and just the other day i bought a 3 litre Z4. Best car ever i smile all the time while driving Only problem was in my country they start roughly about £6000 up to £10000 but i would say it was a good value for money anyway. thanks!

1 year of ownership, only weekends and I've only had to do a oil change and new floor mats.

Hey Mate...great videos...for your age you are very confident and articulate...impressive!

I've had older BMWs for 25 years and they're fairly reliable, parts are cheap. I do most of my own work and the majority of things aren't too bad. Some things are definitely better on pre-2000 cars, such as radiators.

I have an 04 3.0i, paid £3000, April 2018 on 136,000 miles, it is now on 151,000. Full service by indy, £260 Coolant tank split, £85 parts and fitting by indy Needed new tyres, bought a really good set of second-hand 108's (wheels I really wanted) fitted with new Nexon tyres, the Nexons are actually really good. £350 Second-hand passenger Xenon headlight, couldn't stop the misting (like yours) but also it was black so had been replaced at some point with the wrong colour and I couldn't live with one black and one silver headlight. £350 Roof motor failed, replaced with second-hand one and relocated to the boot by a forum member £120, it was always on my list to be relocated anyway. Wipers £20 Ignition coil, went while I was on holiday, BMW dealer charged me £250!!! My indy would have done it for £85 but I had no choice. £35 for passenger cup holder because I wanted to. So I'm really pleased with that total for 19 months on a 15 year old car of this type, I have driven around the UK on several occasions and had one trip to Gothenburg and have no concerns what so ever about reliability.

Great channel Joel. Bought a 2003 2.5i Z4 with 45k actual miles on it 2 weeks ago. Paid $5,500 US via a private sale. True, the 2.5i is a bit of a grandma's car when compared with others, but the car is a Florida car in very good nick. Convertible top issues and steering wheel issues were sorted by prior owners (2). Still, the typical post-purchase costs are there, 4 new Michelin tires, DIY cup holder (2) replacements and eventually replacing the interior seat covers, door panel leather and carpet next month after the holiday. I had the car inspected by German qualified mechanics - with zero mechanical issues identified. With luck, the Z4 should be good for 30k trouble free miles. Happy motoring all.

Great video Joel

Mine passed it's MOT last week.. But only after spending 500 hard earned notes on 2 back tires and new brake lines and flexi hoses!

Nice, great video. Be super careful driving with a water pump which needs doing, I've lost a car to that in the past. Keep an eye on your temperature and don't drive if it starts rising.

ok so i am 15 and this is what is helping me understand my dream car thx i am learning as people say

That is ridiculously good value Joel...given just the fun we have seen you on VT having. I took a different approach, bought a 5 year old 35is with only 12k on the clock, so that was a 60% discount on new value but with 12k /7.500 miles on clock and the new dealer delivered plastic still on the floor car mats, and a few other places...seriously, like new. Some very minor stone chips I am being hyper critical here... and two very small marks on the rear alloys, again I am using a magnifying glass here to find criticism. I went over the car with an electronic paint measurement gauge to check for knocks and paint correction fixes, came out clean. Plus I did all the normal visuals, had a full dealer service history.... and I have put 6k kms on since with zero expense yet as service is almost due for its BMW 1M engine.. I do interims not BMW standards, I don't think BMW standards are good enough.. and currently dealer bid me the same as I paid for it on an exchange the other day, not that I am going to sell. :-) I love the fact they are such small.... roadsters.... I drove a AMG GTC convertible a few weeks prior and seriously did not enjoy it as much, to much bling and to much like an aircraft carrier... handling was about the same,, but wide as wide..... car.... sure the AMG is faster but I would rather go round a corner in a Z4.

I have a 2004 Z4 3.0i. Bought it with 24,000 miles for $13,500 two years ago. Now at 58,000 miles and daily-driven, I have wrapped the car with green and black vinyl ($150) for an arctic camo look and have it lowered on 19in Rotiform RSEs ($1,200) with Hankook tires ($800). I have only done regular maintenance like oil changes and new tires. So far other than fill-ups I have less than $1,000 for pure maintenance. But including the listed mods, I have a little under $3,000.

Hey Joel, bought a 2.5l z4 in March from a friend it had sat for nine months on her drive took it for an mot and went straight through. It has the smg gearbox and noticed juddering when pulling away and found it needed a new clutch. I sent it to a BMW specialist and was charged £986 after being quoted £486 due to seized bolts on the gearbox. Drives a dream now.

Very insightful video. That is actually very good value for a sports car for the general maintaining and running of the vehicle minus the fuel, insurance, MOT etc. I'm really hoping this next year starting from now I can keep my costs down after my incidents the past year :( As I've said before don't worry about the cosmetics of the car. They are there to be driven and tiny paint work "issues" shouldn't be a big deal. Wonder how much an M6 would be in the same situation.........?

I live in. Canada. Enjoying. all of your reviews.Mine. just runs seasonal as its not much good for Canadian winters. I. do enjoy top down summers and running into our. mountains and. neighbouring province with its windy. roads, lakes etc. So far I have. had absolutely no problems other then my knee bumped a cup holder and. now its difficult to. get. in. and out. z4 , 3 liter, 2005. Fun car. Starts many conversations when. stopped.. I probably jinxed myself. 63000. miles. and. needs. new tires. Deciding whether to go back to run flats or normal tires?

E89 2.5l here, bought it in February '19 with 68k miles. It has now 75k miles. Here is what I paid so far (EUR): - Roof cables and sensors broke (1.200€, paid 50% due to warranty, was at BMW three times to fix all the noises it made after they put it back together every time) - Pump relais preventively changed before they burn my roof pump (40€) - Original Wipers (35€, aftermarket wipers don't enclose the windshield completely) - Oilchange, Filters / inspection (ca. 150-200€, don't remember the exact amount anymore) - Cleaning, Fuel etc (won't calculate that out now) It needs new rear winter tires now and I would like to replace my windshield soon because it is really scratched so driving at night and in direct sunlight is not really enjoyable. That'll be another 1000-1200€ (windshield is ca. 900 with installation) but I'll do it in spring along with a proper detailing job. Car is very reliable so far, as every BMW I have owned. That roof left me with an open roof for a week but it was during the heat wave so I was lucky. I don't really blame BMW on that because every single Convertible I know has issues of some kind with its roof, either it is falling apart or people are replacing parts like crazy to prevent it from failing. Sometimes I hear that famous BMW valve magnet ticking noise but I think replacing would not fix that. E9X BMW's just have that, so shrug.

Evening mate, I don't think you've done bad on your motor given your annual mileage. Only failures I've had since ownership in May of this year, have been starter motor and battery costing 200 quid as fitted myself. Tbh I've spent a lot on mine doing common fault issues before they arise, such as oil filter housing gasket, disa valve rebuild, cam cover gasket, and all the usual deletes. Only done just under 3k miles since May so I'm kind of lucky as only do 6 to 7k a year. Think with the older E85s it very much depends on getting a car that's been looked after all its life as to your running costs at a later age. Interesting vid mate speak soon. 👍👍👍

I have mine about 1 year and spent like 150 euro for new wipers, new break fluid and new oil with filter. Mine has like 160.000 km on the clock but I don't know how many miles that are but it is not what I would call high mileage

4 tires, new alternator, new GM 5 module, rear bumper, front bumper, new plastic skid plate, new fuses, several batteries, new lights, new latches, new locks, new door cable, new key fab, new coolant system, new alternator belt, and rear brake light.

Hi joel, what are your future plans regarding your current z4?, get it fixed up or onto something else?

Brilliant video. Mines the same age 3.0i but auto. Interesting about that dragging noise as I had the same but it was when I was turning right I'd hear it, more like a grinding creaking noise - fixed by replacing the front wishbone suspension and bush. But I still have that dragging noise as you mentioned, did you say it was the roll bar links? Many thanks!

Apart from normal routine maintenance. I've also replaced the electric water pump and coolant expansion tank. Another issue I've had is the led section of my N/S taillight failed that meant buying a new lamp cluster at £240 with trade discount from BMW.

Great video again, I think some of the service you could've saved a lot more money on, In terms of tyres better to use new tyres due to the car being rear wheel drive, but totally agree no point spending the extra on Michelin pilot sport if your doing a lot of mileage. I have a Mercedes CLS 320cdi 2006 plate when you buy these older cars be prepared to keep some money to the side. I've done 7000 miles and spent £900 so far on parts and service.

Do you keep your car in a garage? I feel like that may make a bit of difference in how much it costs to keep up any car. I got an 03 Z4 recently and am keeping it in a garage when I’m not at work and I’ll be interested to see how much it ends up costing me over time.

Only problem I've had with mine is explanation tank and ignition coil and window regulator. Done all work myself so been pretty cheap. Probs about 700 other 3 years never even brought tires as brought a set of 4 alloys for 100£ quid lol new front disks pads and calipers cost me 75 quid which was very lucky

I’m looking to buy a 3ltr z4 or a 2.8ltr z3 for next summer but only for a few months! Hopefully it will be a problem free ownership! Great video! I’d probably sell yours around the 3k mark looking at the market today and if you clean it up well (detail)

Majority of your cost is regular maintenance that you would have with any car. I bought an 03 this summer in Canada. Would have hastened my buying decision if I’d have seen this first. Car has now been put away for the winter 🙁. Keep up the great videos. Cheers, Paul (Toronto)

Water pump, rear springs, windshieldwiper unit, whole front bumper TWICE (construction workplace and a lil bunny) engine manifold(i broke it myself) If i had to guess, around €2500

I'm surprised your water pump held up that long. Must be the moderate UK climate ;) Another weak spot are the VANOS valves that control the cam timing. All the cosmetic stuff just adds character to the car :)

I'll see what I end up spending on a Z4 when I eventually get round to buying one, hopefully next year. E89 35i is the one I want. I did very briefly contemplate the idea of a Z4M, but I think I would bankrupt myself 😅

what u can't do your own sparks? Or take out a light, dry it out with a hairdryer and reseal the airseal?

What year z4 did you buy originally?

Could you please update this? Also could you please add other costs like road tax, mot, insurance? During my ownership of 1999 BMW E39 I have spent the most money on petrol, then comes the crazy expensive insurance (1500 quid for the first year), then probably the road tax, repair and buying the car for about a grand was actually the lowest cost of this whole "venture" ;) I love the car though, still own it and truly believe it is one of the best cars ever built :) PS. I store all the costs car related in a spreadsheet. Almost all... parking, speeding tickets etc don't go in there

Joel, can you test the new M8 Competition just like you did with the new A class?

Hey joel. Interesting video. 45000 miles costing around 2600 pound. Roughly 17 pence per mile. Not bad if your enjoying the car is it? 😀

What garage do you recommend???

That’s not bad for a car like that. It’s less than £100 a month in maintenance and repairs whilst you’ve owned it. Pretty good going I’d say

Have you sorted the steering out that Jayemm was complaining about?

Hey Joel, you mentioned your water pump, I'm not sure where it is, but most cars get the water pump changed when the timing belt is done. Is yours a chain?, might be worth looking up..

How many miles was the car driven since you purchased it?

I hope my 35is arriving Friday is reliable. It is the most i have ever paid for a car. It won't be a daily driver though. Still have my Mazda 6 Estate for carry the students stuff back and forwards from Uni. Oops, looks like I almost gave my age away. Anyway, I have been watching your channel for a little while now and enjoyed it so keep up the good work. I wonder if many other 'mature gentlemen' tune in? Oh, Car is in Valencia Orange. Looks kinda cool to me. Why did Ben sell his 35is?

Most of the expense is labour costs and expensive parts you could have gotten cheeper if you have gotten your spanners out you probably could have gotten it to just under £1000 which would have been great really

did you have work done at a dealers or an independant garage?

Depreciation of any new ish car is much higher

Headlight might fail the MOT

envy that z4 there at that year is cheap, here in the Philippines it is in effin 1M pesos = 15.2k pounds

Clutch is really inexpensive 3000 to 4000dollatrs 4 times for me . In the first 12km love how BMW blamed me did i tell you how i had another clutch vehicle and ckutch lasted 90k miles without a problem.

Why are they like 8k on autotrader now wtf

My E92 has only cost me a Bosch battery at the sum of £210

💲🙌

New fuel pump and maf sensor Fuel pump 650 Maf sensor 120

Looking around to get one myself and you have to think it this way, you spend 5k or less on a sports car and its going to cost you to maintain it like any other car. Will you get the money back if you sell it, not a chance but you are buying it for the pure joy of driving, its not a Toyota that can run 300k with little maintenance.

Only 3500 pounds? Here they cost much more, type from 7000 pounds Sweden ,

Today for this money you can whole z4 car in US) Absolutely not worth money