romnation

I've had this car for 8 years, and while I have gotten plenty of enjoyment out of it, it is getting a bit old and I am considering moving onto a 135i. Has anyone compared both of the cars? I've test driven both cars and like them both a lot, however, I feel like the Z feels a bit more "raw". This may be due to the fact that it sits an inch lower or so than the 135. Do you think the 135 handles as well? It's definitely quicker, especially with the simple JB4 mod. The 135 is also an all around more practical car, and will be more comfortable as most of my driving is in the city. Before I drop the money on an '11-'13 135i, convince me to either keep the Z or move on to the 135.

MicVelo

I'll start with: "The final decision only YOU can make for yourself."

And.... I won't dare make a comparison between a Z and a BMW. It's clear which one is the better car. But seriously, not a good comparo, they're cats and dogs.

Beyond that... Before I bought our Z34N, I drove a few Bimmers including the 1-series. I think the 135i is an overall nicely packaged car. It's got decent handling (as do most Bimmers out of the box), nice power to get you into and out of trouble, and fit and finish are nicely done.

But I'm not a BMW guy - at least not any more - because the ones I had, which were admittedly older, (2 generations and in another case, 3 or more generations ago) were remarkably unreliable. And they were all due to electrical/electronic problems... this or that sensor went whack, one time an entire ECU went south and so on. One fault even stranded my then-wife on the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge.

Not to generalize this with all BMWs by any stretch; but I'm not the only person I know who've experienced such glitches. My sister in law sold/traded her 2011 (I think) 5-series due to such faults. Hers was in the shop more than it was on the road and they bought theirs new. What made their sitch worse, BMW wouldn't honor their claims beyond the initial warranty period even though symptoms showed up within warranty and were documented. They had to get their lawyer involved.

Reminded me a lot of my own experience with the BMW dealer way back when. Haven't owned one since.

Also have a few friends who went that way at one time...none of which own them anymore, having moved on to Lexus and other more reliable makes.

But from a driving perspective, well, if you like the heavy feel of a BMW (all of them, IMO) then I say go drive 'em and then make a decision.

Nismo Ninja

iTrader: (1)

Don't know too much about the 1 series but my brother had a 335i xdrive and it was a sweet ride. Awd, turbo charged and very fun to drive, until it started to have problems. Much like Mic's experience, it started with a simple enough sensor, then another, then a fuel pump, then an oil cooler, so on and so on.

I purchased my Z about 4 years prior and I have never had a major issue. It may be possible my brother got a lemon but from what I have read on other forums, it seems to be the norm. Not knocking on the bimmer at all btw, but my preference is the Z.

NissanTracker

iTrader: (8)

A couple buddies at work have M3's. They swear by them. But the Z is "raw". The z has the tightest steering and loves bouncing rev's. My only complaint is they should have came out of factor with min. 300 whp. Which is where the Z lacks. You will get a lot of responses to this one. I'm on my second 350, especially it being a nismo, and I look forward to next year when i pick up a 370z nismo. Just too bad the GTR doesn't have a 6/7 speed manual. I'd pick up one of those... :-)

...another complaint. Window motors. God! I have replaced those at least 6 times on my Z's. Whats up with that?

Frostydc4

iTrader: (3)

I have both. I would move to the 135i if you need a practical daily driver otherwise the Z33 will outperform it in every way except acceleration. The 135i steering although well weighted is numb on center & doesnt give you the same confidence attacking the same backroad as the Z33 (the 135i has struts up front that doesnt compensate like the Z33 does for roll & squat). The Z33 steering is noticeably quicker & if you want the 135i to turn like that you will need copious amounts of negative camber up front & roll stiffness up front (which kinda negates the reason why you got the car unless you are looking for outright speed).

Also if you are looking for big power on the stock turbo you will be limited to around to 340-360whp. If you want more than that a turbo & manifold swap is necessary (along with port injection) and even if you do that you have to deal with either the injectors & high-pressure fuel pump failing and/or running out of octane. The JB4 is decent for what it is (boost controller & logging device) but you really want to flash the ECU to maximize your gains. The N55 in the 11-13' cars are actually pretty reliable if you can keep from doing heavy mods & maintain the car.

LMK if you have any more questions!

bealljk

iTrader: (13)

I would let your age determine your choice - if you've moved on from the z for something a little more refined I'd think a 1 or 3 series would be a good choice.

My daily is an F150 and it's damn near polar opposite of my z...which is awesome! The JB4 is pretty cool - a friend has their work on his 330xi and it definitely scoots!

What mic said...I need all the sensor working all the time...

yes, yes, and yes...

nah nah nah ... give us the biggest (practical) NA engine...let the aftermarket do the rest. If this car was 300hp it'd be a 240z retro with a turbo'd 4 (or possibly inline 6) to compete with the miata/genesis/BRZ/FRS/mini - type market offerings

ashram

iTrader: (1)

I also like the 135i and have considered getting a first gen 335i sedan but the reliability of these cars scare me my girl friend had s 325i that gave her issues.

i believe BMW designs these cars to start to fail after 60k miles. To keep their repair shops always full lol. If you do get the 135i I would definitely get a good aftermarket warranty or one that is cpo by the BMW dealer.

travlee

iTrader: (8)

why do people come on here, ask random strangers what they should do..... how about, do what makes you happy

NissanTracker

iTrader: (8)

insecurity on a big purchase :-)

travlee

iTrader: (8)

i just dont understand it, when i decided i wanted a vette i went and looked at them, and bought it the next day. i didnt feel the need or desire to come on here and ask if i should keep my nissan or not.

zwei_the_c

Should I get a 2007 C6 Z06 (heads/cams) or a 1996 Toyota Supra MKIV (big turbos) ?

travlee

iTrader: (8)

08 because of better trans and updated interior

bealljk

iTrader: (13)

I agree, if I'm gonna do something (or not do something) doesn't matter what the pukes on this forum say...

I'll **** on my own point - But it's good to get opinions from different points of view...

MicVelo

^^^ Have to agree on both of these points.

To bealljk's first point, I also do what I want - opinions be dammed - but, in an informed fashion - which is why the second point totally makes sense.

I don't think I've ever asked a question of this sort on a forum but I can see how it can help. Someone buying a Z for the first time likely doesn't know about early transmission 3rd gear gronking or about some of the '06s' penchant for oil consumption or even that the '07+ has a completely different engine and associated CSC issues so research IS key.

Or.... that there are some that have had quality/reliability issues with BMWs.

Just research, research, and then maybe a little more research.

iideadeyeii

iTrader: (6)

Yearly income, expenses, liquid cash?
Lot's of factors to determine if you should keep your Z or buy a newer BMW.

awebber

Could not agree more about wishing the gtr was manual. I know from a performance perspective, the auto will shift way fasten than I ever will but driving manual is too enjoyable of an experience to want to give up yet. Also agree with those dame window motors! Both mine are bad, i have to roll them up just the right way to make it stay up. It was like that when I bought it, didnt bother me then, doesn't bother me now (until I saw how expensive they were to fix :O)

rearranged

Window motors are not expensive to fix at all. I think I paid $125ish for the motor and switched it out in 30-45 minutes watching a YouTube video. If I have to do it again, it'll probably be a 20-25 minute job.

Oh, and to keep on track, keep the z.

Frostydc4

iTrader: (3)

This is how I interpreted this thread

chatcher

iTrader: (3)

I currently own 4 BMW's and have owned 8 total. My 330i only had one coil pack failure in 100k. My M3 has been solid as a rock and I'm over a decade with it and close to 80k. All cars break, some are just worth fixing. I prefer the naturally asp BMW as opposed to the turbos. I do service all of my own vehicles however so when something does break its not as big of a deal for me. If you have others work on your vehicles you will spend more to maintain the bimmer if you take care of it yourself you won't notice much of a difference. I had an 02 X5 with almost 200k on it not a spec of rust and it was not a garage queen. Try that with a ford my 99 has no rocker panels left not to mention my 2012 navigator already had a break out on the rear quarter. I really do think the germans make better cars. They just don't make big enough trucks or it would prob be all I owned.

Arrtus

300 WHP, haha, that would be nice. The Z's aren't as slow as some people make them out to be. My Z has never had any problems keeping up with M3's and those come 333 stock.