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Fun Cars Under $12,000: 2004 BMW Z4

This week’s pick is a 2004 BMW Z4 roadster found on Facebook Marketplace. The car is located in Maumee, Ohio, which is near Toledo.

As of this writing, the car is still for sale and the listing can be found HERE.  The asking price is $6,900.

BMW Z4 History

The BMW Z models are a line of roadsters manufactured by German automaker BMW. The Z stands for zukunft (German for future), and has been produced in four different series with six generations consisting of roadster, coupé, sports car, and concept variants.

The Z4 replaced the Z3, which was launched in 1995 as a “BMW Mazda Miata.”  The Z3 was small, light and very nimble, ut is was also very raw.  The Z4’s design addressed many criticisms of the Z3; it was larger with a significantly stiffer chassis. The Z4 was initially only available as a roadster, but a coupé version was officially launched in 2006.  

The first generation BMW Z4 was in production from 2002-2008.  This generation is the most affordable while still being fairly reliable–even by BMW standards.

Why This Car?

My friend, Todd, has a Z4 M (the higher performance model), and I installed new brakes on it this summer.  After that serice, I took it for a test drive and learned it was a really nice car. It was a fun, solid and comfortable vehicle. 

Being a taller driver, I was also impressed with the amount of legroom for the driver.  That is rare in a two-seat convertible, so it caught my attention.

The Z4 should be on your list if you are looking for a great driving, stylish two seater   As with any older car, be sure to give it a close inspection.  This one in the listing looks pretty decent, but a discussion with the seller will determine how well it has been serviced.

Background on this Weekly Series

There are still some affordable fun cars out there.  I want to highlight these gems, so each Thursday I am going to share a fun/quirky vehicle found on either Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.  Most of these listings will be within 75 miles of my home in metro Detroit.  Others will come from one of my scounts (see “I Need Scouts” below).  To drive home the affordability of these fun cars, all cars will be under $12,000.

More details about this weekly feature can be found in the article Searching for Fun Cars Under $12,000. 

Buying a Used Car

I covered the basics of how to buy a used car, including things to look out for and how to go about the actual purchase.  

If you decide to go after this car, be sure to read the article Buying a Used Car HERE.

I Need Scouts

Let’s make this a participation sport!  If you live in any market other than metro Detroit and would like to be my “eyes and ears,” let me know.  It would be fun to see what some of you can find in places like Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and others.

If you want to be a Vehicle Nanny Scout, message me through the social links at the top of this page or by email at wct.billtaylor@gmail.com.  

Send me a link to a fun car for sale, with a reason why you picked that car.  I will then include it in the weekly article published on Thursdays.

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Margery

    I know this web page offers quality dependent articles and other information, is
    there any other site which presents these kinds of stuff in quality?

    1. Bill

      I can’t think of any as good!

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