# What is the best time to buy a Z3?



## Tfalsetta (4 mo ago)

In your opinion what time of year the best to buy a Z3..... I live in the Northeast.... I'm being told that between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a good time?

Probably looking for a 2000-2002 3.0 or M series


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

I used to date a car salesmanette. She sold new Fords. She was starving from Thanksgiving through January.

The best time to buy any used car is "long time." The longer you're willing to shop, the better the car and deal you're going to find. I had a coworker who was perpetually used car shopping. If he found something special, he'd buy it and sell his current car. He enjoyed visiting with people who were selling the cars. That was sort of his hobby he'd practice Saturday mornings. It got to the point where people would give him orders for used cars: what they were looking for, and how much they would pay.

Z3's are a spring-summer-fall, and weekend car. So, the winter would be when people are motivated to get rid of them.

I sold a 12.5 year old E46 M3 on BMWCCA's website in one day. If it's a good place to sell a car, it'd be a good place to buy one. Everybody selling and buying there is BMW-focused. 

A few Z3 M Roadsters of that era had the S54 engine out of the M3, maybe starting with about April 2001 production. They're highly collectable, but be careful. The early S54's had real problems with blowing up. BMW eventually replaced the oil pump and connecting rod bearings on the early ones (maybe in 2003) and then the connecting rod bearings again (maybe 2004 or 2005). But, that was only on the M3's. The M Roadsters didn't get the upgrade. BTFOM why. Maybe they didn't think M Roadster owners were flogging their cars like M3 owners were.

If you're planning weekend cruising with the top down through scenic areas, you'd have a cheaper, more durable, more fuel efficient, less maintenance intensive car with a 30i

The S54's had incredible sound and instant throttle response (since they had a butterfly valve for each cylinder and short intake runners (sort of like a motorcycle).


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