Originally Posted by clyde
My first gen Z4 experience was quite some time ago, pretty limited, and was with a 3.0, so keep that in mind. Agree with Nick that it should be more engaging than the E46, but...meh. I wasn't very enamored with it when it was brand new. It provided a solid driving experience, but it was kinda numb and not as fun as I thought a car like that should be. At 2900 pounds or so, it's not super heavy, but it's not really light, either. Like, Z3s are not great cars in a lot of ways, but its flaws make them kinda lively and fun. The Z4 addressed the Z3's shortcomings which made it a "better" car, but that also prevented it from having much personality.
Miatas, OTOH are much more elemental, direct, and engaging to the point of producing the benchmark convertible sports car experience. The NC would be my fourth pick of Miata generations, but I'd definitely choose one over a Z4. At 2,500 pounds, they're pretty light. There is all the aftermarket support in the world for it...no matter what kind of simple and mile or wild and crazy kind of thing you may want to do with it. There's a huge community and tons of knowledge to tap. Parts are plentiful and cheap. Cars are easy to work on. And when you're driving them, they feel like cars should feel. Not great for freeway cruises of any distance, but short of that, if it's about driving, the Miata is the answer.
All that said, if you don't think you'll find a Miata quickly and this car is solid, buy it and see what you think. If you don't love it, keep looking for a Miata and enjoy the Z4 until you find one, then sell the Z4.
No idea what Z4 market pricing is like right now, or what that car might be worth. Do some research to see what others are asking and subtract about 25% from that to give yourself a nominal target for that type of car. Where does the asking price on this car fit in compared to the others? High, low, or middle, factor that in. When you inspect and drive the car, note anything that will cost you time and/or money to fix and reduce your target price by about half what you guess it will cost to fix. Whatever that final target is, subtract $200 more and make that your initial offer. It's negotiation from there to a number you're happy with. For a car in this price range, it's probably worth overpaying a couple hundred bucks to get it done so you can stop looking. Finding the right low-cost older car can be tough. When you find it, you don't want to let it slip away over a small amount of money.
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