Used BMW Z3 review and buying guide (1997 to 2003): which one to buy and what to check

Which used BMW Z3 should you buy?

Pick a six-cylinder Z3 if you want it to feel quick, because the 1.9 fours have enough go for cruising and not much more. That's a steer on pace, not reliability: there's no fault record that separates the engines, so the car in front of you matters more than the badge. The 2.8 was sold until Spring 2000, when the 3.0 took over, and a 2.0 six arrived from Spring 1999, followed by a 2.2.

Be careful with a 2.8 brought in from another market. Some of those have Nikasil-lined bores, which are the vulnerable kind, instead of steel-lined ones, so ask where the car was first sold. Plenty of right-hand-drive Z3s were imported privately to get round long delivery waits. The 3.2 M version is almost too powerful for its own good, so it's one for drivers who know what they're taking on.

Which Z3 engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The 2.8 and 3.0 straight sixes give the Z3 the performance its looks promise, and the 2.0 and 2.2 sixes are the milder alternatives. Nothing singles out a weak one among them, but the evidence is thin, so that's no guarantee. The one engine question that matters is the bores on a 2.8: an imported car can't be assumed to have steel-lined ones, as some got Nikasil instead.

Skip the 1.9 four, in either of its power outputs, unless you only want to potter about with the roof down, because it runs out of puff once you're past relaxed cruising. The 1.9 automatic is the one to avoid most if you're after fun, as it looks sporty and doesn't drive that way. There's nothing on the other gearboxes either way, so a test drive is all you've got to go on.

What should you check when viewing a used Z3?

Get down and look at the fuel tank underneath, because these cars can damage it by bottoming out and replacing one is a job you don't want to inherit. Then have the front suspension checked: the lower ball joints and the inner bushes wear, though they're cheap to sort compared with the tank, so worn ones are a bargaining point rather than a reason to leave.

Soft-tops can leak, and one owner's 87,000-mile 2000 car sprang a leak and was sent to a roof specialist. Feel the carpets for damp, look for water marks and sniff for a musty smell. If it's got the optional hardtop, check the seal around the side windows, which isn't good on these; a modification kit was offered from early 1999, so ask whether it's been fitted.

Don't trust the service indicator, since it's easy to reset; only paid invoices prove a recent service. On cars built from 2001 the build date's on a label on top of the front nearside wheelarch under the bonnet, so check it matches the paperwork. On a 2.8, ask where it was first sold and whether there's any record of engine work, and make sure the tool kit's all there.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What do Z3 owners like about them?

It's a compact car with a snug cockpit, so it wraps around you rather than feeling roomy. With the roof down it doesn't buffet badly until you're up to 80 mph, so a motorway run with the top off won't leave you battered or shouting to your passenger.

Getting some sun on your face is a big part of the appeal, and the Z3 does that job well as a relaxed open-top car rather than a sharp sports car. There are independent BMW specialists who service and repair them, so you aren't tied to a main dealer for the routine work or the fixes.

• BMW cars generally demonstrated good reliability, with low breakdown rates and below average warranty repair costs in the early 2000s.
• The Z3 offers a compact and snug cockpit, with minimal wind buffeting experienced even at higher speeds.
• From November 2001, the Z3 received an improved three-year, unlimited mileage warranty, combining manufacturer and dealer cover.