Used 1999 BMW Z3 Consumer Reviews

99 Z3 Roadster, 2.3, 5 spd manual

Great solid car, extremely reliable for me. Bought it with 122k on it, sold it with 140k. Needed front suspension parts replaced, which is no surprise with that many miles, but did the work myself and found that aftermarket parts are cheap online. Only real issue I experienced was the airbag light came on. Good gas mileage, and the straight 6 cylinder motor sounds awesome! Stereo is absolutely horrible. Mine did not have the optional Harmon Kardon stereo, which I assume is better. Would recommend this car - very classic and sexy looking exterior. Simple interior.

Best sports car for under $10,000

I've owned my 2.8 roadster for three years. I drove it as is off the used lot as my daily driver for two and a half years and never had a single problem. Made several 600-plus mile trips, very comfortably with luggage (I'm 5'10", 200lbs). It cruises smoothly on the interstate at 70 or even at 100mph. Plenty of power for passing or squirting through traffic in town. Get's about 26hwy/17city. This car does not like bumpy streets, so I don't recommend owning one in an area with lots of bad roads. The ride is very rigid with decent comfort on most smooth streets. The car feels more powerful than I expected before driving one. The chassis is very well planted and the drivetrain delivers thrilling performance. It's about as fast as a v6 mustang, but the size of the vehicle makes it much more nimble and and the noise and vibration, and connectedness to the road is unmistakably German and makes for a much more thrilling drive. It feels like an old 911 or M3. I feel like I lucked out selecting this car. It has surpassed my expectations and checked all the boxes in what I look for in a sports car. I spent around $4,000 last month refitting the car with a new top, new shocks, new clutch and flywheel, brakes, rotors, tires and a tune up, because I intend to keep this little gem for a while. This is one of those cars you miss when it's gone and BMW won't be making any more of these naturally aspirated, straight six, analog, manual transmission cars.

THIS is BMW quality?

My '99 Z3 (bought Feb '08, 48K miles) still looks great on the outside and powertrain has held up well. Surprised that interior plastic parts are so chintzy, such as loose power drivers seat, cup holder cover, and cracked/broken seat belt restraint and parking brake handle. Radiator fan shroud also cracked and broke off. 6-CD changer in trunk has poor tolerance for bumps. Would not have expected all these issues at 49K miles.

12 years later and it still turns heads

I leased this car new in 1999 and it was so great I bought it at lease end in 2002. Now 2012 and all I have done is add a front strut brace (highly recommended and simple to install) and the car is still the best I have owned. Steel Grey, chrome package, with chrome wheels is unbelievable. I store it in the winter. Never seen snow, barely seen rain. 30k miles. And i drive it hard, run it to rev limiter regularly, etc. It's like driving a go-cart, not for all but for enthusiasts really great. Fun to drive, amazing exhaust note and the engine runs easy at 4k and will just hang there between shifts. Even today, as 12 year old car, people stop and look and ask. Timeless for sure.

Never sold in Canada, got one anyway

The base 2.8 Coupe was never sold in Canada. I bought my 99 in 2007 in western NY, 49xxx orig. miles. It now has 77xxx miles. It's now in its third Canadian winter. Only failures have been PCV valve and battery. Replaced the water pump at 54xxx miles before it broke (they all do). Unbelievable attention getter. Mine is one of 3 in our city of about 1 mill. Fantastic to drive in all conditions. Have a good set of snows on it, am only stopped by 6" or more dumps of snow, and then only until plowed. Heater is great, love the heated seats. If you don't want attention, then don't drive this car. I get questions and offers all the times. Chicks dig it.

your classic roadster

loads of fun to drive, corners as if on rails, but can be a bit rough over road imperfections. has all the essential features of a classic roadster plus modern conveniences, automatic top operation, a/c etc. still draws the looks from everyone, works fine as an everyday car for most days (i don't take it out in the snow to avoid salty roads). you can even lock it with the top down due to its anti-theft device (location dependent of course) as all storage compartments can be locked independently. a perfect car for the young exec/professional seeking a significant other or for the empty nesters.

Drive One!!!!

Very smooth, agile, and fast. I am glad I got the 2.8, worth the extra cash and the extra torque makes the difference. Still have not been able to break it loose, I will keep trying. This car is a keeper!

Just purchased Z3

Just purchased 1999 BMW Z3, one owner with 94,000 miles. Fun to drive, very responsive, my 1st sports car and exciting for 70 year old plain vanilla guy. Far exceeds my expectations for performance and overall quality and condition of a 15 year old car. I may keep this one for a lifetime since NC resident and can been @ blue ridge mountains in less than 3 hours and beach less than 4 hours Owned my 1999 Z for two years, drive it weekends and to the NC Mountains, only has 96,000 and in mint condition. I really enjoy the car and put just a few miles on in each year it performs exceptionally well.

Good...not great..Handling BMW

First, let me say, I love this car. It is fun to drive and handles very VERY well. However, bumps in the road will defintely throw this light (2900lb) vehicle. Outside of that and the cupholder being in a very odd place, the car is perfect. The engine sounds wonderful, the interior and exterior detailing is beautiful. The engine runs smooth as silk and corners very nicely. Oh, and if you must indulge in this car, do not forget to find one with heated seats!

Cruising Top Down

Sweet looking car. It's very quick and nimble. Drove it 5,000 mi this winter from Florida to NH. Handles great in snow. With cruise control got over 30 mpg traveling 75 mph. Love to drive around with top down and wind in my hair.

Couldn't ask for more!

I just got my 99 2.3 a month ago and I smile every time I get in to drive it. Performance is smoother than expected, which is saying a lot. If you want to enjoy driving and don't have to worry about hauling more than one passenger, you can't go wrong with this car.

Wow...i like

Used to own a '97 2.3L Z3....this 2.8L is much better. The power behind this car is incredible, it's very fun to drive. The added roll bars provide better security. The seats are incredible: heated, holding capability, and comfort all rolled into one. Not very practical, but that's not its purpose. It's a very fun toy!

Beyond all expectations

I bought this car on my birthday, and never looked back. When looking to replace an 87 325is, I stumbled upon the coupe. It's always fasinated me , when I saw it on the lot, I asked for a test drive. That sold me. It is the tightest handling, most stylish and unique car I have ever owned. Most people have buyers regret after a any new car.. its a big purchase after all. I had NONE. By the way, get used to people staring and pointing.. there were only a few thousand of these made. I drove it through the WORST New England winter I have ever seen, and it handled it with aplomb. If you have the chance, buy it.

Enjoy the Sunshine

Overall I love driving this car. It is great for the Florida sunshine. The 2.3 model has plenty of power when you need it and the gas mileage is close to 35 mpg on the highway. The top is cheeply made and needs a glass window. I also have problems with the fuel sensor malfunctioning regularly. It is a blast to drive around town but use another car if you are going on a long trip.

FunFunFun!

Most fun to drive I've ever had. This is my sixth BMW and makes me feel good every time I look at it or drive it.

beats up on boxters

Handling is amazing, i corner it as hard as possible and the tires just won't break lose, freeway ramps feel like astronaut training. The unusual styling grabs to much attention at times it seems almost everyday someone asks "what is that" Some people just rave about it others just don't get it. I'm going to make some modifications, new chip, exhaust and intake and take it to the next level.

Great little sports car

It's not for the track, but it is gorgeous, comfortable, handles well, and obviously well built. And boy, was it economical.

Little Red Z

Fun car. If you are taller than 6'3, it's a little tight.

Fun car for the money

Fun to drive, good on gas, good quality product. Only major problem is with the sealed gas tank system. After the dealer put 2 gas caps on it and looked at it several times the warranty ran out and then they said I had a leak in the gas tank filler neck. They could not repair it?? They said I had to buy a new tank for around 400. I purchased a code reset reader and I turn off the code every times it tells me I have a leak. I do this from 2 times a month to sometimes only once in 3 months. I called the home office of bmw and they did not want to help me with the problem. I should have insisted they fix it when the warranty was in. Other than that I enjoy the car.

Drive One!!!!

Very smooth, agile, and fast. I am glad I got the 2.8, worth the extra cash and the extra torque makes the difference. Still have not been able to break it loose, I will keep trying. This car is a keeper!

1999 2.5 "actually"

Even though my car says it 2.3 liter is a 2.5 liter it is very reliable very strong and it's given zero problems with 165000 miles on it. If anything I have had more Corvette Porsches Mercedes transandes Camaros BMW 3 Series M Series 6 Series 5 Series and one 7:40 that I love however this little whippersnapper outdoes them all quite possibly the best car I've ever owned as far as all around reliability looks compliments given ease-of-use and maintenance as far as cost repairs is virtually nonexistent. If you want one of the better looking better driving solid feeling sporty, quick little cars on the highway today by yourself a twenty-year-old Z3 and consider yourself lucky that you found one for under $10,000 and you've done something worth celebrating. These cars just don't fall off trees

1999 BMW Z3 2.8L 6I manual transmission

Expensive to maintain

A Sportscar for the real world

If you can and do push this car to it's limits on the street, you are driving the wrong car in the wrong place. If you want a car that looks great , makes you feel good every time you drive it,and has the comfort for a long trip,then this is the one. The inline six will pull strong in any gear so shifting is almost optional. The car stops - now - without being grabby. I have had no problems in 22k miles. We just drove the BlueRidge Parkway, I think the road was made for the Z3.

Individual style flawless performance

Z3's give a great modern interpretation of a classic roadster. We all know how they look so I’m not going to talk about that. With 70,000 miles of New England driving I can say I have had few problems. I bought my 2.3 from lease trade in. My dealer replaced the front control arms after I test drove the car. I noticed nothing wrong in the test drive so I’m not sure why they replaced them but I guess I can just be happy they did. The only other item was the air bag light came on at about 55,000 miles and to turn it off the seat belt receptacle needed to be replace for $400. The rest has been change oil and filers and brakes just normal maintenance

my 1999 BMW Z3 British Traditional Exclusive Edit

It's reliable, good on gas , with lots of power , most parts are cheap , as long as you service it and change fluids reg.

Z3 coupe

BEST CAR EVER MADE IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BEST EVERYTHING.

Juliewestlake