Baby Wants a Ragtop

Posted Tue May 23, 2006 in

2003 BMW Z4Wife has complained mildly since we traded off her Chrysler Sebring convertible for the BMW 325i. I can’t really blame her—we took her car, traded it on a marvelous small vehicle which I drive it most of the time. It’s partly practical because the Bimmer uses much less fuel than does the truck—as in about 25mpg in town for the Bimmer versus 13mpg or so for the truck.

But I also really like the Bimmer. It’s a marvelous car with a lot of things I just like. So, I generally take either the Bimmer or the Beamer (aka Shadowfax, my K12RS).

I’ve been thinking about the truck a lot over the last couple of months. We don’t use a truck as a truck very often. I really like the vehicle, but prefer to take the car because of the cost of fuel. Even when traveling out of town, I take either the car or the bike. I much prefer the more precise handling of the car over the truck. Although I like the sit-up position of the truck, the car is comfortable for trips up to about 500 miles. After 500 miles I start to tire, but then most folks would.

Last Saturday we were tooling around town, not doing anything in particular except spending time together. We drove out to the Honda House so I could show Wife a triked-out Goldwing I thought of for her. Then we drove over to Alderson to look at their lot. They had a few Z-cars on the lot, including a 2000 Z3 and a 2003 Z4. We talked to our favorite car salesman, Marcus, about the vehicles, but decided to not drive one over the weekend.

I took Wife over to Alderson this morning to drive a couple of cars. We’re thinking of dumping the truck and getting a roadster for Wife. She’ll love having a small convertible, we’ll benefit from lower fuel costs, and the car will be great fun on any trips we decide to take. Young Son will be with us for a few more years and then it will be Wife and I and we won’t need any more than two seats unless we’re hauling someone else. If that’s the case, we could always rent a car for a few days with more passenger capacity. Besides, we’ll have the 325i for quite a few years yet, I think.

We drove both a Z3 and a Z4. I really prefer the Z4. It’s slightly larger with more room in the cabin and a somewhat larger trunk, large enough for us to do a weekend or slightly longer trip. The car has better handling and a better suspension than the Z3. The view is good and there is a neat cubby-hole in between the seats to hold a few necessary items. Also the air conditioner is much better in the Z4 than the Z3. This is important in west Texas.

I don’t know if we’ll buy the Z4 or not. I’m thinking about what I might offer the dealership for their vehicle. If we don’t come to terms, we’ll have the truck for as long as we need it. But, we had a lot of fun playing. It was a good day.

  1. LMAO!!!!! I knew it was just a matter of time…

    — SiL    23 May 2006, 20:36    #

  2. Yeah, I knew it too. <sheepish grin> I love roadsters although I’ve never owned one. They look like motorcycles, in many respects. They aren’t really practical—they’re freedom machines—machines meant to be taken out on the road, driven hard, traveling with a minimalist approach.

    While they aren’t really performance automobiles, they are generally quick and handle very well. I read several reviews of the BMW Z4 and it’s intended to fit in between several of the big names (Audi, Mercedes, Porsche, Honda, and Mazda) some of which cost much more than the BMW. The BMW is not cheap (no German automobile is), but it’s not the most expensive of the lot either.

    If we do this, it will be a fun car. Of course, Wife won’t drive it with the sport suspension tuning turned on, but I will. :)

    — ruminator    24 May 2006, 03:48    #

  3. Don’t get me started on motorcycles. I miss the feeling of an open road and wind in my face. I want one very badly, but Alaska really isnt the place for a 2 wheeler. ;) Someday, I shall, once again, join my brethren. hehehe By the way, the motorcycling skills you taught me are still fresh in my mind. I watch all of my buddies riding their rice burners with no thought of safety ,and I just shake my head….....there’s a lot to be said for the Motorcycle Safety Course and a well trained, vigilant rider. Thanks Dad!

    I think the roadster is a good choice for you guys. Like you stated before, you’r situation is prime for a car of this nature. I think you would be thrilled with it. Now, all we need to do is lay the planning and framework to install a twin turbo system, upgrade the exhaust, increase the size of the brakes, and replace the chip. LMAO Than you’ll be all set!

    — SiL    25 May 2006, 11:53    #

  4. I have to go to Las Cruces in a couple of weeks for a site inspection on one of my consulting projects. I’m thinking about riding the bike—I haven’t had a long ride in awhile and the idea of riding through the New Mexico mountains on the way to Las Cruces and back is very tempting. I might even have to take a side trip and come home the long way! ;)

    I’ve ridden without protective gear and I’ve also crashed. I’ll always wear some kind of protection, including jacket, gloves, helmet, long sturdy pants, and boots. The thought of scraping roadway bzhitz out of my skin no longer appeals to me. Consider my lesson one of those of the school of hard knocks. That’s the best kind of education, but the most difficult.

    I’m thinking about sitting the experienced rider course for some additional training. I need to see if they’re offering it this summer and get signed up. I could use it.

    You’ll have to talk to Wife about the mods. She might like the twin-turbos… :)

    — ruminator    25 May 2006, 18:46    #