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MG ZR ZS ZT Technical - ZTT Bargain?

Im about to replace my BMW with a ZTT and have been considering preregistered ZTTs and new ones from a broker. I want the 190+ in manual with metalic and Ive found a broker who will sell a new one for c £19k. Trouble is I dont like the new front. I was loking for an old shape 260 ZTT but have given up now. Seems there arent any and anyway was a bit extreme for my wife to go to Tescos in and pick the kids up from school. My local dealer has now been able to source a preregistered 04 ZTT 190+ with delivery miles. He wants £15350 for it which seems pretty good. Only thing is its in Le Mans Green. I dont mind but I have a feeling it is not a popular colour hence the price. Any evidence that correct? My wife had wanted a silver one but I may be able to persuade her! In addition it has the sports suspension kit which would deliver a too firm ride. The dealer has said he'll convert it to standard suspension in the price. Is that feasible ie. is it as easy to do as he makes out? Any views appreciated.

ps Rob, did you buy a ZTT diesel? Had a ride in one recently and you couldnt tell it was a diesel inside. You could on the outside! Sounded like a mini cab and, in fact, thats what it was being used for....
marc hanson

I think Le Mans Green is quite popular. There is a 51-plate ZTT in that colour at my local dealer for £18,000 so the ZTT 190+ on an 04-plate with delivery miles for £15K is a good buy.
Matthew Semple

Likewise it is not impossible to get a stonking bargain for a new ZT260. £15 sounds like a summer bargain

Neil

I agree it is a bargain but unfortunately my wife hates the colour and has threatened divorce if I buy it. If anyone is interested in the car then I can put you in touch with the salesman. He's got the same deal on a similar spec royal blue car too (and I dont like that colour....)
marc hanson

Solar Red!!!
That's the one !
it Looks utterly stunning! and drop dead gorgeous!
send me your email address and I will email a picture of it!
Neil

solar red! i dont think so, not for a big car. taking the wife down to the garage on saturday where I'll be able to show her a Le Mans green car which hopefully wont look as bad in the flesh. We'll also look at a royal blue one in case I can be persuaded!
marc hanson

She'll want Blue women always do!

Neil

Girlies are supposed to like green - a sign of a craving for stability and safety.

Red, colour of danger and risks - a man's colour!
Patrick Beet

not sure she'll think le mans green is a colour of "stability and safety". her initial reaction was that it looked like metalic puke...
marc hanson

rather annoyingly she hated the Le mans green and I didnt like the royal blue. as there dont seem to be any other prep registered old shape 04 zt190s around looks like I'll have to keep the beamer. sorry mg rover!
marc hanson

I have been banging on about colours for ages with MGR. The havent got it have they?

WHY they dont do a classic BRG (non metallic puke) colour I will never know. Triumph Brooklands Green is THE colour we all would want to see in production, and it is one of the staples from Jaguar who sell hundreds in flat dark green as do Land Rover

Until they see the light they will always lose sales.

Trival but true!
Women are generally supposed to know about style, they spend enough time reading mags about the subject and they all think they can become succesful interior designers. But you see, the stylists at Longbridge have spent waayyy too much time reading Max Power and have never been to Milan to understand true class. I have to revert to Red each time I buy an MG when what I really want is Triumph Brooklands Green

That Colour on my ZT260 would look just FABULOUS, But Red will have to do. Consider Black Try Jam Jar for a bargain

Neil

I agree with you re MGR colours. I notice theyve dropped le mans green so presumably it wasnt that popular. The BRG they now do isnt that bad but TRophy yellow and Blue for a supposedly classy car like the ZTT? Honestly! Big cars that colour look like tonka toys or maxpowered ghetto machines. Can you honsestly see BMW or Audi doing their big cars those colours? Trouble is, everytime someone gets a zt in one of those colours a lot of potential purchasers see it and think MG = no class, and opt for something else. Those colours on the zt cheapen the brand. Next thing you know theyll be weakening their brands still further by sticking a rover badge on a crude and badly built indian small car.....
marc hanson

Marc you are right of course....I knew of a Marc Hanson in the 80's he worked at a place call The Leisure Process, not you is it?

Neil

Neil, sadly not me!
marc hanson

What a great decision you made Marc, the beamer is definately far far far better.

I bought a Rover 75, CDT, on a 51 plate, did 80,000 miles in 20 months and had minor problems with it. I changed it for an MG ZT, CDTi +, bought new (53)valued at £27,000 with loads of extras I paid £18,500 for it. In 3 months and 7,000 miles it had 3 clutches and 2 gearboxes.In trade in against a new one i was offered £12,000.

MG Rover eventually switched it for a new one (04)to a similar spec at no cost to me. I have had it 6 months, done 12,000 miles and it has so far had a complete new exhaust having blown a hole in the original, a new management system and now the clutch is going again! Guess what, this is now worth £11,000.

Needless to say I have cut my losses and got shot. I now have a very Nice Saab aero!

Don't buy a ZT!
Jon Tippett


Though i sympathise with you Jon and your faulty ZT cdti, it was actually the BMW components that were letting you down, and not home produced items. I would still be supporting and driving British (still am) rather than the estate agents wet dream - Beemer estate.
Jez

Why do people like Mr Tippett bother to come on here and relay their negativity? As pointed out, the CDTi engine is the weak point it seems, and since so many people choose to believe the 75 is BMW designed, surely these can't be the faulty cars Mr Tippett suggests they are?

Martin ZT

Re-starting my attempts to track down a CDTi ZT-T this weekend, so have been doing some car-value research...

Very interesting. The internet sites are selling new cars for massive discounts: about 4.5k off list - so you can get a nice spec car for about 16.5k.

Thing is, you need to buy this low, because by one year, dealers are advertising the car for 14k. Based on list price, that's a whopping 36% first year depreciation! But depreciation to the third year of ownership is relatively glacial: dealerships are advertising for 13k.

Looking at longer term residuals on the Rover 75, prices start to collapse again as the cars reach 5 years...

So it appears the best to time to buy is at 12 months and sell within 3 years ownership...

Sorry to hear that you were stung so badly Jon, but it does sound as though you're victim of that savage initial depreciation (and shoddy BMW engineeing???) :o(
Rob Bell

I saw a bit on the telly last night that the fertility clinics are running out of sperm donors due to the changes in the rules on anonymity. Perhaps the fertility industry show look to BMW for sponsorship as everyone knows BMW drivers are w*nkers ……
Patrick Beet

Ha ha

I know I am going to take a bath on my ZT ....and I dont care!!! The car is very very special and it's all mine no previous owners virgin etc

Anonimity doesnt matter so much, the girls catching up with you is more of a problem!!

Neil

You will "take a bath". I read that an owner of a ZT260 has just been offered 14k for his 8 month old example. Car retails at 34k.

Horrific depreciation.
George Hunt

It's only horrific depreciation if he accepts the offer. If he did, then more fool him.

:)
Smiley

sounds like jon had a real problem and his negativity sounds understandable. Blaming the BMW components is pretty stupid - MGR fit them. If theyre no good, dont! If the 260s/ sv's start blowing up are they going to say, "oh well, dont blame us its a mustang engine?" I do regret not buying a ZTT as I like them both in terms of look and performance and the fact theyre MGR. Having said that my BMW is wonderfully engineered, has never even blown a bulb in 3 years, is bigger, more comfortable and has depreciated by less than 25% in 3 years. It may piss some people off but its a great car and thats why so many people want one.

ps I have 2 other MGs so still have a few patriotic credentials!
marc hanson

Just bought a '52' reg ZT-T for £11k from my local dealer.

First time I've driven one of the Z cars and I must say I'm extremely impressed. I've bought the 1.8 Turbo version (160bhp) and am extremely impressed with it's performance.

I've come down into the estate market, having previously owned an A4 Cabrio. We're moving home soon and needed the extra money and lugging space (wife has a new Mini). Considered a 3-series tourer, but there's just something different about the ZT-T which swung the verdict.

Any recommended extras for my new vehicle?

Many thanks in advance.
A Bradley 1

<<Any recommended extras for my new vehicle?
>>

18" straights from a 190 instead of the hairpins!
Matthew Semple

What are you talking about?

Obviously an 'in' joke .. . !
A Bradley 1

they are wheels dear boy, do try to keep up ;-)
David S

Yeah, I gathered that . . .

What's the general consensus then . . . the 160 wheels aren't as aethetically pleasing as the 190's?

They look OK to me.
A Bradley 1

Yeah go on depreciate away

dont care. All new cars depreciate in the longer term...to nothing! ( unless they are instant classics)

how much is a 10 yr old BMW worth?
....about as much as a 10 yr old MG
i.e. not a lot!

I had a perfect concours winning 1979 BMW last year.
value? ... about £1000. tellies cost more!
Concours version of a SDI Vitesse??? I saw one go for £9000!!!

These are cars not investment portfolios
If you want an appreciating asset
don't buy a car! get some shares/propoerty/etc

Spend you money on something which you enjoy. depreciation on BMW's is just as ferocious as MG's over the longer term. It's all motortrade balony


Neil


Well said Neil!
Stick that in your frankfurter, kraut lovers....
Jez

Yippee! Found a 12 month old car! :o) Ex-Rover fleet - so fingers crossed... :o)
Rob Bell

Hey, if anyone is in the market for a facelift, starlight silver ZTT 260, then I know of one sitting in a showroom, unregistered, with a sticker price of a sorely tempting 22k...

I'd love one, but the insurance alone is almost trebble what we're paying for our current V6...! :o( Maybe one day.
Rob Bell

Phoenix pre-registered

ZT http://www.phoenix-cars.com/prereg/results.asp?criteria=3

ZTT http://www.phoenix-cars.com/prereg/results.asp?criteria=4

JohnP

Looks like a PVH pre-reg 'disposal' website - how clever!

All the motors no-one wants....
Eric

Like this BBS, a meeting place for all the trolls nobody wants!
Martin ZT

This thread was discussed between 09/08/2004 and 25/09/2004

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