BMW Z4 car review
Model tested: BMW Z4 sDrive 23i, BMW Z4 sDrive 35i
Price as tested: £28,645, £37,060
Price range: £28,645-£37,060
Insurance group as tested: 17, 18
Insurance group range: 17-18
CO2 emissions as tested: 199g/km, 219g/km
CO2 emissions range: 192g/km-219g/km
Company car tax range %: TBC
EuroNCAP result: n/a
On sale: Now
Date tested: May 2009
Road tester: Adrian Higgins
Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 78%
BMW gave us the opportunity to test the 2009 BMW Z4 to its maximum by handing us the keys in north Scotland and leaving us to drive it to London.
Ultimately we covered more than 1,000 miles, including a stretch from Ullapool in the north-west of Scotland to London, more than enough to realise the roadster has made huge strides following its latest overhaul.
Web editor Adrian Higgins put the revised sports car through its paces.
Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor
The 2009 Z4 has undergone much more than the obligatory wash and brush-up. The new car is a beauty and moves the two-seater on considerably. It’s now 148mm longer with the cabin sitting further back towards the rear axle. This gives the car a more grown-up and elegant appearance than the outgoing model.
The biggest single development sees BMW take a tip from rival Mercedes by introducing a tin-top convertible roof. This is the only guise the Z4 is offered in – there is no soft top. The new retractable roof flips between lid-on and lid-off driving in 20 seconds.
9/10
The biggest development here is in terms of space. There is 44mm more headroom, 20mm more shoulder room and 43mm more elbow room which adds up to a very liveable environment, even over long-haul distances as our trip from north west Scotland to London showed.
The cabin also balances the joys and perils of alfresco driving. Enhanced visibility over the outgoing model adds to the feeling of proper lid-down motoring, however, and only the most substantial showers forced up to put the roof up.
8/10
Tin-top folding roofs usually mean compromising boot space and the BMW Z4 is no exception with the decent 310 litre boot shrinking to just 180 litres if you want the roof down. However, it is shaped well and storage in the cabin is good.
There is a 10 litre glovebox, the door pockets fold inwards, there is storage between the driver and passenger and the addition of a through-loading system means the car can accommodate a set of golf clubs. Getting in and out has been made easier by doors which are 26mm longer.
8/10
BMW says it aimed to broaden its rear-wheel drive roadster’s appeal by reducing the steering sensitivity at the initial turn and, for me, this is a key improvement. It makes the car much more liveable while diminishing little of the fun. But just in case you’re worried, the introduction of Normal, Sport and Sport+ settings enable drivers to adjust the throttle and steering response to tailor the car’s personality to the journey.
The Sport settings were fantastic for the first stage of our journey down the west coast of Scotland and contributed to an exhilirating journey on great roads. But as soon as we hit the M6 for the long slog back to London the comfort of the Normal setting provided welcome relief. The bodyshell is 25 per cent stiffer while the retractable roof only adds 30kg to the weight over the coupe. Traction control comes in the form of Dynamic Stability Control with the ability to brake individual wheels and switch grip between wheels.
8/10
The Z4 comes with a choice of three six-cylinder petrol engines which are mated with a six-speed gearbox (a seven-speed double clutch transmission can be specified as an option). The flagship is the International Engine of the Year-winning 3-litre twin turbocharged 306Hp BMW Z4 sDrive 35i which delivers a 0-62mph time of 5.2 seconds (5.1 for the automatic). It hits an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph and has pulling power of 400Nm (295Ib/ft).
The 258hp 3-litre Z4 sDrive 30i covers the sprint in 5.8 seconds (6.1 for the automatic) and also has a 155mph top speed with pulling power of 400Nm (295Ib/ft). The 204hp 2.5-litre Z4 sDrive 23i does it in 6.6 seconds (7.1 for the automatic) and can hit 151mph with pulling power of 250Nm (184Ib/ft).
The Z4 35i is a flagship model BMW is rightly proud of and for once the marketing CD which came with the test car and claimed we wouldn’t want to hand the keys back was 100 per cent accurate. However, the majority of our journey was in the entry-level 23i and though lacking the firepower of the flagship at higher speeds, it supplied no shortage of thrills in the third/fourth gear range.
9/10
What do you think of the BMW Z4? Have your say on the Auto Trader Blog
The 35i returns 30.1mpg and generates 219g/km CO2 (210g/km for the automatic). The 30i returns 33.2mpg and generates 199g/km CO2 (195g/km for the automatic). The 2.3i returns 33.2mpg and also generates 199g/km (192 g/km for the automatic). The three versions fall into car tax bands J and K which currently attract an annual £210 bill. The Z4 holds onto its value well and should be worth around 45 per cent of its original cost three years down the line.
7/10
The BMW Z4 is now in its third generation and the German manufacturer has a long history of roadster production. The new car also incorporates an award-winning engine in its flagship model. We experienced no problems during our drive.
7/10
Each model features front and side airbags. Also standard is Driver Stability Control, the umbrella name for a host of safety features including Anti-Lock Brakes, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Dynamic Traction Control.
The new car also boasts improved visibility and run-flat tyres.
7/10
Standard features on the Z4 sDrive 23i include 17-inch light alloy Star-spoke wheels, Xenon headlights, Drive Dynamic Control, CD/radio, two-zone control air conditioning and leather steering wheel. The Z4 sDrive3.0i adds leather upholstery, automatic windscreen wipers and headlights. The Z4 sDrive3.5i adds aluminium trim inside and out, electric seats and chrome door sill finish. Options include automatic double-clutch transmission (£1,810), Adaptive Sport Suspension which lowers the ride height by 10mm (£930) and satnav including idrive and12Gb of audio file storage (£2,135)
6/10
There are a few contenders. The retractable roof is a huge plus and the engine line-up impressive. But we reckon BMW has really nailed it with this new design. Great looking car.
9/10
View this video of the previous BMW Z4:
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