In-depth reviews

BMW Z4 roadster (2009-2016): owner reviews

“The BMW Z4 is stylish and good to drive, but it’s starting to feel dated and the lack of a diesel option limits its appeal.”

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by Richard Ingram

28 Jul 2016

.polaris__post-meta--date { display: none; } .polaris__post-meta--date.no-script { display: block; padding-left: 45px } 28 Jul 2016

Carbuyer Rating

2.9 out of 5

Owners Rating

4.4 out of 5

Reviews

Owner Reviews

5 out of 5
4 out of 5
3 out of 5
2 out of 5
1 out of 5

66%of people would recommend this car to a friend

Common Problems

Electrics (5 cases)
Brakes (1 case)
Other (5 cases)
Engine (1 case)

Review 1 of 47

Tell us what you think about your car?

No problems to date

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

No real problems, but there is a rumoured recall.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Spoiled by noisy runflat tyres, takes any pleasure out of the comfort

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Brilliant

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Brilliant car. Great build quality. Surprisingly comfortable to drive given its a sports car . Plenty of power and torque from 3.0 inline 6, good for 0 - 60 in under 6 seconds. The flappy panel malarkey is great it gives the option to drive like a manual with fast gear changes when the moment takes you. A good looking car from the inside out. The fold down hard top roof works well and has a solid well built feel to the mechanism. I spent a lot of time looking for the perfect, fun , comfortable road car that wouldn't brake my back or wallet and I'm very happy with my z4.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Great car, once I gave it an ECU upgrade and replaced the runflats with some Michelin PS's. Civilised and easy to drive on a daily basis. Switch on Sport+ on a winding B road and take it by the scruff and this car is transformed. Very low maintenance cost so far. Had to replace rear brake actuators 6 months ago, but that is all the trouble I've had in 25000 miles.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

No problems, apart from a manufacturer recall

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

I have had no problems with anything but with the mileage and usage and BMW quality I wouldn't have expected to at this stage

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Done 10,000 miles so far and not a single problem

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Never let me down - always starts without problems

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

A fantastic car. It cost more than i could really afford and it is not the most economic car available. It socres low on practicality. However, all of these are things i was more than aware of at the time of purchase. What it does have is great performance, great styling and most of all it is fun.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Exactly as i was expecting

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Puts a smile on my face every time i get into it. By far the most entertaining car i've ever owned. Bmw call the z4 a joy machine i think it lives up to the hype. The critics say it's not as good as a boxter, that may be flat out on a race track but for everyday motoring it takes some beating.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Great to drive, fun and responsive with no fatigue.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Excellent smooth engine, great handling and styling. The best heated seats in the industry. Real head turner roof up or down.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Very good product, nice design. A few minor niggles. I enjoy driving it.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Greatest car I have ever owned. Sporty with a full optional extras package. The build quality and engineering is as you would expect, second to none. The ride is comfortable and the retractable hard top a great feature. I would recommend this to anyone.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

The Z4 is a great sports car for day to day ownership. The boot is surprisingly accommodating and interaction with the car (steering, braking etc) is a doddle; you can easily pop to the shops in the same way you would any smaller city car. I have the M Sport model which in some reviews is criticised for having a harsh ride. However, I have the adaptive M Sport suspension which gives the suspension a softer 'comfort' mode as well as harsher 'sport' and 'sport plus'. I believe this goes some way to cancel out the perceived harshness as day to day driving in comfort mode is a breeze. I use the car for long journeys at weekends and it is a great, comfortable motorway car that eats miles. It has great torque which makes overtaking easy without dramatically dropping down a few cogs (although said dropping down is awesome to do). The car is great on more dynamic roads and feels planted and secure, particularly in sport mode. It is fast and pulls very nicely even at high speeds in higher gears. I can get comfortably over 40mpg on cruises if driving fairly sensibly and not far off it on an average cycle even when thrashing the car from time to time. Live traffic information and recommended diversions via the (expensive!) iDrive system is a great benefit and is helpful for bigger trips in particular. The car has a 12GB hard drive and loads of interactive features. I have the 'Design Pure Traction' interior. This is black and orange leather and alcantara. I think it looks the business and is new for 2013/14. It has a great premium feel, particularly with the extended leather. I would recommend going for the parking sensors which can come in handy as the nose is huge and your head is not far in front of the rear axle.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Very reliable

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

no problems yet, had a security recall and all was done as ecpected

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

IT HAS BEEN SPOT ON

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Great car good to look at with the roof down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Too noisey, awful run flat tyres and necessary extras like wind deflector cost too much and should come standard

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Love it.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

It's a reliable, sports car which has a good build quality(alpina and not bmw) ity's fun to drive and would be more enjoyable if the roads were of a better state of repair in this country..

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I was really excited to collect the car from the dealer, however, on the first journey within 2 miles the car indicated a fault with the cornering lights. This seemed to have corrected itself when I returned to the (main) dealer, and was explained by the car having stood for a couple of weeks. Since then I have experienced problems with the windows and mirrors not working when it's wet. Visited the dealers service dept and was told this could not be looked at for nearly 2 weeks. The welcome lights in both doors stay on, albeit, low all the time. At the moment I'm a bit unhappy, will update.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

so far so good

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

no problems - fingers crossed this continues

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Stylish roadster with good handling and performance. Build quality and interior material are much better than the old model.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Very good i'am glad i decided on the z4 instead of mb slk after trying both for a day each.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Great car - excellent styling, comfort and build quality

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Excellent sports car, great fun to drive, a really beautiful design. The ride is very comfortable and smooth in comfort mode . No problems to date.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Brilliant car which looks fantastic in dark grey with red leather seats. Very quick with the double clutch gearbox, 4.8 seconds 0 to 60. Standard sports exhaust sounds great with a nice popping sound when you ease off. There are other sports cars available but nowadays many have gone to a fabric roof which just doesn't look as good and always shows wear and tear after 2 or 3 years. Open the bonnet and everybody is amazed at the engine. It looks huge and very imposing. It has the pack which includes parking sensors, cruise control and windbreak etc which was a good investment. Also added heated seats which are great on colder days. The onboard hard drive is good and access to your music quick and easy. Some cars look great even when they are just parked on your drive and this is certainly one of them. It has had many comments from passers-by while I'm washing it and to how attractive it looks.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

So far there have been no problems at all.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

As it is a BMW and a new car, I would not expect it to be anything other than VERY reliable in terms of starting up, and road holding. etc.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Absolutely fantastic and a dream come true.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

+the z4 has come up to the mark in every department.Big Improvement on the last model.The New metal roor is just great,giving the best of both worlds with the roof up or down.Geat Car highly recommended.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Expensive but good fun with the roof down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Suits 2 people and goes like strink, also handy when the sun shines as the roof slips down.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Continue reading

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