BMW Z4 Interior Review
Getting into this small two-seater involves a ducking and stepping down into the low-slung seats. The dismount requires some upper and lower body strength to pull yourself free, so you might not want to take grandma for a ride in your Z4. While head and leg room are average for the class, taller drivers might not like folding themselves into this small car.
Once inside, however, you are surrounded by BMW solidity and style. The door closes with a thunk and the interior materials are sturdy and attractive. The simple dash layout places all controls at your fingertips. While our Z4 was outfitted with the no-cost wood trim, some may prefer the real brushed aluminum trim found in most Z4s. It seems sportier.
The seats are excellent. Contoured for sporty driving, they also offer long-trip comfort. We did some hard cornering, and appreciated the pad against the transmission tunnel for that body-contact spot. We wish there were a similar pad for the left knee against the door, but there's a good dead pedal for support.
The aluminum spoke steering wheel is nice, an appropriate size for spirited cornering, and has buttons for the sound system and cruise control. The optional on-board computer provides information through a digital readout, your choice between temperature, fuel mileage, average speed since the last setting, or miles to empty. The latter is the only one that means much.
Unfortunately, BMW has skimped on the interior small-items storage space. There's a decent-sized compartment between the seatbacks, but it's hard to safely access while driving because you need to either swivel in your seat or be double-jointed. BMW provides small door pockets and an ashtray-sized cubby in front of the shifter. For those who want more storage possibilities, four tight nets for maps and papers come with the Premium package.
The Z4 coupe's body styling is more than just attractive. Its hatchback design allows for 12.0 cubic feet of rear cargo volume, about the same as an average midsize sedan. So, yes, you can load the clubs in back and drive out to the golf course, looking for twisty roads along the way. There is one other drawback, though. The rear roof pillars create a large blind spot to the right rear. The blind spot is bigger in roadsters with the top up.
Coupes offer a relatively quiet cabin. The engines are subdued at normal driving speeds, and only the M's high-performance engine gets very loud under heavy acceleration. Wind noise is well checked, but road noise is noticeable.
In the roadster, wind-buffeting with the top down isn't a problem, even at high speeds. With the top up, the Z4 is quiet for a sports car. With it down, you are susceptible to the sounds of your surroundings.
BMW Z4 Road Test
The BMW Z4 is a sensuous sports car, not a visceral one. It strokes you, responds to you. After five minutes on the open road, we knew it would be difficult to write this review without using the word smooth about 20 times. It's the ultimate smooth sports car.
Our Z4 3.0si coupe was equipped with the optional Sport package, which adds a firmer suspension, a 0.6-inch lower ride height, 18-inch run-flat tires instead of standard 17s, and a Dynamic Driving Control (Sport) console button.
The 3.0si's 24-valve inline-6 is bliss, crooning its way into your heart. With 255 horsepower, it's spritely away from a stop, but it really shines at higher revs. Making that pass at 65 mph is a piece of cake and it usually doesn't even require a downshift. The 3.0si is capable of a 5.6-secoond 0 to 60 mph sprint. Hitting the Dynamic Driving Control's Sport button quickens throttle response, making the Z4 even more responsive.
The 3.2-liter engine in the M models has similar characteristics, but it makes a more gravelly sound. It doesn't knock you back in your seat off the line, but it does build power with confidence and has more performance potential than its 3.0-liter counterparts. A Z4 M is capable of a 4.9-second 0-60 run.
We haven't driven a Z4 with the base engine.
The six-speed manual gearbox is a pleasure to operate with any engine. M models have shorter, sportier gearshift throws, but all manual-equipped Z4s provide silky smooth shifts. With the Sport package, hitting the Sport button can cause the engine to wind up, then bog, especially when the engine is cold. We've experienced this minor annoyance with other manual-shift BMWs. It can be rectified by letting the car warm up or applying precise throttle pressure.
Any Z4 grips the road like a shy toddler clings to its parents on the first day of preschool. The body remains flat in corners. The only thing making you lean one way or the other is the inertia brought about by speeding up instead of slowing down for turns. Steering is quick, weighty, and precise. The car goes exactly where you put it. In a Z4, clover-leaf on-ramps are your best friends. Coupes are rock-solid, and we detected little, if any, cowl shake in the roadsters.
We had an opportunity to drive both the 3.0si coupe and M roadster on a racetrack, and we couldn't have been more pleased. In a high-speed environment, the steering feel was reassuring, the grip was tenacious, and the car was steady at high speeds. The vented disc brakes, with ABS, front-rear proportioning and electronic brake assist, were typically BMW-brilliant. We managed to heat them up, but they only smelled, they didn't fade. The Z4 has more handling capability than 99.9 percent of its owners will ever use.
Supreme handling usually comes with a ride penalty. While that's not the case for base models with their 17-inch wheels, the sport suspensions on the M and 3.0si with Sport package are not smooth cruisers. While these suspensions iron out small road imperfections, broken or uneven pavement causes a lot of up-and-down motions, and sharp bumps can jolt. We suggest taking an M or Sport package 3.0si out on the bumpiest roads you normally encounter before you buy. If you live in California, this might not be a problem, but Midwesterners might find they prefer the softer settings of a base model.
BMW Z4 Lineup
The 2007 BMW Z4 is offered in three models and two body styles, and all have an inline six-cylinder engine. The 3.0i is available only as a roadster and has a 3.0-liter six-cylinder that makes 215 horsepower at 6250 rpm and 185 pound-feet of torque at 2750 rpm. Offered as a coupe or roadster, the 3.0si also has a 3.0-liter inline-6, but it makes 255 horsepower at 6600 rpm and 220 pound-feet of torque at 2750 rpm. The M Coupe and M Roadster feature a 3.2-liter inline-6 that puts out 330 horsepower at 7900 rpm and 262 pound-feet of torque at 4900 rpm.
A six-speed manual transmission is standard on all models, and a six-speed automatic is optional on all but the M for $1275. With the manual transmission, the 3.0i and 3.0si are rated at 20 mpg city and 29 highway; with the automatic they get 21/30. The M model has an EPA fuel economy rating of 16/24 and is subject to a $1000 Gas-Guzzler tax. All Z4s use premium-grade fuel.
The 3.0i roadster ($36,400) comes standard with a manual top with heated glass rear window, vinyl upholstery, air conditioning, interior air filter, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, six-way manually adjustable bucket seats, heated power mirrors, power windows, power locks, remote keyless entry, AM/FM/CD player, iPod connectivity, outside temperature indicator, rear defogger, rain-sensing variable intermittent wipers, automatic headlights, fog lights, theft-deterrent system, 224/45R17 run-flat tires on alloy wheels.
The 3.0si coupe ($40,400) and roadster ($42,400) add leather upholstery, automatic climate control, center console, aluminum interior trim, THX audio system, trip computer, and map lights.
M Coupe ($50,100) and M Roadster ($52,100) get 225/45R18 front tires and 255/45R18 rear tires, a sport suspension, and xenon headlights with washers. Roadsters add a power top. Cruise control and the THX audio system are deleted.
A Premium package ($3,200) for the 3.0i includes a fully automatic top, automatic climate control, Bluetooth wireless cell phone link, eight-way power driver's seat with memory, auto-dimming rearview and outside mirrors, trip computer, BMW Assist, and interior storage nets. Leather upholstery ($1150) is also available. A Sport package available for 3.0i ($1000), 3.0si coupe ($1300) and 3.0si roadster ($1200) models includes sport suspension and BMW's Dynamic Driving Control, which has a Sport button that, when pressed, quickens throttle response, reduces power steering assist, and adds sport programming to the available automatic transmission. It also includes 225/45R17 front and 245/40R17 rear run-flat tires for 3.0i models and 225/40R18 front and 255/35R18 rear tires for 3.0si models.
Stand-alone options include the eight-way power seats ($995), M sport seats ($500), heated seats ($500), power convertible top ($750), fog lights ($260), xenon headlights ($700), navigation system ($1,800), BMW Assist ($750), and the THX sound system ($875).
Safety features include dual front airbags, front side-impact airbags, front knee airbags, LATCH-style child safety seat anchors on the passenger seat, ABS, brake fade compensation, brake standby, brake drying, EBD, traction control, antiskid control, tire-pressure monitor, and a hill-holder feature that prevents the car from rolling backward at a stop. Roadsters have two rollbars mounted behind the seats.