...2 BMW Z4 is a dream to own and drive. Having been privileged to own one for just under a year from new I can definitely recommend this car!
Plus points
It's a beautifully designed car with an unusual mixuture of smooth curves on the front and wings with that lovely angular rear end!
There ... Read review
BMW 3 Series - Saloon - Rear (RWD) - 6 Speed Manual, 6 Speed Automatic - 1995 cc - Max Speed: 130 mph - 143 bhp - Petrol - Available Trims: M Sport, Sport, SE, ES
BMW 3 Series - Saloon - Rear (RWD) - 6 Speed Manual, 6 Speed Automatic - 1995 cc - Max Speed: 140, 143 mph - 163, 177 bhp - Diesel - Available Trims: ES, SE, Sport, M Sport
BMW 3 Series - Saloon - Rear (RWD) - 6 Speed Manual, 6 Speed Automatic - 1995 cc - Max Speed: 137 mph - 150, 170 bhp - Petrol - Available Trims: ES, SE, Sport, M Sport
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Advantages: All the looks and style of it's bigger engined brothers but at a lesser cost Disadvantages: It can keep up with the 3.0L in town but not outside of town
The 2.2 BMW Z4 is a dream to own and drive. Having been privileged to own one for just under a year from new I can definitely recommend this car!
Plus points
It's a beautifully designed car with an unusual mixuture of smooth curves on the front and wings with that lovely angular rear end!
There aren't a huge number of them on the roads so if you're looking for exclusivity in this price bracket you've reached ... ...centre pop up device from BMW than with a portable sat nav unit such as a Garmin or TomTom. If price is important then go for the portable.
As for the performance of the car, I have to admit to seeing the DSC light beam up a number of times, mainly in the wet on corners and rounabouts, but on the whole the car does 'OK' in the wet. No better or worse than any other rear wheel drive car. In the dry though, it sticks to the road like ... more
The 2.2 BMW Z4 is a dream to own and drive. Having been privileged to own one for just under a year from new I can definitely recommend this car!
Plus points
It's a beautifully designed car with an unusual mixuture of smooth curves on the front and wings with that lovely angular rear end!
There aren't a huge number of them on the roads so if you're looking for exclusivity in this price bracket you've reached it.
The interior trim is modernist and minimalist and a change from the slightly more cluttered appearance of it's predecessor Z3 model. The cabin space is more than enough for 2 people and if you add in the storage pack you get extra nets to hold things in the footwell and spring out cup holders which are, suprisingly, really quite handy!
As for the optional wind deflector I would definitely recommend that (as a girl with long hair it definitely helps to reduce whiplash from stray hairs whether in the driver or passenger seat!)
Optional upgrade to the Carver System (as Harmann Kardon is not an option with the Z4) is definitely worth the thought although I think I was unlucky as my unit played up a bit but all got fixed under warranty. Friends with the same car and stereo upgrade (from a Z4 car club) didn't face similar problems on the whole.
As for sat nav, have to say that it is pricey as an addition (as are most things with BMW!!) but to be honest if you need it you have more luck seeing the screen with the installed centre pop up device from BMW than with a portable sat nav unit such as a Garmin or TomTom. If price is important then go for the portable.
As for the performance of the car, I have to admit to seeing the DSC light beam up a number of times, mainly in the wet on corners and rounabouts, but on the whole the car does 'OK' in the wet. No better or worse than any other rear wheel drive car. In the dry though, it sticks to the road like a baby's poo does to a blanket!! As for acceleration you only notice the difference between this and the 2.5 or 3.0L when you're faced with a straight (noticeable on BMW car rallies when you have a 3.0L in front of you and you're trying to keep up!!) . Around town and general every day drving it's a dream and won't let you down when you need that extra kick at a set of lights, up a hill on a dual carriageway or speeding up after that slow car in front of you has just overtaken a lorry on the motorway!
Heated seats are a must!
Don't forget that the Z4 has the fastest lowering and closing soft top on the market!! (plus you can retrofit single touch action see below in hints and tips)
The sports kit makes a big difference to the appearance of the car and personally I reckon it adds alot to it.
Sports seats are extremely comfortable and there is a noticeable difference between these and the standard seats.
Automatic or manual car seat adjustments are a personal preference, but personally.... I think electric adjustments are great, you can tilt your chair back just a tiny bit to make yourself more comfy on a long drive and be sure that the whole chair isn't going to lunge back!! Also the memory buttons are great if more than one of you is going to drive the car!
Auto or manual is personal preference. My 2.2 was a manual as I loved the control of the gears. I have a good friend with a 2.2 auto who swears by it though!! So that is up to you! Some say you lose performance with an Auto in a 2.2 but not so much in the higher engine sizes of the 2.4 and 3.0L.
Downsides
Very few to be honest. The cost is a problem for many portential owners which is understandable as this is an expensive car and the 2nd hand cars on the market are still over £20K as the car is still relatively new.
Extras are expensive (as with all BMWs) but ones that are worth it are the windguard and stereo upgrade. Personally the star spoke composite 108s are the best wheels to get (in my humble opinion) but I have had a friend with this set of wheels who has had to get them replaced 2 years down the road as the rims are cracking ... but that was thought to be a dud batch and no-one else I know has reported a similar problem - that's in a Z4 car club with just under 2500 members. If you are considering the hard top then again I would recommend (please see my Z4 3.0L review which is to come). Oh and even if pricey...heated seats is a MUST!
Xenons are expensive and not honestly necesssary
You may feel (as I did) after a while that you would like a bigger engine, if you spend time with friends with the 3.0L or the Alpina.
Earlier models had problems with the fuel cap panel just 'falling off' the car!! Quite a few friends died with embarrassment as their fuel cap's just fell off onto the floor at the petrol station!
Leather wear problems on the side bolsters of the seats have been reported by a few people within the first year but that is all covered under your BMW warranty so will cost you nothing to get upholstered.HInts and tips
Make sure you get your locking wheel nuts and chrome tails pipes for free from your dealer if buying new!
Modifications exist to retro fit a single touch button to lower and put up the soft top in seconds "hands free!!" and I have a few friends who have installed this and it's great!
Think about going to a race track with your car or in a hired Z4 (some race tracks have them there already) to get a real feel of what this car was built to do. I've taken a Z4 round a couple of different tracks in the UK and one was a passenger lap with an experienced racing instructor .... and it's just jawdropping to see what the car can do safely!!
Conclusion
My car was bought new, sterling grey, specced with xenons, leather heated seats, the carver system, headlamp washers and starspoke composite 108s and came to £30K which with hindsight might have been better off spent on a second hand 3L.
All in all though it's a great car and there are many good quality second hand 2.2L out there that are worth every penny! It's a car you will not regret owning!
Advantages: AMAZING DRIVE EXPERIENCE, LOOKS GOOD Disadvantages: SLUGISH, JUICY, NOT A LOT OF ROOM
The Z4 looks some like a Hammer Head shark and is the more masculine version on the Z3.
The driving experience is amazing and one that depends your full attention as the Z4 is a very twitchy ride and it's easy to have the back end out. So it's definitely not for the faint hearted. From personal experience I found the Z42.2 very slow and very juicy. The Z42.2 is 150 hp, with a 0.62 in a slow 8.2 seconds and 38.2 mpg.
I would definetly recommend the 3.0 version which offers an extra 115bp and does 0 to 62 in a respectable 5.7 seconds and only does 5 mpg less.
I would go for a m-sport version which offers sports suspension and sports seats and certainly looks better. The extras I would recommend are the wind break and heated seats and blue-tooth. ...
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