Z4-forum.com

Hi there and thanks for having me.
The last roadster I had was an mg midget in 1974. I have had loads of BMWs, usually when some kind employer paid for them but I did pay for two myself. However these were fairly sensible vehicles.
Having retired I thought about going back to motorcycles but Senior Management (Mrs.) is not keen. So I am focussed on a roadster for fun.

So now the question is which roadster. Z4, Audi TT, MB Slk or Mazda mx 5. I have not driven any of them so.......
Can some members of the forum tell me what made them buy a Z4? pros and cons. I am not a mechanical "fiddler", sadly my father's engineering capability jumped at least one generation. So what do I look for?

I want reasonable comfort, enough speed but not blistering, sometimes want to drive it to our place in Spain, but mostly just for fun.

Is the Z4 the right vehicle for me? Your assistance would be welcome.

R

Z4, just the right blend of refinement & fun finished in a beautiful shape
Get a test drive & you will feel it Rob

You must be my twin! I too had a sports car in the 70's - a Spitfire 1500 - and then had a load of family cars, some company-provided and then got a 328ci. My Dad was a mechanic in the RAF when he did national service, whilst I need an instruction manual to use a screwdriver.

I was super-impressed with my old 328ci in terms of performance, cost of ownership and reliability. I have lusted after a Z4 on the basis of its looks. The performance is none to shabby either.

I looked at an SLK (too hairdresser's) and a Boxster (front too much like back).

Three years on from getting my Zed I have no regrets. Apart from servicing I have only replaced tyres and had the roof motor replaced and relocated into the boot. It has probably appreciated in value and therefore I have money on the man-maths bank for when expensive things need doing.

Looking forward to seeing a pic of a new-to-you Zed soon!

Z4 E85 is a great blend of style, comfort, and driver appeal.

More sporty than a TT or SLK
More grown up than an Mx5.
More raw/genuine and fun than a Boxter.
Better looking than all of them, IMHO.

Be sure to drive them all and be sure to drive both the E85 and E89 generation Z4's they are quite different.

Straight 6, rear wheel drive, big bonnet. Proper sports car credentials!

Paulr wrote: ↑Mon Jul 17, 2017 10:12 pm Straight 6, rear wheel drive, big bonnet. Proper sports car credentials!

And much easier to work on than the Boxter, for example.

Well you're here on the Z4 Forum wanting a roadster - I reckon your decision is made
Not that I'm biased or anything but you couldn't go far wrong with a 3.0si E85 - keep your eye on the marketplace here and bag yourself an ex-members Zed, cherished ones pop up from time to time.
Welcome along btw.

Obviously we are all a bit biased on here, but my Z4 had to be a Coupe because of the fabulous shape.

MX5s are very highly rated but a Z4 is a definite step-up, particularly in performance if you get a bigger-engined one (and why wouldn't you)?

TT and SLK are less sports car and more GT/cruiser.

Have you already decided whether you want an E85 (fabric hood) or E89 (folding metal roof)? As has been said they are very different, so if you haven't a preference you ought to try both.

Even if you aren't looking for ultimate performance I'd recommend trying to get one with a straight 6 engine - it's one of the unique features of the Z4 (and it sounds better).

Escapecommittee wrote: ↑Mon Jul 17, 2017 5:55 pm I want reasonable comfort, enough speed but not blistering, sometimes want to drive it to our place in Spain, but mostly just for fun.

I think if you want reasonable comfort and planning to drive it to spain, go for the e89 (latest model z4). (it probably matches your age a bit more )
Its is far more comfortable than the first generation z4 (e85) and leather packages on that car have I think some kind of coating that reduces it to get warm in the sun.
For you (or better said your misses) the main downside of an e89 z4 is the small bootspace when the folding roof is down. The merc SLK also has this problem (all metal folding roofs need way more room to fold down than a fabric roof)

From all the cars in your list the mx5 is the smallest, most basic and cant match the power of the more powerful engines in the other models (but the mx5 probably has the best steering, is by far the lightest, as it has a fantastic undercarriage setup)

GuidoK wrote: ↑Tue Jul 18, 2017 2:14 am

Escapecommittee wrote: ↑Mon Jul 17, 2017 5:55 pm I want reasonable comfort, enough speed but not blistering, sometimes want to drive it to our place in Spain, but mostly just for fun.

I think if you want reasonable comfort and planning to drive it to spain, go for the e89 (latest model z4). (it probably matches your age a bit more )
Its is far more comfortable than the first generation z4 (e85) and leather packages on that car have I think some kind of coating that reduces it to get warm in the sun.
For you (or better said your misses) the main downside of an e89 z4 is the small bootspace when the folding roof is down. The merc SLK also has this problem (all metal folding roofs need way more room to fold down than a fabric roof)

From all the cars in your list the mx5 is the smallest, most basic and cant match the power of the more powerful engines in the other models (but the mx5 probably has the best steering, is by far the lightest, as it has a fantastic undercarriage setup)

I would agree with all of this apart from the seat comfort. I've just don't 2800 miles in a week in my E85. I had real worries beforehand as I have back issues but I had none on the trip. I found the seat as comfortable as my previous E89s but I do have sports seats which I believe are more comfortable than SE seats which I haven't tried.

Both Z4s will serve you well so try them both

Wife and I regularly drive to the south of France and our first roadster was a 2 litre Mk3 MX-5. First trip was very enjoyable because it was a new experience. However it wasn't long before we discovered the cars' drawbacks for trips of this length. The boot is tiny, the cabin is cramped and with very limited storage space, and it's pretty noisy. On the positive side, it handled well and had typical Japanese bullet prove reliability.

Our Mazda had the folding metal roof and we liked the better security this feature offered so when looking to change it for something else we only looked at other roadsters that offered this. Our friends have an SLK and are very happy with it. The luggage space is slightly bigger than that of the Z4 but for us the design inside and out compared to the BMW was very uninspiring.

So we got an E89 23i and so began our love affair with the marque. It was brilliant, gorgeous to look at from any angle, beautiful interior, quiet, spacious, comfortable and a glorious soundtrack from its inline 6 cylinder engine.

We now have an E89 35is. Retained all the things we liked about the previous model but with more grunt and a harder edge. That's the great thing about the Z4, there's a variant to suit all tastes!

I just don't see many roadsters with the looks and great mixture of performance and economy. I think a 3.0Si E85/86 or a E89 would be a good choice. MX5 would be my second choice but lacking in power for me.

I have the M and with the top down, there are very few cars that would give a similar feeling. Maybe a Boxster S with sports exhaust but driving the M still feels like an event to me.

H.