BMW Z4 Review (2019-present)

What is the BMW Z4?

BMW’s range of Z-badged sports car reaches back more than 30 years. The Z1, the first in the line, was a quirky two-door droptop that borrowed its underpinnings from the E30 3 Series. Since then we’ve had the Z3 and even the rarified Z8 – that was the retrospectively-styled V8 bruiser with the engine from an M5 that arrived around the turn of the century – but most BMW Z-cars have been labelled Z4.

The current model, in production since late 2018, is the third in the series. It’s a rear-wheel drive, two-seat roadster with a fabric hood. The original Z4 was exactly that as well, although BMW did also build a fixed-roof coupe variant. Meanwhile, the second-generation Z4 had not a fabric hood, but a folding hardtop roof instead, much like its Mercedes SLK rival.

Fundamentally, though, the recipe hasn’t changed much since the first Z4 emerged in 2002: two seats, removable roof, rear-drive and with a range of four- and six-cylinder petrol engines that sit up front. The real departure with this latest model is that, unlike its predecessors, it has a twin. Peel away its bodywork and you’ll eventually find the very same platform that underpins the Toyota GR Supra. This is the first Z-car to have been developed with input from another manufacturer.

How practical is it?

Within the cabin you’ll find the wide transmission tunnel and high dashboard that characterise purpose-built sports cars like this one. There’s also a low-slung driving position that helps you feel at one with the car, plus high-grade materials and good build quality that make the car feel like a properly upper-crust product.

The Z4 is also fairly usable day-to-day, as long as you need no more than two seats, because it has a useful 281-litre boot (about average for a supermini and decent for a two-seater sports car), plenty of convenience and safety kit as standard, a very clear and intuitive iDrive infotainment system. There are more athletic roadsters on the market and faster cars in the class, but in terms of usability, the Z4 is up there with the best.

What's it like to drive?

The latest Z4 has a shorter wheelbase than the previous model, but wider tracks. Those squarer proportions make the new Z4 an intrinsically sportier car than the earlier one, because the less distance a car has between its axles and the more it has between wheels on opposite sides, the more agile and responsive that car will be.

So is this finally a Z4 to dethrone the mighty Porsche Boxster, which for quarter of a century has been far and away the most rewarding sports car in the segment? Not quite. Though this Z4 makes the previous one seem about as sporting as a canal barge, it still doesn’t have the steering precision, chassis balance or handling responses to topple the sublime Porsche. Never has the gap between the two German sports cars been narrower, however. What's more, the Z4 delivers a relatively comfortable ride and good wind noise suppression for a car with a fabric hood.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

Along with the various engine options, the Z4 comes in one of a handful of specifications. Sport models prop up the range and come reasonably well-equipped with LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels and Apple CarPlay.

To that, M Sport variants add a body styling kit, an upgraded stereo and bigger brakes. Finally, range-topping M Performance models also get 19-inch wheels, adaptive suspension, an M Sport differential (for even sharper handling) plus extra leather.

BMW Z4 running costs

Any performance car will squeeze more from your wallet than a typical family car; they burn more fuel, need bigger and more expensive tyres, they’re costlier to maintain and more expensive to insure. But no version of the Z4 should really break the bank.

The entry-level model, the sDrive20i, proves as much with its near-40mpg claimed fuel economy figure. Expect to see something closer to 35mpg in mixed real-world driving, which nonetheless is very parsimonious for a sports car with almost 200bhp. The mid-range model, the sDrive30i, boasts a claimed mpg figure of 38, while the range-topping M40i will return 33mpg, says BMW.

Meanwhile, insurance groups range from 30 for the most basic version to 38 for the M40i First Edition (out of 50). All models will incur a £475 annual Vehicle Excise Duty (or road tax) bill, apart from the sDrive20i, which sneaks into the lower category and so costs only £150 each year.

Like all purpose-built performance cars, the Z4 will need very particular and regular maintenance to keep it at its best. Buyers can choose to pay £25 a month over 36 months to spread the cost of servicing during the first three years.

BMW Z4 reliability

Like all BMWs, the Z4 is covered by a three-year, unlimited-mileage manufacturer’s warranty, which buyers can choose to extend at extra cost. That kind of warranty is par-for-the-course among the German manufacturers, but it is made to look somewhat mean by the warranty cover offered by the Korean manufacturers – Kias are covered by seven-year warranties and Hyundais by five-year warranties.

BMW's performance in customer satisfaction surveys has been a mixed bag over the years, and you don't often see the Z4 listed as an individual model, because it sells in relatively small numbers compared with the brand's SUVs and saloons. However, BMW did very well in the 2024 What Car reliability survey, finshing eighth out of 31 manufacturers. That put it streets ahead of arch rivals Jaguar (20th), Mercedes (22nd) and Audi (24th).