2009 BMW Z4 consumer reviews

I have wanted a powerful, fun convertible for a long time and my 60th birthday was the perfect excuse. The Z4 delivers on both. The 6 speed provides the fun and the 255 HP/3.0 liter motor provides the power! It looks great, is comfortable on long drives and looks really cool! I even enjoy washing it!!

Great sports car. Only issue is trunk space with top down. Very good acceleration. Beautiful styling. Handles well. Very reliable. Good brakes. Head turner. Great sport seats. Engine is amazing.

We had an older Z3 for many years that we enjoyed but sold it and purchased the Z4. If you are looking for a great car to have fun in and has a cache' of luxury about it, look no further. We have the sDrive 35i and love it. Plenty of power (300 HP) and simply cruises down the road effortlessly. People ask me about it when we have it out all the time --kinda fun. Solid, rattle free, and everything works well. Love the retractable hard top. Limits trunk space when retracted so don't expect to carry a trunk full of luggage if you plan to use it. I am 6'-2" and have no issues with the seating position. Ride is much better than I expected but it is still a sports car...don't expect a soft ride. No problem for everyday use however.

I bought my 2009 Z4 roughly 3 years ago and have had nothing, but trouble with it. You really have to understand what you are getting with the Z4. The Z4 is a roadster - plain and simple. This is a stunningly attractive car from all angles and fairly well thought out. I had the 35i, so it was fast and handled superbly. It was, on paper, the car for which I was looking. The downside of the Z4 is in the tires (run flats) and suspension. That same combination that gives you the razor-like handling, also transmits every inconsistency in the road throughout the car. It is not so much the ride that is the issue, but every component of the car is under assault. In San Diego, where ironically our roads are horrible, this resulted in most of the car eventually jarring loose. The rear wheel cracked, one of the struts (different wheel) gave out, the stereo stopped working, the climate control began to buzz and eventually the roof quit. This was all before 45k miles on a 16-mile, highway daily commute to work. As a side note, none of the issues were covered by warranty - they are considered normal wear items by BMW. If you live in an area with great roads, this is a terrific car. It is fast, beautiful and handles like a dream. If you live in an area that has questionable roads, this car will suffer. I traded my in this month for a 2011 Mercedes SL.

My wife at 5'6" finally committed to the purchase of a used Z4. After a great deal of research and many test drives of various configurations and model years we decided on a low mileage 2009 hard top convertible. We chose the 255hp version as it more than adequate for normal driving and zips along just fine. If you plan on driving like an adult with a little bit of a heavy foot this model will suit your needs while saving fuel and maintenance costs. I really like the twin-turbo 330hp, but the potential mechanical issue are little scary. The performance selector is a nice feature as you might not always want to have the stiffest ride or need the higher rpm prior to shifting. The auto stick with paddle shift option is fun but rarely used in normal driving. Make sure the trunk is clear prior to putting the top down or you will be sorry. We use a Mercedes and BMW master mechanic for all of our vehicles' maintenance and repairs. Upon inspection of our latest purchase he advised, although the car we selected was in mint condition, we should still obtain an extended warranty. He then pointed us to the web to search for a good one. Fortunately, it appears we did not select a car that was abused by a previous owner. If you are buying used, take it to a mechanic you trust first! We turned down a great many cars that were newer with just a couple of thousand miles because they had been driven so hard. We found clean carfax after clean carfax, only to discover damage, in some cases major damage, that had been repaired but had gone unreported. If you are 6'2" or less with a normal build, this car should fit you just fine. At 6'5" I can drive it but not comfortably. I will say this,the car truly does get the looks, not the driver... at least when I'm at the wheel!

I started looking for a 2 seater convertible and narrowed my search to a Z4 35i, the Porsche Boxster S and the Nissan 370 Z (touring convertible). I test drove the Z4 first. The salesman spent half an hour on the test drive and we went highway (100+ MPH), back curvy roads and a few things in between. When you stand on the accelerator from a dead stop and you're pinned back in your seat by the engine, you can't help but smile. The seats are comfortable for a 2 seater sports car (I have the sport package seats). They adjust 27 ways from Sunday to find just the right spot. The navigation system is nice and was updated when we purchased the car (make sure they load the MOST UP TO DATE navigation map in your vehicle BEFORE you buy it). The thing I found neatest was that the car had an internal hard drive for music, so I could load 1000+ songs into the vehicle (via the USB in the glove compartment) and never have to worry about bringing a CD or my ipod. The fully loaded Z4 I was looking at (and ultimately purchased) was $44K. I then test drove the Porsche Boxster. It was lighter than the Z4, but handled about the same and had a bit less HP (not as heavy, so it didn't need as much HP). It does NOT have a turbo option, so it IS slower off the line. It didn't pin me back in my seat like the Z4. The BIG (and probably only IMHO) advantage that the Boxster I drove had over the Z4 was the Air Cooled Seats. THAT was a life changing experience for someone who is always hot and who sweats on leather seats. I couldn't find any Boxsters with a navigation system as it was an expensive dealer option, so not many buyers picked it as an option on the car. Replacing the head unit would be $500 labor plus the cost of a navigation head unit (roughly $1000 - $1500). The oil changes on this car were also going to be very pricey ($300 + per change, twice a year). Price for the one I test drove was $46K. The Nissan 370 I drove was a new 2012 (which put it in the same price range as the other 2) . I wasn't at ALL impressed with the seats... pretty uncomfortable cloth seats and not much adjustability at all. I couldn't see myself driving more than 45 minutes or so. Power was about the same as the boxster, but again, no turbo. Navigation system was "ok". Overall, the 2009 boxster and Z4 were much better options, so I cut the 370 Z from the search. Another big plus for the Z4 was the pass through into the trunk. I play hockey and needed to be able to fit my sticks in the car. The boxster has 2 trunks (1 in front, 1 in back), but nowhere to store long skinny items (skiis, snowboard, hockey sticks, 1 piece fishing rods, etc). The one thing I WILL warn you about: IF a Navigation system is a 'must have' for you, make sure the Z4 you purchase has one in it. I spoke with World Wide Stereo in Montgomeryville PA. The navigation system in the Z4 flips UP out of the dashboard. Since no stock head unit / navigation system would fit in there, they would have to fabricate a new dashboard and move the air controls UP and put the head unit lower (towards the shifter). Price for the fabrication would be roughly $3500 PLUS the $1000 - $1500 head unit. You'd be adding $5000 to the cost of your car if you try to replace the head unit after the fact. I purchased the 2009 Z4 35i and I've had the car for over a month and love driving it for both short (2 miles) and long (2+ hours each way) trips. I haven't had any mechanical issues and my only minor annoyance so far is the amount of brake dust I create (which makes the wheels very dirty). Apart from that, it's a very fun car to own and the performance has been great. I find that driving an average of 80 MPH highway, I get about 29 MPG (they say you'll get 28) and driving in town I'm averaging about 21 MPG. When my wife and I went to the beach for the day, we EASILY fit 2 folding chairs, a beach umbrella (in the pass through), 2 'day bags' for clothing changes and some small shopping bags in the trunk AND had the partition down to allow us to drive with the top down. The trunk is roomier than you think. I am VERY happy with my decision and am glad I didn't go with the Boxster or the 370 Z. Now if only BMW would come out with Air Cooled seats in the Z4... I'd be set.

I love the 35i Z4. It is truly a head turner. I get questions about the car all the time when out with it. I love the retractable hardtop. The car rides like a nice coupe with the top up and is stunning car with the top down. I like all the goodies but unfortunately BMW packages really jack up the cost of the car. Premium package, sport package and premium sound are a must though. My only complaint is the 296, 19 inch wheels which are prone to cracking. They look great but I shouldn't have to buy the BMW tire and wheel insurance to protect myself against a faulty wheel. Do not get these wheels! Alpine white is the simply the best color on this car. It shows the beautiful lines of the car so very well! I have had no issues with the fuel pump.

I bought this car for my wife, although I occasionally get to sneak a drive in. The looks of it are great, with just enough muscle look to not be a complete chick car. I put a Dinan Stage II package on it and it goes very fast (4.5 0-60, 7.2 0-80, even in Colorado). I love it when normally aspirated 500 hp cars are left in the dust because they lose so much hp at altitude. My only handling complaint is too much understeer in aggressive turning. It has great looks with the top (hard-top) up or down, as opposed to most ragtops that look bad with the top up.

I owned an 08 Z4 for a year and 1/2 when I was creamed in the back by a pickup. I soon began shopping for it's replacement and drove the BMW Z4 35i twin- turbo. My wife and I loved it, but my research showed problems with the N54 twin-turbo, and nearly scared us away. I'm so glad it didn't. The issues with the fuel pump have led to a recall, but the repair seems to have resolved the issues. I have gone 17k miles and nearly 2 yrs w/o any problems, and I hardly baby this car. I've even done the launch control a few times w/ no adverse effects. BTW, the launch control is reason enough to buy the excellent 7 speed dual clutch tranny. Why shift when the car can do it better? In an abundance of caution I follow the "old school" recommended service schedule in lieu of the "free" maintenance offered by BMW, and use premium gas. The more frequent oil changes cost 80 bucks at my dealer, but I won't argue with the results-a problem free car. BMW service is actually quite good, and they don't shy away from timely brake services, and other useful maintenance other makers do not offer free. A mistake many people make when car shopping is to listen to auto journalists. Few people ever visit a racetrack, instead using their car in more mundane circumstances, so buying a car that performs well on the track makes little sense. Journalists focus on things like skid pads and top speed, things that mean little to most drivers. I don't mean to criticize them, just to point out that their preferences may not be the taste of all drivers. Do your own evaluations. You need to determine what you want in a car, and what the prospective car really is. This Bimmer is heavier than many of it's competitors, but it was designed so. Therefore, it won't have the nimbleness or quickness some lighter models provide. All wheel drive can improve performance, and the rear-drive Z is a little tail happy at the limits. But if you want a car that can give you a comfortable, economical ride for your typical daily journeys, while offering some real dynamic prowess at the tap of a button, give this car a chance. I've owned other sports cars, but replaced them with a BMW because fighting that heavy steering day after day wears thin. It also takes high revs, and risky speeds to feel the grunt of many roadsters, and you will feel every road imperfection. This Z4 offers a surprisingly comfortable ride, and the sport seats on mine are GT caliber. My 72 yr old Mom, suffering from arthritis, went for a long ride expecting to be bounced around in this sportscar, only to realize that my Z4 was more comfortable for her than her luxury sedan. Then, when the urge arrives, press the sport button (sport+ is unnecessary) and those twin turbos offer immediate thrust as soon as you engage the throttle. With the top down you'll love the roar of that engine as you pass 3500rpm, and with the dual clutch auto in manual mode, the pop of each gear change at around 5000 rpm let's you know you're in a real performer. With the a/c pumping on a warm summer day, you'll get above 30mpg on the highway if you keep it below 80. Top down at the same speed, with an optional wind screen I installed myself in 5 minutes, you can have a conversation with your passenger without raising your voice, or simply enjoy the very nice stereo. I changed the Flintstone-like run flat tires for a set of French aviators which made a huge difference as well, and was worth the additional cost. I'll concede other cars have a nominal advantage on track day, but for normal driving, the kind most of us do, I think the BMW is the better choice. You may prefer the more sporting nature of other cars, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that, but you will sacrifice the comfort and ease of driving the Z4 provides. In my personal opinion, the Z4 is also the better looking car, top up or down, by a wide margin. Choices always involve trade-offs. Despite claims to the contrary, no car can give you top level comfort with top level handling. It can't give you top performance with comfort and economy, and it can't offer top quality, technology and safety without adding weight to both it's chassis and it's price tag. For my money, the BMW Z4 twin turbo comes closest to bridging those gaps. It's not perfect, but drive one and I doubt you'll be disappointed. TIP: I bought a dealer demo w/ just 1700 miles and saved a bunch of dough while adding a CPO warranty, for a small delivery charge as the car was out of state.

Wonderful Sports Coupe. I've own several convertavles and BMW's. This one is far the best. The Z4 far exceeds my previous Z3 and MB 32AMG. The car is fully loaded and worth every penny.