BMW Z4 Roadster (03-08) - Review

Review by Kieren Puffett on
Last Updated: 13 August 2008
The Z4 is BMW's alternative to the Porsche Boxster and replaced the lacklustre Z3 in 2003. It's great to drive with sharp handling and a well balanced chassis plus it looks good too - the Z4’s swooping design, classy looks and road-hugging stance attracts more than its fair share of admiring glances, especially with the roof down. There's a decent choice of engines and even the entry-level 2.0-litre unit offers strong performance, but it's the six-cylinder 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre engines which really appeal. The super-fast electric roof retracts in just 10 seconds and the Z4 is practical with a surprisingly capacious boot. In 2006 the model was given a minor facelift which included new head and taillights plus a Sport model was introduced. Certain criticisms still remain though, including a lack of equipment that you'd expect to be standard given the considerable list price
4 out of 5

Other BMW reviews

3.5 out of 5

Running costs

This is a sports car but running costs aren't as bad as you might think, especially if you go for the 2.0-litre version which offers the best bet with decent economy of 38mpg. However insurance isn't particularly cheap and nor are tyres - plus if you get it serviced at a BMW dealer be prepared for a hefty bill.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

As shown by on-board computer.

Warranty

Three years/unlimited mileage.

Road tax (12 months)

£215.00 - £270.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

2 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
    176
  • J
  • K
  • L
    231
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The Z4 performs fairly badly on the eco front - no surprise considering it's a sports car and with an average of 209g/km CO2 across the model line-up it is not for the green-minded. The best model is the 2.0-litre which emits 176g/km of CO2 and can return 38mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2