2008 BMW Z4 Coupe 3.0si

Pros

A true driver's car

Cons

Too much road feel for most casual drivers

Purchased As New

Considering its price and that this car's suspension is tuned more for road feel and serious driving enjoyment vs. fluffy comfort, this car is probably most appropriate to those who enjoy the driving experience so much, that they are wiling to do and pay just about anything for the best they can get... and yet without completely breaking the bank. Of all the cars we looked at, this one offered the best performance for price, matching off very well against the better Porche's, but at a substantial discount and much higher trim and mechanical quality. We bought ours in late 2007 and so far:
- Have loved the comprehensive warranty, we do nothing, BMW takes good care of us
- Love the curb appeal of the car, get lots of slack jaws, not just second looks... it's unusual. You see roadsters a good bit, but the coupe is significantly more unique and beautiful, especially the rear end.
- Performance is excellent. Have the steptronic, which is fantastic, much better than standard and yet equal or better performance. 0-60 is truly more like 5.6 on a track. Cornering far better than any other BMW we have tested, loves twisty country roads. A beautiful noise at WOT!
- The Traction Control is so good, it feels as good as our 4x4 Off-Road F-150 in a downpoor!
- The non-sport mode is good if you don't want to be manually shifting in heavy traffic, an excellent way to balance performance and ease of driving.
- None of the complex or wacky non-intuitive controls built into some of the other BMW's, like the 5 and 7 series.
- Space for a full-size suitcase and more in the back with a nice privacy screen. A wonderful care for a weekend getaway in the hills!
- The Continental run-flats seem to be doing fine. Miss the spare, but that's life...
- Average 20 mpg when not using Sport (mostly city). 18-19 when using Sport mostly. Typically 26-28mpg on highway trips.
- Only issue encountered so far was failure of a cup holder, which BMW seems to add not as an afterthought, but a specific deterent to daring to bring drinks into their well-appointed interior, as if to enforce a "This is for serious driving" attitude... ;o)
- BMW has replaced a few parts of the suspension and the remote door locking mechanism themselves, as they felt these were out of spec.
- Bit of creaking from the rear right strut on cornering uphill, have not determined cause as yet.

Love this car and will probably keep it for a very long time. Expect it truly could become a very rare classic....read morehide