graywolf624
05-10-2007, 07:27 PM
I have been quite busy as of late so of course the reviews are suffering. Still there was a drive this past weekend. I have essentially exhausted the list of 30-40k American and Japanese cars at this point. Those that I have not reviewed I have driven in some for or other over the last few years. As a result I decided it was time to pick on the european models, something I had delayed since the dealership was further away.
So I decided to stop at the BMW dealership. Honestly I had no idea what I was going to test drive to start with. They had no m cars, and I definitely wanted it to be a sports car. I let the salesman guide me into a 07 Z4 Coupe based on my input. In fact I never even actually asked for a test drive. He just sort of said here are the keys.
So onto the car. Well the first thing is the styling. From certain angles I love the Z4 Coupe styling. From others the cabin looks snub nosed and I find it revolting. The bright red paint wasn't doing this particular car any favors. Still it did allow for decent visibility from all angles. I certainly didn't feel like a sardine stuck inside the car like in the Prius.
The dealer took me out in the passenger seat to begin with. As such I was able to distract myself long enough to analyze the interior. Well first let me say, as a passenger this car is boring as hell. All the controls are driver centric. Hell, from the radio over theres nothing but a big piece of aluminum (maybe fake aluminum) and dashboard. There isn't even really any cubbys to play with, other then the weird ass cupholders to the right of the passenger and the one cubby behind him. Ze germans have made ze half assed concession for cupholders.
The stereo system is decent. 10 speakers including 2 subwoofers behind the seats. I was firmly impressed at the quality. Though honestly it was lacking some of the bells and whistles I'm use to in this price range (mp3 player for example). It can be upgraded to include a nav system, but this car didn't have it.
So after a brief spiel I take the wheel and wind up on a test drive road i've never seen before thats literally fantastic. I will have to remember this drive, especially given its down town.
So before I get to the drive how about the comforts for the driver.. (yes I will keep you salivating). Well this car had the rain sensing whipers and the climate control. Thats it. No radar cruise control or Idrive bullshit. I was seriously impressed given BMWs recent penchant to create computers on wheels.
So how does it drive? Well this car had the uprated suspension (uprated shocks, 18" wheels, etc) and of course the 3.0 Liter engine. Throwing it into corners well beyond legal speeds, enough so that I worried the salesmen a bit and actually approached what ID normally call extreme levels, resulted in no fuss at all. The car remained flat no matter what. Now granted I'm not on a track, but it had impressive amounts of grip just the same. In addition I had the traction control on most of the time. Unlike say the trans am's system, this one is strictly hands off. I don't think it activated once and it certainly allowed me to play.
The car is quite flickable, changing directions on a dime. The road feel is also phenomenal, easily the best of any car I have tested thus far. Despite the great road feel the car was not too rough over bumps. Very impressive.
As for acceleration, its certainly fast. Its not mind bending fast like a vette, but you certainly can get around alot faster then most cars... Which actually brings us to the one 'problem' I envision with this car. It is so smooth that sometimes you don't realize how fast your going. Id imagine on a track you can still play hooligan, but on the street it seems infinitely possible to end up at triple digit speeds. This thing would be a ticket magnet.
It also handled the brake stab test with flying colors. No wag of the tale like the 350z, just a quick no fuss straight line stop. All this on a fantastic road was a fantastic way to spend an afternoon!
One of the greatest things about buying a BMW is their warranty and service contracts. This car is no exception. Not only could you get a 4 year 50000 mile warranty, but during the same term all servicing is covered free of charge (oil, belts, brake pads, etc..). Very suprising on a sports car.
Which brings me to the one major issue for the BMW. This car at this spec costs $49000. Even at base it costs greater then $40,000. It is no doubt a fantastic car besting almost everything I have tested thus far... But note the word almost. At this price range it is competing directly with that Vette I reviewed previously. That Vette is over a second faster to 60, will most likely handle close to equal or even better then this car., and has plenty of toys for your passenger to play with. That vette also has a much better (read cheaper) tunning contingent and likely due to incentives can be had for cheaper.
The BMW isn't bested on all fronts. It does win the road feel contest, but then again it loses once we talk about the on road fun factor as it doesn't feel fast in a road environment. It also definitely wins the challenge for service, but lets face it, the hope is you never need the warranty in the first place. The way BMW has been going as of late, thats seeming less likely and I myself prefer to do my own non warranty work.
So I guess what I'm saying is I love the Z4 Coupe, but just not enough to keep me away from the Corvette. I'd firmly suggest the car, but I know which one I prefer.
So I decided to stop at the BMW dealership. Honestly I had no idea what I was going to test drive to start with. They had no m cars, and I definitely wanted it to be a sports car. I let the salesman guide me into a 07 Z4 Coupe based on my input. In fact I never even actually asked for a test drive. He just sort of said here are the keys.
So onto the car. Well the first thing is the styling. From certain angles I love the Z4 Coupe styling. From others the cabin looks snub nosed and I find it revolting. The bright red paint wasn't doing this particular car any favors. Still it did allow for decent visibility from all angles. I certainly didn't feel like a sardine stuck inside the car like in the Prius.
The dealer took me out in the passenger seat to begin with. As such I was able to distract myself long enough to analyze the interior. Well first let me say, as a passenger this car is boring as hell. All the controls are driver centric. Hell, from the radio over theres nothing but a big piece of aluminum (maybe fake aluminum) and dashboard. There isn't even really any cubbys to play with, other then the weird ass cupholders to the right of the passenger and the one cubby behind him. Ze germans have made ze half assed concession for cupholders.
The stereo system is decent. 10 speakers including 2 subwoofers behind the seats. I was firmly impressed at the quality. Though honestly it was lacking some of the bells and whistles I'm use to in this price range (mp3 player for example). It can be upgraded to include a nav system, but this car didn't have it.
So after a brief spiel I take the wheel and wind up on a test drive road i've never seen before thats literally fantastic. I will have to remember this drive, especially given its down town.
So before I get to the drive how about the comforts for the driver.. (yes I will keep you salivating). Well this car had the rain sensing whipers and the climate control. Thats it. No radar cruise control or Idrive bullshit. I was seriously impressed given BMWs recent penchant to create computers on wheels.
So how does it drive? Well this car had the uprated suspension (uprated shocks, 18" wheels, etc) and of course the 3.0 Liter engine. Throwing it into corners well beyond legal speeds, enough so that I worried the salesmen a bit and actually approached what ID normally call extreme levels, resulted in no fuss at all. The car remained flat no matter what. Now granted I'm not on a track, but it had impressive amounts of grip just the same. In addition I had the traction control on most of the time. Unlike say the trans am's system, this one is strictly hands off. I don't think it activated once and it certainly allowed me to play.
The car is quite flickable, changing directions on a dime. The road feel is also phenomenal, easily the best of any car I have tested thus far. Despite the great road feel the car was not too rough over bumps. Very impressive.
As for acceleration, its certainly fast. Its not mind bending fast like a vette, but you certainly can get around alot faster then most cars... Which actually brings us to the one 'problem' I envision with this car. It is so smooth that sometimes you don't realize how fast your going. Id imagine on a track you can still play hooligan, but on the street it seems infinitely possible to end up at triple digit speeds. This thing would be a ticket magnet.
It also handled the brake stab test with flying colors. No wag of the tale like the 350z, just a quick no fuss straight line stop. All this on a fantastic road was a fantastic way to spend an afternoon!
One of the greatest things about buying a BMW is their warranty and service contracts. This car is no exception. Not only could you get a 4 year 50000 mile warranty, but during the same term all servicing is covered free of charge (oil, belts, brake pads, etc..). Very suprising on a sports car.
Which brings me to the one major issue for the BMW. This car at this spec costs $49000. Even at base it costs greater then $40,000. It is no doubt a fantastic car besting almost everything I have tested thus far... But note the word almost. At this price range it is competing directly with that Vette I reviewed previously. That Vette is over a second faster to 60, will most likely handle close to equal or even better then this car., and has plenty of toys for your passenger to play with. That vette also has a much better (read cheaper) tunning contingent and likely due to incentives can be had for cheaper.
The BMW isn't bested on all fronts. It does win the road feel contest, but then again it loses once we talk about the on road fun factor as it doesn't feel fast in a road environment. It also definitely wins the challenge for service, but lets face it, the hope is you never need the warranty in the first place. The way BMW has been going as of late, thats seeming less likely and I myself prefer to do my own non warranty work.
So I guess what I'm saying is I love the Z4 Coupe, but just not enough to keep me away from the Corvette. I'd firmly suggest the car, but I know which one I prefer.