Cacti will be growing in the San Francisco Bay before you read me writing bad things about the Mazda Miata (“On the Road,” September 2024).
The Miata faithful, and they are legion, like to say that “Miata” is an acronym for “Miata Is Always The Answer.”
But if you have been blessed to own the fun and feisty little roadster from Japan and want to move up to something with more space for yourself, a passenger and your luggage, and considerably more power, the BMW Z4 should absolutely be on your list.
The Z4 has been around for 20 years and is in its sixth year of this generation. It’s 17 inches longer than a Miata and five inches wider, so the cockpit has a great deal more room. Trunk space doubles from 4 cubic feet in the Mazda to 9.9 in the BMW.
Horsepower numbers are a bunch bigger, too, with two engine choices, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 255 horsepower (that’s the Z4 sDrive30i) or a 3.0-liter six-cylinder with 382 horsepower (the Z4 M40i, which is what I drove).
That engine will get you from a standing start to 60 miles per hour in just 4.2 seconds with a six-speed manual transmission or (and that’ll tick off stick shift purists) 3.9 seconds with an eight-speed automatic.
This is the first year that the manual transmission has been available with the six-cylinder, and so that’s what BMW sent me to evaluate for a week. I’ll say the same thing I say about Miatas – if you don’t know how to drive a stick, learn. There’s just more involvement and more fun (even if the automatic is quicker). And the BMW shifter is a great little short-throw stick that’s very precise and easy to use.
If you do opt for the automatic, that’s okay, too – in fact, you’ll save a little money in fuel costs. The same computer programming that makes it quicker than you also manages the revs better than you will. The EPA fuel economy average for the Z4 with the stick is 19 city/26 highway. The automatic is estimated at 23 city/29 highway.
As you would expect from BMW and for the price (more about that in a moment), interior materials are top-quality and workmanship is top-rate.
The Z4 M 40i has a base price of $66,450 ($67,445 with destination charge) and standard equipment includes a sport differential, adaptive suspension, front and rear anti-roll bars, variable sport steering, deeply-sculpted and very supportive heated sport seats, heated steering wheel, a wind deflector, rain-sensing windshield wipers, auto-dimming rearview mirror and dual-zone automatic climate control.
Our test vehicle did have extra-cost options: $2,950 for the Frozen Deep Green metallic paint, $3,500 for the Handschalter Package (manual transmission, 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels, black mirror caps, M Sport brakes with red calipers, black high gloss trim), $1,250 for the Premium Package (parking assist), $875 for a Harman Kardon surround sound audio system, $700 for the Driving Assistance Package (Active Driving Assistant), $550 for the Shadowline Package (adaptive full LED lights) and $200 for wireless device charging.
About that last – c’mon, BMW. Kias, Hyundais and Hondas start in the $20,000s and have wireless device charging as standard equipment.
Anyway, the bottom line on the window sticker reads $77,470.
No, that’s not cheap, and yes, that is roughly double what a Miata will cost you. But if you’re ready to take the fun of a Miata up a notch and feel like splurging a bit, the BMW Z4 will make it worth your while.
Mike Hagerty, past vice president of membership for Western Automotive Journalists (waj.org), has been writing about cars since 1997. Read more of his reviews at MikeHagertyCars.com.
