EVO Review 3 and a half stars

Zeld4 · Post by **Zeld4** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 8:49 pm

https://www.evo.co.uk/bmw/z4/21918/new- ... in-impress
I know it’s just a short test but it’s got to be a bit disappointing that it only makes 3 and a half stars. Autocar’s first drive review is also not very complimentary. Another opportunity missed?

Mr Tidy · Post by **Mr Tidy** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 9:04 pm

Zeld4 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 10, 2018 8:49 pm Another opportunity missed?

Looks like it might be.

It'll be interesting to see what people on here think of it once they've driven one.

hopz121 · Post by **hopz121** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 10:50 pm

Zeld4 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 10, 2018 8:49 pm Another opportunity missed?

Unfortunately this is how most car manufactures are heading, new cars are becoming a bit samey and too capable and refined now and lack all of the soul and feel of the older models.

hopz121 · Post by **hopz121** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 10:51 pm

This should help inflate the Z4M prices though so every cloud and all that

buzyg · Post by **buzyg** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 11:37 pm

Oh my, that was a disappointing read.

Did n't realize it had a slush box. Still I'm getting older, might be just what I need when I retire.

Roll on a quick face lift and a bit of tinkering. I did note the words, There’s a fast and capable sports car in there somewhere...

Yorkie Z · Post by **Yorkie Z** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 11:45 pm

hopz121 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 10, 2018 10:51 pm This should help inflate the Z4M prices though so every cloud and all that

Didn’t the Z4M have s**t reviews when it first came out?

MrPT · Post by **MrPT** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 11:48 pm

Evo were always going to be one of the harshest critics of this, given the handling promises etc. The 3.0si coupe is the only Z4 to have gotten five stars from them.

Mr Tidy · Post by **Mr Tidy** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 11:52 pm

I didn't know that Mr PT, but I'm pleased to find out!

buzyg · Post by **buzyg** » Sun Nov 11, 2018 12:03 am

Yorkie Z wrote: ↑Sat Nov 10, 2018 11:45 pm
hopz121 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 10, 2018 10:51 pm This should help inflate the Z4M prices though so every cloud and all that
Didn’t the Z4M have s**t reviews when it first came out?

No they were pretty good, for the MR. Though only 4 stars. :
https://www.evo.co.uk/bmw/z4/6386/bmw-z ... -0-60-time

hopz121 · Post by **hopz121** » Sun Nov 11, 2018 9:21 am

Yorkie Z wrote: ↑Sat Nov 10, 2018 11:45 pm
hopz121 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 10, 2018 10:51 pm This should help inflate the Z4M prices though so every cloud and all that
Didn’t the Z4M have s**t reviews when it first came out?

As above

J400uk · Post by **J400uk** » Sun Nov 11, 2018 2:46 pm

Surely it’s subjective depending what you want from the car? I’m after a comfortable and quick daily driver with reasonably entertaining handling. For me when mine turns up I’ll be benchmarking it against my old M135i and current TT. One of them felt like a sports car in a hatch body, and the other a hot hatch in a sports car body. Neither are bad cars. I’ll be a little surprised if the Z4 doesn’t offer the best of both given its credentials.

I’m not really interested in how it compares to a Porsche or Jaguar F-Type as I wouldn’t buy either of those cars. If I’d wanted one I would’ve got already

Marlon · Post by **Marlon** » Sun Nov 11, 2018 3:25 pm

J400uk wrote: ↑Sun Nov 11, 2018 2:46 pm Surely it’s subjective depending what you want from the car? I’m after a comfortable and quick daily driver with reasonably entertaining handling. For me when mine turns up I’ll be benchmarking it against my old M135i and current TT. One of them felt like a sports car in a hatch body, and the other a hot hatch in a sports car body. Neither are bad cars. I’ll be a little surprised if the Z4 doesn’t offer the best of both given its credentials.

I’m not really interested in how it compares to a Porsche or Jaguar F-Type as I wouldn’t buy either of those cars. If I’d wanted one I would’ve got already

I'm guessing you've seen this review: viewtopic.php?f=52&t=110417
Its all subjective I agree, but love him or hate him Shmee gives a really well balanced and insightful review - if the car he tested was red I'd have been sold

PerryGunn · Post by **PerryGunn** » Sun Nov 11, 2018 6:21 pm

Evo will knock off one star automatically for lack of a manual or DSG 'box so it only lost half a star for the rest of the review so not that bad really

ph001 · Post by **ph001** » Mon Nov 12, 2018 10:44 am

J400uk wrote: ↑Sun Nov 11, 2018 2:46 pm Surely it’s subjective depending what you want from the car? I’m after a comfortable and quick daily driver with reasonably entertaining handling.

...but that just sounds like an E89. Everything I have read so far leaves me wondering what exactly this car offers over a 35is?? Some reviews do say it is significantly better in a lot of areas, but to my mind it's not in any of the areas that make it a better sports car.

tomscott · Post by **tomscott** » Mon Nov 12, 2018 12:05 pm

ph001 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 12, 2018 10:44 am
J400uk wrote: ↑Sun Nov 11, 2018 2:46 pm Surely it’s subjective depending what you want from the car? I’m after a comfortable and quick daily driver with reasonably entertaining handling.
...but that just sounds like an E89. Everything I have read so far leaves me wondering what exactly this car offers over a 35is?? Some reviews do say it is significantly better in a lot of areas, but to my mind it's not in any of the areas that make it a better sports car.

The fact you can buy a new one... The E89 was discontinued more than 18 months ago and the E89 was released in 2009 even the facelift didnt add too much to that now near 10 year old design.

Not everyone wants a pre-owned car.

Finding a 35IS that ticks all the boxes is really hard, many were bogo spec upsells for 2.3 owners on a 3-4 year pcp plans because the sales figures were so poor. Even with discounts they were expensive enough that the the engine superseded the other specifications. Higher end specs are hard to find. Those cars that exist and have low milage are more than a Z4M coupe. The Z4 is a niche product and the majority of people looking to spend that money on a pre owned would be better served from a financial point of view from and M which are basically similar money but have surpassed their lowest residual point. There is only one direction for more expensive E89s and thats down.

You could look at it that if the new one is a failure then it will increase sales of the E89 but it wont, people looking to spend that money wont look at a 3-4 year old pre owned car they want the latest and greatest.

Problem with the forum dynamic. BMW have left the Z4 in the dust the E89 had such poor residuals that it made no sense to buy it so most didnt. The people who did had nothing to upgrade to so have moved on to other brands. The fact there wasnt an M left many out in the cold and they lost many previous owners. Essentially 10 years of loosing a specific type of customer.

The forum isnt full of people willing to spend £53k on a new car, thats why there is so much backlash about this car, frankly im sick of reading it. If you compare it to everything in its category bogo boxster, bogo F type, TTs its the cheaper spec for spec and will outperform the competition in almost every area. Cost, engine size, speed, equipment etc etc. You have to remember that £53k is the top end thats everything on the spec sheet.

Im not saying its a sensible buy it will depreciate like all BMWs, but if you want new and you have a standard PCP that you swap out I dont think its a poor option. For example a 440i well specced will be in the same ball park... would you pay 53k for a 4 series? The m4 starts at 60k, spec one of those up and your well into 70k...

Reality check... new cars arent cheap. If you PCP that 53k could be £400 a month and thats all people are bothered about.

A boxster S starts at 50k can be speced over 75k puts it in a completely different bracket. Current Z4s that have been for sale for the last 5 years have been no where near that price point. Most people on the forum are enthusiasts that see the Z4 as a good value proposition. The majority of those cars are 15-50% the price of these new cars... This is the problem when you leave a product out in the cold for so long.

A positive you could take is that the boxster didn't get a gleaming review either 4 stars, evo is harsh

https://www.evo.co.uk/porsche/718-boxster/s

Z4-forum.com

Z4-forum.com