test drive of 20i SDrive M sport

[Mad Professor]

So went to my local dealer to test the M40i -a white one which had just been sold -hadn't even been out of the show room
So decided to see what the 20i demo was like instead -had the M sport ,tech pack and comfort plus pack
I really like the look of this car -San Fransisco red on 19 inch alloys -really nice stance IMHO
Cockpit felt like a lovely place to be ,seats were comfy and supportive and a nice really driving position looking over the long bonnet
I wasn't sold on the DCT but that's maybe because i'm used to a manual
The chassis is really well sorted and very well balanced
Steering had enough feel and i felt the car me confidence to push on through the twisty bits
Chassis feels more sorted than my M -seems to accomodate road imperfections with ease and felt nice and composed
I would say its a much better chassis than mine -which one would expect -and its a much newetr car to be fair
The engine pulls low down well but sounds rather muted even on full chat
Mid range torque feels adequate but no more
I felt it was strugling a bit when overtaking between 50-70 mph on a B road
All in all I have to say i was very impressed and will be interested to see how the M40i compares -or even the M30i
BUT in this spec the demo car was a whopping £44k - be interesting to see that compares to the equivalent Boxster in terms of bang for buck

[Jim S]

Snap...... I take it you went to Harry Fairbairn, Irvine

[Mad Professor]

What did you make of it ?
I wasn't expecting much having read the shoddy reviews on line -so I have to say I was pleasantly suprised how well it performed
Be interesting to see how many they manage to shift at that price
I guess at the monet at least its got novelty value so not many on the road

[Jim S]

I have had the car for a couple of days. Take it back later today. It drives pretty well but the 20i feels a little underpowered but not too bad for a four pot. Tried hard not to give it too much welly since the car only had 300 or so miles on the clock. Sounds quite good in sport. The interior looks fantastic and the overall style is different but quite nice. Love the rear end view; looks very wide and sporty.
I should add that I have ordered an M40i in Misano Blue which is expected at Harry Fairbairn around 8th April. Will post a review of that car then,

[Jim S]

A few photos of the 20i demonstrator below.
I will be posting a more detailed review later today after I return the car to the dealer.

[Mad Professor]

The reviews on the M40i were rather good
Hope you enjoy your car when it arrives
You must be very excited -the anticipation is half the fun
Drive safe

[Ghostrider.1127]

You did not get already your car?

[Jim S]

You did not get already your car?

No not yet. Expected delivery is now around 8th April. I have been test driving a 20i MSport Plus for the past two days. Hence the comments in this post.

[Jim S]

The reviews on the M40i were rather good
Hope you enjoy your car when it arrives
You must be very excited -the anticipation is half the fun
Drive safe

Jim S wrote
Thanks. Not long now. Really looking forward to getting it. A couple of other guys on the forum will have their new Zed's before me and no doubt will post a review and some photos. Looking forward to that as well.

[Ghostrider.1127]

You did not get already your car?

No not yet. Expected delivery is now around 8th April. I have been test driving a 20i MSport Plus for the past two days. Hence the comments in this post.

Was thinking you also already got it early , like me and few others 4-5 wekks before plan

[Jim S]

Now that I have had the opportunity to live with the new Z4 Roadster for a couple of days, I thought it might be of interest to some forum members to hear about my thoughts and experiences with the Z4 sDrive 20i M Sport car loaned to me by my local BMW dealer.

First of all I must point out that I am no boy racer and look for a nice comfortable drive with a sporty option for the odd occasion when I am on my own and want a bit of fun. We have lots of nice scenic and country roads around where I live in the West Coast of Scotland which is ideal for a car like the new Z4 Roadster. My wife has an SUV and that is our daily drive car, so the Z4 would only be used for some open top fun in the sun and for the odd day trip or weekends away.

Now about the test drive car:-

Specification and Price
Z4 G29 sDrive 20i M Sport San Francisco Red with Ivory White leather interior (£38,470)
M Sport Plus Package (£1,950)
Comfort Plus Package (£1,700)
Technology Package (£1,800)

Total price OTR £43,920

The overall appearance of the car has divided opinion on this forum, particularly the front end view with the odd shaped grill, shiny black trim and unusual stacked headlights. For me, I actually quite like the styling but am not a fan of the black grill as I think it looks cheap and would be much nicer in chrome. However, when you add the M Sport Plus Package to get the 19” alloys, M Sport brakes, adaptive M suspension and M Sport differential the only choice is a Black grill. The rear view is the one that I like the most; very wide and sporty and gives the car great rear end presence.

Inside the car is a different story. It looks fantastic with lots of nice technology to assist the driving experience. The seats are super comfortable, even for an extended drive. All the main controls are within easy reach and it is a pleasure just to sit in and even more so when driving the car. The test car even had a Head-up display which really is a worthwhile option on a car like this.

Now to the actual drive. On day one I was able to put the car through its paces on a few country roads near my home. On the second day I had the opportunity to go on a leisurely 70 mile round trip down the Ayrshire Coast. I must say that I was very impressed by the way the car stuck to the road and handled very safely. The only real gripes that I had was the excessive tyre noise on some road surfaces and the basic 20i engine’s lack of real power. Both the 30i and the M40i will address the power issue.

The sound from the twin-pipe exhaust is impressive, especially since the 20i has a four pot engine. Quite loud in sport mode and makes this car sound more powerful than it actually is. No doubt the M40i with its B58 Inline 6 engine will be even better (and louder).

The M Sport brakes, optional on the 20i, standard on the 30i M Sport and M40i, are exceptionally good. Very powerful and efficient with not much effort needed on the brake pedal, even when braking from high speed. The best brakes that I have experienced in any car that I have driven, and that’s a lot of cars.

Fuel consumption; I drove about 100 miles in total, driving it quite hard achieved only 25 mpg but on the leisurely drive with the occasional burst of speed I managed 39 mpg, so my average was about 34 mpg over the two days, which in my opinion is very acceptable.

My last Z4 (E89) had a folding hardtop and I was a bit sceptical about the canvas top. However, I think that the larger boot capacity, roof up or down, the saving in weight and the 10 second folding time are all advantages that make up for not having the hard top. The roof is well insulated and kept out most of the unwanted noise. Overall, the the cabin felt very cosy and comfortable.

In summary, I feel that BMW have just about got the car right, although the styling is very controversial and I can understand why a lot of people don’t like it. Perhaps, through time, many will recognise its other advantages, eg technology and driving pleasure, and will get to like it.

As a final note, I would like to thank Harry Fairbairn BMW, Irvine for giving me the opportunity to have an extended (2-day) test drive in the new BMW Z4 G29 car, which has allowed me to write this review for the benefit of any potential new Z4 customers and the Z4-Forum Members.

Well, that’s my opinion. Let’s see what other forum members think.

[IRD]

I enjoyed reading your review. Looking at all the pre-release photos I wasn’t very keen on how the car looks but in the flesh it looks pretty good, especially in red ( my favourite colour). However, it is expensive and even the lowest spec car with some sensible extras will take the price over £40000 and bring the attendant tax penalties. For the time being I think I’ll have to stick to my E89. I would have some difficulty in justifying the price of a new Z for weekend motoring, to the Controller of the purse strings!

[Jim S]

Thanks IRD. Yes, it is expensive but you need to drive it to fully appreciate the comfort, technology and driving characteristics. You then might be willing to pay the premium price. I have ordered an M40i.

[Mad Professor]

Now that I have had the opportunity to live with the new Z4 Roadster for a couple of days, I thought it might be of interest to some forum members to hear about my thoughts and experiences with the Z4 sDrive 20i M Sport car loaned to me by my local BMW dealer.

First of all I must point out that I am no boy racer and look for a nice comfortable drive with a sporty option for the odd occasion when I am on my own and want a bit of fun. We have lots of nice scenic and country roads around where I live in the West Coast of Scotland which is ideal for a car like the new Z4 Roadster. My wife has an SUV and that is our daily drive car, so the Z4 would only be used for some open top fun in the sun and for the odd day trip or weekends away.

Now about the test drive car:-

Specification and Price
Z4 G29 sDrive 20i M Sport San Francisco Red with Ivory White leather interior (£38,470)
M Sport Plus Package (£1,950)
Comfort Plus Package (£1,700)
Technology Package (£1,800)

Total price OTR £43,920

The overall appearance of the car has divided opinion on this forum, particularly the front end view with the odd shaped grill, shiny black trim and unusual stacked headlights. For me, I actually quite like the styling but am not a fan of the black grill as I think it looks cheap and would be much nicer in chrome. However, when you add the M Sport Plus Package to get the 19” alloys, M Sport brakes, adaptive M suspension and M Sport differential the only choice is a Black grill. The rear view is the one that I like the most; very wide and sporty and gives the car great rear end presence.

Inside the car is a different story. It looks fantastic with lots of nice technology to assist the driving experience. The seats are super comfortable, even for an extended drive. All the main controls are within easy reach and it is a pleasure just to sit in and even more so when driving the car. The test car even had a Head-up display which really is a worthwhile option on a car like this.

Now to the actual drive. On day one I was able to put the car through its paces on a few country roads near my home. On the second day I had the opportunity to go on a leisurely 70 mile round trip down the Ayrshire Coast. I must say that I was very impressed by the way the car stuck to the road and handled very safely. The only real gripes that I had was the excessive tyre noise on some road surfaces and the basic 20i engine’s lack of real power. Both the 30i and the M40i will address the power issue.

The sound from the twin-pipe exhaust is impressive, especially since the 20i has a four pot engine. Quite loud in sport mode and makes this car sound more powerful than it actually is. No doubt the M40i with its B58 Inline 6 engine will be even better (and louder).

The M Sport brakes, optional on the 20i, standard on the 30i M Sport and M40i, are exceptionally good. Very powerful and efficient with not much effort needed on the brake pedal, even when braking from high speed. The best brakes that I have experienced in any car that I have driven, and that’s a lot of cars.

Fuel consumption; I drove about 100 miles in total, driving it quite hard achieved only 25 mpg but on the leisurely drive with the occasional burst of speed I managed 39 mpg, so my average was about 34 mpg over the two days, which in my opinion is very acceptable.

My last Z4 (E89) had a folding hardtop and I was a bit sceptical about the canvas top. However, I think that the larger boot capacity, roof up or down, the saving in weight and the 10 second folding time are all advantages that make up for not having the hard top. The roof is well insulated and kept out most of the unwanted noise. Overall, the the cabin felt very cosy and comfortable.

In summary, I feel that BMW have just about got the car right, although the styling is very controversial and I can understand why a lot of people don’t like it. Perhaps, through time, many will recognise its other advantages, eg technology and driving pleasure, and will get to like it.

As a final note, I would like to thank Harry Fairbairn BMW, Irvine for giving me the opportunity to have an extended (2-day) test drive in the new BMW Z4 G29 car, which has allowed me to write this review for the benefit of any potential new Z4 customers and the Z4-Forum Members.

Well, that’s my opinion. Let’s see what other forum members think.

That's an excellent balanced review -enjoy your new car

[Jim S]

Thanks Mad Professor. I really enjoyed driving the 20i even although it may have lacked a little punch. 0-60 in 6.6 seconds is still quite fast. It will probably be adequate for a lot of people and there is a large cost saving over the 30i and M40i.
I just want that bit of extra power and went for the M40i even although there is a hefty premium to pay to get it.