MX5 to Z4

O

obelix

New member
Hi all

Got a 20i M sport on order which should have been here yesterday but is now showing for delivery end of next week :(.... It is to replace my girlfriends MX5 Roadster Coupe 2.0i which I have really loved. We test drove a 23i so haven't actually driven the 20i yet but the 23i was very nice.. The obvious detail was in the quality of the BMW over the Mazda but having only really driven it briefly I could not fully compare all the ins an outs..

Anybody else made the jump from the MX5 to a Z4? The MX5 is one of the best handling road cars I have driven and is extremely fun to drive even at slow speeds. The Z4 looks nicer is certainly better built and faster (at least according to the figures). The 23i I drove felt heavy in comparison but I guess largely due to its +250KG weight difference. Problem is I drove it with the missus (a nervous passenger) so I never really got to experiment with it.... :P

Interested to know from those who have made this transition how the Z4 feels in comparison... Also been warned it might be a bumpy ride in the Z4 as we have the 19" 326M alloys ontop of run flat tyres and M sport suspension... we live in Sheffield where the roads are shocking! I did get the adaptive shocks so perhaps this can help.

Just hope the delivery doesn't slip again! :D
 
Welcome! From reading many reviews, I read that everyone should own an mx5 at some point in their driving lifetimes as they are the perfect sports car. I've never been in one and the only reason I chose the Z4 3.0 was because it was more powerful. If the MX5s came with faster engines I would have been all over it.

My wife doesnt like the Z4 as its too heavy for her but I love it, its like a go kart with all the electric gadgets!
 
I had a couple of MX5's before getting the zed I first got a 20se on a 07 plate I did a test on the zed and then went to the mazda dealer to test the latest 2lt, the zed won hands down it was so much smoother, performance wise there is not much difference between the two and with the setup you have I would suspect the ride may be a little harsh. I did not keep it long before moving up to a 3si which is a lot more powerful but it will not go round the twisty lanes as well as the 2lt. You have defiantly made a step up. I had always intended to get another MX5 but after a test in the zed there is just no going back.
 
I'm freakishly tall and found the MX5 far too small - it felt very claustrophobic and the build quality not up to bmw standard - very plasticky - not sure about performance comparison to a smaller engine z4 as I have a 3.0 which is miles quicker - having said all this the MX5 is still the best traditional economy rear drive sportscar you can get - but not in the same league as the beemer.
 
We had an MX5 before the Z4,and being a chunky rugby player,it was just too small for me.We hav e just as much fun in the Z and I have room.We took it to the south of France last summer and will do the same this summer,wouldn't have done that in the MX5 , too small, too buzzy and no room in the boot.MX5's are great for thrashing about the local lanes,BUT, if you want to go anywhere, the Z leaves it standing.
 
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