Tips for helping tall driver fit into E89 Z4

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Nigel B

Member
Hi there,

I've just sold a 330M Sport and looking to buy a Z4. However' I managed to get a very quick sit in one the other day and really struggled to fit in. I'm 6ft 4ins, but managed to get into a Z3M and previous Z4 model that i used to own. I'd appreciate any hints or tips that might help me decide if it might be possible for me to fit in comfortably, or if I'll have to give up on the idea of buying one.

Many thanks in advance
Nigel B
 
Buy a G29?

Argyll Andy will be along who is a well nourished tall person..if anyone can advise you he can! :thumbsup:
 
Hello and welcome to the forum.
Let's start with the stoopid question then.
Have you got the seat lowered right down? It moves back a bit as well as down.
 
You should be fine at 6'4". I'm the same height and have no problems with space. You might need to tilt the seat back a little as If I have it upright then my head touches the roof.

The only issue I have is that it's quite uncomfortable to drive with the roof down as the airflow over the windscreen just catches the top of my head so I rarely have the roof down.
 
Thanks for the speedy replies.
I look forward to hearing from "well nourished Andy" in due course.
haha, yes, i think the seat was right down, can't be absolutely sure as it was only a quick try. Couldn't get the height lever to get the seat any lower. I tried putting the seat back more upright to allow the seat to go further back on its runners but even that wasn't enough.

Thanks R.E92, if you're the same height and can fit in with no problems, it makes me wonder if the seat height adjuster was jammed on the car i tried. I'll try to find another car locally for a more considered fitting session.
 
Auto or manual? It's the clutch knee knocking on the dash which is a pain for taller people.

I'm 6 feet 2 and fit into both E85 and E89 with no problems. My Dad is 6 feet 6 and definitely couldn't get on with an E85 manual, fine in an auto though which he owned for a couple of years.

As always, test drive is the key.
 
Nigel B said:
Thanks for the speedy replies.
I look forward to hearing from "well nourished Andy" in due course.
haha, yes, i think the seat was right down, can't be absolutely sure as it was only a quick try. Couldn't get the height lever to get the seat any lower. I tried putting the seat back more upright to allow the seat to go further back on its runners but even that wasn't enough.

Thanks R.E92, if you're the same height and can fit in with no problems, it makes me wonder if the seat height adjuster was jammed on the car i tried. I'll try to find another car locally for a more considered fitting session.
Click to expand...

the mechanism can misbehave sometimes, I noted the other day after cleaning I couldn't get the seat down as low as it should go and found myself perched a bit higher than usual, took me a couple of attempts to get it going back down to the correct level and never really worked out why it seemed to stop before going all the way down
 
Emmmmm, we’ll say built for comfort rather than speed thank you very much :rofl: :rofl:

Firstly Nigel, hello and welcome :thumbsup:

As soon as I read the topic title I thought, buy a G29 but I saw Peter beat me too it.

I know the following will make little sense but it is what it is. I’m 6’2 and not skinny :wink:

My first Z4 was an E89 23i with MSport seats, when I test drove it 30 seconds after getting in found my perfect seating position, very comfortable all good and the seat was set and that didn’t need adjustment in the time I owned the car.

Bought an E89 35iS with MSport seats unseen, go to the dealers drive it and the noise of the seat rubbing the rear bulkhead was annoying to say the least but thought, just needs adjustment and it will all be good. I can’t tell you how many times times I tried to get the seat in exactly the right positions or me, I eventually gave up and got the best I could get. I always felt an inch or two too close. It wasn’t uncomfortable but not as comfortable as the previous one and the new one has a good 6 inches further travel than I need.

I have no idea why the same car with the same seats didn’t have the same adjustment/travel in the seats but they definitely were different.

All I can suggest is that you try a few for size and even though the MSport seats are definitely the preference on here it might be worth trying an SE too to see if they are better for your height/frame. I’m really hoping you fit in one as they are great fun :thumbsup:
 
R.E92 said:
You might need to tilt the seat back a little
Click to expand...

Yes that's a good point. If you tilt the base of the seat so it is raised more at the front, it effectively lifts your knees and therefore brings your feet back from the pedals a bit. You can then adjust the seat back angle and the front seat extending portion to hold you in better.
You could be the first person to test drive the seat further than the car. :D
 
Might be some quirks between different specs that offer different seat adjustment.

I've heard others complain about the seats not going low enough. I know on the E9x 3 series there was some quirks about under-seat speakers limiting the range of seat adjustment available. Maybe one of the fancy Z4 seat options limits the range of movement? Mine are MSport seats with full electronic adjustment but have no lumbar adjustment.
 
R.E92 said:
Might be some quirks between different specs that offer different seat adjustment.

I've heard others complain about the seats not going low enough. I know on the E9x 3 series there was some quirks about under-seat speakers limiting the range of seat adjustment available. Maybe one of the fancy Z4 seat options limits the range of movement? Mine are MSport seats with full electronic adjustment but have no lumbar adjustment.
Click to expand...
Mine are the sports ones but manual adjustment, with the side bolster adjustment. Do you think there is less gubbins under a manual seat that may let it move further?
 
R.E92 said:
under-seat speakers limiting the range of seat adjustment available. Maybe one of the fancy Z4 seat options limits the range of movement?
Click to expand...

The first time I raised this I said the only difference was the 35iS had the top of the range hi-fi and I wondered if to accommodate the additional speakers/subs/amps or whatever is in there the interior bulkhead was slightly further forward but I have no idea if that’s the case.
 
enuff_zed said:
R.E92 said:
Might be some quirks between different specs that offer different seat adjustment.

I've heard others complain about the seats not going low enough. I know on the E9x 3 series there was some quirks about under-seat speakers limiting the range of seat adjustment available. Maybe one of the fancy Z4 seat options limits the range of movement? Mine are MSport seats with full electronic adjustment but have no lumbar adjustment.
Click to expand...
Mine are the sports ones but manual adjustment, with the side bolster adjustment. Do you think there is less gubbins under a manual seat that may let it move further?
Click to expand...

Very possible. The motors have to live somewhere. Mine goes pretty low so it might be addition of the lumbar support that could be an issue.
 
Theres definitely a difference between SE and Msport seats (both manual adjustment) in respect to cabin space. The Msports take up more space
 
The main thing is your propportions, are you 50/50 leg/torso - long legs - short bod or long bod - short legs
 
Evening everyone,
Firstly thanks very much for all the advice and messages of welcome, very much appreciated :) .

Having read your messages, I searched online and found another Z4 in a showroom near me and went to look at it, well mainly the seats anyway. Not sure on the exact reason (different seat option, or jammed mechanism as suggested), but on this car the seat definitely went lower down and there was more than enough room for me to get comfortable. Yippee! Thanks again for helping me resolve the situation.

All I've got to now is find a car to buy.!

Regards to all.
Nigel.
 
Glad you have found a solution, and welcome to the forum. :thumbsup:

Enjoy the search, and don't forget we like to see photos!
 
Good news for you [ref]Nigel B[/ref],
Just need to pick your seat, then find a car to fit round it now then. :thumbsup:
 
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