Used 2020 BMW Z4

After a short hiatus, the 2020 BMW Z4 roadster has returned with even more fire under the hood. All-new last year, the 2020 model adds a potent M40i version to the lineup, bringing even more performance to an already lauded design. The Z4 roadster is sort of like an MX-5 Miata on steroids.

It’s a 2-person convertible with a near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution, long hood, short deck and a cloth soft top. However, unlike the tiny MX-5, the Z4 offers two potent engine options and a host of advanced luxury and safety technology. Regrettably, unlike the Porsche 718 Boxster, the BMW Z4 does not offer a manual transmission.

Longer, wider and taller than the last-generation Z4, the current roadster offers a bit more comfort for larger occupants, not to mention more stability in the tightest of turns. If the price isn’t a deterrent, the 2020 BMW Z4 roadster is one of the best ways to enjoy open-air driving as only BMW can deliver it. But we’re still holding out for that manual.

The 2020 BMW Z4 sDrive30i has a dual character. At small throttle openings, such as when you’re trundling about town, this 2-seat BMW roadster is as easy as an Accord or a Camry to drive, with light-effort steering and a remarkably comfortable ride. Our only complaint in a city driving environment is this: Its brakes can be a touch grabby, making it difficult to stop the Z4 smoothly in parking lots and the like. We suspect the optional M Sport brakes, fitted to our car, had soft but aggressive front-brake pads.

Which is good, because at larger throttle openings the Z4 comes alive and feels plenty fast, especially when the Sport+ driving mode is engaged. In Sport+, the Z4 is transformed into a serious sports car, one with firmer suspension, quicker steering and a transmission that shifts super-crisply, even when you’re not using the standard paddles. We particularly like how the crisp, automatic-blip downshifts in Sport+ make it sound like there’s a pro driver at the wheel.

Overall grip in the Z4 is excellent, which enables the Z4 to track through corners with an enviable composure. In these dynamic situations, the Z4 also is aided by its 50/50 weight balance and its M Sport differential, which is part of the optional Track Handling Package.

All told, the new Z4 is a deft blend of comfort and sport, and the quiet 2-seat cabin remains remarkably tranquil during top-down cruising, allowing for easy conversation, aided by a removable mesh wind-blocker panel. On a recent cold December night, the Z4 worked great as a mobile platform for viewing the Christmas lights. Seat heaters on, of course.

One minor nit: The new Z4’s lane-keep program is overly aggressive, pulling the car back into its lane with very little finesse whenever you begin to cross a lane-marker line without signaling. Our solution: We simply shut the system off every time we drove the Z4.

Thanks to generous seat travel and a slightly convex convertible cloth top, the 2020 BMW Z4 roadster can easily accommodate tall drivers. The seating position is low enough that you won’t be looking through the windshield frame (or over it), a position that also decreases the amount of wind and bugs colliding with your hair.

The Z4’s interior is typically BMW: handsome, logical and extremely technical. At the center of the dash is a large 10.25-inch touch screen that is the centerpiece of the iDrive infotainment system. Now in its seventh generation, iDrive and its rotary control knob work remarkably well with the Z4’s multiple systems and apps.

The tech parade continues at the gauge cluster with a 10.25-inch digital screen that replicates an analog speedometer and tachometer at its outer edges, with a large center screen for the navigation instructions and other information. The display offers numerous configurations that change with the driver mode selection.

There’s also an available head-up display, wireless charging and Wi-Fi hotspot, all part of a Premium Package that on the Z4 sDrive30i also includes Active Driving Assistant, Active Parking Assistant and heated front seats with power lumbar support.

One more clever detail is the Z4’s digital speed readout that turns from black to red if the driver surpasses the legal speed limit.

BMW says the new 2020 Z4 represents a distinctive take on a sporting roadster. We agree. It does look like a classic roadster, but with a decidedly modern bent. It’s a good-looking car, and its wide but squat twin-kidney grilles leave no doubt this is a BMW.

Two neat details can be seen when you view the new Z4 from the front. Two arrow-shaped contours are neatly sculpted into the hood, pointing right at the honeycomb grilles. Also, the Z4 headlights, in a first for the BMW, feature two light sources, one above the other, and they’re capped by a vertical accent strip with an integral directional signal.

When the Z4 is viewed from the rear, the extra width of the car is immediately apparent, and you can surmise that the trunk is larger than before (9.9 cubic feet versus 8.0). Dual exhaust outlets add a sporting flair that’s complemented by a rear diffuser and a trunk with an integrated spoiler.

TRACK-HANDLING PACKAGE
Standard on the M40i, the Track-Handling Package is a $2,450 option on the Z4 sDrive30i. Check the box and you’ll get larger M Sport brakes, an M Sport differential and the Adaptive M Suspension featuring adaptive dampers on the rear axle for maximum traction in the corners.

DRIVING DYNAMICS CONTROL
The Z4’s Driving Dynamics Control system offers five separate driver modes: Eco Pro, Sport, Sport+, Comfort and Individual. Controlled via a rocker switch on the center console, each setting adjusts power delivery and suspension tuning for a unique driving experience.

Standard features on the 2020 BMW Z4 sDrive30i include the 255-horsepower engine, the ZF 8-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission and a power fabric top with a heated-glass rear window. Inside, automatic climate control is standard, as are a leather-covered steering wheel, ambient lighting, a wind deflector and an engine stop/start button.

The Z4 M40i gets a 382-horsepower twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 with the same 8-speed transmission. The M40i also gets upgraded M Sport brakes and suspension plus interior upgrades such as the 14-way-power M Sport seats.

One year of Apple CarPlay is standard, as are a 10.25-inch instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch central information display and the seventh generation of BMW’s multifunction iDrive controller. Moreover, the new Z4 has two USB ports and 20GB of multimedia storage, and the map data for the navigation system are updated over-the-air (OTA) four times a year.

Standard safety hardware on the 2020 BMW Z4 includes a forward-collision-warning system with automatic braking, plus a pedestrian-protection system and a lane-departure warning.

For the most part, Z4 options come in packages. The Driving Assistance Package includes active cruise control (with stop-and-go), blind-spot detection and a rear cross-traffic alert.

Other option packages on the Z4 include the 30i’s Premium Package that brings heated front seats, head-up display, wireless charging, onboard Wi-Fi, power lumbar support, SiriusXM radio, Active Driving Assist, Comfort Access keyless entry and Back-up Assistant that allows the Z4 to back itself out of tight parking spots in which there’s little or no margin for error.

The Executive Package includes all features of the Premium Package but adds ambient interior lighting, LED headlights, automatic high-beam headlights and a Harman Kardon surround-sound stereo.

The Track Handling Package brings M Sport brakes, M Sport differential and Adaptive M Suspension.

Active cruise control is available as a stand-alone $1,200 option.

The standard engine on the 2020 BMW Z4 sDrive30i is a direct-injection 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged 4-cylinder good for 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. Moving up to the Z4 M40i brings a 3.0-liter inline-6 cylinder engine with a twin-scroll turbocharger producing 382 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque.

Not to be mistaken for a twin-turbocharged engine, a twin-scroll turbocharger is a single unit with unique exhaust inlets that allow the twin-scroll turbo to gather exhaust from specific cylinders. The design increases low-end boost while helping eliminate turbo lag, improves fuel economy and ratchets up response. Both engines are paired with a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission with manual-shift mode. BMW says the Z4 sDrive30i will hit 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, while the M40i can do it in just 3.9 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4
255 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm
295 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-4,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 24/32 mpg

3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6
382 horsepower @ 5,500-6,500 rpm
369 lb-ft of torque @ 1,850-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 24/31 mpg