2003 BMW Z4 Roadster SE review from UK and Ireland

Nothing major has gone wrong, but had some issues with the TC and ABS lights on and the roof sticking when putting the roof down. More characteristics than problems... so far!

Due to the lack of Z4 reviews on here, I thought I would share my experience of mine. I have had it for 2000 miles and have done a few long trips in it.

The car has lots of power on tap and handles superbly. It's not the fastest car on the road, but will pull away quicker than most cars out there. I have never liked the BMW brand, but compared to the competition in the roadster class, the Z4 had the power, boot space and reliability that I was looking for.

The pros are:

* Good MPG (35 on a run, 29 around the houses).

* Fast acceleration.

* Quick roof, it's possible to put it up and down at junctions, side of motorway etc without having to stop for long.

* Big boot, it's no hatchback, but impressive for the type of car.

* Looks more expensive than it really is.

The cons are:

* Insurance is quite high.

* Bumpy ride, but you do get used to it.

* Body work seems to dent easily and the paint scratches easily (I'm comparing this to my previous Ford Cougar, which has done 100,000 miles more but the bodywork looked like new!)

* It's a BMW, so other drivers automatically assume the worst of you.

Overall I am enjoying the Z4, with the top down it is fun drive that ticks all the boxes. It's a shame it's not an Alfa, but after test driving an Alfa GT, the BMW has a lot more class and quality.