2011 BMW Z4 sDrive35is Review by CNET

CNET produces an interesting review of the 2011 BMW Z4 sDrive35is. To see the full video review, please click here. Here are excerpts of the review and some photos.

The good: The BMW Z4 sDrive35is’ adaptive suspension responds well whether cruising through the city or carving the canyons, and the dual-clutch transmission makes fast shifts. Available cabin tech includes an excellent navigation system.

The bad: The retractable top folds into the trunk, which limits cargo capacity and messes with the weight distribution. The transmission’s sport setting could be more aggressive.

The bottom line: Although not as hard-edged as some sports cars, the 2011 BMW Z4 sDrive35is provides plenty of driving fun and, except for the lack of cargo capacity, makes a fine daily driver.

BMW must think its recent cars strayed too far from its sports car ethos, as it is bringing back the “s”–denoting sport–to select models. We previously reviewed the 2011 BMW 335is, and now get a look at the new sport roadster, the 2011 BMW Z4 sDrive35is.

This roadster comes loaded to the gills with BMW’s performance technology, all surprisingly standard for a company that charges extra for every little convenience feature. But the Z4 sDrive35is also makes a few compromises for comfort that undercut its sporting nature.

The Z4 is a good-looking little roadster, and we noted a lot of attention from bystanders. Its retractable hard top is a best-of-both-worlds solution, offering the security and weather protection of a hard top plus the fun of open-top driving. The top folds into the trunk with Transformers-like mutability.

The retractable hard top is a miracle of engineering.
The retractable top doesn’t come without consequences, however. First of all, when folded away into the trunk there is very little storage space left, and what there is can be explored only with the type of robotic equipment being used on BP’s Gulf oil gusher.

The shifter and paddles look more like a product of artists than engineers.
As a final piece of performance tech, if anyone remains skeptical about electronic power steering, the Z4 sDrive35is should erase all doubt. The wheel felt good, always offering good road feedback as we slung the car over our favorite roads. It also provided a comfortable amount of boost when we pulled parking maneuvers in the city.

Another useful perk, especially for negotiating the hills of San Francisco, is a hill-hold feature that kept the brakes on as we went from brake to gas pedal.

Although a small car, the big engine means fuel economy of only 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway, according to EPA tests. In our driving, in which we spent a lot of time pushing the car hard, we turned in an average of 19.2 mpg–not too bad for the Z4 sDrive35is’ level of performance.
Little extras
BMW’s are not known for lush luxury, but they still employ excellent fit and finish for their fine cabin materials. In the Z4 sDrive35is, the leather is thick and the plastics are soft. We like the comfort of the sport seats and the thickness of the steering wheel.

Of course, with a base price of $61,050, we would expect a high-quality interior. Our car’s final price was not much above base, as it had very few cabin tech options, just iPod integration, satellite radio, and keyless start. There were buttons for voice command and phone, but these were not active, as the Bluetooth phone system was not optioned. Given the high base price, BMW could probably have thrown in the phone system standard.

But BMW does make a good range of cabin tech available in the Z4 sDrive35is, and we have used similar features in other BMW cars. The hard-drive-based navigation system responds quickly and offers richly detailed maps. The Bluetooth phone system downloads a phone’s contact list, and in more recent models offers dial-by-name voice command.

In sum
Although a very satisfying sport driver, the 2011 BMW Z4 sDrive35is pulls up a little short of the edge, trading in hard-line performance for creature comforts. The performance tech, from the direct-injection turbocharged engine to the adaptive suspension, is very advanced and seen in few other cars, and even fewer roadsters.

Our car came with a mostly bare cabin, but BMW makes an excellent array of electronics available. Very impressive for a roadster is the 8.8-inch LCD for the navigation system. The stock stereo system was very good, and we would expect quite a bit from the car’s premium audio.

The car is also a looker, the hard top making a nice profile with the long-snouted roadster body. The retracting feature for the roof is very clever, but points off for the impact it has on the trunk space.

Source: CNET.