BMW Z4

The 2022 BMW Z4 is available in a single trim level only with a base price of $50,895. The car gets a single engine and drivetrain layout option as standard. The convertible gets a decent list of standard features for the price that includes two-zone automatic climate control, push-button start, faux-leather upholstery, automatic rain-sensing wipers, and auto-dimming function for both interior and exterior rearview mirrors. Apart from these, the car gets a long list of optional techs and features in the form of packages as well as standalone options as well. Among the notable packages are the Driving Assistance package, Convenience package, Premium 2 package, M Sport package, and Dynamic Handling package. Some of the standalone features include bigger 19-inch wheels, leather upholstery, heating for the steering wheel and the front seats, remote ignition, and a premium 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.

We Recommend

We would recommend the Driving Assistance package and the Convenience package for a better experience with the car without spending too much.

The 2022 BMW Z4 convertible gets a standard 2.0-liter turbocharged B48 I-4 motor that puts out a decent 240 horsepower along with 295 lb-ft of torque. The engineers at Beemer focused a bit more on the fuel efficiency while tuning the Z4’s turbo four-pot and it is evident once you take it out for a spin. The motor has an excellent low-end and mid-range punch, allowing for an effortless city driving experience along with a laid-back highway driveability as well. You can floor the throttle to hear the sweet intake sound but while driving, the motor quickly loses grunt while nearing its redline. The motor is mated to a standard 8-speed automatic unit that offers precise and quick shifts. However, we do miss a manual transmission, honestly. The Z4 can sprint from zero to sixty miles per hour within a decent 5.2 seconds while a quarter-mile run takes 12.8 seconds. The convertible comes only with an RWD layout and AWD isn’t offered, not even as an option.

The Porsche 718 Boxster is the quickest and the fastest one here and gets a throaty turbocharged 2.0-liter flat-4 motor. Even though it makes slightly less torque than the BMW Z4, it makes the highest power figure here among the rivals on the list. However, the acceleration times of the Beemer aren’t too distant from the acceleration times of the 718 Boxster either. The Audi TT gets a turbocharged I-4 motor too like the Z4 but is a less powerful one as compared to the latter. Moreover, the TT makes less power and torque figures than the latter as well. The Mercedes-Benz C 300 convertible is the slowest off the line here despite making decent power and torque figures.

2022 BMW Z4 Convertible Ride and Handling

Driving the 2022 BMW Z4 isn’t a completely enticing experience at all. The convertible offers a more balanced ride instead. Out on smooth roads, the car feels planted at all speeds while out on the highways, the NVH levels are spectacularly on the lower side as well. The suspension’s default tuning is on the stiffer side, making the car get unsettled over broken roads rather quickly. The optional adaptive suspension setup with the Dynamic Handling Package improves the driving dynamics to a considerable extent though but the stiffness cannot be averted completely.

2022 BMW Z4 Convertible Braking Performance

The 2022 BMW Z4 gets a pair of sizable front brake rotors along with sizable rear brake rotors as well. The front brakes measure 14.6-inch each while the rear units measure 13.6 inches respectively. Despite the sizable hardware underneath, the Z4 takes longer than average, 118 feet to come to a complete stop from 60mph. At low speeds, the brakes can feel jittery with too much initial bite, making for an unsettled braking experience.

The Porsche 718 Boxster showcases exemplary braking prowess despite having marginally smaller brake rotors than the Z4. It takes one of the shortest, 105 feet, distances in the segment while coming to a halt from 60mph. The Audi TT takes a rather long 124 feet before coming to a halt while the Mercedes-Benz C 300 convertible takes a decent 115 feet for the same.

In terms of fuel economy, the 2022 BMW Z4 is one of the best and its engine tuning also helps to achieve impressive EPA ratings as well. Inside the city limits, the car returns an average of 25mpg while out on the highways, the number shoots up to 32mpg. Even though the Z4 returns some respectable fuel efficiency numbers, the convertible is let down by its small-ish 13.7-gallon gas tank. As a result, the Z4 only offers some mediocre driving range figures.

The Porsche 718 Boxster is the least fuel-efficient one here due to the sportier tuning of its powertrain. However, the numbers aren’t terrible either when compared to the rivals. However, the sizable 16.9-gallon gas tank of the 718 Boxster makes up for the void in numbers with some decent driving range figures. The Audi TT is quite close to the Z4 in terms of EPA ratings but gets an even smaller, 12.4-gallon gas tank. The Mercedes-Benz C 300 convertible is the star here with the biggest 17.4-gallon gas tank and some commendable driving range figures. However, it lacks while returning fuel economy figures.

The designers at BMW have done their best to offer as much space as possible inside a small two-seater sports car. As a result, the 2022 Z4 is surprisingly spacious inside, especially for tall drivers and occupants even with the roof in place. The dashboard gets a driver-oriented layout and the driver gets an all-digital instrument cluster. The number of buttons has been kept slightly on the lower side as compared to other vehicles from the brand. Due to the dashboard’s driver-oriented layout, it eats up a considerable amount of space from the center stack, making the cupholders tucked away and the armrest eliminated completely. The car gets faux leather upholstery as standard while leather upholstery is offered through optional packages. Other than that, several creature comfort features along with convenience features are also offered such as heated seats, heated steering wheel, ambient lighting, remote ignition, keyless entry, and lumbar adjustments for the seats as well. Surprisingly, even with the roof folded down, the trunk space isn’t cut short a bit and the available space of 9.9 cu-ft is decent for the class as well.

The interior of the Porsche 718 Boxster is a bit more spacious and luxurious than the BMW Z4’s cabin and is also blessed by the brand’s numerous customization options as well. The Porsche Boxster is the only one in the class to get two storage spaces, one on the front and another at the rear due to its mid-engine layout. The Audi TT convertible has the most compact cabin here among the rivals but offers a generous 12 cu-ft of cargo space though. The Mercedes-Benz C 300 convertible is the only 2+2 seater here but its rear seats are best reserved for small kids or extra cargo items. However, the 12.6 cu-ft of cargo capacity on the C 300 is mesmerizing though.

Some of the key interior features available with the 2022 BMW Z4 Convertible include:

• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Imitation leather upholstery
• Heated steering wheel
• Heated front seats
• Lumbar adjustment for front seats
• Ambient lighting

How intuitive is the 2022 BMW Z4 Convertible’s infotainment system?

The 2022 BMW Z4 convertible gets a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment display that sits slightly aligned towards the driver for easy access. The screen is vibrant and crisp and runs BMW’s latest iDrive user interface. The software is intuitive but user-friendly and the menu layout makes navigating the system quite easy as well. Among the standard features are navigation, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, satellite radio, Bluetooth, and USB ports. Other than the touch screen inputs, the system can also be controlled via the rotary knob placed on the center stack that also houses a touchpad on top of it as well.

Some of the most notable infotainment features available with the 2022 BMW Z4 Convertible include:

• 10.25-inch touchscreen display 
• Navigation
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Satellite radio
• Bluetooth
• USB ports

The exterior design of the 2022 BMW Z4 is quite appealing and sporty with some sharp design features on the front bumper. Thankfully, the Z4 hasn’t received the massive kidney grille design from the brand yet while the current, sleek and elongated blacked-out grille looks absolutely fine. The headlamp units are all LED units and the LED DRLs get a unique design as well. The standard 18-inch wheels with summer performance tires get a five-spoke design and look sporty enough. The side profile of the car gets a couple of nicely-done character lines but the short wheelbase and the two-seater configuration give the Z4’s silhouette a perfect coupe shape. At the rear, the Z4 now gets a pair of LED tail lights that is quite sleek and looks a lot better than the awkward and small units of the previous model.

The Porsche Boxster doesn’t go down the aggressive way in terms of its design, instead, it looks like a proper two-seater coupe. Moreover, with the top down, the Boxster amps up the appeal with its 911-like design language. It is also on the shorter side but is slightly longer than the Z4 due to the front nose. The Audi TT has a distinct and sporty appeal from its front, but the simple side profile of the car along with an even shorter length lacks aggressiveness. The Mercedes-Benz C 300 convertible is the biggest one here due to its four-seater configuration and has a longer wheelbase than all the rivals here. As such, it looks more like a luxe convertible with a handsome and flowing design language right from the front to the back.

Some standout exterior features include:

• 18-inch alloy wheels with summer performance tires
• LED headlights and tail lights
• Automatic rain-sensing wipers
• Auto-dimming ORVMs
• Aerodynamic body kit(optional)
• Adaptive suspension(optional)

The BMW Z4 has been losing its sales volume in the recent past and it has never been crash tested by both the NHTSA and the IIHS. In terms of safety features, the car only gets Forward collision mitigation as standard along with other basic techs such as Automatic high-beam headlights, a reverse camera, brake assist, ESC, and anti-lock braking system. However, the car gets a suite of ADAS techs through optional packages that include features such as Lane departure warning, Blind-spot monitoring, and Adaptive cruise control. The most disappointing part is that the Z4 doesn’t get parking sensors as standard and the same can be had as a standalone feature by paying extra.

Some of the standout safety features include:

• Forward collision mitigation
• Lane departure warning
• Blind spot monitoring
• Adaptive cruise control
• Automatic parking assist
• Adaptive headlights

2022 BMW Z4 Convertible vs 2022 Porsche 718 Boxster

The Porsche 718 Boxster is a more popular, more luxurious, and much sportier opponent of the BMW Z4. In terms of exterior design, the Z4 might manage to grab eyeballs with its sharp front-end design, but the Porsche Boxster holds its own with its classy and elegant styling. On the inside too, the Boxster is more spacious than the Z4 and gets more customization options as well as compared to the latter. The handling part of the Boxster is way ahead of what the Z4 offers but the former is pricier and more powerful as well. Furthermore, the Boxster gets the practicality of two trunks but loses out to the Z4 in terms of fuel economy.

2022 BMW Z4 Convertible vs 2022 Audi TT convertible

The Audi TT convertible is a small and sporty car in the segment and gives the Z4 solid competition too. One of the strengths of the TT is its standard AWD layout which makes it a more practical car to live with. In terms of fuel economy, it is quite close to the Z4 but lacks in terms of performance. On the inside, the Audi TT is on the smaller side, especially for tall drivers but tries to make it up with its bigger trunk space. Overall, the Z4 looks like a better alternative unless you’re in absolute need of an AWD roadster.

2022 BMW Z4 Convertible vs 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 300 convertible

The Mercedes-Benz C 300 is the only four-seater rival of the BMW Z4 that only matches the latter in terms of power figures and interiors only. While the Z4 offers a sporty experience with tighter handling than the C 300, the latter is more comfort-oriented with a flowing and elegant design. On the inside, the C 300 offers oodles of space as compared to the Z4 and the overall feeling is plusher than the latter as well. Even though the C 300 is less fuel efficient than the Z4, its chunky gas tank makes up for it with some impressive driving range figures.

The BMW Z4 should be on your priority list if you want an RWD sports car to enjoy open-top driving, but fuel efficiency is also a concern. In terms of performance, the Z4 does just fine for both city drives and highway drives, and its fuel-efficient motor makes it a great daily driver too. Moreover, the compact size and easy steering wheel make it a great urban vehicle too. The Z4 starts to disappoint in terms of standard safety features offering where you need to shell out extra for getting the crucial techs such as parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, and lane keeping assist. As a whole, the Z4 is a better choice than some of its rivals but the Porsche Boxster is still a superior option for enthusiasts.