2019 BMW Z4

The sDrive30i was the sole US Z4 for the 2019 model year; 255 hp is solid but modest against six-cylinder sports-car rivals.

Strong low-end torque for a four-cylinder, available from 1,550 rpm.

Quick for a four-cylinder roadster, clearly faster than an MX-5 but behind six-cylinder rivals.

The B46 turbo four delivers smooth, early torque with little lag, though reviewers found its sound and character less charismatic than the inline-six.

The ZF 8-speed automatic shifts quickly and smoothly with good gear selection and paddles, but no manual was offered in the US.

Rear-wheel drive only; no AWD offered on any Z4.

For MY2019 in the US the Z4 offered a single powertrain (2.0L turbo I4 + 8AT, RWD); the M40i six joined for MY2020 and no electrified option exists.

Good economy for a sports roadster thanks to the turbo four.

EPA city rating for the only 2019 US trim.

EPA highway rating for the only 2019 US trim.

Small 13.7-gallon tank limits range despite decent economy; computed from EPA combined MPG and BMW tank capacity.

Premium-fuel requirement pushes the annual cost up despite 28 MPG combined.

Premium unleaded is specified for the turbocharged engine, which adds running cost.

NHTSA never crash-tested the G29 Z4, which launched for the 2019 model year. That is typical for low-volume two-seat roadsters. The mid-range figure is an estimate based on a modern BMW structure, not a tested result.

IIHS has not tested the 2019 Z4, so it has no TSP/TSP+ award and no individual crash results. The 2019 Euro NCAP five-star result suggests a sound structure, and there are no known structural concerns, so it scores at the low end of the mostly-Good band.

The 2019 sDrive30i comes standard with forward collision warning, daytime pedestrian detection with City Braking (AEB) and lane departure warning. Adaptive cruise, blind-spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert are all in the optional Driving Assistance Package.

City-speed AEB with daytime pedestrian detection is standard. It uses the same camera-based BMW system as IIHS-tested BMWs of the era, but it is limited to city speeds and daytime pedestrians, and IIHS has never evaluated the Z4.

Active Blind Spot Detection, Rear Collision Protection and Cross-Traffic Alert are optional (Driving Assistance Package) and are not standard on the volume sDrive30i. When fitted, the system includes a steering intervention.

Lane departure warning is standard, but it only warns. The 2019 Z4 offers no active lane-keep assist or lane-centering function.

Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go is available only in the optional Driving Assistance Package. When fitted, it is a capable full-speed-range system, but it is not standard on the volume trim and has no integrated steering assist.

The 2019 Z4 offers no hands-free driving system in any configuration, and has no lane centering at all.

LED headlights are standard, and Adaptive LED headlights are optional. IIHS has never rated the Z4's headlights, so Good performance across the range is unconfirmed.

Visibility is excellent with the top down. With the soft top up, the thick rear quarters and small rear window limit over-the-shoulder and reversing sightlines. A rearview camera is standard, and the Parking Assistant with Back-up Assistant is optional.

The 2019 Z4 sDrive30i, the launch year of the G29 generation and the only US trim, is a strict two-seat roadster with no rear seat.

The seats are mounted low, so headroom is generous for a soft-top roadster and tall drivers fit with the top raised.

Front legroom is long for a compact roadster and well beyond the MX-5 Miata's.

The fabric top stows in its own compartment, so the trunk is the same size with the top up or down. That is large for a two-seater (Miata 4.6 cu ft) but small next to four-seat convertibles.

Cabin storage is typical of a compact roadster: small door pockets, a shallow console bin and cupholders. Wireless charging comes only with the Premium Package.

The standard power sport seats in SensaTec are supportive on long drives. Some reviewers called them firm, and the heavily bolstered M Sport seats were optional for 2019.

The volume car rides on the standard suspension, since M Sport and adaptive dampers were optional extras. It is firm but composed on good roads and gets busy and harsh over broken pavement.

The insulated soft top makes the cabin quiet for a convertible and quieter than a Miata's. Wind and road noise at highway speed are still well above a fixed-roof coupe's.

Automatic climate control, a wind deflector and a heated glass rear window are standard. Heated front seats need the $1,600 Premium Package, and ventilated seats are not offered.

The 2019 model year, the G29's launch year (on sale March 2019), was sold in the US only as the sDrive30i at $49,700 plus $995 destination. The M40i arrived as a 2020 model.

The sDrive30i was the only 2019 trim. Typical stock added the Premium Package (HUD, heated seats, wireless charging) and the Convenience Package (comfort access, rear-view camera, active driving assistant) plus metallic paint, landing in the mid-$54k range.

Edmunds' trim-specific True Cost to Own for the mechanically identical 2020 sDrive30i schedules about $8.6k of maintenance over 5 years. The 2019 page was not retrievable (403). CarEdge's model-wide projection is lower at about $4.7k. BMW Ultimate Care offsets the first 3 years.

KBB currently values a 2019 sDrive30i at about $27.5–32.1k private-party, roughly 52–59% of its ~$54k sticker after about 7 years. Model-wide projections from iSeeCars (56.5%) and CarEdge (60%) agree, so about 54% at 5 years is a conservative middle.

BMW's New Vehicle Limited Warranty runs 4 years or 50,000 miles, the German-luxury norm.

BMW offers no separate, longer powertrain warranty. Powertrain coverage ends with the 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty.

BMW Ultimate Care covers 3 yr / 36,000 mi of scheduled maintenance, plus 4 yr unlimited-mile Roadside Assistance and a ConnectedDrive trial. That is genuine multi-year included maintenance.

$54,300 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (54% retained, or about $29,322) leaves about $24,978 in depreciation. Add the projected $8,600 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $33,578 in total.

2019 is the launch year of the G29 generation (on sale March 2019), so it carries the full first-year risk of an all-new platform co-developed with the Supra. J.D. Power's quality/reliability rating for the early G29 sits in its 'Average' band, and Consumer Reports has too few Z4 responses for a model-specific prediction — a notch below the 2020 carry-over and well below the Miata.

Around the 2019 model year BMW ranked above industry average in J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study and mid-pack in Consumer Reports brand rankings — best of the German luxury makes but not consistently top-5.

MY2019 carries seven NHTSA campaigns, more than any later G29 year, including a 2019-only steering tie-rod fracture recall (20V355000, shared with the Supra), a 2019-only engine counterbalance-shaft bearing defect requiring engine replacement (19V732000, 217 units), and a starter-relay corrosion overheating risk (25V636000). The rest are headlamp aim, rear-camera display and engine software affecting brake assist. Typical of a first-year car but heavier than average, with safety-relevant steering and engine items.

The volume sDrive30i uses the B48 2.0L turbo four and the M40i the B58 3.0L I6 — both well-regarded modular BMW engines, paired with the proven ZF 8HP automatic. Docked slightly versus later years for the 2019-specific counterbalance-shaft engine recall and the engine-software and starter-relay campaigns.

Reviewers of the new 2019 Z4 praised the cabin's leather, metal-look trim and solid switchgear, with the 10.25-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital cluster running iDrive 7 — a big step up on the E89. Class-appropriate for a ~$50-65k luxury roadster, a step below the Boxster.

Built by Magna Steyr in Graz alongside the GR Supra, a contract plant with a reputation for tight assembly; reviewers note a stiff structure with little top-down shake. Launch-year production defects (tie rods, engine bearing installation) and BMW's near-average initial quality temper the score.

BMW's roughly 350 US dealers provide dense metro coverage nationwide, and the 2019 Z4 came with 3-year/36,000-mile BMW Ultimate Care scheduled maintenance; service satisfaction is mixed.

OEM parts are readily available and the enthusiast aftermarket (shared with the Supra) is large, but maintenance and repair costs run high — cooling-system parts, suspension and electronics repairs are costly once out of warranty, which a 2019 car now is.

BMW Live Cockpit Professional with a 10.25-inch central touchscreen is standard on the 2019 sDrive30i. No larger screen is offered.

iDrive 7 is quick and well featured, and the rotary controller, touchscreen and physical climate buttons make it easy to use while driving. The menus are deep, and the screen washes out in sun with the top down.

Wireless Apple CarPlay is standard but came with a one-year subscription at launch; BMW dropped the subscription in late 2019. Android Auto was not offered on the 2019 car. BMW added it to OS7 cars only from mid-2020, by a later update.

Built-in navigation and voice control are standard through Live Cockpit Professional. The 2019 car also has the first-generation 'Hey BMW' Intelligent Personal Assistant.

The standard audio is adequate. The Harman Kardon surround system is the meaningful upgrade, and it sits in the $2,500 Executive Package. Open-top acoustics limit any system.

A configurable, fully digital 10.25-inch driver display with a map view is standard.

As an Operating System 7 car, the 2019 Z4 can take BMW Remote Software Upgrades. These cover infotainment, maps and some vehicle functions rather than the whole vehicle, and later upgrades added Android Auto.

The BMW Connected / My BMW app covers remote lock and unlock, vehicle status, location and send-to-car navigation. The Wi-Fi hotspot needs the Premium Package.

There are a couple of front USB ports. Wireless charging comes only with the Premium Package.

Keyless ignition is standard. Comfort Access keyless entry is part of the $1,450 Convenience Package, and there is no factory remote start or phone-as-key.

A rearview camera is listed as standard. Parking Assistant with sensors comes in the Convenience Package, and no surround-view camera is offered.

A full-color head-up display is part of the $1,600 Premium Package, an inexpensive and common option, but it is not standard.

This two-seat roadster has no rear seat and no rear LATCH positions. It cannot do daily child transport.

Frontal collision warning with city braking, daytime pedestrian detection and lane departure warning are standard. Blind-spot detection and adaptive cruise are options. Neither IIHS nor NHTSA has crash-tested the G29, and with no rear occupants family safety barely applies.

Two seats and a 9.9 cu ft trunk cannot take a family on a road trip.

The 255-hp turbo four and ZF 8-speed are smooth in traffic, and the top opens or closes in about 10 seconds at up to 31 mph. The low seat and wide sills, limited visibility with the top up, rear-wheel drive, a firm ride and optional Comfort Access all detract.

28 mpg combined is good for a luxury roadster. Premium fuel, run-flat tires and BMW out-of-warranty upkeep raise running costs.

The small footprint (about 171 in long on a 97 in wheelbase) and a 36 ft turning circle make it easy to place in the city. A rearview camera is standard, and Parking Assistant is optional.

With no US tow rating, no bed and a 9.9 cu ft trunk, it has no meaningful work capability.

The SensaTec or leather upholstery and fabric soft top are unsuited to hard use, and there is no work or fleet version.

It has no hitch, roof-rack provision, cargo power outlet or upfit options.

It is a capable two-person highway tourer, with supportive seats, 28 mpg and about 384 miles of range from a 13.7-gallon tank. Adaptive cruise and heated seats are options, and wind noise plus the two-seat layout and small trunk limit long trips.

Rear-wheel drive only, low ground clearance, performance run-flats and no rack or hitch keep it on pavement.

The 9.9 cu ft trunk holds the same top up or down and fits a couple of soft weekend bags. There are no folding seats, pass-through, rails or hitch.

The Supra-shared platform has 50:50 weight distribution and a multi-link rear, giving strong grip and tidy body control. The volume sDrive30i runs the standard suspension, with M Sport and adaptive suspension optional, and it feels more like a grand tourer than a 718 or MX-5.

The electric steering is quick and accurate but light on feedback, which reviewers cite as the Z4's main dynamic shortfall against the Boxster and Miata.

The pedal is firm and progressive, and stops are short. The volume car has standard brakes, with M Sport brakes in the optional Track Handling Package.

The 2.0L turbo four (255 hp, 295 lb-ft from 1,550 rpm) and ZF 8-speed respond crisply with minimal lag and shift smoothly. The automatic is the only transmission, and the M40i did not arrive until 2020.

The four-cylinder is smooth and quiet at a cruise but sounds generic when worked hard, especially next to the inline-six that came later.

The short 97-inch wheelbase gives a tight turning circle for a rear-drive roadster.

The driving position is low and classic, with power seats and controls that fall easily to hand. Top-up visibility is limited, getting in and out means dropping low, and the M steering wheel was an option for 2019.

This quick, composed open-top BMW is genuinely enjoyable. The sDrive30i lacks the six-cylinder character and the feedback of the 718 and Miata.

The launch-year sDrive30i comes with a power soft top, Live Cockpit navigation with Apple CarPlay, LED headlights and frontal collision warning. But heated seats and the HUD sit in the $1,600 Premium Package, and even the rear-view camera, comfort access and Active Driving Assistant are in the $1,450 Convenience Package. That is sparser than a $50k car should be.

$50,695 buys a 255-hp roadster that does 0–60 in about 5.2 s. That undercuts a base Porsche 718 Boxster but costs nearly double a Miata, with key conveniences optional. The 2019 lineup had no M40i to raise the performance-per-dollar ceiling.

MY2019 was effectively take-it-or-leave-it: a single sDrive30i trim, rear-drive, 8-speed automatic only, no manual. Choice came only through option packages, and the M40i did not arrive until the 2020 model year.

The Z4 is a low-volume niche roadster in a shrinking segment. MY2019 was a partial launch year (on sale March 2019) with only the four-cylinder, so volume stayed in the low thousands, well behind the Miata.

BMW is one of the most aspirational premium brands, with deep enthusiast equity in its Z roadsters. Brand image helps the Z4's satisfaction and resale.

As an all-new launch model, the 2019 Z4 initially saw little discounting. Leftover 2019 units later qualified for BMW Financial Services 0.9% APR up to 60 months and finance credits into 2020, so modest-to-meaningful deals became available.

2019 is the first model year of the all-new G29 generation on the shared Toyota-BMW sports-car platform, with current iDrive 7 / Live Cockpit tech. No redesign was due; the LCI came only in September 2022.

Reviewers praised the 2019 sDrive30i's punchy turbo four, sharp handling and upscale cabin, with KBB at 4.4/5. They criticized the firm ride and seats, the absent manual and the costly options, and ranked it behind the Porsche 718 for purity. It is well-reviewed but rarely the class pick.