Quiet for a convertible. 185hp is capable of tire burning performance. Very good gas mileage. Ride is stiff but not uncomfortable.
A definite eye catcher and sparkles in Black on Black. Solid body construction and sturdy feel to car. Great lines and overall design.

Suspension does cause rearend skip/bounce on curves at high speed over rough rodes. Top boot is a hassle both in use and storage, but one can adjust to applicaton. An armrest/cover would have been a good addition to coin or cup holders.

Anyone with a desire for a responsive, competitive and stylish roadster will find the Z3 2.5i the car to own. Prior ill's mentioned in reviews, I feel have been addressed. Having the same top speed, why pay $4k more for the Z3 3.0? But if leather seats and bigger engine are your thing, then the 3.0 is the better value if purchased at or near dealer invoice.

In regard to the sound system which was the only option purchased, it sounds great to me. Lets be honest, at 80mph with the top down, who out there can really say the sound system sucks?

Compared to the TT and S2000 the 2.5i is far and away the best value.

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Test drove the Miata LS, S2000 and checked out the TT. The Z3 remains the best value. More standard safety (handling) items, better priced than the S2000, TT and a greater value than the Miata.

Great name... ok feel... seems to be very sticky to the road.

cheap... I've had countless problems with this car... I'm a 6'2 male and I find myself being insulted by others saying, "Is that your gf's car?" It just doesn't have "it"... I enjoy my 1997 Supra TT much more

I would not get this car... I've had many problems with it and it just isn't the leader in the pack.

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SLK 230 and 320, boxster.
My favorite feel out of the bunch is the slk
The best handeling is held by the boxster
The z3 has a very unique look
If I were going to purchase a roadster over again I'd get the slk 320...

It is a nice sporty car. Looks great, and if you aren't too tall for it, it is real comfortable. It goes great for picking up chicks :-). Can switch between 4 speed manual, and automatic. I love the rims on it. It is very fun to drive.

It is small. I am too tall for it, making my time spent in it very uncomfortable. Radio sucks major a$$. No roll bars on mine. Small engine (ie not enough power, CAN'T BURN OUT). Small trunk. I would complain about the plastic rear window, but if they were to go to a glass one, you would have some REALLY REALLY big blind spots. Replacement parts are a bit expensive.

In my experience with this car, I just love it. Although the weakness outweigh the good things about it, I will probably never sell it untill it rusts to the point of no return. I'm not the one that pays to fix it, so it's all good there. And i just say, if you want a sports car to have some fun in, get a manual w/ the bigger engine. I'm out. BUY THIS CAR.

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It is a lot less noisy than my '95 LeBaron COnvertible.

Best qualties are unique styling dating back to the Austin Healy's, MGs and Triumph's. This car,(in my opinion, is the best looking, most unique, sporty car on the road. It provides the typical great BMW quiet solid ride and wonderful gas mileage out of a powerful engine. Do not buy this car without the traction control!!! It can get out of control before you know it on a wet/slick road. On a dry road...nothing handles better. The car screams nothing but class! I can't say enough about it.

No liner on the convertible top, Stereo is anemic(needs more power), I'm 6'3" and there isnt quite enough room to slide the seat back to provide anough legroom and still sit comfortable. If you slide the seat all the way back, your back is sitting straight up...it I adjust the back to recline a little, I have to slide the seat up and then my legs are cramped...but I still love the car.

I give the car a 4.9...only because of the lack of a top liner(can be bought aftermarket) and the comfort level for a taller person. People over 6'3" should rent one for a weekend before buying to see if you fit in the car comfortably. The car is a blast to drive, plenty of power, economical, and its unique. I expect the car will hold its value rather well due to the uniqueness and BMW quality. If your looking for a 2 seater convertable...there is no question...get the Z3...but only get the 6 cylinder models.

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To other convertibles....nothing really compares, Mercedes handles like a Mercedes, Miata is loud, underpowered and too basic. Porsche boxter also has a classic design and it the only car I think would give it any competition in style, power, and quality. This car is very, very quick, cant wait to drive an M.

Looks MARVELOUS!!! Acceleration at high speeds is great for a 2.5 liter engine. Above average handling. Timeless design. Everyday behind the wheel is like a mini vacation.

Yes, the audio system is VERY annoying at times..infrequently crackles like my morning krispies!!! And a glass rear window isn't asking for too much with a 30K+ price tag.

Every Fall I contemplate trading her...but unless I can replace her with a Carerra Cabrio, I'll keep her!

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Drove a Miata once..ONLY ONCE!

It's a tiny little thing, and you'd think it would have no power at all until you step on the gas. In a city like San Diego, where it is ALWAYS hot, the sunroof is a godsend. The interior is also just fine for drooling.

The radio is low quality , but the CD player is great, and the back window gets dirty quite often

If you like both top end power and acceleration and you've got the $$$, buy it. If you don't have the $$$, test drive one at least, today. This litle piece of work is well worth every penny to me, and would make a perfect addition to any billionare's collection. If it weren't for the radio and the back window, I'd say this car is PERFECT.

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I test drove a Miata and an S2000, but they're just not the same as the Z3.

Styling. Superior handling. Good quality in wind noise control. The car doesn't take constant monitoring on the road. It's a very easy car to drive.

Road noise excessive. On any corrugated anti-ice road, it sounds like an avalanche. Engine is a high-revver.

I feel the quality of many cars in the $20000+ bracket is mediocre. So why not pay a little (?) more and get something good?

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None. This is out first real sports car.

It has a very unique look, Respective amount of acceleration, powerful especially when accelerating at corners , excellent handling , what can I dont say good thing about it =) ?

Plastic window convertables dont sound very stiff like coupe, but this problem can easily be solved by purchasing a Hardtop !!!!

If you like to drive a lot , probably live in the car wanting a lot of REAL fun driving , purchase this car , its a wonderful Toy !!!

it doesnt really have major problems nor minor, but it depend on the user.... mine is Modified Bosch Super +4 spark plugs and K&N airfilter go to http://www.zroadster.net/kenny

Cheeeers !!!!

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SLK 320 Mercedes-Benz

Fit and finish, handling, acceleration

rigidity, ventilation

I drove a new 3.0 Z3 from Boston to North Carolina this past weekend and wanted to share some of my impressions. My first impression was of the agressive appearance of the car. This one has the sports package with its larger and more performance-oriented wheels (relative to the 2.5) and tires (relative to the non-sports models). It also had the luxury package, which amounts to heated seats, mirrors and washer jets and some fancier interior trim. The tires and flared fenders definitely suggest performance and the car lived up to the promise. Especially nice is the low end torque. This makes it very easy to pass or move through traffic without a lot of commotion. In at least one situation, I was potentially saved from a violation during a passing maneuver (woops, there's a state police car on the side of the road!) by the fact that I hadn't downshifted, wasn't creating a lot of commotion and my rate of speed didn't seem that out of line with the rest of the traffic. Had I been going the same speed with another 1500 RPM on the tach, I suspect the officer and I would have gotten better acquainted.
I've driven performance cars virtually my whole adult life, ranging from a '72 Datsun 240-Z to a third generation RX-7. The latter still wins as the most fun car I've owned, but the BMW is a strong second and may end up in first place over time. ALthough I avoided high-RPM gymnastics in deference to the newness of the car, I clearly recognized its potential as a fine performer and handler. The turning radius is surprisingly tight. Clutch and brakes are progressive and predictable. Driven at some safe distance from the limits of traction, it handled predictably and controllably. I senses that it could have been pushed much harder and would not have misbehaved. Over rough pavement, cowl shake was noticeable but not excessive and the car felt fairly rigid overall, but not like a fixed-top vehicle.

Another surprise was the snugness of the top. Temperatures were in the low teens at times and at highway speeds, there was not a draft to be found in the cabin. The electric seats worked very well, which is a good thing, because the heater took some fiddling around with to get it producing consistent airflow at the desired temperature. In fairness, though, the temperature variations between the bright sunlight and shady areas was considerable, so the heater had a lot to put up with.

A couple of gripes I've seen in other reviews bear mentioning. One is the plastic window. ALthough I would prefer glass, I understand why it isn't there. First, the window must fold to be stowed. Second, the excellent visibility is achieved by having the rear window wrap around to the sides a bit. A rigid pane of that shape would not stow very conveniently. Thus far, at least, I consider the greater viewing area an acceptable reason for the plastic. I might change my mind if the thing statrs becoming impossible to see through down the road. The other gripe worth addressing is the sound system. I'd heard bad things. Now, this was all top-up driving but I found the Harmon Kardon sound system (with in-dash CD) to work admirably. I listened to a variety of music (excluding rap by choioce and heavy rock by availability) including jazz, classical, oldies, contemporary rock, and folk and all came through clean and clear. If anything, I felt the "flat" setting for the tone controls de-emphasized midrange and boosted treble and bass, but the settings are adjustable.

I've also read that the seats get a bit uncomfortable after a couple of hours and I concur. I haven't ridden in too many sports cars where this isn't the case. Lateral support was excellent. The cold weather and new leather made sliding forward in the seat a bit easier than I'd prefer but not to the extent of it being a problem.

I got the car virtually at dealer invoice because there was a factory sales incentive to move them off those cold New England lots. At that price, I regard the car as an excellent value. It was comparable in cost to Honda S2000s, which are still commanding prices above MSRP. The latter are also fine cars but need to be worked at very high revs for maximum performance and suffer badly in the torque department. I personally prefer a bigger, less extremely tuned engine that relies on torque rather than revs, but that's strictly a personal preference and the Hondas, by all reports, are wonderful cars. They are a bit thin on creature comforts, though, and those are more important to me than they once were.

For someone looking for an open vehicle that is clearly oriented to performance but that also provides a reasonable level of creature comfort, I'd strongly encourage a careful look at the BMW. Frankly, I would have preferred a coupe to a roadster if it were not for the fact that the Z3 coupe is, in my estimation, one of the least attractive designs ever conceived. It looks like a case of "Honey, I shrunk the station wagon." But the top on the roadster (even without the removable hardtop which I think will prove superfluous for most drivers) is very tight, indeed, and it's easy to forget that there's only cloth above your head.

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Datsun/Nissan Z; 3 Mazda RX-7s

Very torquey, you can actually feel the front end lift under acceleration. The tiptronic is nice although I probably won't use it much. Really fun to drive. The heated seats make any weather bearable. I don't think I'll ever put the top up while driving. The seats are supportive without being overly stiff.

The front end does hop around driven over bumpy roads aggressively. The stereo is underwhelming.

$40,950. If you want a car that you can't wait to drive this is it.

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Better than the Audi TT, way faster