Are you considering a BMW Z4 E89—specifically the 2013 model? The very one I’m driving right now? Before you pull the trigger on this beautiful machine, there are a few things we need to talk about.

I’ve owned my Z4 for over seven years now—close to eight—and it’s still going strong. It’s been reliable, fun, and genuinely one of the best cars I’ve ever owned. That said, living with this car long‑term has revealed a few inconvenient, sometimes annoying quirks that you really should know about before buying one.

Let’s get into it.

1. The Bonnet Is Very Long

You know it’s a long‑bonnet car when you buy it—but trust me, you don’t truly understand how long until you’re actually driving it.

Pulling out of tight junctions becomes an exercise in faith. You edge forward… and edge forward… and edge forward some more. By the time you can finally see what’s coming, half the car is already out in the road. At that point, you’re just hoping for the best.

I compared this directly with my friend’s BMW 320i (which I recently did a video on), and it turns out the Z4’s bonnet is around 10 inches longer. That’s not small—it’s noticeably long. The result? Incredible looks, but reduced confidence in tight urban driving.

2. You Can’t Recline and Relax

Once you’re in the Z4, you’re in. There’s no such thing as reclining the seat and relaxing.

Picture this: you’re parked up at Tesco or a shopping centre, your partner’s inside, and you’ve got 20–30 minutes to kill. Naturally, you’d want to recline your seat and chill.

Nope.

The seat goes back a bit—but that’s it. There’s no real recline function. If you enjoy relaxing (or doing any “extracurricular activities”) in your car, this definitely isn’t the one.

3. The Cup Holder… Oh My God

This is the worst design decision on the entire car.

It genuinely feels like BMW finished designing the Z4—made it look immaculate, sexy, and perfectly engineered—then someone at the very end asked:

“Where do I put my coffee?”

Cue panic.

The solution? Digging cup holders into the armrest.

If you put a drink there, you can’t rest your arm. If you rest your arm, you can’t have a drink. It’s one or the other.

For me, this is the number one annoyance. McDonald’s, KFC, road trips—any drink becomes a juggling act. Most of the time, I end up stuffing bottles into the rear net, where they bounce around like a yo‑yo.

It’s bad. Really bad.

4. Windscreen Washer = Instant Shower

Activate the windscreen washer while moving and prepare yourself.

At speed, the washer sprays back into the cabin. If the window is down, congratulations—you’re getting a soapy facial.

Maybe it’s a design flaw. Maybe it’s just my car. Either way, it happens every single time.

5. No Bluetooth Music (Yes, Really)

This one genuinely hurts.

My Z4 doesn’t have iDrive or the fancy screen—which is fine. But what’s not fine is this:

• Bluetooth for phone calls?

• Bluetooth for music?

Instead, you get CDs, radio, AUX, and USB. In 2013, Bluetooth audio should have been standard.

These days, music lives on our phones—playlists, streaming, new vibes daily. Burning CDs or manually loading USB sticks just isn’t realistic anymore.

So what do I use? One of those Chinese Bluetooth transmitters plugged into the cigarette lighter.

It works—but it ruins the aesthetics. The Z4’s interior looks incredible until you lift that little cover and expose things that were never meant to be seen.

This is easily one of the car’s biggest drawbacks.

6. The Sun Visor Is Practically Useless

The sun visor is tiny, flimsy, and barely effective.

• It doesn’t swivel sideways

• It only works if the sun is directly in front of you

• The quality feels cheap

The reason? The windscreen itself is very small. Once you put anything in front of it, you’re already blocking a huge portion of your view.

It’s another compromise that comes with the Z4’s sleek design.

So… Should You Buy One?

After all that, you’d think I’d tell you to stay away.

But here’s the truth.

Despite all these flaws—every single one of them—I would still buy this car again in an instant.

This is the best car I’ve ever owned.

Yes, there are better cars out there. Yes, I’d like to upgrade someday. But right now? The BMW Z4 E89 is an absolute joy to own. The things I’ve mentioned are real, daily inconveniences—but they’re small in the grand scheme of things.

If you’re thinking about buying one and your heart is already set on it, don’t let these points stop you.

You’ll probably fall in love with it—just like I did.