[Porsche-O-Phile]

I test drove both the Z3 and Z4 when I was car shopping (wanted a 2-seat roadster). Both are nice cars, reasonably comfortable, etc. The Z4 looks awful from the outside, but I did like its layout internally and its performance. What really put me off about BMW in general was the over-presence of electronic stuff in the cabin. WAY too much. I know they intend it as "conveniences" and "amenities", but all I could see was lots of dollar signs tied up in unnecessary things that would eventually break.

I settled on the Mercedes SLK because of looks (decent looking car, albeit a bit girlish) and the fact that it looks/acts like a real roadster should. There aren't ten gazillion buttons all over the interior. It's basic and simple. The gearbox is an honest-to-goodness 6-speed manual, not a gussied up slushbox with a bunch of more expensive electronics-to-break shoved into it. I just trust it more. And it hasn't let me down.

Yeah, BMW builds a decent car but one has to consider not just the up-front cost, but the down-the-road recurring costs of ownership, and the BMWs just scared the hell out of me because of all the extra bells, whistles and dancing clowns. And the Z4 looks butt ugly - did I mention that? The Z3 is kinda' weird too. Of the three, the Mercedes is definitely the nicest-looking and unpretentious of them.