BMW 4 Series Review (2020-present)
BMW 4 Series cars for sale
5.0
Expert review
Pros
Exceptionally good to drive, even by BMW's high standards
Superb interior quality
Brilliant infotainment system
Cons
Controversial looks, in particular the grille
Convertible sacrifices some practicality
Adaptive suspension costs extra
The CarGurus verdict
Whether you’ve got the hots for the cost-effective 420d because it’s probably all the car you’ll ever need, or you simply can’t stop lusting after the ballistically powered M440i xDrive, it is all the same really because regardless of power output, the 4 Series is a truly exceptional driving machine. Engaging performance and dynamics aside, the excellent refinement, jewellery counter of an interior, advanced safety systems, high levels of standard equipment and one of the most intuitive infotainment systems in motoring, all play a role in making this highly distinctive coupe a joy to own and drive on a daily basis. Granted, you may have to put up with some uniformed ribbing from legions of bar room critics who can’t see past that eccentrically-styled grille, but who cares. If you’re a 4 Series owner, you’ll take comfort in the knowledge that those blah-blah observations are being made through green-tinted eyes.
What is the BMW 4 Series?
Although it is based on similar underpinnings and employs many of the same powertrains as the four-door BMW 3 Series saloon, the 4 Series is a true stand-alone model.
With a good deal more than a big grille, a sloping roofline (in Coupe form at least) and few slinky body panels differentiating it from its sibling, the 4 Series features a lower ride height, a wider rear axle, and a more direct steering tune.
How practical is it?
Few - if any - manufacturers make better quality interiors than BMW, and the 4 Series is pretty practical, too, with a fair bit of legroom for the rear seats and a decent-sized boot for very presentable practicality. Of course, the Convertible sacrifices a little of both to make room for the hood, but it’s still pretty spacious by the standards of its rivals.
For those who need a bit more space, there’s also the Gran Coupe, which offers much the same trim and engine options as the two-door version, but adds in a great deal of extra practicality in the form of rear doors and a hatchback tailgate, making the 4 Series into pretty much as practical a family car proposition as a 3 Series saloon.
In terms of numbers, the boot of the regular 4 Series Coupe offers 440 litres of luggage capacity, while the more accommodating Gran Coupe's hatchback delivers 470 litres of space – almost estate car levels of room.
What's it like to drive?
The Coupe is quite a bit stiffer than the 3 Series saloon, thanks to its two-door body shell and additional bracing in key areas. Fundamentally, it is this rigidity that provides the 4 Series with exceptional driving talents, enabling it to ride, change direction and suppress undesirable harshness and vibrations in impeccable fashion.
In Convertible form, the 4 Series loses some of that stiffness along with its roof. It feels less taut than the hard-top, and there’s a little more vibration through the steering column over bumps. To help mitigate this, BMW’s beefed up the strength of the sills, but this has also added weight, and as a result the Convertible is just a touch less crisp to drive. That said, it’s still one of the best-handling four-seat convertibles around.
Despite riding on relatively thin side-walled tyres, road noise is impressively isolated, while those frameless windows and large A-pillar mounted rearview mirrors generate minimal additional wind noise. The Convertible model is notable for having a fabric roof – its predecessor had a folding metal item instead – but while this results in a touch more wind noise than the Coupe, it never becomes intrusive.
The engine line-up ranges from smooth-and-efficient to hang-on-to-your-hat-quick. All engines come attached to a slick-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox and even the entry-level 420i is fitted with a punchy 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine offering more than enough performance to satisfy most folk.
Move up the range and the 430i is powered, not by a six-cylinder engine as many might expect, but by a highly-tuned 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit boasting a scenery-blurring 249hp.
The M440i comes with an engine configuration straight out of BMW’s hall of fame. This is the legendary 3.0-litre straight six-cylinder engine and in this current guise, it is tuned to produce so much power that it's only available with xDrive all-wheel drive.
Almost as celebrated, is the 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine that appears in the 420d. This latest version uses twin-turbocharging and mild hybrid technology to produce a hugely impressive combination of power and economy, so it’s little wonder previous iterations have been such firm favourites with company car drivers.
For those seeking additional poor weather traction benefits, this engine can also be specified with xDrive.
Technology, equipment & infotainment
While the dashboard is punctuated by sharp-looking instrumentation, piano-black highlights, silvered air-vent controls and precision banks of programmable favourites buttons, these treats are complemented by judicious applications of soft-touch leather trim and subtle use of M Sport tricolour stitching.
As you’d expect, BMW’s iDrive system is central to the whole infotainment layout. Using a large central scrolling wheel, menus can be intuitively selected and clearly displayed on a centrally mounted high-definition screen.
This easy-to-use arrangement can be complemented by voice recognition, which is arguably a safer method of interaction, allowing you to change radio stations, adjust the cabin temperature, programme satnav instructions and make phone calls without taking your hands off the steering wheel.
BMW 4 Series running costs
Although some naysayers predict that the 4 Series' controversial styling is sure to have a negative effect on residual values, we can't see the logic in this. The previous 4 Series was a popular choice for fleets and business users, and the more people who drive the latest model and appreciate its exceptional talents, the more it will gain in desirability as a used buy. In terms of fuel economy, the rear-wheel-drive 2.0-litre diesel should return up to 61mpg according to the official WLTP figures, but if you spec the four-wheel-drive xDrive version, that figure will fall by around 4mpg.
Unlike some rivals, which start off life as front-wheel drive and offer four-wheel drive as an option, the 4 Series has its origins firmly in the rear-wheel-drive camp. So, although the additional mechanical componentry of the all-wheel-drive xDrive system add around 65kgs, they have zero impact on the fuel tank or boot size. At 59 litres (or just under 13 gallons in old money) the 2.0-litre diesel should easily manage 700 miles to a tankful. It will also return a healthy 10mpg more than the 2.0-litre petrol car, but you need to factor in the higher price of diesel fuel and the stiffer BIK taxation implication if you’re considering running a 4 Series as a company car. Up the ante from the 420i to the 430i, and your fuel consumption will increase by around 10mpg, while the full-fat 440i will see your returns hit by another 4mpg, giving you around 36mpg. Choosing a convertible will dent those figures due to that extra weight, but not by much, although driving around with the roof open will hamper fuel economy further still.
BMW’s intelligent maintenance system will notify you using the range of icons on the dashboard, or you can check when your car is due a service by accessing the iDrive System. BMW offers a three-year fixed-price servicing plan on new cars to help buyers budget for their maintenance costs more effectively, and all parts used have a two-year guarantee. This costs £25 per month for the 4 Series Coupe, and also includes one free MOT, a wash and vac, seasonal health checks, sat-nav map updates and free fluid top-ups. Normally a service will include an oil and oil filter change, renewal of your air-conditioning/climate control system’s micro filters, as well as an inspection of the electric and fluid systems. The extended inspection option includes spark plugs, fuel filter changes and air filter replacement. All work carried out during the inspection is logged and noted on your BMW service history.
BMW 4 Series reliability
The 4 Series is based on an all-new BMW platform that it shares with the latest 3 Series, and all of its engines are either new or heavily revised, so it is all but impossible to draw a comparison with previous BMW models in terms of reliability. What we can say is that BMW's reputation for reliability in the past has not been great, although because the company sells so many cars, it is subject to intense scrutiny. Equally, more recently, BMW’s record has been improving, finishing in ninth place in the most recent What Car? reliability survey out of 31 brands surveyed. To put that in context, that is above every other premium brand apart from Lexus. The 4 Series comes with a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, which is about par for the course.
- Few cars in recent times have caused more kafuffle than the 4 Series. Arguments regarding ‘that grille’ and how the 4 Series is destined for catastrophic sales numbers akin to the ill-fated 1950’s Ford Edsel remain commonplace. Of course, BMW is no stranger to controversy. You need to look no further than the 1990s and the cars signed off under maverick designer Chris Bangle’s watch. Radical renderings including the Z4 sports car as well as mainstream staples like the 5 Series saloon, featuring a riot of eccentric lines that weren’t exactly flavour of the month when they first rolled down the catwalk. We’re not suggesting the 4 Series will attain the same iconic status as those cars, but we wouldn’t rule the 4 Series out of one day becoming a design classic.
- Concentrating more on the here and now, the 4 Series is available in just two trim levels, M Sport and M Sport Pro Edition. All cars come with leather seats, climate control, aluminium trim highlights, park distance control with front- and rear sensors, smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto featuring wireless connectivity via WiFi. Also standard is BMW’s live cockpit with its 10.25-inch control display, which is primarily controlled through the iDrive. As well as all the usual infotainment features, BMW apps and online services supply connected music, parking info and real-time traffic information. The M Sport Pro package brings run-flat tyres, larger M Sport brakes and adaptive suspension, plus a limited-slip differential on the more powerful models. It’s standard on the M440i, but it’ll cost you £2500 to add to lesser models, so it’s not cheap, but the selectable damper settings do include a softer-riding comfort mode to help deliver a superior ride quality with little tangible loss of precision.
- The four-door Gran Coupe claims to offer the benefits of the 4 Series’ sleek coupe styling while adding the practicality that an extra pair of doors brings to the party. It works, too: because the roofline of the 4 Series Gran Coupe is actually higher than that of the BMW 3 Series, rear headroom is no issue at all. On top of that, the boot is the same size as the 3 Series saloon’s, but its hatchback tailgate makes it more easily accessible. BMW estimates that 50 per cent of 4 Series buyers go for the Gran Coupe. It’s easy to understand why.
- If you want the best combination for work and leisure: For most people, the 2.0-litre petrol car will provide all the performance they need and it will return around 40mpg when driven considerately. Chances are not that many of these models will be specified with the M Sport Pro package but that shouldn’t be a deal-breaker. Yes, it’s a nice option to have and will increase your 4 Series’ desirability come resale time, but given the standard M-Sport set up is so good, it is not something worth losing sleep over. Although its performance is more brisk than dramatic, this 420i’s engine is extremely refined with a velvety, near-silent idle and smooth, linear responses throughout the rev-range. In terms of body style, we’d recommend the Gran Coupe. It’s perhaps not as sleekly proportioned as the two-door model, but the hatchback boot lid, more spacious rear seats and extra pair of doors more than make up for that.
- If you spend most of your days out on the road: If you’re a high mileage motorist then the 2.0-litre 420d diesel is the one to go for. Generating a vibrant 190hp and 295lb ft of torque, it’s performance and economy are aided by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, which provides engine-off coasting at speed, smooth stop-start transitions and an occasional 11bhp boost from the electric motor. Other than a cold morning throat-clearing rattle, it is quiet, smooth and extremely tractable, capable of sparkling performance along with genuine sixties mpg.
- If you’re still a child at heart: Find the right road and M440i will make you giggle like a teenager raiding the Sherry cabinet. Featuring a turbine-smooth 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine developing a full-throttle 369bhp, it's just as well that BMW has fitted four-wheel drive as standard to provide the grip and traction that this kind of power demands.
