BMW i4 Review (2021-present)
BMW i4 cars for sale
5.0
Expert review
Pros
Rewarding and comfortable to drive
Superbly made cabin
The M50 is savagely fast
Cons
Not as well equipped as some rivals
Cheaper EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 have more space in the back
Expensive to buy
The CarGurus verdict
The BMW i4 is truly great to drive, whether you want something with a bit of enthusiastic verve or that’s confident and comfortable, it’ll do the job well. It certainly has a better driving position and superior ride and handling when compared to the Tesla Model 3 or the Polestar 2.
The compromise is that the i4 is more expensive and not as well equipped. You also don’t have the advantage of Tesla’s excellent Supercharger network, which undeniably makes long-distance driving in an EV a fair bit easier, but if you can justify the extra cost, then this is the best mid-sized executive EV available.
What is the BMW i4?
The BMW i4 is a pure electric version of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. It uses an 80.7kWh lithium-ion battery (usable capacity) to deliver a range of between 337 and 352 miles, which is up there with the long range versions of the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2, even if it’s a little short of the long range Ford Mustang Mach-E.
The standard BMW i4 eDrive40 uses a single, 335bhp motor to drive the rear wheels, while the 536bhp BMW i4 M50 gets dual motors and all-wheel drive, and is also one of the first electric cars to get treatment from BMW’s M performance division, along with the BMW iX M60 that arrived at the same time.
The BMW i4 is certainly a more reassuringly conventional take on the electric car than its iX sibling, but it’s arguably the more important of the two, as it represents a new – and excellent – entry into the popular executive car class.
How practical is it?
The BMW i4 shares its body and platform with the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, which is itself a swoopy, four-door version of the two-door BMW 4 Series coupe – which is a sportier version of the, er, four-door BMW 3 Series saloon. Work that one out. Anyway, you get four doors and plenty of space for four adults; those in the back might find it a bit dark, and it’s easy to clout your head as you duck below the sloping roofline to get into the rear seats.
It’s a perfectly fine family car as long as you don't need masses of legroom in the back, which you can have if you look to similarly priced but bigger electric alternatives, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Audi Q4 e-tron or the Ford Mustang Mach-E. In the BMW i4, you trade SUV interior space for slinkier styling, and, to be fair, it does look great. Just bear in mind that lanky teenage kids may feel slightly cramped in the rear seats.
The 470-litre boot has a big, hatchback opening, and the rear seats fold flat in a 40/20/40 split. The loadbay is more than sufficient for a chunky single buggy or a medium-sized dog, but it is fairly shallow (the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2 have the same problem) so taller items or really bulky double buggies could be a tight fit. There is cable storage beneath the boot floor, but there’s no ‘frunk’ storage space in the nose of the BMW i4.
What's it like to drive?
Brilliant – and that’s just the BMW i4 eDrive40 model. It's very precise and responsive, and fun even at relatively low speeds, thanks to the nicely weighted steering and keen handling, while the M50 is even more playful. The peculiar electric soundtrack that it emits into the cabin, as orchestrated by Hans Zimmer of movie score fame, is also quite entertaining – but we’re glad you can turn it off when you want to.
At 5.7 seconds to 62mph, the BMW i4 eDrive 40 delivers hearty, exciting acceleration, although you’ll want the BMW i4 M50 version, which cuts that to a minuscule 3.9sec, if you’re after Tesla-style launch hysteria. Ideally, we’d like a slightly softer and more progressive throttle response, especially in Sport mode, but otherwise, the performance is exceptional. The driving position is excellent, too; it can be adjusted so it's lower than most EVs, which makes it feel sportier.
The BMW i4 is also a hushed and comfortable motorway cruiser. The adaptive brake regeneration has a few different modes to toggle the rate a which it slows down when you back off the accelerator, but you have to select them via the touchscreen, so few drivers will bother to faff about with it. In the default mode, it’s progressive and easy to get used to, and we think it has the best brake pedal feel of any of the electric cars in this price range. Only the Porsche Taycan betters it, and you’d also have to look to the Porsche or to the Jaguar I-Pace for better handling, as the i4 is the best driver’s car in the executive electric saloon class.
Technology, equipment & infotainment
The BMW i4 doesn’t have the novelty value of the Tesla Model 3’s in-car gaming or comedy sound effects; in fact, it has a pretty conventional cabin, with rather more physical controls for things like adjusting the steering wheel.
Whether you prefer blue-sky, super-modern design or this more conventional affair, there’s no doubt that the BMW i4 has all the technology you could want. The large touchscreen system is housed in the same structure as the driver’s readout for a streamlined appearance, and is complete with the latest BMW Operating System 8. This includes updated voice control (which can still be hit and miss), as well as Android Auto, wireless Apple CarPlay, nav with a charger search function, online streaming services and more.
Thankfully, you can still control the infotainment system with a rotary dial, which we prefer to a touchscreen, as it’s easier to use without taking your eyes off the road when driving. Having said that, the touchscreen is responsive and has crisp graphics. The menus aren’t as logical as they were on the previous generation of BMW’s iDrive, but it becomes easy to use with familiarity. We’d prefer to have the climate controls separate to the screen, but at least you don’t have to exit any other functions just to change the temperature.
Equipment is adequate, as the entry-level Sport trim gets LED lights, climate control, a reversing camera and 18-inch alloys among other features. M Sport adds part-alcantara upholstery, heated seats, 19-inch alloys wheels, and a greater choice of interior finishes.
You’ll likely want to spend a fair bit on options – if you want keyless entry, a heated steering wheel, the posh curved infotainment display, a sunroof or BMW’s semi-autonomous driving assistant with traffic jam stop-and-go, you need to fish out your credit card. The M60 is much better equipped and gets adaptive suspension as standard, but even with that, you’ll still have to pay extra for keyless entry, adjustable lumbar support and the semi-autonomous driving function, and most of the BMW’s rivals are better equipped as standard.
BMW i4 running costs
The BMW i4 starts at £51,905 and tops out at £72,995 for the M50, which is a little more expensive than the equivalent Tesla Model 3 or Polestar 2 models. It’s also around £10,000 more than the cheapest, petrol BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, although it’s worth pointing out that you’ll have to go for the higher performance 430i to get close to the BMW i4 eDrive40’s pace, at which point the price difference shrinks to some £6,000. Finance and leasing costs haven’t yet been confirmed for the BMW i4.
There’s no doubt that you’re paying a premium for the electric version, but there are big savings to be made on the running costs. Electricity is cheaper than petrol or diesel, so you’ll pay around 5p per mile to run the BMW i4, as opposed to roughly 15p per mile for a petrol car doing 40mpg. You can also cut that electricity cost further by using off-peak tariffs, which you can do by setting timed charging via the phone app or the infotainment screen.
BMW i4 reliability
The BMW i4 is too new to have been rated in any recent reliability surveys, but BMW has a lot of experience with electric cars courtesy of its excellent i3 city car, which launched in 2013. BMW itself came a rather underwhelming 21st out of 29 brands in the 2021 Driver Power survey, if a slightly healthier 13th out of 30 in the 2021 What Car? used car reliability survey.
Generally speaking, electric vehicles are more reliable than petrol or diesel cars, because an electric motor has far fewer moving parts than a combustion engine, but that doesn't mean they are immune from issues, such as hiccups with charging software.
The BMW i4 comes with a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty, while the high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee of battery performance, as you get with some rivals – including Polestar - which offers to refurbish or replace the battery if it drops below 70% of its as-new performance within the warranty period. Still, modern lithium-ion batteries are proving to have more longevity than originally expected, and it’s realistic to expect to lose around 10-15% of the car’s potential range over the first ten years or 100,000 miles. Try to charge it up to 80% when you don’t need to the full range potential, don’t leave it plugged in at home with a full battery for days at a time, and avoid repeated rapid-charging to maintain the battery life as much as possible.
- The BMW i4 is a fairly efficient electric car, with official figures suggesting it’ll do around 3.7 miles per kWh (which is basically mpg for electric cars), give or take a little depending on the trim and wheel size you choose. It seemed efficient on our test drive, too, so expect the eDrive40 to comfortably return more than 300 miles to a charge in warmer weather, even if you’re doing a lot of motorway miles. Colder weather could see that dip to around 250 miles. The M60 has a shorter official WLTP range of 335 miles.
- The BMW i4 is charged via a CCS or Type 2 socket. These are the European standard sockets and compatible with most public chargers in the UK and Western Europe. You get all the cables you need to plug in, too. Charging speeds are up to 200kW in the BMW i4, which is almost as fast as the Tesla Model 3, and faster than most other alternatives. It’ll get you a 100-mile top up in 10 minutes or less from a DC ultra-rapid charger if you can find one offering speeds of 200kW and up, or 80% battery in around 31 minutes. The more common 150kW ultra-rapid chargers will deliver a 100-mile top-up into the i4 in more like 15 minutes, or the 50kW chargers that are still routinely found in UK motorway services will do the same in 45 minutes.
- Plug into a 7kW home charger (which you can purchase through BMW when you buy the car provided you have off-road parking) and you’ll have a full battery in 13 hours. Disregard the BMW website’s references to 11kW AC home charging, as very few UK homes have the three-phase wiring needed to support this charging speed – most have single-phase wiring, which can support up to 7.4kW charging at most. Kerbside charging, or chargers located at industrial site or offices, are more likely to be able to support the 11kW AC charging speeds on the BMW i4.
- If you’re a company car buyer: The BMW i4 is sure to be a big hit with company car drivers, whether you’re an employee paying benefit-in-kind tax, or looking for a lease through your own business. For either, we’d recommend the BMW i4 eDrive40 M Sport, because it isn't that much more expensive than the eDrive40, has slightly more equipment and looks very cool. Add a selection of the optional extras including the Comfort Plus Package for keyless entry, lumbar support and electric seat adjustment. If you do a lot of miles, consider the Technology Pack for its head-up display and superior sound system, or up it to the Technology Plus Pack if you value semi-autonomous driving aids.
- If you’re a high mileage driver: As above, but save the money on the M Sport styling features, and stick with entry-level Sport trim – the saving can go towards those optional packs, which really are worth adding if you spend a lot of time in the car. Fully adaptive, ‘Laserlight’ LED headlights are also available as an option, which are great on dark rural roads.
- If you want the sporty one: Obviously, the BMW i4 M50 is for you. You’ll still need to add that Comfort Pack, but you do get some lovely metallic paint finishes as standard, so you needn’t spend much on extras at this level.
- If you want the best value version as a family car: Settle for the basic BMW i4 eDrive40 Sport and add the sunroof and Comfort Pack to keep you and the kids happy. You’re still getting a luxurious car, even if it won’t have quite the bells and whistles that rivals offer for similar money.
