2020 BMW X4 M Review

　　

2020 BMW X4 M Review

byMark TakahashiCorrespondent

　　Mark Takahashi has worked in the automotive industry since 2001. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Mark has also contributed to Motor Trend, Auto Aficionado, Chevy High Performance and several motorcycle magazines in various roles. Mark is also a juror on the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards and can be seen regularly on the zzdcar YouTube channel and sometimes representing the company in media interviews.

　　Sports cars are known for their performance but not practicality. SUVs are known for their practicality but not so much for performance. The new 2020 BMW X4 M attempts to blend both worlds with varying degrees of success.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2020 BMW X4 M 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.78 per gallon for premium unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$291/mo  for X4 M Base

　　X4 M Base

　　4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A) - $73,400 MSRPCompetition 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A) (Most Popular) - $80,400 MSRP

　　vs

　　$183/mo

　　Avg. Midsize SUV

　　With up to 503 horsepower and tenacious grip, the X4 M certainly covers the sports car part pretty well. But as a subcompact SUV with a coupe-like roofline, utility is hampered by limited rear-seat headroom and a comparably small cargo space. That said, it still offers much more convenience than a sport coupe or sedan. It's also an intriguing choice among other SUVs in the class that include the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Mercedes-Benz AMG GLC 63 and Porsche Macan Turbo.

　　

How does the X4 M drive?

If you've never thought about taking an SUV to a racetrack for some lapping sessions, the 2020 X4 M might just change your mind. The turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine makes gobs of power everywhere. It's mostly free of turbo lag and absolutely devoid of power spikes all the way up to its 7,200-rpm redline.

　　Of course, it's one thing to demolish straightaways and quite another to make it around the next bend. But the X4 M Competition has that covered too. Traction, aided by the Active M differential, is excellent, and X4 M even allows for a little powersliding out of slower corners. The shifts from the eight-speed gearbox are quick and authoritative.

　　

How comfortable is the X4 M?

Taking a step back from the performance side of things and ... well, there's really no way to do that in this vehicle. The X4 M Competition is simply in attack mode at all times. The ride, even in the poorly named Comfort setting, is fairly stiff. And when the various engine, suspension and transmission settings have been cranked up, the X4 M is intense, bordering on insane.

　　

How's the X4 M's interior?

The standard X4 is already a fairly nice place to be, and the X4 M adds suitably sporty touches to match the exterior styling. In front of the driver is a thick steering wheel, which will be familiar to many BMW owners. But this one has two red preset buttons labeled M1 and M2 for quick access to preselected driving modes. There's also an X4 M-specific digital gauge cluster.

　　Although it's a bit treacherous for rear passengers to get in and out — the swooping roofline is all too eager to knock your noggin on the way in if you're not paying attention — there's a sufficient amount of room in back once you're seated. There's a bit less legroom than the average SUV in this segment, though it's not too noticeable. Visibility is pretty compromised all around and especially out the very narrow back window, which is more decorative than it is useful.

　　

How's the X4 M's storage?

The M's performance hasn't come at the expense of cargo space, which remains at 18.5 cubic feet of capacity behind the rear seats. That's still considerably less than its X3 M sibling. The X4 M Competition still gets 40/20/40-split folding rear seats, and the cargo area has handy sliding tie-downs for your stuff, which will inevitably get tossed around once you start driving. There's a useful amount of small-item storage as well, with bins deep enough to keep things in place during spirited driving.

　　

Which X4 M does zzdcar recommend?

We recommend sticking with the standard X4 M since you only gain 30 horsepower with the Competition package upgrade. Instead, we'd consider adding the Driving Assistance Plus package for the adaptive cruise control and the Executive package for the added niceties.

　　

2020 BMW X4 M models

The 2020 BMW X4 M is a five-passenger high-performance variant of the X4 SUV. There are two versions: the regular X4 M and the X4 M Competition. Both use a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine that powers all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. It develops 473 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque in the X4 M. The Competition bumps output to 503 hp, while torque remains the same.

　　X4 M

　　Standard feature highlights include:

　　Adaptive sport suspension Power liftgate Tri-zone automatic climate control Leather upholstery 10.25-inch touchscreen Navigation system Harman Kardon premium audio system Wireless Apple CarPlay The X4 M also comes with a number of advanced safety systems, such as:

　　Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios) Blind-spot monitor (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot) Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane) Front and rear parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible behind or in front of the vehicle when parking) X4 M Competition

　　Distinguished from the standard X4 by its:

　　More powerful engine Thicker suspension stabilizer bars Sport exhaust system Gloss black exterior trim Sport seats In typical BMW fashion, the X4 M is offered with a few packages and stand-alone options. These include:

　　Driving Assistance Plus package Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the X4 M and the car in front) A more advanced version of the forward collision mitigation system Executive package Automated parallel and perpendicular parking system Head-up display Wireless charging pad Heated front and rear seats Heated steering wheel Gesture control for phone and audio Some of the above features are available as stand-alone options, along with ventilated front seats.

　　

2020 X4 M Highlights

Trim: BaseCompetitionBase

　　

Base MSRP	$73,400
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	16 MPG
Cost to Drive	$291/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	18.5 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles