2022 BMW M4

　　

2022 BMW M4 Review

byRyan ZumMallenContributor

　　Ryan ZumMallen has worked in the automotive industry since 2012. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Ryan has also contributed to Road & Track, Autoweek, Trucks.com and more. In 2019, Ryan published his first book, Slow Car Fast, on the millennial generation and its unique take on modern car culture.

　　, rating written byRyan ZumMallenVehicle Test Editor

　　Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at zzdcar in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.

　　The BMW M4 is a high-performance sport coupe that serves as one of the fastest and most powerful cars in BMW's lineup. Both the M4 and the 4 Series coupe it's based on were completely redesigned for 2021, with new tech and styling backed by the most powerful M4 engine ever. For 2022 the M4 Competition is now available with all-wheel drive.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2022 BMW M4 2dr Coupe (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 6M) 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

　　$247/mo  for M4 Base

　　M4 Base

　　2dr Coupe (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 6M) - $72,000 MSRPCompetition 2dr Coupe (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A) - $74,900 MSRPCompetition xDrive 2dr Coupe AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A) (Most Popular) - $79,000 MSRPCompetition xDrive 2dr Convertible AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A) - $86,500 MSRP

　　vs

　　$165/mo

　　Avg. Midsize Car

　　This is the first time either the M3 or M4 has been offered with all-wheel drive, which BMW calls xDrive. The system is rear-biased, meaning it only sends power to the front wheels when the car senses it needs additional grip. BMW says AWD drops the 0-60 mph time by 0.4 second. Like the larger BMW M5 sedan, the M4 Competition xDrive will have selectable drive modes, including one that disables traction and stability control while shunting all power to the rear axle. If you prefer to keep things simple, the M4 will still be available in its rear-wheel-drive layout.

　　The M4 Competition has a few direct rivals, most notably the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S coupe and Audi RS 5. While the Audi offers all-wheel drive, the Mercedes sends power to its rear wheels only. If you want something a little more practical, the BMW M3 is nearly identical to the M4, save for the addition of two doors.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Good

　　7.9

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.5/10

　　How does the M4 drive? The new BMW M4 packs one magnificent engine. There's copious amounts of power from just off idle until redline, and turbo lag is fairly minimal. Competition models like our test vehicle get a slight bump in power along with some other small upgrades. In zzdcar' testing, the M4 Competition blasted from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and covered the quarter mile in 11.6 seconds at 122.7 mph. That's on par with the latest Chevrolet Corvette and Mercedes-AMG C 63 coupe.

　　Our test car had the automatic transmission. It shifts crisply and reacts quickly when you need a downshift during aggressive driving, but it also works great for commuting around town too. The optional carbon-ceramic brakes (also on our test car) are fade-free even under hard driving. Our test car stopped from 60 mph in 106 feet, which is a little shorter than average for this class.

　　The standard adaptive suspension does a good job of keeping the car planted when you're hammering around turns, but we found the firmest setting to be a bit too stiff on the street. Our main complaint is the steering. While it's an improvement over the last M4, it lacks the level of feedback and precision you'll find elsewhere.

　　

Comfort

8.0/10

　　How comfortable is the M4? As with any performance car, comfort is a relative term. The M4 Competition's ride is firm, but it's better tuned and more compliant than some of BMW's other M Competition models. The standard adaptive suspension manages most situations well, absorbing impacts without rattling your teeth. Its stiffest setting is too much for public roads, but it's easy to dial it back. Noise and vibration are low for a performance car. It's not whisper-quiet, but the M4 is more refined than its burbly exhaust might suggest.

　　Our test vehicle had the optional carbon-fiber bucket front seats. These snug, lightweight seats are thin on padding and have a small bump in the seat bottom that fits between the driver's legs. BMW's designers presumably added it to boost lateral support when cornering, or maybe because they just thought it would look cool. But our shorter drivers (under 6 feet tall) found it bothersome. Consider sticking with the standard M4 seats.

　　The climate control system works fairly well, though we found it runs a bit on the warm side. The controls are mostly easy to use, though the lack of a dedicated sync button to equalize both sizes of the dual-zone system seems like an oversight.

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