2024 BMW i4 M50

　　

2024 BMW i4 M50 Review

byKurt NiebuhrSenior Vehicle Test Editor

　　Kurt Niebuhr has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. A automotive photographer by trade, Kurt is now one of zzdcar' high-performance test drivers. He's driven and photographed hundreds, if not thousands, of vehicles all over the world, so Kurt's library of automotive experiences would certainly make for a good book. When not dreaming about getting his racing license or trying to buy out-of-date film for his cameras, Kurt can usually be found cursing at his 1966 Mustang.

　　, rating written byKurt NiebuhrDirector, Vehicle Testing

　　Jonathan Elfalan has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. As a director of vehicle testing at zzdcar, Jonathan has tested and reviewed thousands of cars and written thousands of car-related articles over the course of his career. Jonathan got his start testing cars for Road & Track magazine as a newly minted mechanical engineer grad from University of California, Irvine, and has also contributed to Motor Trend and the Associated Press. He likes to say he learned to drive a manual transmission in a rear-wheel-drive mid-engine vehicle but often omits it was his family's 1991 Toyota Previa minivan.

　　The 2024 BMW i4 is an all-electric luxury sedan and the most affordable EV in BMW's lineup. The i4 is essentially an electrified version of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, sharing that car's basic design both inside and out. The tech and driver aids carry over too, which is all generally a good thing. While some new EVs look and feel different from their manufacturer's internal combustion engine models, the i4 is simply another BMW, albeit one with an all-electric powertrain.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below

　　

BMW i4 EV Insights

Trim:i4 M50

　　M50 4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD) (Most Popular) - $69,700 MSRP

　　

Range

 zzdcar TESTED

　　268 miles

　　zzdcar Tested Rangezzdcar begins with a full battery charge and drives the vehicle on a mix of city and highway roads (approximately 60% city, 40% highway) until the battery is almost entirely empty. (We target 10 miles of remaining range for safety.) The miles traveled and the indicated remaining range are added together for the zzdcar Tested Range figure.

　　EV batteries lose 1-2% of range per year. Est. range for this car is 228 miles after 8 years.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © Recurrent contributors | Recurrent

　　from 58067

　　

EV Battery Warranty

　　8 yrs or 100,000 milesThe federal government requires that EV batteries be warrantied for a minimum of eight years or 100,000 miles. The EV battery warranty includes replacement if your battery capacity drops below a certain percentage of the original capacity.

　　

Charging at Home

　　8 hours

　　Total Charging Time (240V outlet)

　　SAE ComboStandard port for most electric models. Supports Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast charging.

　　Plug Type

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　$400

　　Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

　　Utility EV Charger Offer

　　$400

　　Restrictions: Otter Tail Power offers EV owners a rebate of up to $400 towards the installation of a Level 2 charging station. To qualify for this rebate, the customer and/or charging station must meet the following requirements: Receive electricity from Otter Tail Power.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　Complimentary Charging Offer

　　Restrictions: This program is a charging agreement between BMW of North America and Electrify America. Customers who purchase a new BMW i4 will receive 2 years of complimentary 30-minute charging on the Electrify America network. Participation requires the MyBMW app. Complimentary charging expires 2 years from vehicle purchase date. Offer is non-transferable. See your participating dealer for details.

　　

Cost to Drive

　　$75/mo

　　i4

　　vs

　　$165/mo

　　Car Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　

Am I Ready for an EV?

　　EV ownership works best if you can charge (240V) at home or at work This typically means a 240V home installation, but you could also have a similar setup at your office or other places your car is already parked for several hours each day. Don't expect a regular household outlet (120V) to suffice unless you've got a plug-in hybrid, in which case overnight charging at home is feasible.

　　If you can’t charge at home, charging at a charging station could take at least 10x longer than at a gas station With public charging infrastructure still in its infancy, the user experience can be maddeningly inconsistent. Tesla owners tend to rave about the reliability and speed of the company's proprietary Supercharger stations, but rival DC fast options have thus far been plagued by technical issues and overcrowding. It's an evolving landscape and our best advice is to do your research on the available options for the EV you want to buy.

　　Adding a 240V home charging system could cost up to $1,600 or more If your existing electrical service can handle the additional demands of EV charging, you may be able to add Level 2 charging at home for less than a grand, including installation. But your costs will multiply if you need to upgrade your electrical panel or add a dedicated circuit.

　　

zzdcar spotlight: New xDrive40 version

Last year, the i4's lineup consisted of three versions: the 282-horsepower eDrive35, the 335-hp eDrive40 and the 469-hp M50. The first two have a single electric motor powering the rear wheels, while the M50 gets an extra motor for the front wheels, thereby giving the car all-wheel drive. Now there's another addition for 2024: the i4 xDrive40. It has dual motors, all-wheel drive and 396 hp. Interestingly, the additional motor and power has not hurt EPA-estimated range. It checks in at 307 miles on a full charge, which is even a bit better than the eDrive40's 301 miles.

　　

Competitors to consider

The i4 is priced higher to start than electric sedans such as the Hyundai Ioniq 6, Polestar 2 and Tesla Model 3. But in return you're getting a classier cabin and, of course, a BMW badge. Keep reading to see what our experts have to say about the i4 to decide if it's the right EV for you.

　　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

8.0/10

　　How does the i4 M50 drive? With dual electric motors doling out a max 536 horsepower and 586 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels, the i4 M50 is quick enough to make sports car fans pause and pay attention. It'll hit 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds — not quite as speedy as BMW's preeminent M3, but it gets there without much fuss or audible effort. The brakes are nearly as impressive in hauling this hunk of car down, with excellent stability and grip even at high speeds, slowing the i4 from 60 mph to a standstill in just 104 feet. Not bad for a sedan weighing over 5,000 pounds! For context, the M3 we weighed on the same day came in a hair over 3,900 pounds.

　　All the stopping grip translates to cornering grip as well. We were impressed by how well the i4 stuck to the road and kept its body motions composed. That said, we were less impressed by how restrained it felt around our handling circuit, not allowing us access to the i4's full power unless the steering wheel was pointed straight down the road. You can still carry a fair amount of corner speed, but if you're looking for that dramatic, unbridled, tire-spinning experience, the i4 doesn't appear to have the ability to provide it (even with all the traction and stability safety nets turned off).

　　If burning rubber isn't your thing anyway, the i4 will prove to be a very easy, enjoyable yet stunningly quick luxury sedan for the commute.

　　

Comfort

8.0/10

　　How comfortable is the i4 M50? If there's one area where EVs tend to struggle, it's ride comfort. With the heavy weight penalty from all the batteries they carry to the high tire pressures they need to run to contend with that weight, EVs can end up feeling stiff and flinty over rough roads. The i4 M50 is both heavy and highly pressurized, but it manages to deliver a decently smooth ride thanks to a well-tuned adaptive suspension, something neither the Tesla Model 3 nor Polestar 2 offers.

　　Front seat comfort is also pretty decent but not amazing. There are adjustments for lumbar support and a lower-thigh cushion extender, but not enough levers to really tailor the seats to all body types. We are fans of the new touchscreen-based climate controls, which are a big improvement over the previous system controls, and the system's heat pump delivers both efficient and effective cooling and heating.

　　We found the cabin to be subjectively pretty well insulated against road and wind noise, though our actual sound meter measurements say it isn't quite as quiet as its competition.

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