i4 eDrive40 Msport 24hr Test Drive

[TheDeuce]

off_again said:

Interesting. BMW USA has the starting price of the M40 set at $55k while the UK it’s 51K GBP. Packages will be different, but I can’t help thinking the M40 model is more competitive as a result. And finance is cheaper here too, so it does make it a different proposition.

Tesla is cheaper here too, but the recent price increases have changed things.

For comparison, how much is the M50 over there?

[off_again]

TheDeuce said:

off_again said:

Interesting. BMW USA has the starting price of the M40 set at $55k while the UK it’s 51K GBP. Packages will be different, but I can’t help thinking the M40 model is more competitive as a result. And finance is cheaper here too, so it does make it a different proposition.

Tesla is cheaper here too, but the recent price increases have changed things.

For comparison, how much is the M50 over there?

Starts at $65,000. And to add some clarity around Tesla, Model 3LR is $51k and the Performance model starts at $59k (and I hate white cars so you need to add 'options' to both).

[C.A.R.]

I know a Model 3 isn't a pretty car by any means, but the front end of the new buck-toothed "G26" BMW series is quite frankly gopping. I think the Tesla is actually better looking from most angles.

One thing some of the reviews on YouTube have been saying about the i4 is the 'lag' feel from the throttle pedal. Interested to know whether this is noticeable to the average Joe or if it's just because the reviewers are comparing it to the 'on-off' switch like behaviour the Tesla has? Did you notice any kind of delay?

[Heres Johnny]

C.A.R. said:

I know a Model 3 isn't a pretty car by any means, but the front end of the new buck-toothed "G26" BMW series is quite frankly gopping. I think the Tesla is actually better looking from most angles.

One thing some of the reviews on YouTube have been saying about the i4 is the 'lag' feel from the throttle pedal. Interested to know whether this is noticeable to the average Joe or if it's just because the reviewers are comparing it to the 'on-off' switch like behaviour the Tesla has? Did you notice any kind of delay?

Hasn’t the lag been done to death in another thread, 2 reviews, same car used in both, no other review has commented on it.

There are a couple of 4 coupes near me with the same front, it is colour sensitive but it looks really good in the flesh if you get it right. A blancmange has more character than a Model 3

[anonymous-user]

C.A.R. said:

I know a Model 3 isn't a pretty car by any means, but the front end of the new buck-toothed "G26" BMW series is quite frankly gopping. I think the Tesla is actually better looking from most angles.

One thing some of the reviews on YouTube have been saying about the i4 is the 'lag' feel from the throttle pedal. Interested to know whether this is noticeable to the average Joe or if it's just because the reviewers are comparing it to the 'on-off' switch like behaviour the Tesla has? Did you notice any kind of delay?

I didn’t notice any delay. I thought the M50 went like a stabbed rat.

Coming from an A6 with the S-tronic gearbox which has terrible lag and needs to be put in sports mode at every junction.

[page3]

Pixelpeep 135 said:

i4 eDrive 40
0-60 - 5.6
Range 270miles
drive train RWD
top speed 120mph
Lease cost pm - £590

T3LR
0-60 - 4.2 (upgradable to 3.7)
Range 370miles
drive train AWD
top speed 140mph
Lease cost pm - £470
Access to the supercharging network

Looking at that, wouldn’t the better comparison be the Model 3 RWD? That’d make the price difference even more.

[SWoll]

zj2016 said:

I didn’t notice any delay. I thought the M50 went like a stabbed rat.

Coming from an A6 with the S-tronic gearbox which has terrible lag and needs to be put in sports mode at every junction.

Have you driven the Model 3 P? The drivetrain is ridiculous, driven any number of EV's now and nothing comes close to how responsive it is, especially for overtaking. Bonkers.

[anonymous-user]

SWoll said:

Have you driven the Model 3 P? The drivetrain is ridiculous, driven any number of EV's now and nothing comes close to how responsive it is, especially for overtaking. Bonkers.

I’ve deliberately not. Really despise how it looks therefore I don’t want to drive one incase I like it.

I’ve never been interested in any EV. However the i4 was launched at the same time as my work offered SS. Only EV I’ve driven is the M50 and it’s the only one that interests me (other than a Taycan).

The attraction of the M50 to me is conventional looks with mega performance and low running costs.

[off_again]

zj2016 said:

I’ve never been interested in any EV. However the i4 was launched at the same time as my work offered SS. Only EV I’ve driven is the M50 and it’s the only one that interests me (other than a Taycan).

The attraction of the M50 to me is conventional looks with mega performance and low running costs.

I suspect that you are the target market! There are plenty of people out there who would be interested in something that fits this type of requirement, without shouting EV..... other than the plugin cable that is....

My wife really wants one - trade in the i3 (still worth approximately we paid for it 18 months ago) and go for the i4 for the stealth looks. Though she veto'ed my selection of the Tacora Red interior.... phah. Not ordering yet though, all allocations for the US already sold, next batch unknown because demand is so high. And while I am a BMW customer, I suspect I am would be low on the list behind all of those buyers who dropped a lot more on M3/M4 and other much more expensive models. Supply and demand....

[TheDeuce]

off_again said:

TheDeuce said:

off_again said:

Interesting. BMW USA has the starting price of the M40 set at $55k while the UK it’s 51K GBP. Packages will be different, but I can’t help thinking the M40 model is more competitive as a result. And finance is cheaper here too, so it does make it a different proposition.

Tesla is cheaper here too, but the recent price increases have changed things.

For comparison, how much is the M50 over there?

Starts at $65,000. And to add some clarity around Tesla, Model 3LR is $51k and the Performance model starts at $59k (and I hate white cars so you need to add 'options' to both).

Just $10k more for the full fat 'proper' car. I'd say that's a no brainer.

I personally don't see the TM3 as a direct alternative because it's not as practical, it doesn't have the rear hatch, it's a sedan. In the i4, fold the seats down, open the hatch, you can fit just about anything in there. I'm also just not onboard with the idea that Tesla is a premium brand. It's kind of a unique brand and a trailblazer which adds a lot of value to the product.. But if we forget the whole EV aspect and compared the Tesla with the 4 series.. The 4 has a different level of fit/finish, better materials and more practical tech in the BMW too.

I'd have the M50, definitely. Especially if I could buy one at your US market prices!

[SWoll]

zj2016 said:

SWoll said:

Have you driven the Model 3 P? The drivetrain is ridiculous, driven any number of EV's now and nothing comes close to how responsive it is, especially for overtaking. Bonkers.

I’ve deliberately not. Really despise how it looks therefore I don’t want to drive one incase I like it.

I’ve never been interested in any EV. However the i4 was launched at the same time as my work offered SS. Only EV I’ve driven is the M50 and it’s the only one that interests me (other than a Taycan).

The attraction of the M50 to me is conventional looks with mega performance and low running costs.

Not considered a Polestar 2? Ticks all the same boxes and should costs significantly less even when fully optioned?

A nice looking machine with the optional performance package as well.

[off_again]

TheDeuce said:

Just $10k more for the full fat 'proper' car. I'd say that's a no brainer.

:cough: options..... :cough:

TheDeuce said:

I personally don't see the TM3 as a direct alternative because it's not as practical, it doesn't have the rear hatch, it's a sedan. In the i4, fold the seats down, open the hatch, you can fit just about anything in there. I'm also just not onboard with the idea that Tesla is a premium brand. It's kind of a unique brand and a trailblazer which adds a lot of value to the product.. But if we forget the whole EV aspect and compared the Tesla with the 4 series.. The 4 has a different level of fit/finish, better materials and more practical tech in the BMW too.

Quality is a shifting perception and I do get it - if you want a sleek and clean interior that is spacious and free of buttons - Tesla has you covered. For some, this is luxury and I wont argue against that. Tesla have also done a pretty good job of making their interiors out of pretty good materials. I will agree they arent that high quality, but they arent bad these days. Slow and steady progress and not the bargain bin Hyundai from 1995.

But, I prefer a car that has a different feel to a Tesla - personal preference. The cabin of modern BMW's is actually very good and many a review is calling them out for being very good. Since I have to sit in the damn thing, this makes a difference. Had a late night drive in the Macan last night - reminded me how good and well built it is. Its this type of 'quality' that I will be aiming for in the future.

And yes, the i3 doesnt fit any of what I just said... I know. I can have opinions cant I?

Edited by off_again on Tuesday 22 February 22:13

[SWoll]

TheDeuce said:

Just $10k more for the full fat 'proper' car. I'd say that's a no brainer.

I personally don't see the TM3 as a direct alternative because it's not as practical, it doesn't have the rear hatch, it's a sedan. In the i4, fold the seats down, open the hatch, you can fit just about anything in there. I'm also just not onboard with the idea that Tesla is a premium brand. It's kind of a unique brand and a trailblazer which adds a lot of value to the product.. But if we forget the whole EV aspect and compared the Tesla with the 4 series.. The 4 has a different level of fit/finish, better materials and more practical tech in the BMW too.

I'd have the M50, definitely. Especially if I could buy one at your US market prices!

As above, The Polestar 2 with the performance upgrade to 476hp is the M50's closest rival IMHO, and spec for spec undercuts the M50 by about £10k+. The interior also does a nice job of finding the middle ground between the i4 and Model 3.

[granada203028]

What was the heater like, did it come on straight away or was there a delay whilst it still heats a water circuit?

I see you can only have it in white or pay £700 for a very limited range of crap colours, no nice saturated blue How does the pigment cost £700??

And leather £1500? It must cost them nothing over cloth. All margin for them.

Anyway the EV the world was waiting for and the market will withstand it I guess.

Edited by granada203028 on Tuesday 22 February 22:23

[off_again]

SWoll said:

As above, The Polestar 2 with the performance upgrade to 476hp is the M50's closest rival IMHO, and spec for spec undercuts the M50 by about £10k+. The interior also does a nice job of finding the middle ground between the i4 and Model 3.

Yup, I agree - the Polestar interior is very nice but I do have a soft spot for 'Scandinavian design'. And the updates to their infotainment systems in recent months have really lifted it up. Carplay is supposed to be coming in 'spring 22' too! Volvo seats have always been good for me.

One thing though - seen a couple and had a close look at one the other day - surprisingly larger than you might think. Certainly taller than the pictures might seem. Means you do get a larger feeling interior than you might be expecting. And I cant praise it and the i4 for bringing back the hatchback....!

[DMZ]

Do you really think so? I think the Polestar 2 feels cramped everywhere. It’s quite obviously an ICE platform underneath. I haven’t been in an i4 but it seems to be as cramped. I don’t know if I see the point with a 2,300kg car without space in it. Something just doesn’t compute. Personally I have very low interest in EVs that come with ICE packaging constraints on top of the EV constraints. One set of constraints at a time seem enough. But that’s me and I choose my cars accordingly.

The iX seems like a much better packaged car and shows what BMW is really capable of, particularly in terms of interior. And I don’t like the tacked on screen look a whole lot so that’s saying something. It feels very modern.

[off_again]

I’m 6’5” so everything feels cramped to me!

Headroom is key for me, and it’s surprising how many cars are poor for me. I still remember being shocked by the Rover 800, but I digress.

[Heres Johnny]

off_again said:

cough: options..... :cough:

hehe

Like what on the M50?
With the M50
Most paint choices are free… Tesla….$$$$$$$
Most interior choices are free…..Tesla…. $$$$$$$
Quite a lot of kit like adaptive suspension, head up display, included… Tesla… not available

When I spec’d a M50 I added less than EAP costs on a Tesla which give me parking aid. You can add lots to the BMW but it’s for stuff you can’t even get on a Tesla.

[SWoll]

DMZ said:

Do you really think so? I think the Polestar 2 feels cramped everywhere. It’s quite obviously an ICE platform underneath. I haven’t been in an i4 but it seems to be as cramped. I don’t know if I see the point with a 2,300kg car without space in it. Something just doesn’t compute. Personally I have very low interest in EVs that come with ICE packaging constraints on top of the EV constraints. One set of constraints at a time seem enough. But that’s me and I choose my cars accordingly.

The iX seems like a much better packaged car and shows what BMW is really capable of, particularly in terms of interior. And I don’t like the tacked on screen look a whole lot so that’s saying something. It feels very modern.

We're comparing the Polestar to the i4, a car that is also based on an ICE platform and isn't blessed with a huge amount of internal space. The iX is a substantially larger SUV that in 50 spec costs double the price of the Polestar AWD with options and £35k more than the i4 M50.

Heres Johnny said:

off_again said:

cough: options..... :cough:

hehe

Like what on the M50?
With the M50
Most paint choices are free… Tesla….$$$$$$$
Most interior choices are free…..Tesla…. $$$$$$$
Quite a lot of kit like adaptive suspension, head up display, included… Tesla… not available

When I spec’d a M50 I added less than EAP costs on a Tesla which give me parking aid. You can add lots to the BMW but it’s for stuff you can’t even get on a Tesla.

There are a few bits that you could consider essential that the Tesla comes with as standard that you would need to option on the M50.

Lumbar Support + heated steering wheel- Comfort Pack - £1200
High Beam Assist - Visibility Pack - £1500
20" Wheels and bigger brakes - M Technology Pack - £1350
Glass Roof - £1050

£5k or so.

I agree though that the fact it comes with proper leather and a choice of paint as standard does balance the scales rather.

Edited by SWoll on Wednesday 23 February 08:21

[ZesPak]

There's a reason the TM3 is the most sold car in a lot of markets, on paper it makes a lot of sense.

As to the looks, if you call the TM3 "goping" and then go to BMW as an alternative, I'd say you're too destitute of vision to drive a car.
The Model 3 is -at worst- boring looking. Which is a sin of it's own, of course, but speaks to the volumes it sells.

In practice however, as pointed out, there's more than just numbers.
Swoll's criticisms are all very valid.

• The lack of lateral support (especially in something like the TM3P) is a big miss, with no options to rectify that.
• The range is largely needed to get people out of their diesel barges, could be of value if you can't charge at home.
• Tesla Superchargers are being opened up across Europe so that usp is all but gone.

On the other hand, the numbers make sense. There's no endless option list adding (tens of) thousands to the already high list price, it is quick and surprisingly nimble.