Buying a used M4 - help please!

[bobsavage789]

Hi everyone,

I've always wanted a full-fat M car, and I may, finally be in a position to acquire one, albeit used. The M4 seems to be my best bet (M3s are few and far between; the M4 seems to be a more usable daily than an M2; other Ms are out of my price range), and I'm struggling to find much in the way of info on what they're like to live with as a daily.

The one I've got my eye on currently is https://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/vehicle/201910042960487...

So any info on any of the below would be greatly appreciated:

1) What's it like to live with on a day-to-day basis? Does the sound/ride make commuting unnecessarily hard work? Is the lack of grip in the wet as bad as people say?

2) Is there anything to watch out when buying used? I'm looking at 67 plate onwards; less than 20k miles (post-facelift I believe), ideally with Comp pack.

3) What are servicing costs/schedules like? Some AUCs still have service packs (according to the BMW website): is this a must-have? I've read that services would be every 2 years (for my annual mileage), and alternate on a major/minor basis.

4) What are the costs for consumables (tyres/brakes etc.)? For reference, I do max. 6k miles/year; mostly stop-start commutes, with a decent blast most months.

5) Could I get a child/baby seat in the back?

6) Is the Competition Pack worth holding out for?

7) Is there any reason I should be considering an M2 over the M4? Or even a 440i to save a bit of money?

Thanks in advance PHers!

[MOBB]

You should definitely try an M2, they are wonderful cars

[bobsavage789]

Hi everyone,

I've always wanted a full-fat M car, and I may, finally be in a position to acquire one, albeit used. The M4 seems to be my best bet (M3s are few and far between; the M4 seems to be a more usable daily than an M2; other Ms are out of my price range), and I'm struggling to find much in the way of info on what they're like to live with as a daily.

The one I've got my eye on currently is https://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/vehicle/201910042960487...

So any info on any of the below would be greatly appreciated:

1) What's it like to live with on a day-to-day basis? Does the sound/ride make commuting unnecessarily hard work? Is the lack of grip in the wet as bad as people say?

2) Is there anything to watch out when buying used? I'm looking at 67 plate onwards; less than 20k miles (post-facelift I believe), ideally with Comp pack.

3) What are servicing costs/schedules like? Some AUCs still have service packs (according to the BMW website): is this a must-have? I've read that services would be every 2 years (for my annual mileage), and alternate on a major/minor basis.

4) What are the costs for consumables (tyres/brakes etc.)? For reference, I do max. 6k miles/year; mostly stop-start commutes, with a decent blast most months.

5) Could I get a child/baby seat in the back?

6) Is the Competition Pack worth holding out for?

7) Is there any reason I should be considering an M2 over the M4? Or even a 440i to save a bit of money?

Thanks in advance PHers!

[mbwoy84]

Buy an M2. Sharper and the best recent M car IMO.

[Jag_NE]

You may be aware of this but you can buy very low mileage 2019 cars for only a few grand more, including competition pack.

[SELON]

bobsavage789 said:

Hi everyone,

I've always wanted a full-fat M car, and I may, finally be in a position to acquire one, albeit used. The M4 seems to be my best bet (M3s are few and far between; the M4 seems to be a more usable daily than an M2; other Ms are out of my price range), and I'm struggling to find much in the way of info on what they're like to live with as a daily.

The one I've got my eye on currently is https://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/vehicle/201910042960487...

So any info on any of the below would be greatly appreciated:

1) What's it like to live with on a day-to-day basis? Does the sound/ride make commuting unnecessarily hard work? Is the lack of grip in the wet as bad as people say?

2) Is there anything to watch out when buying used? I'm looking at 67 plate onwards; less than 20k miles (post-facelift I believe), ideally with Comp pack.

3) What are servicing costs/schedules like? Some AUCs still have service packs (according to the BMW website): is this a must-have? I've read that services would be every 2 years (for my annual mileage), and alternate on a major/minor basis.

4) What are the costs for consumables (tyres/brakes etc.)? For reference, I do max. 6k miles/year; mostly stop-start commutes, with a decent blast most months.

5) Could I get a child/baby seat in the back?

6) Is the Competition Pack worth holding out for?

7) Is there any reason I should be considering an M2 over the M4? Or even a 440i to save a bit of money?

Thanks in advance PHers!

I’ve a 18 plate Comp Pack, convertible, so my answers are to that...hope they help with some insights...

I’ve done 17,000 miles, travelling sometimes for 3-4 hour lengths across U.K. and Europe, with 3 6 footers in the car. No problems at all for any passengers. Seats are very good, lots of storage space, lovely cabin. Personally, I find the cabin timeless and ages very well. But also has loads of connectivity, SatNav is very good.

On certain motorway surfaces, the tyre noise is loud, however stick the radio on and you’ll be alright.

Ride quality? With 3 damper modes you can select from, I love it. It’s got very lower profile tyres, so there are physical limitations! But I’d say it’s as good a cruiser as my Aston Martin Virage that I had a few years back.

Lack of grip? No. I understand that the Comp Pack is better in this respect that non-CP cars. But I can’t say if this is accurate. What I can say is the Comp Pack car is fine. In poor weather, stick the car in Efficient mode, leave TC on and a sensible right foot and you’ll be fine. I’ve chased some faster cars on very wet/cold roads and never had an issue, but always drive to the conditions (and speed limits, of course!).

On the other hand, switch TC into MDM mode or off entirely and then boot it (in efficient or Sport Plus) and it will break traction. That’s the benefit of 450+hp! It is a very adjustable car though and the TC is good in my opinion.

It’s not a hard work car at all. Can modify suspension, steering weight, speed of gearshift (from relaxed and slow to super fast, kick in the back).

Things to look out for? Mapped cars (not sure how you can tell this. There are some out there and they can be mapped to 600+ HP.
These aren’t cheap to repair and there is a fault called “Spun Crank Hub”. Not sure if only mapped cars are affected or not. That aside, i will be extending my warranty when the car gets to 3 years old, as I said, these are performance cars, DCT etc. Personally I love the engine, to me it’s a great one and has very linear power delivery. It is also a bloody quick car by any measure.

Only other question I can offer my opinion on is the M2/M4 question. M2 is more chuckable round corners, I had a BMW day in the rain last January and the M2 was a lot of fun. Not much lighter, more a shorter wheelbase. But I prefer the M4 day to day.

I love mine. 17,000 miles and looking forward to more Roadtrips and Sunday morning blasts in it. Does everything really very well.
Unless you really prefer hard driving, the convertible offers a very compelling package.

Hope that helps!

[Mj2k]

Answers inside your quote...rather than just tell you to get an M2 lol. I have a 66 plate CP

bobsavage789 said:

Hi everyone,

I've always wanted a full-fat M car, and I may, finally be in a position to acquire one, albeit used. The M4 seems to be my best bet (M3s are few and far between; the M4 seems to be a more usable daily than an M2; other Ms are out of my price range), and I'm struggling to find much in the way of info on what they're like to live with as a daily.

The one I've got my eye on currently is https://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/vehicle/201910042960487...

So any info on any of the below would be greatly appreciated:

1) What's it like to live with on a day-to-day basis? Does the sound/ride make commuting unnecessarily hard work? Is the lack of grip in the wet as bad as people say? Perfectly fine, it is not hard work at all, is great fun even driving slowly in a commute.

Wet grip is only bad if you abuse the throttle, or try to pull out quickly especially with cold tyres. Lots of horror stories on the web about how poor it is etc, I did get the GTS coding for gearbox & the CS suspension coding done which made it feel more planted.

2) Is there anything to watch out when buying used? I'm looking at 67 plate onwards; less than 20k miles (post-facelift I believe), ideally with Comp pack.

Buy AUC ideally as so many have been mapped with boot mod, at least you have BMW there if something goes wrong. Crank hub spins seem to be a horror story, but also from modded cars in the most, from what I have read.

3) What are servicing costs/schedules like? Some AUCs still have service packs (according to the BMW website): is this a must-have? I've read that services would be every 2 years (for my annual mileage), and alternate on a major/minor basis.

I bought mine with a service pack, I do low mileage so will cover minor service, brake service and a large one based on my age related vs mileage

4) What are the costs for consumables (tyres/brakes etc.)? For reference, I do max. 6k miles/year; mostly stop-start commutes, with a decent blast most months.

Tyres will be fairly pricey, they are 20" & wide with a relatively heavy car. Mine was purchased 2nd hand with 12k on it & was still going strong tyre wise at the rear, again depends how you are driving it etc. I will get brake pads etc done outside of BMW when required, you don't need a BMW cost to get those done.

5) Could I get a child/baby seat in the back?

It has the isofix, so cannot see why not. No kids, so cannot test that for you, although access would be easier in the M3 than the M4, obviously

6) Is the Competition Pack worth holding out for?

I think so, yes, other people will have their own opinions....the alloys are a total PITA to clean though!

7) Is there any reason I should be considering an M2 over the M4? Or even a 440i to save a bit of money?

440i, you will always feel you have sold yourself short if you wanted an M car. M2 when I drove one was pre-comp pack, so didn't feel special....bog standard 2 series seats, no suspension settings etc, just seemed a bit meh inside. The CP solves that, but I would miss my HUD.

Thanks in advance PHers!

[custardkid]

You regret getting a 440i
A proper M car is always more of a sense of occasion

I think the M3 will be more sort after in the future, but more difficult to get the price / spec you want

[TTmonkey]

Rear seats are good. Plenty of space for kids. Adults too.

[croyde]

Not driven the M4 but why the point about lack of grip in the wet?

My Mustang GT was shoite in the wet and cold thanks to it's standard fit 'US' Pirelli Zeros but was transformed when I stuck Michelin Pilot Sports on the back.

The difference was amazing.

OK the M4 has a bit more power than my 410bhp Ford. Is it due to the Beemer being lighter?

Just generally interested why?

[Timbuktu]

Having spent quite a bit of time in a comp pack M4 and owning a non comp pack M3 I would say the non comp pack seats are a lot more comfortable for long journeys.

The comp pack ones have no lumbar support or width adjustment which means you can get very uncomfortable on a long trip in my experience.

The ride is also more firm which on the roads in this country is not necessarily a good thing.

In the wet they are fine you've just got to be a bit more careful and leave traction on. I don't know what people expect with rear wheel drive and 430bhp!

Edited by Timbuktu on Monday 6th January 21:23

[russy01]

The wet grip is better than a 320d and how many of those do you hear horror stories about?
Yes, it will put you in a hedge backwards if you turn the TC and drive like a tool, but drive it like a normal car and it behaves like one.

I’d buy AUC for warranty.

Running costs, I average 18/19mpg but drive hard over short journeys. Very much depends on your journey type...

Kids in the back. I have a 4 & 1 yr old, both have seats in the back. I drop one of them off at nursery 3 times a week. I’m not going to lie - it’s a bit of a PITA but it’s ok.
The 4yr old climbs in alone but I have to contort myself to lift the 1yr old in - for both I normally stick a leg in the rear footwell to reach around to the belt fastener. To do all this you need a decent amount of space for the door to be fairly wide open...
So it’s not impossible, but if using daily for multiple kids I’d consider an M3.

M2? M4 seems much better value to me, plus I prefer the bigger more beefy car.
440i - M4’s are so cheap you’d be silly to get the 440i. I’d only consider the 440i if i were doing big mileage as it’s more refined and softer.

Come pack defo. Exhaust is better, wheels are nicer - plus will help residuals marginally.

Good luck.

[ZX10R NIN]

The M2 is the sharper of the two but I'd still buy the M4 but in reality I'd buy an M3 with the Competition Pack they imo look better & for your needs will be more practical they also hold their money better than the M4's due to their rarity.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[Welshbeef]

There was reports from testers that the pre LCI M4 didn’t have a great front end? I’m assuming only driving gods of track users would have any knowledge while 99.999999% of all drivers and owners would thing it’s perfect

Liking the AuC you’ve linked - go for it YOLO

[Julian Thompson]

I’ve had two, both manual. 2015 non comp and 2017 carbon driveshaft pre GPF comp, which I still have.

The 2015 car had a much more lively rear end - the front felt the same on both, mostly.

Also the 19 inch wheels on the old car ride and handle massively better than the 20 inch ones on the new car which has horrific dead spots around the straight ahead.

As mentioned above, exhaust much better on the new one, as is the infotainment.

You can’t feel the extra power of the comp - if anything it feels slower because it’s more resolved and the boost comes on more sensibly.

If anything the old one is actually more fun, but, in the end both are epic. I’ll fit 19’s to mine shortly and try a GTS steering flash.

You can chip them to big power obviously and it’s tempting but I’ve fell lucky a few times in mine and been able to drive them both as hard as one might dare on the road, and on no occasion did I cruise off the end of my run thinking “I could just do with another 100hp!”

Finally I can’t help you with running costs - mine is a fun car only, taxed maybe 4 months of the year and so I only drive it for giggles and the odd nice night out at the pub for dinner with the Mrs. Keeps it special that way. Just my 2p.

[MrC986]

My BIL ran an AUC M4 for 2 yrs up to 73k before getting a brand new M4CP just before Christmas. My BILs old M4 had a few minor issues covered under warranty although he was conscious of the expensive warranty cost last year when the AUC plan expired. His old car started losing some coolant about 1 month before he p/ex’d it though he never got to the bottom of it. He did comment the exhaust on the CP is louder than the standard car if you’ve sensitive neighbours

[SlimK]

Morning Bob,

I've had mine for a month and put about 1500 miles on it (which is abnormal for me considering I normally do 4-6000 a year), to answer some of your questions below:

1) What's it like to live with on a day-to-day basis? Does the sound/ride make commuting unnecessarily hard work? Is the lack of grip in the wet as bad as people say?

The cold start up noise is intrusively loud (to me anyway - fun when you're in the mood but not for everyday tbh) if especially like me you leave for work early morning - however after a minute or so it does quiet down to a reasonable purr.

I must point out the noise in the car when pootling around is refined enough for what it is I mean there is tyre noise depending on the surface but since the tyres are quite wide you'd expect that, the engine and exhaust are just background noises that tbh are not much louder than a normal car would be unless you obviously decide to liven it up a little!

Ride quality is fine, knock the dampers in comfort and roll around I would deem the level of ride as totally acceptable if anything it is quite good even on 19s yes it is firm but never uncomfortably so, and my previous car was a W221 S class so trust me the ride quality was the first thing I noticed...

When I first purchased mine I drove it back from Scotland and noticed wet grip was a bit unnerving at first however a fresh set of Michelin pilot sport 4 sorted that out and it feels sure footed again, if you drive it without lead feet with some appreciation of the torque/RWD drive train it is totally fine even in the wet I have had some more 'spirited' drives and it was fine.

2) Is there anything to watch out when buying used? I'm looking at 67 plate onwards; less than 20k miles (post-facelift I believe), ideally with Comp pack.

I can't answer the facelift questions as mines is pre however when purchasing mine I looked over general car items and going into the vehicles computer and looking at the logged service history to make sure it all checks out since the one you are considering is from dealer I presume this would all stack up.

The rear axle service (rear diff fluid) is not logged on the in car computer so its worth asking if that has/needs to be done as that is only flagged up from your key.

3) What are servicing costs/schedules like? Some AUCs still have service packs (according to the BMW website): is this a must-have? I've read that services would be every 2 years (for my annual mileage), and alternate on a major/minor basis.

I knocked some money off when getting mine to have the service done at my local main dealer - Condition Based Servicing (CBS) is what they call it these days means it is every 2 years or 19000 for oil and oil filter HOWEVER that 19000 mile interval does actually decrease quicker should you drive it harder e.g. I had a few long hard runs and it knocked the mileage down by 1000 in the space of 200 or so miles.

To answer costs I had oil, oil filter, rear diff fluid and pollen filter done all in it was £300 quid - that was from the local main dealer which I didn't think was too bad considering it was main dealer and from the local indy it would have been cheaper still.

4) What are the costs for consumables (tyres/brakes etc.)? For reference, I do max. 6k miles/year; mostly stop-start commutes, with a decent blast most months.

I haven't gone through brakes yet so can't answer as for tyres - for me ordered online and delivered to my door £640 for the full set 4 x Michelin pilot sport 4, however these were for my 19's and I think your competition pack car will have 20's? Either way I didn't think it was too bad for what they were this is not something you should be putting budgets on...

5) Could I get a child/baby seat in the back?

Yes it has isofix points, 2 doors makes it a bit of a faff but it can be done - point to note is if the front seat is in too high a setting (how my mrs has it) when you fold it to access the rear the headrest will hit the roof and not let the seat fold fully forwards.

6) Is the Competition Pack worth holding out for?

Can't answer that as mine is non comp however when choosing I was going to live with it daily so when narrowing the cars down I saw a comp and it was lovely however mine had the full extended leather to the upper and lower dash, glove box/surround and the upper doors along with rear and side bumper cams, heated steering wheel with Harmon Kardon sound whereas the comp I saw didn't have most of those things therefore I decided the non comp was more cozy for me and that's the one i would buy however if I came across a comp with all the goodies that mines has then I probably would have chosen that as I have heard the competition packs drive better?

7) Is there any reason I should be considering an M2 over the M4? Or even a 440i to save a bit of money?

If your heart is set on the M rule out the 440i for starters, as brilliant as it may be it's not what you really want - funnily enough my friend has an M2 & I an M4, I do like the way the M2 feels on a twisty B road (more nimble?) however I don't like the interior as much as the M4 and since the M4 can do the same B road blasting as the M2 but have the nicer interior with some goodies for me it was a no brainer as a daily driver.

Apologies for the rambling on & Good luck in your search!

[Mark83]

bobsavage789 said:

Hi everyone,

I've always wanted a full-fat M car, and I may, finally be in a position to acquire one, albeit used. The M4 seems to be my best bet (M3s are few and far between; the M4 seems to be a more usable daily than an M2; other Ms are out of my price range), and I'm struggling to find much in the way of info on what they're like to live with as a daily.

The one I've got my eye on currently is https://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/vehicle/201910042960487...

So any info on any of the below would be greatly appreciated:

1) What's it like to live with on a day-to-day basis? Does the sound/ride make commuting unnecessarily hard work? Is the lack of grip in the wet as bad as people say?

2) Is there anything to watch out when buying used? I'm looking at 67 plate onwards; less than 20k miles (post-facelift I believe), ideally with Comp pack.

3) What are servicing costs/schedules like? Some AUCs still have service packs (according to the BMW website): is this a must-have? I've read that services would be every 2 years (for my annual mileage), and alternate on a major/minor basis.

4) What are the costs for consumables (tyres/brakes etc.)? For reference, I do max. 6k miles/year; mostly stop-start commutes, with a decent blast most months.

5) Could I get a child/baby seat in the back?

6) Is the Competition Pack worth holding out for?

7) Is there any reason I should be considering an M2 over the M4? Or even a 440i to save a bit of money?

Thanks in advance PHers!

1) There's a fair amount of tyre noise. Mine had the upgraded HK stereo which drowns it out. I've never been into my stereos but it's good. Grip isn't terrible in the wet. I've not got it out of shape but I don't exactly bounce of the limiter. There's a junction near me, uphill, greasy in the wet that I can wheel spin when pulling out. I had the same issue in my C63 though. Automatic transmission probably doesn't help. Winter tyres on the C63 did make a big traction difference but I don't have them on the M4.

2) Not sure. Bought ours new but I'd definitely want an AUC car for warranty. Check it hasn't been previously remapped, they sometimes slip through.

3) Service packs only worth having if doing serious mileage. Check the RIS was completed on time if not buying an AUC. Service intervals are every 24 months / 18,000 miles. IDrive will tell you when they're due.

4) Comp Pack tyres are 265/30/20 & 285/30/20 so you can check prices. OEM are Michelin Pilot Super Sport. I think these are being replaced by Pilot Sport 4S tyres. Brake prices are as you'd expect from an M car and relative I guess to what you've owned previously.

5) Yes, there's isofix.

6) Not sure. I've only driven, and own a Comp Pack.

7) I initially looked at the M2 but with the discount, the M4 was the same price and came with much more as standard and has a nicer interior. The M4 has morphed into a GT car and M2 probably more in line with the older M3 ethos. Day to day, not much much difference between the M4 and 440i. The difference comes when you press on and M cars have that certain something. You feel the diff hook up and propel you out of a corner and down the road. Above 7/10ths, the M cars shine over the lesser models in the range.

Edited by Mark83 on Tuesday 7th January 17:07

[bobsavage789]

Huge thanks for all the replies: PH once again proving to be a hotbed of knowledgeable, helpful, like-minded people!

SELON said:

I’ve a 18 plate Comp Pack, convertible, so my answers are to that...hope they help with some insights...

I’ve done 17,000 miles, travelling sometimes for 3-4 hour lengths across U.K. and Europe, with 3 6 footers in the car. No problems at all for any passengers. Seats are very good, lots of storage space, lovely cabin. Personally, I find the cabin timeless and ages very well. But also has loads of connectivity, SatNav is very good.

On certain motorway surfaces, the tyre noise is loud, however stick the radio on and you’ll be alright.

Ride quality? With 3 damper modes you can select from, I love it. It’s got very lower profile tyres, so there are physical limitations! But I’d say it’s as good a cruiser as my Aston Martin Virage that I had a few years back.

Lack of grip? No. I understand that the Comp Pack is better in this respect that non-CP cars. But I can’t say if this is accurate. What I can say is the Comp Pack car is fine. In poor weather, stick the car in Efficient mode, leave TC on and a sensible right foot and you’ll be fine. I’ve chased some faster cars on very wet/cold roads and never had an issue, but always drive to the conditions (and speed limits, of course!).

On the other hand, switch TC into MDM mode or off entirely and then boot it (in efficient or Sport Plus) and it will break traction. That’s the benefit of 450+hp! It is a very adjustable car though and the TC is good in my opinion.

It’s not a hard work car at all. Can modify suspension, steering weight, speed of gearshift (from relaxed and slow to super fast, kick in the back).

Things to look out for? Mapped cars (not sure how you can tell this. There are some out there and they can be mapped to 600+ HP.
These aren’t cheap to repair and there is a fault called “Spun Crank Hub”. Not sure if only mapped cars are affected or not. That aside, i will be extending my warranty when the car gets to 3 years old, as I said, these are performance cars, DCT etc. Personally I love the engine, to me it’s a great one and has very linear power delivery. It is also a bloody quick car by any measure.

Only other question I can offer my opinion on is the M2/M4 question. M2 is more chuckable round corners, I had a BMW day in the rain last January and the M2 was a lot of fun. Not much lighter, more a shorter wheelbase. But I prefer the M4 day to day.

I love mine. 17,000 miles and looking forward to more Roadtrips and Sunday morning blasts in it. Does everything really very well.
Unless you really prefer hard driving, the convertible offers a very compelling package.

Hope that helps!

Brilliant: thanks for such a comprehensive summary/reply! Have you properly looked into extending the warranty yet? This might be a route I go down after the initial BMW one runs out after a year.

croyde said:

Not driven the M4 but why the point about lack of grip in the wet?

My Mustang GT was shoite in the wet and cold thanks to it's standard fit 'US' Pirelli Zeros but was transformed when I stuck Michelin Pilot Sports on the back.

The difference was amazing.

OK the M4 has a bit more power than my 410bhp Ford. Is it due to the Beemer being lighter?

Just generally interested why?

I've read a few reviews of the M4 (possibly without CP) about the power overwhelming the tyres, especially in slippery conditions. I didn't pick it up myself during the test drive, but then again I did have a chap from BMW next to me, so didn't want to push it!

Timbuktu said:

Having spent quite a bit of time in a comp pack M4 and owning a non comp pack M3 I would say the non comp pack seats are a lot more comfortable for long journeys.

The comp pack ones have no lumbar support or width adjustment which means you can get very uncomfortable on a long trip in my experience.

The ride is also more firm which on the roads in this country is not necessarily a good thing.

This is interesting: I don't tend to do many long journeys (maybe visiting the in-laws a few times a year), but would like to use the M4 as a sort of GT car in the future. Is it a deal breaker, or only on long daily drives?

MrC986 said:

He did comment the exhaust on the CP is louder than the standard car if you’ve sensitive neighbours hehe

I like to think I get on well with the neighbours! Besides, the missus' Cooper S sounds like an enormous whoopie cushion on startup on a cold morning: I'd merely be adding to the cacophony!

SlimK said:

Morning Bob,

I've had mine for a month and put about 1500 miles on it (which is abnormal for me considering I normally do 4-6000 a year), to answer some of your questions below:

1) What's it like to live with on a day-to-day basis? Does the sound/ride make commuting unnecessarily hard work? Is the lack of grip in the wet as bad as people say?

The cold start up noise is intrusively loud (to me anyway - fun when you're in the mood but not for everyday tbh) if especially like me you leave for work early morning - however after a minute or so it does quiet down to a reasonable purr.

I must point out the noise in the car when pootling around is refined enough for what it is I mean there is tyre noise depending on the surface but since the tyres are quite wide you'd expect that, the engine and exhaust are just background noises that tbh are not much louder than a normal car would be unless you obviously decide to liven it up a little!

Ride quality is fine, knock the dampers in comfort and roll around I would deem the level of ride as totally acceptable if anything it is quite good even on 19s yes it is firm but never uncomfortably so, and my previous car was a W221 S class so trust me the ride quality was the first thing I noticed...

When I first purchased mine I drove it back from Scotland and noticed wet grip was a bit unnerving at first however a fresh set of Michelin pilot sport 4 sorted that out and it feels sure footed again, if you drive it without lead feet with some appreciation of the torque/RWD drive train it is totally fine even in the wet I have had some more 'spirited' drives and it was fine.

2) Is there anything to watch out when buying used? I'm looking at 67 plate onwards; less than 20k miles (post-facelift I believe), ideally with Comp pack.

I can't answer the facelift questions as mines is pre however when purchasing mine I looked over general car items and going into the vehicles computer and looking at the logged service history to make sure it all checks out since the one you are considering is from dealer I presume this would all stack up.

The rear axle service (rear diff fluid) is not logged on the in car computer so its worth asking if that has/needs to be done as that is only flagged up from your key.

3) What are servicing costs/schedules like? Some AUCs still have service packs (according to the BMW website): is this a must-have? I've read that services would be every 2 years (for my annual mileage), and alternate on a major/minor basis.

I knocked some money off when getting mine to have the service done at my local main dealer - Condition Based Servicing (CBS) is what they call it these days means it is every 2 years or 19000 for oil and oil filter HOWEVER that 19000 mile interval does actually decrease quicker should you drive it harder e.g. I had a few long hard runs and it knocked the mileage down by 1000 in the space of 200 or so miles.

To answer costs I had oil, oil filter, rear diff fluid and pollen filter done all in it was £300 quid - that was from the local main dealer which I didn't think was too bad considering it was main dealer and from the local indy it would have been cheaper still.

4) What are the costs for consumables (tyres/brakes etc.)? For reference, I do max. 6k miles/year; mostly stop-start commutes, with a decent blast most months.

I haven't gone through brakes yet so can't answer as for tyres - for me ordered online and delivered to my door £640 for the full set 4 x Michelin pilot sport 4, however these were for my 19's and I think your competition pack car will have 20's? Either way I didn't think it was too bad for what they were this is not something you should be putting budgets on...

5) Could I get a child/baby seat in the back?

Yes it has isofix points, 2 doors makes it a bit of a faff but it can be done - point to note is if the front seat is in too high a setting (how my mrs has it) when you fold it to access the rear the headrest will hit the roof and not let the seat fold fully forwards.

6) Is the Competition Pack worth holding out for?

Can't answer that as mine is non comp however when choosing I was going to live with it daily so when narrowing the cars down I saw a comp and it was lovely however mine had the full extended leather to the upper and lower dash, glove box/surround and the upper doors along with rear and side bumper cams, heated steering wheel with Harmon Kardon sound whereas the comp I saw didn't have most of those things therefore I decided the non comp was more cozy for me and that's the one i would buy however if I came across a comp with all the goodies that mines has then I probably would have chosen that as I have heard the competition packs drive better?

7) Is there any reason I should be considering an M2 over the M4? Or even a 440i to save a bit of money?

If your heart is set on the M rule out the 440i for starters, as brilliant as it may be it's not what you really want - funnily enough my friend has an M2 & I an M4, I do like the way the M2 feels on a twisty B road (more nimble?) however I don't like the interior as much as the M4 and since the M4 can do the same B road blasting as the M2 but have the nicer interior with some goodies for me it was a no brainer as a daily driver.

Apologies for the rambling on & Good luck in your search!

This is great info: absolutely no need to apologise!

Thanks for the heads-up on the diff fluid: I'll check the service history for this.

There seems to be quite a lot of variation on service costs: for the consumables, I'll almost certainly see what my local BMW specialist indy can do in that regard.

The M4 just feels like a more 'premium' car to be in compared with the M2; more grown-up, certainly. And whilst it might be more fun to drive on the right roads, I think the relative maturity and space of the M4 wins out... especially as M2 Comps are still way more expensive than M4 CPs!

Mark83 said:

1) There's a fair amount of tyre noise. Mine had the upgraded HK stereo which drowns it out. I've never been into my stereos but it's good. Grip isn't terrible in the wet. I've not got it out of shape but I don't exactly bounce of the limiter. There's a junction near me, uphill, greasy in the wet that I can wheel spin when pulling out. I had the same issue in my C63 though. Automatic transmission probably doesn't help. Winter tyres on the C63 did make a big traction difference but I don't have them on the M4.

2) Not sure. Bought ours new but I'd definitely want an AUC car for warranty. Check it hasn't been previously remapped, they sometimes slip through.

3) Service packs only worth having if doing serious mileage. Check the RIS was completed on time if not buying an AUC. Service intervals are every 24 months / 18,000 miles. IDrive will tell you when they're due.

4) Comp Pack tyres are 265/30/20 & 285/30/20 so you can check prices. OEM are Michelin Pilot Super Sport. I think these are being replaced by Pilot Sport 4S tyres. Brake prices are as you'd expect from an M car and relative I guess to what you've owned previously.

5) Yes, there's isofix.

6) Not sure. I've only driven, and own a Comp Pack.

7) I initially looked at the M2 but with the discount, the M4 was the same price and came with much more as standard and has a nicer interior. The M4 has morphed into a GT car and M2 probably more in line with the older M3 ethos. Day to day, not much much difference between the M4 and 440i. The difference comes when you press on and M cars have that certain something. You feel the diff hook up and propel you out of a corner and down the road. Above 7/10ths, the M cars shine over the lesser models in the range.

Does the timing of the RIS have a big effect? I've seen an M4 CP advertised with its RIS at ca. 4k miles, so wondering how detrimental (if at all) this might be.

I had a similar dilemma when buying my GTI vs getting a Golf R: at the time I thought the extra performance would be useless in every day driving, but I do feel a huge pang of regret/jealousy when I see a Golf R. I want to avoid something similar with the M4 vs 440i!

[Mj2k]

What Julian said, never needed more power!

Also, my station hack is a 453 smart car daily, so a BIG jump up in power (and cred!) at the weekend