There remains an elephant in the room with the 435i based on its failure to engage as a driving machine. An elephant that has just made its presence felt smelt with a right stinker following exposure to both the
new M4 and outgoing E92 M3
. As you'll be aware, I've spent a week with the latter and kicked the tyres of the former and after exposure to 'upper case' M the 435i was always going to struggle.
Trim additions aside it's not a bona fide M though. So let's be fair and not try and compare it to one.
Web browsing about cars ... in your car
While we discuss ways of narrowing that performance gap for the next report I thought I'd explore some of the stuff the 4 Series is already good at. Namely providing a pleasant environment in which to spend time. I've said it already but recent exposure to both this and the 1 Series has really made me warm to current BMW interiors which, IMO and all that, are the pick of the big German three at the moment.
After bed hopping between various cars such as happens in this business the low-slung driver's seat of the 4 Series is always a welcome place to find myself. All that you touch and interact with feels thoughtfully tactile and the design is clean and fuss free. But I couldn't help notice there was a whole swathe of features on the screen I'd not delved into.
As part of this car's £1,000 Media Package I've got BMW Emergency Call, BMW Tele Services, BMW Online Services, BMW Apps, BMW- oh, you get the picture. Exploring all this stuff is the kind of thing long-term loans should be about. But I was baffled and went to see BMW's Dan Knight, who's an expert in all this. Like a teenager showing granddad an iPhone for the first time he patiently talked me through all the gadgets and gizmos fitted to my car I've so far ignored.
Shame on me but I hadn't even realised that the £95 Internet option means the car has its own in-built internet connection entirely independent of the phone that's paired to it for making calls and using Bluetooth audio - the extent of my connectivity thus far. Clearly I don't lead the correct manner of lifestyle to need all this stuff but through it you can seek out all manner of distractions, be it restaurants or whatever, scan online reviews and then get the directions programmed into the nav. Or via the Connected Drive website and the car's dedicated login do it at home on your computer or tablet and, via Google, send the information directly to the onboard computer. I've also now got logins to BMW's online music provider of choice Rara and installed the necessary apps onto my phone in order that I can - joy - keep touch with Twitter and Facebook in the car.
Having patiently nodded through Dan's explanation of this, dutifully downloaded various stuff onto my phone and readied myself to join the online revolution I promptly abandoned the 4 Series and instead mucked about with screaming M V8s and other delights. But now BMW has its M3 back and we won't get to drive the M4 for another few months.
Stand by for badly typed Facebook updates and Tweets live and direct from somewhere stationary between junctions 17 and 12 on the M25 each morning henceforth...
FACT SHEET
Car: 2013 BMW 435i M Sport
Run by: Dan
On fleet since: October 2013
Mileage: 6,047
List price new: £48,160 (Basic list of £41,435 OTR plus £670 for 19-inch M double-spoke 442M wheels, £360 for Adaptive Headlights, £515 for Adaptive M Suspension, £350 for enhanced Bluetooth, £300 for folding mirrors, £825 for head-up display, £460 for Interior Comfort Package comprising memory electric seats, 'extended storage' and sun protection glass, £95 for internet, £675 for Harmon/Kardon speakers, £570 for M Sport brakes, £1,000 for BMW Professional Media Package, £325 for online entertainment, £330 for reversing camera and £250 for Variable Sport Steering.)
Last month at a glance: Great interior even more appealing now Dan knows what it does
