My M50 is on 19-inch wheels and it's good for 280 miles of range in Eco Pro mode - and possibly even more in summer. No way a Taycan 4S is doing that kind of mileage. I love the Taycan, but BMW's interior tech (auto drive and parking cameras) is way better. I have no issue with the M50's handling, and I'll take its superior acceleration over the e40 all day long.
Great review! I've owned my M50 for over a month and have loved every mile so far. I'm in agreement with all of the cons, however the steering isn't as bad as I thought it would be based on all of the reviews. The straight line performance and easy, comfortable daily driver this is car is for me makes me over look any short comings. Word of advice, two hands on the steering wheel when you give it all the beans from a dig. No way I'm not getting a speeding ticket. Won't be on purpose, you just accelerate so quickly 45 to 70 is really easy to do with out trying. I find my patience is less and its going to cost me 😂.
I have a question for you and other owners. Do you hear a low frequency drone from the AC when the fan is at high / full? The wife and I went for a test drive in one, and we noticed that if we turned up the AC all the way, there was a low frequency hum/droning sound, which I thought might be the faux engine noise sound trying to overcome the sound of the AC, or (worse) the AC was had untuned harmonic resonance of its own, which would explain why it was for sale used with 9k miles. So do you hear a low frequency drone from the AC when at full power? We couldn't find the control to turn off the faux sound if there was one, so we're planning to rent one from Turo for a few days and figure it out. Otherwise, seems like a great car for the $$$$.
Reviewers that have driven both the model 40 and 50, are in agreement that the 40's handling is far superior to the 50. You'll find the the acceleration on the 40 to be remarkably strong, so along with the better mileage and handling, it's probably the best choice for most people.
In an AWD (or FWD) car, the front tires do double duty with power _and_ steering. Traction employed to deliver power is traction you cannot use for steering. In a RWD car, the front wheels steer. Nothing else.
I miss the days when car reviews started with how the car drove. Buttons, cup holders, leather types and backseat room should not compromise 50% of the review
I absolutely love my 2023 BMW i4M50 Black Sapphire Metallic . Worth the 75k I paid for it .Sold my fully loaded 2021 330i for 38,000 for my down payment and wrote a check for the rest . I don't care about the range .I drive mostly city ,when I travel I drive my VW GTI. The steering is amazing .Dude you can't afford one ,so you whine like a little girl.
I own a 2023 i4, the door handle thing is an issue. You do get used to it and can flex the fingers a certain way and that helps. Interesting take on the interior, the interior in my experience takes a dump all over C Class Mercedes in terms of build quality and materials, Audi's are put together very well. Back seat def tight. As a tall guy 6'6 the BMW barely has enough front headroom for me but once settled in everything falls to hand very nicely. 18 months in now and I like the car a lot. The HK upgraded stereo SUCKS. I've got the eDrive40 would be curious to see your take on something like that, the 50 here is blazing fast but the 40 is plenty for a DD and has a little extra range. I feel like the 40 had better steering in my test drive as well, less weight over the front wheels. Not a lot of feedback but accurate steering. The chassis seems pretty darn good for a car this heavy but it does ride "firm" which is just fine with me.
Love the color, but I’ve heard trying to properly maintain it is quite difficult. Can’t just buff and polish like gloss paint (unless you want to turn it into a gloss finish).
I have a metallic portamel blue (not frozen, with the rain that would have been hard to take care of) i4 M50 (cognac interior with carbon fiber trim, laser lights and all the driving/parking assistant stuff, HK sound). I'm enjoying it so far. And for a moment I did think maybe I should get the edrive40 but I need the four-wheel drive here in the Pacific Northwest. Plus i works have regretted it. I always wanted to own an M or AMG so this was my compromise. So no regrets. But I haven't done the launch control yet.
I’m looking at the i4 vs the i5. I’m concerned about the possible limited visibility out of the back window for the i4. Has that been a problem for any owners?
Remember that the back headrests fold down. You'd be amused by how many people were mystified why their left-side rear headrest was shorter than the other two... ...the other thing you might consider is to remove the center headrest entirely if you don't have any plans to seat three people in back (not a great idea to do in an i4). The center headrest can be removed by pushing a button, but the other two headrests need to be unlocked with the physical key hidden in your keyfob for some reason.
I'm sorry, I didn't get your message... LOL! Actually, that HUGE number is from two-factor authentication; it's not entirely from people I'm actively trying to avoid. Thanks for watching and commenting!
The EV incarnation of the classic kidney grill looks better on the cars that on the SAVs. In eihter case, I think the grill is growing on me, each time I see one, I really like the screens on the IP & that BMW has made them the same across the electric vehicle line. In 2 years any of these Bavarian EVs will make nicely priced off-lease vehicles. I would expect that worries about out of warranty German automobiles will be much alleviated with electrification.
Matte paint jobs are yet another automotive trend that deserve a swift death. Sadly, much like “midnight” packages and ubiquitous piano black trim, they persist. Snore.
Make it an estate, with better rear seat ergonomics and they’d probably be onto a true winner. Not a fan of the more CUV type offerings out there but could get behind a low slung wagon.
@@Dreadpirateflappy In Norway they have a summer campaign, brand new M50’s are in stock ready to drive off the lot. Im looking at one for 719,000 NOK, has all the bits I want except for being a station wagon.
Totally disagrre with statement on interior quality. Mercedes are full eqe are full of cheap piano plastic. The standard screen are squeeky same are some of the panels. The Audi q4 etron is just a lot of Hard plastic and cheap pionaplastic and har plastic in the doorbends. The Skoda enyaq feels a lot better.
Note that I have not driven one, but am considering this as a replacement to my Tesla M3P coming off lease this December. I think calling this an M is a double edged sword for BMW. While calling it an M acknowledges that it is the high end model of their EV Coupe fleet, it also invites comparison to the ICE Ms. "M-tuned" is certainly not something that can be accomplished with an electric motor, so if you're expecting the same out of an EV you're kidding yourself. Actually, the single biggest complaint that people have had about the i4 series, is one you overlooked. Being built on the same assembly line as its ICE cousins, it has several needless features for an EV - most notably, the transmission tunnel between the two rear seats. No transmission in an EV means you don't need that big lump sticking between the legs of your rear passengers.
Agreed on the dedicated platform comment for sure. What we've found interesting though is some EVs that have flat floors have a higher H point when sitting in the rear. Each type has its challenges.
M3 back seat is not great either - I find them somewhat similar. Access to boot is better in i4 as are the materials and seats. But at least where I live the I4 M50 is significantly more expensive.
Long-time BMW owner currently with a 2009 328i that I bought new and 2021 i3, my 3rd after leasing 2014 and 2017 versions. I went into the i4 M50 test drive thinking it might replace our E90 but I came away deeply disappointed with every aspect except the acceleration. Handling is meh. It might put up decent numbers but it doesn't provide the tactile delights of the E9X generation. But for me the interior was the biggest fail. It's cramped thanks to the vestigial transmission tunnel and oversized center console. Worst of all, the materials and design are mind-numbingly conventional. Nothing save a few bits of cheap-feeling blue trim distinguishes the i4 from its G2X stablemates. I'm sure I'm biased but 10 years on the i3 interior remains unequaled in terms of aesthetics, function, and sustainability.
The BMW EV experience gets a HUGE upgrade in the i7. Full Review: th-cam.com/video/VWOos4vV7J4/w-d-xo.html
I have the i4 M50. It’s fucken awesome!
Sameeeeeee!! Still have to the launch control though hehe
My M50 is on 19-inch wheels and it's good for 280 miles of range in Eco Pro mode - and possibly even more in summer. No way a Taycan 4S is doing that kind of mileage. I love the Taycan, but BMW's interior tech (auto drive and parking cameras) is way better. I have no issue with the M50's handling, and I'll take its superior acceleration over the e40 all day long.
Now that we're into summer... How's your range? Have you been able to hit 300 miles on a charge?
Thanks!
@@barry41561 Just switched to a new M50, so can't say for certain. But I was getting around 300 miles when I first had the M50 for sure.
This car I saw at a local Bmw dealership while waiting on my bmw .. looked elegant to me
Great review! I've owned my M50 for over a month and have loved every mile so far. I'm in agreement with all of the cons, however the steering isn't as bad as I thought it would be based on all of the reviews. The straight line performance and easy, comfortable daily driver this is car is for me makes me over look any short comings. Word of advice, two hands on the steering wheel when you give it all the beans from a dig. No way I'm not getting a speeding ticket. Won't be on purpose, you just accelerate so quickly 45 to 70 is really easy to do with out trying. I find my patience is less and its going to cost me 😂.
I have a question for you and other owners. Do you hear a low frequency drone from the AC when the fan is at high / full? The wife and I went for a test drive in one, and we noticed that if we turned up the AC all the way, there was a low frequency hum/droning sound, which I thought might be the faux engine noise sound trying to overcome the sound of the AC, or (worse) the AC was had untuned harmonic resonance of its own, which would explain why it was for sale used with 9k miles. So do you hear a low frequency drone from the AC when at full power? We couldn't find the control to turn off the faux sound if there was one, so we're planning to rent one from Turo for a few days and figure it out. Otherwise, seems like a great car for the $$$$.
Why did you sell it?
Reviewers that have driven both the model 40 and 50, are in agreement that the 40's handling is far superior to the 50. You'll find the the acceleration on the 40 to be remarkably strong, so along with the better mileage and handling, it's probably the best choice for most people.
That’s very interesting. 🤔
In an AWD (or FWD) car, the front tires do double duty with power _and_ steering. Traction employed to deliver power is traction you cannot use for steering.
In a RWD car, the front wheels steer. Nothing else.
I miss the days when car reviews started with how the car drove. Buttons, cup holders, leather types and backseat room should not compromise 50% of the review
I absolutely love my 2023 BMW i4M50 Black Sapphire Metallic . Worth the 75k I paid for it .Sold my fully loaded 2021 330i for 38,000 for my down payment and wrote a check for the rest . I don't care about the range .I drive mostly city ,when I travel I drive my VW GTI. The steering is amazing .Dude you can't afford one ,so you whine like a little girl.
I never understand these comments about the handles from reviewers - have they forgotten how to use their thumbs?
Yes
I own a 2023 i4, the door handle thing is an issue. You do get used to it and can flex the fingers a certain way and that helps. Interesting take on the interior, the interior in my experience takes a dump all over C Class Mercedes in terms of build quality and materials, Audi's are put together very well.
Back seat def tight. As a tall guy 6'6 the BMW barely has enough front headroom for me but once settled in everything falls to hand very nicely. 18 months in now and I like the car a lot. The HK upgraded stereo SUCKS.
I've got the eDrive40 would be curious to see your take on something like that, the 50 here is blazing fast but the 40 is plenty for a DD and has a little extra range. I feel like the 40 had better steering in my test drive as well, less weight over the front wheels. Not a lot of feedback but accurate steering. The chassis seems pretty darn good for a car this heavy but it does ride "firm" which is just fine with me.
Love the color, but I’ve heard trying to properly maintain it is quite difficult. Can’t just buff and polish like gloss paint (unless you want to turn it into a gloss finish).
Apparently the newer matte paints are a bit better about it, but yeah. Makes sense to, because most people want a shiny, glossy car.
I have a metallic portamel blue (not frozen, with the rain that would have been hard to take care of) i4 M50 (cognac interior with carbon fiber trim, laser lights and all the driving/parking assistant stuff, HK sound). I'm enjoying it so far. And for a moment I did think maybe I should get the edrive40 but I need the four-wheel drive here in the Pacific Northwest. Plus i works have regretted it. I always wanted to own an M or AMG so this was my compromise. So no regrets. But I haven't done the launch control yet.
Why does some i4s m50 get the big skifter and other just get a 3 inch big metal peice?
New ones have the small shifter.
They started moving over to the small tab in the spring of 2023.
I’m looking at the i4 vs the i5. I’m concerned about the possible limited visibility out of the back window for the i4. Has that been a problem for any owners?
Not at alll
Remember that the back headrests fold down. You'd be amused by how many people were mystified why their left-side rear headrest was shorter than the other two...
...the other thing you might consider is to remove the center headrest entirely if you don't have any plans to seat three people in back (not a great idea to do in an i4). The center headrest can be removed by pushing a button, but the other two headrests need to be unlocked with the physical key hidden in your keyfob for some reason.
@@BogeyTheBear thanks 😂
If I want to be read, I won't send a message to Craig... with 329 unread before reaching mine! 😂
I'm sorry, I didn't get your message... LOL! Actually, that HUGE number is from two-factor authentication; it's not entirely from people I'm actively trying to avoid.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
“Not entirely”
Just mostly.
Buy USED maybe, unless they update Battery pack and add Steering Pedal for adjust. Rear seats heated like Europe and Asia version
Why can't they figure out how to integrate the screen into the dash, it's like a 90s civic tuner bolted on
because then you're looking down at the screen. this way it's in eye line and far safer
@Dreadpirateflappy then they should bring the dash plastic up around it instead if bolting on like an afterthought
The screen just 'floats' in your field of view, like an opaque hologram display.
The EV incarnation of the classic kidney grill looks better on the cars that on the SAVs. In eihter case, I think the grill is growing on me, each time I see one, I really like the screens on the IP & that BMW has made them the same across the electric vehicle line. In 2 years any of these Bavarian EVs will make nicely priced off-lease vehicles. I would expect that worries about out of warranty German automobiles will be much alleviated with electrification.
Matte paint jobs are yet another automotive trend that deserve a swift death. Sadly, much like “midnight” packages and ubiquitous piano black trim, they persist. Snore.
Make it an estate, with better rear seat ergonomics and they’d probably be onto a true winner. Not a fan of the more CUV type offerings out there but could get behind a low slung wagon.
Americans don't buy wagons. They *should* buy wagons. They do not.
Europeans do buy wagons, this is the only reason why I didn’t buy an i4. BMW are losing a lot of sales by not making an i4 wagon.
@@MasterChief37 the waiting list is over a year at the moment... sales are through the roof. I don't think they are losing anything.
@@Dreadpirateflappy In Norway they have a summer campaign, brand new M50’s are in stock ready to drive off the lot. Im looking at one for 719,000 NOK, has all the bits I want except for being a station wagon.
@@MasterChief37i5 should come as wagon.
THE ONLY VERY ACCURATE REVIEW - I have tossed my i4-M50
Totally disagrre with statement on interior quality. Mercedes are full eqe are full of cheap piano plastic. The standard screen are squeeky same are some of the panels. The Audi q4 etron is just a lot of Hard plastic and cheap pionaplastic and har plastic in the doorbends.
The Skoda enyaq feels a lot better.
love it. probably not worth it new but fully depreciated, it would be a great value
Soon you'll have more screen than windows in a car...
Every brand does this dum trend, which isn't good at all
Note that I have not driven one, but am considering this as a replacement to my Tesla M3P coming off lease this December.
I think calling this an M is a double edged sword for BMW. While calling it an M acknowledges that it is the high end model of their EV Coupe fleet, it also invites comparison to the ICE Ms. "M-tuned" is certainly not something that can be accomplished with an electric motor, so if you're expecting the same out of an EV you're kidding yourself.
Actually, the single biggest complaint that people have had about the i4 series, is one you overlooked. Being built on the same assembly line as its ICE cousins, it has several needless features for an EV - most notably, the transmission tunnel between the two rear seats. No transmission in an EV means you don't need that big lump sticking between the legs of your rear passengers.
Agreed on the dedicated platform comment for sure. What we've found interesting though is some EVs that have flat floors have a higher H point when sitting in the rear. Each type has its challenges.
At least they did something sensible with that compromise and stuffed a battery pack into that tunnel space.
M3 back seat is not great either - I find them somewhat similar. Access to boot is better in i4 as are the materials and seats.
But at least where I live the I4 M50 is significantly more expensive.
Long-time BMW owner currently with a 2009 328i that I bought new and 2021 i3, my 3rd after leasing 2014 and 2017 versions. I went into the i4 M50 test drive thinking it might replace our E90 but I came away deeply disappointed with every aspect except the acceleration. Handling is meh. It might put up decent numbers but it doesn't provide the tactile delights of the E9X generation. But for me the interior was the biggest fail. It's cramped thanks to the vestigial transmission tunnel and oversized center console. Worst of all, the materials and design are mind-numbingly conventional. Nothing save a few bits of cheap-feeling blue trim distinguishes the i4 from its G2X stablemates. I'm sure I'm biased but 10 years on the i3 interior remains unequaled in terms of aesthetics, function, and sustainability.