Honest 1st Drive BMW's i4 M50 all electric 4 series GC! 544hp and 795nm | 4k
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 มิ.ย. 2024
- Great getting my hands on BMW's i4, this flagship M50 isn't an M model, it's an M performance model or M lite. EV's like the Taycan, e-tron GT and this i4 give us petrol heads a glimmer of hope, but they all lack any personalty or soul compared to ICE cars of the past.
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Running Order of this video:
00:00 Intro
02:11 Styling
04:43 Practicalities Boot and rear Seat
07:32 Main interior from the driver seat.
11:25 On the road (Ride quality and refinement)
16:00 Pushing on a bit
22:27 Conclusion
Thanks for watching as always, see you at at the next video!
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DISCLAIMER:
*Some footage from this video may be edited and or sped up for cinematic affects.
*Some footage was also filmed on private land. - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
As a car enthusiast who started out in mk2 Escorts I think EV’s make great everyday cars, especially if it means we can enjoy proper (petrol powered + manual gearbox) sports cars for fun!
My m50 is arriving in March next year.I'll save up for next 5 years and then buy a 2020 low milage M3 Comp for my day off!
Correct! Great Dailys and lacking in weekend cars =)
Agreed, that's why I have an Exige for the weekend.
Exactly what I was hoping for and expecting in this review! Top work as ever mate thank you
Can’t rely on many other Car Journalists for honest reviews like this man does
Thanks Joe!! Honestly being honest is what makes you the best!! Appreciate you!
Probably the most honest EV review out there. Just got a new M340i and it's wonderful, but there is a very real reason why I want to hang onto my old, very analog 318ti.
It jiggles down the road, you had me cracking up Joe!! Thanks for another straight up review!
I just want to say, Joe, that I thoroughly enjoy your perspective on cars. It's honest, articulated well, and well judged. Keep doing what you're doing! 👍
Thank you 👊👊
@@JoeAchilles1 i was thinking exactly the same as johnnyr25. considering where you get your input from (ie car manufacturers), i think that was a great honest piece and they should respect that
Its not Well judged. Its known for numb steering But hiding its weight. He says The opposite 😂😂😂
Great description of the car! Love it and thank you for the outstanding review
Jiggling anology-marvelous. I'm not taking the mick, well explained and I've been watching you for a couple years now, possibly a bit longer. Keep it up.
Joe I just want to say thank you for the honest opinions. This is why you are my favourite car channel, it’s like listening to a mate talk about cars.
Thank you, appreciate the support and happy 2022 🙏
Brilliant review Joe, thank you.
I really appreciate your thorough car reviews. Especially points about interior space. Many car journalists forget that people need to be able to actually use with these machines everyday.
Cheers man, glad you appreciate it 👌
Oh sorry I am of the opposite opinion. Carwow can tell me about interior space if I want. I always watched joe for the thrill of driving
Great review. Loved your honest thoughts on the back seat!
This car will improve over the years. They will make the adjustments they need to
make sure us BMW enthusiasts are happy. It’s the first generation let’s all relax and enjoy the car for what it is. Cheers 🍻. Nice review Joe as always.
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great review as always, Joe! Love your attitude and honesty, and point of view is very relevant to more people than you think!
Liked and subscribed. Nothing like a good honest video.
Thank you ❤️👊🙏
Solid review, really appreciate your brutal honesty because know it or not you have an impact on BMW sales. At least you do for me anyway!
I had owned a Tesla Model 3 Performance for 8 months, then I sold it for various reasons. One of them is the lack of soul or excitement. Yes, the acceleration is fast, at first it is very impressive, especially during the test drive, but you know what, after having done maybe 5-10 times the full acceleration, my body got used to the G force, then I couldn’t feel anything special about the car anymore. There is no acoustic feedback (engine noise), no revs, nothing, there is no feedback, nothing to work with, it’s a super super boring experience, I am not attached to the machine. Then I sold it and switched back to a manual mx-5 with 8s 0-100, super slow, but very exciting to drive, you are connected to the machine, you can work your engine, you get a feedback, it’s rewarding. Another reason to sell Tesla is phantom braking, another topic.
My thoughts exactly. Driving an electric car is like driving a fridge.
The new ones have a sound generator you can choose any sound
Exactly evs are more for daily. for spirited or philosophical or musical driving conventional ice esp na ice still tops the exp
Performance EVs are a one-trick pony. Combustion engines have so many facets to their personality that I mourn for the future. And Mark Williams… a sound generator just doesn’t cut it 🤷🏻♂️
Same. Selling my M3P because it’s a heavy one trick pony. Just not that fun - you really feel the weight in the curves
Great review Joe. Very honest and as a previous 3 owner I agree. Nothing better than grabbing a door handle instead of these delicate ones. Thanks for sharing as always.
Nice to see an honest review Joe. Not like many who say nice things not to upset the manufacturer. 👍
Good stuff Joe!
Honestly. First real size+ reviewer that picks up on the real issues.
We have ordered the i4 m50 and can't wait for it to arrive.
Great video Joe!
Very good review. Thank you.
Great honest review as always Joe, I’m totally with you on this one.
I have a lot of faith in BMW and I’m sure they will get the M electric cars right one day !! Porsche are steadily proving that
Agree with you Joe, I do a lot of travelling and love manual cars. Im dreading the next 10 years.
Happy Christmas joe frm Australia another awesome review can’t wait for more content next year 👍🇦🇺
Really interested in this new direction, cross fingers I get to try 1 next year. The honesty is refreshing and not sucking up 👏
Feels like when you’re running and everything jiggling 🤣🤣🤣 classic Joe
I have one of these on order...I expect that I will have similar reservations when it materialises next year. Interesting and objective review, I may have opted for something else had this review been around pre-order!
8:40 thats why I like you video joe because u talk about the driving feeling not the gadget, keep doing it that way
Joe you have exactly hit the points 👍
Nothing more to say Joe ! The weight of the cars today is driving me crazy. I drove two Peugeot 205 GTI with a weight of approx 900 kg in my youth :) you can have a lots of fun with only 120 hp. Same opinion - EV's are good and they are doing their thing to save the environment in a long range but if you want to have fun, your garage needs at least another space left for an inline or a flat 6. If my M240 were a manual, I would never sell it. I'm currently waiting to replace it with the incoming G87 - but only if this will be build with three pedals and RWD.
Great honest review as always Joe. I’m looking forward to getting my I4 M50 in March. It’ll be my daily and then I have my manual M2 comp for the weekends. Best of both Worlds 👏
Cheers man! Ahh yes that is the perfect setup 👌
I really hope you don’t have any rear passengers, that rear seat is a joke.
6 year old son so not a bother
Nice car, very surprised how much i like this and how the grillie doesn’t bother my as much as expected (don’t start me on the iX though). Taycan due in April but I’d seriously consider whatever the evolution of this is when my PCP is up. Oh, and no kids, so the comedy back seats Joe pointed out would just serve to make me laugh if it was my turn to be the designated driver taking mates to the pub…😂
@@dimsoneill
I have the i4 m50 and I’m 6 foot 2” and I can sit in the back with good leg room head room is a bit tight but I’m not hitting the roof it’s not that bad also there are not that many families that are all above 6 foot
Honest opinion and the end segment nailed it 🤓😎🙏
Great video Joe, I enjoy the Touring versions of BMW 3 series when not in Range Rovers (my favourite) - always enjoy your insightful vidoes buddy
I also drove the i4 M50 this week, and totally agree with your review. Having briefly driven the car, over roads I know well, I felt exactly the same way about it.
Thanks for being so honest, we do appreciate it!
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Great review. Expensive and heavy and no drama,no noise.Need the coming soild state batteries to clip the weight.
No that 2.3 Tonnes has nothing to do with the battery. It's just an absurd weight which almost seems implausible. Even with weight penalty of a high capacity battery it should 1.9 Tonnes max.
This is the review I needed! As a self confessed petrolhead, I ordered a car in August last year, thinking it would be the last petrol car I owned before we were all forced into EVs. That order hasn’t arrived and there is no sign of it anytime soon. So I am considering a Model Y, but now the M50 is looking tempting. I just needed to hear a review from a ‘driver’ not a fanboy. Thanks @joeachilles!
Absolute pleasure!
That video ending really cracked me up, haha :D
You do come across as credible and honest. Good job!
I genuinly thought this was a biased review from an M3 owner. Then I drove the i4M50 and Joe is once again bang on! Maybe a little too kind as I thought it was boring.
Thank you for the review. Honesty pays off. The weight specs floored me! Imagine when the do an electric Alpina!
My performance Model 3 tesla weighs 1800kg and I was looking forward to i4 but with 2200 kg not anymore😩😩
I chuckled because of you chuckling Joe, lol. Thanks for sharing. I'm keeping my M2 Comp:-)
The reason for the lack of door space in the rear is due to the fact that the Gran Coupé, is the same dimmensions as the normal coupé.
Same lenght, wheelbase and width (Counting without the added wheel arches).
I have a M50 on order myself.
Fiew reasons for going for the M50 and not the eDrive40;
I wanted xDrive, the added bits of power and style, and price difference here in Norway.
It was only 10000 nok or about 1000£, for fully specced models in the start. Later they realised that the M50 was too cheap so the price went up 56k nok / 5.6k £!
Another reason is that the M50 was almost half price of a similar specced M440i, due to taxes..
You're absolutely right about this not being a M3 alternative or replacement. I believe it never was supposed to be, as BMW themself said current technology hasn't reached that far yet. Its simply too fat and can't drive all day on a track without killing its tires and draining the battery too soon.
But atleast to me, its the best alternative in the current EV marked if one is to choose a electric car.
Great review as always Joe! :)
But it’s got less space than the previous generation GC. That’s the issue.
@@andywmoffat Door opening on previous gen was tight aswell. Same problem with the headroom and C pillar. Only the legroom was better for obvious reasons.
Trying to get one of these for myself, my gas guzzler FJ Cruiser is killing my wallet. I have and FK8 Type R as a weekend car so this would be great for my day to day. Although I may end up getting an i3 to save money.
I absolutely love your analogy of "carrying a bit too much tiimber" and jiggling. I'm totally with you on EV's. I will keep my manual Golf R as long as i can
Amazing video as always, I'm totally with you with ev, I've driven a few and yes they are great cars but no way they're as exiting as real high performance car
Exactly, just don't see the evs taking off, disappointing that they're never really going to be as good 😕
PLAID!
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Great honest review certainly makes you think..
Very honest review, thanks. I’ve never liked these 4/5 door “coupe” variants, not just BMW other manufacturers too. Not liking that dash either. Oh my. Love my G21 though. 👍
Amen on your E car thoughts brother
There’s a lot to be said for having a smaller car that you can push harder and not end up doing nearly 100mph in 2nd gear!
Wouldn’t mind a GR Yaris or a Mini Cooper S to go alongside my M3 for the same reasons!
OOOOH BEEN WAITING FOR THIS. My future carrrrrr.....
I have to agree though, the climate controls should have been on the lower part and not on the touch screen. (I'm 40 lol). I knew you didn't expect much with this car, but I'm still excited for mine to arrive in 4th Q of 2022. Gonna go for the non-frozen Protimao blue. LOL at the end-credit scene. My cousin bro I grew up with is 6 ft 4, so he will not fit in the back seat for sure.
Update: I'm enjoying mine very much. 5K miles. Picked it up on Feb 17. Still have my 3 series for the time being.
The end made me smile.
Great video again Joe. Was possibly looking at one of these or the slower one. However I love my 440i as it’s fun to drive (in the dry) and still plenty fast enough for the roads. Think I’ll keep it for a while longer.
Great review and must say I love its design so dont regret ordering it, but with the b58 engine :)
Quality review Joe
No BMW fanboy biased views 👍
At 6 ft 5" and a fiesta owner,in the rear of the BMW you look like you have less room than sitting in the back of our fiesta with me driving 😲
Top notch review,
As a bmw fanboy the transition to EV's is a tricky one for manufacturer's that built their reputation on a driver centric model! As you mentioned Porsche seemed to have pulled it off with the Taycan, whilst this seems more like BMW trying to tick all the boxes but with out the core values of an M performance car bar the freakish straight line performance!
I have no doubt BMW will eventually re-discover that sweet spot that made them the driver's brand of choice within the EV new world, but for now appealing to wider the EV mass market is the priority. I currently drive a Panamera V8 4S which is an amazing do it all car and the Taycan is definitely the only EV I would consider at the moment - bar the cost!
But great review and I still love and respect BMW during this transitional and disruptive period within the Auto industry!
Very honest review. As Joe says the Taycan handles, so it shows it is possible and I reckon BMW can can chase that goal. Do see an EV daily and an ICE fun car being the future.
Thanks for another great, thorough review…did you ever drive an iPace? Just curious as we bought one for our daily treks and, as a keen petrolhead, I was genuinely surprised by how engaging and fun it is to drive. Sure, it’s not a GR Yaris ok the lanes, but it has poise and handling to match most of the best SUVs and big saloons and wasn’t far off the Taycan in my experience in terms of fun.
Excellent video Joe, you did a great job expressing your honest opinion and non-bias. Those who think you're just a BMW fan boy are just haters. I'm glad I got a G80 M3 AWD and didn't wait for the i4 as I'm not ready to compromise on driving enjoyment! Portimao Blue FTW ;)
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I agree about the focus on the 0 to 60 mph figures. This is why I have ordered the less powerful 345 BHP i4 edrive 40
11:56 greeting from Australia. Having owned 3 M cars, the only thing that makes sense about this car is that we have roof top solar that generates about 40kwh of electricity in excess every day. With premium petrol close to $2 in Australia, an i4 makes perfect sense for us.
And Joe isn't the target buyer for this car, so good he can give his honest opinion.
Hi joe fantastic video as always, would it be possible to maybe get this car back to do a range test? Like you did with the two electric Audi’s? 😃
BMW has the ”Neue Klasse” platform coming in few years and I really do hope they get the weight down considerably. 2.2 metric tons is just ridiculous really. I drove the petrol 320i and 330e hybrid back to back and the extra weight on the hybrid made it feel like a tank. Maybe the RWD i4 version would be better, but even that is heavy.
The battery technology will improve in the years to come, increased density within the battery will allow for lighter batteries & as a result lighter cars. The reason the i4 is so heavy compared to say a Tesla Model 3 is due to the safety housing around the battery. Tesla skimp on the safety.
That is one hell of an honest review. Totally agree on your opinion on EVs, they are more or less all the same.
Another great video, very fair review. Love the jigglanalogy... I can sympathise! 🤣 I'm wondering if BMW will actually reinvent the wheel. At this point in time, nothing would surprise me.
I appreciate this review, you're absolutely right there's no joy to EV's but I do feel apart from Porche BMW has hit the ball out of the park out off all the others attempting EV's. It's a gorgeous looking car for sure.
Nice review...the drawbacks of several of these reviews is that the reviewers don't have enough time with the car to get used to certain things and then properly judge. For example - I used to hate not having physical climate control buttons on my Tesla for a few weeks...now the auto climate control is perfect - I never have to touch anything other than increasing/decreasing temperature (even the auto seat heaters are perfect). Getting used to 1 pedal driving, regenerative braking takes some time...but when you do its a game changer and hard to live without.
All input is error!
I own a Tesla Model Y Performance and you're bang on about the handling. They're so heavy and I always feel like the Y should handle better with the big rims/tires. It's almost 5000 lbs and EV manufacturers need to solve the riddle for those who want an EV that is the full package of speed and handling. Good video mate 🍻
fair video i think! it seems like all manufacturers have work to do to make high performance EVs seem more special than just straight line machines. But until that happens it just makes more sense to buy the cheaper variants with more range.
Excellent and honest review Joe. Just one correction, this car may max torque from zero, but not max power as you mentioned. The reason is simple: horse power = torque x revs. Most electric vehicles therefore make max power somewhere between 60km/h and 100km/h as the product of torque and revs is the maximum at that speed. After that speed, they reduce the torque of the electric engine faster than the revs are building (so horsepower reduces). Cheers buddy
Great video Joe. Also nice New Balance trainers. How many pairs have you got now??
Great vid, really appreciate the honesty. I can imagine the M division weren't happy with an M badge going on a 2.2 ton vehicle, it doesn't exactly fit their mantra and apart from truck racing I can't think of a Motorsport with 2.2 ton class.
And It's not even the heaviest M car. The X6M is just under 2,300 kg. Let's face it, when the lightest M car is over 1,700 kg, the company really doesn't care about weight.
Great video joe. Seen some recent rave reviews of the taycan GTS any chance of you getting one soon?
Interesting perspective Joe. I have sold my 2022 X4M Competition with 400 miles on the clock for all the reasons you point out. Horrible on gas (15 mpg), poor handling for an SAV and doesn't feel safe around corners. Also, I cannot open it up on the police-controlled streets and highways in my Scottsdale, AZ neighborhood. I ordered the I4 M50 and a more practical car for the everyday driver. I should receive it in the summer of 2022 according to my sales rep.
Good objective review, Joe. [As always]. I'll stick to my M550i, for as long as possible.
Wondering that you like/ or not dislike the seating position too much! Had the pleasure to drive it a while ago as well and I have to say, I found it a bit too high!
The feature of the adaptive recuperation is freaking awesome it adapts so well to your driving situation, which only a BMW can! Loves that so much!:O
Enjoyed the review Joe. In terms of performance, without a gearbox, the i4 only has direct drive, so it's pulling away from rest in probably the equivalent to 5th gear in an M3. So despite the extra torque, I'm not surprised the M3 can beat it....
Think that through and come back with some valid observations.
@@z00h Power transmission: two-speed transmission unique to Porsche
First gear gives the Taycan even more acceleration from a standing start, while the long second gear ensures high efficiency and power reserves even at very high speeds.
Hi Joe, I think BMW must have got rid of the clever guys who brought us the i3 and i8. They are both great fun to drive and light!! Great honest review as always.
First I've seen the review on the eDrive40, now just seen this one. I was afraid of choosing the worst version, as I have ordered 2 months ago the eDrive40 fully spec (M pro and everything) and with all the options I was just 6k less from the M50. Sometimes in my region I get some snow, hopefully my RWD will do just fine. Feel better now after seeing this one too...Good one Joe!
Would be great to see the rear seat comparison side by side with a 3 series, especially the door openings.
So glad you've done this review. This is our 3 series replacement.. you've given me a good headache
9:30 I'm pretty sure it's also a lot cheaper to put it in the screen than make physical buttons for it, which explains why VAG are doing it so much after the Diesel gate fines
The tiny, or at least smaller, rear door is also what I noticed on the Mercedes C class a couple of years ago. The front door is much larger!
I saw one yesterday in nardo greyish.. and i have to say as a mercedes fan.. wauw.. what a good looking car in my opinion the first fast ev that is not that expensive.. within 1 or 2 years i think they should be affordable
i4 is the best electric car in terms of balance and getting everything right. performance, price, practicality, service centers, sound, range, interior, ride.
I felt similar handling from the old model Range Rover Sport because it had the hefty Disco chassis, you'd turn the wheel and there was a delay till the car changed direction
Appreciate the honest review.... but I'm still getting one! 😂
19:31 😅love that analogy. I like that BMW made this and that there are options beyond a i3 , Toyota Prius or Nissan Leaf for the future. I am glad you mentioned the base model and wish there were more reviews with the base model. You hit all the points I was considering… is it more than just instant torque.. does the extra weight of the batteries affect the sportiness.. how practical is the 4 door and hatch… is it worth the extra $ for the M50 model. Now how will it age and what will service be like? Lexus is joining the BEV movement.. hope to see what they come up with.
When Carroll Shelby put Ford V8s in ACE roadsters & Falcon compacts, how did the extra weight affect the sportiness? When Enzo put 3 litre V12 in 250 GT, how did weight affect the sportiness? When Porsche replaced 2.0 litre 911 6 with turbo, how did weight affect the sportiness? When Lotus put turbo V8 in Esprit, how did weight affect the sportiness? When GM replaced 6 cyl. fiberglass Corvette with V8 Stingray, how did weight affect the sportiness? When Tesla put 1,000 h.p. in BEV, how did weight affect the sportiness? When Aston put V8 in original DBS, how did weight affect the sportiness? When did light weight start determining "sportiness"? Even my retired race car driver engineer friend put his 200 bhp. 1.6 l. Ford racing engine into his Super 7 for longer than I knew him, as Chapman said, add bhp! Both BMW's new BEV are luxury GTs, if weight is the issue, why BEV? 500+ bhp. M3 no lightweight, don't hear complaints from Joe or other track drivers, do you? Or since any Lotus or Civic weighs over 3,000 lbs., why worry @ all? BMW sell Motorrad for lightweight performance.
@@unowen-nh9ov lol
Weight somehow doesn't matter as much on bevs. They have a pretty low CG. Just put on some fat tyres. X3 bev is better than the ice versions IMO.
I think it is a very commendable 1st try from BMW for a FEV. A bit late but still quite nice.
I have ordered the 40, longer range, good enough power, cheaper and filled with equipment instead of extra weight and power that might make me lose my license :)
I am selling my model 3. Cannot explain why, most Tesla fans would not get it anyway.
Nice review, i agree with you with all your points besides the rear size. I do not think any cars can put a giant in the front and a giant in the back :)
I love the New Balance trainers!
I went to look at a 4 series gran coupe at my local garage. I set the driving seat where I wanted it an jumped in the back. I am 5’10 and I could sit okay in the back. Knees literally just clear of the back of the seat in front and my head was clear of the roof. Any taller and it would have been just too tight.
Hi Joe there are 3 things handicapping this car, weight, range anxiety and the charging network, also one other point are the brakes, at over 2.3tons you are going to need a very good set of brakes to stop the car regardless of what the regen can assist with when you take your foot off the accelerator.
Hey Joe real range of test u check the car is looks good
Whilst the jury may be out on the car, it should be mentioned that Joe's trainers are awesome 👌
Would be interested to see your opinion on one of the Mustang Mach-E's. Maybe the GT to compare to this model. Personally can't compare any other EV's with it but I have driven a Mach-E RWD for some time and must say there is still a fun factor while at the same time not being overpowered.
Much like a 2+2 coupe, my theory about the tiny rear doors is so they aren't particularly inviting to people, but if absolutely pressed, you can take more than 1 passenger in a pinch.
...and I'm quite OK with a backseat that doesn't invite extra passengers. : )
Never thought we'd have a "jiggling Joe" BMW.