Last updated on January 19th, 2022 at 03:35 pm
Performance and Driving
Most BMW buyers purchase their cars because they like driving, and the i4 caters well for that customer. With over 200hp between the eDrive40 and M50, unsurprisingly performance is very different. The eDrive40 can hit 62mph in 5.7 seconds, which makes it quicker than the current Tesla Model 3 but quite a bit slower than the Long Range. The M50, on the other hand, can reach 62mph in 3.9 seconds, which is slower than the Tesla Model 3 Performance. You also need to engage the Sport Boost function to enable the fastest acceleration. The eDrive40 is limited to 118mph, where the M50 can reach 140mph.
Although the M50 will lose off the lights to a Tesla Model 3 Performance, and its 2,215kg weight means it should be less nimble around corners too, in practice the M50’s suspension and steering are excellent. This is one of the most engaging EV drives out there. The M50’s all-wheel-drive and huge power make it an absolute joy on twisty UK A roads, and it’s extremely well poised at motorway speeds as well. You feel the bulk on bends, but never get the sense that the grip will let you down.
We haven’t driven the eDrive40, which doesn’t have the adaptive suspension, M Sport brakes or anywhere near as much power. But the solid BMW build will still be there and it’s not exactly a slow car by general standards, even if there quite a few quicker EVs in a straight line. The i4’s centre of gravity is lower than a 3-series BMW – 34mm for the M50, and 53mm for the eDrive40 – which helps manage the extra weight around corners. The M50 ride quality is also surprisingly decent considering the relatively firm setup.
Range and Charging
The i4’s performance may be excellent, but the range is where BMW has clearly thought this car through particularly well. You may even be willing to sacrifice the speed of the M50 for the eDrive’s WLTP range of 365 miles, because the extra power and weight of the M50 reduce this to 315 miles. In other words, the eDrive40 may be slower than a Tesla Model 3 Long Range, but its range is a little better. The M50’s range is quite a bit less than Tesla Model 3 Performance, though.
BMW gives i4 owners the additional benefit of excellent charging abilities. There’s 11kW AC and DC charging all the way up to 200kW. With 11kW AC, the car will take 8.5 hours to recharge to 100% from empty but expect this to be 50% longer with a 7kW home AC supply. With a sufficiently fast DC supply, you can get to 80% from 10% in just 31 minutes.
To help with this, BMW’s charge card gives access to 170,000 charge points across the UK and EU, including IONITY’s. The latter’s 350kW units will enable fast enough DC supply. It’s also worth reiterating that all i4s have a heat pump so shouldn’t lose so much range in cold weather as some EVs, either. However, BMW can’t compete with Tesla’s Supercharger network for ubiquity and reliability.
Running Costs
Assuming a 14p per kW supply (more likely 19-20p per kW these days, but we use this figure for backwards comparison), the eDrive40 costs 3.1p per mile, whereas the M5 is considerably more expensive at 3.6p per mile, although neither are huge compared to most SUV-format EVs.
Insurance groups range from 35 for the basic eDrive40 Sport, to 36 for the M Sport, and 43 for the M50. These are notably lower than a Tesla Model 3 Long Range or Performance, so this car will be cheaper to insure.
The basic guarantee is for three years. Paintwork also has a separate three-year warranty, but there’s a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty on top of this. BMW “i” cars have the typical eight years / 100,000 miles battery warranty, too, although this stipulates you keep to the service and inspection schedule.
Safety
BMW includes a reversing camera in all cars. There’s an orange triangle that appears on the wing mirror to provide blind spot detection warnings. There’s some form of cruise control on all cars, but you need the Technology Plus pack (£3,800 on eDrive40 and £1,900 on the M50) for adaptive cruise control. This is part of the Driving Assistant Professional system, which also includes lane keep assistance, lane departure warnings, and collision reduction including cross-traffic. The Technology Plus pack also adds a panoramic, 360 or 3D view to the parking camera, plus parking automation. It turns the car’s cameras into dashcams for the Drive Recorder system, too. In other words, it’s an expensive but valuable upgrade. High beam assistance is part of the Visibility Pack (£1,500 on the Sport).
Discussion about this post