It does look an interesting package. Lease wise it looks fairly competitive, but on a PCP the residuals worry me a bit, with as you say, a few options ticked, the numbers after the £ sign can lead towards a bit of thermal runaway in the wallet. Looking forward to the next instalment to see how the BMW fairs up against the competition. Keep up the great work.
Thanks for your very informative review. I’m currently deciding between the BMW i4 edrive40 and Polestar 2 and this video (and the next) couldn’t have come at a better time!
In the States and waiting for my reserve I set in May 2022. I got the EDrive over the M. Hoping to have it in the next month or two. Had the production get shifted up once, hopefully not twice from end of September to mid October. Test drove it and loved it.
I don't care about the extra power in the 50, but I do want AWD for wet and snow conditions. The sweet spot would be 18" wheels on the 50 with 235 or 245 40 or 45 tires all around. US configurations currently start at 19." Tesla looks like a homemade erector set next to the BMW.
Maybe we might see dual motors available with lower power outputs in the future? BMW have offered more variants of the 3-Series with its X-Drive drivetrain, so maybe the i models will follow suit? Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.
I have never seen another manufacturer charge for High Beam assist especially in this segment...£1500 extra! Can only be purchased as part of a package.
Fantastic car the BMW i4 40. But we preferred the i4 M50, the power is addictive and four-wheel drive has our preference. Very long delivery times, almost a year! We owned a Tesla Model 3 in the past, a nice car that is comparable on paper, but in my opinion significantly less premium. We also test drove the Polestar. A nice looking and driving car but I thought the extra cost of the BMW was worth it. We thought the finish of the interior was better than the Tesla, but not yet comparable to the BMW. We also found the BMW the best to drive, comfortable but also sporty if desired. Very curious about your findings.
We are hearing about long delivery times on many manufacturers, for obvious reasons. BMW seem to be suffering a bit more than some however. Next episode coming soon, so thank you for watching and commenting.
Very much looking forward to that next episode. The 40 looks like a good choice but by the time you put adaptive cruise control and a few other bits on it I am thinking the Polestar might pip it overall. Your views will really help my thinking.
Great review thanks. Might I sugest you put a camera behind the driver so we can see the dash as you drive? Otherwise we are looking up your nose for ten minutes.
It will be something we do when we get more cameras. For the moment, the measly budget we have is pretty much taken up with sandwiches.....(just kidding. We don't earn enough for those.). Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. Your support is appreciated.
Thank you! Very good review! I do wish though that you had reviewed the advanced electronics, namely the Autocruise and Lane Keeping, in action. I test-drove a new BMW iX the other day, and despite a sticker price of $92,000 it did not seem to have Autocruise! I think the salesman probably thought I was a reckless driver, allowing the car to barrel towards front stopped cars, but then I explained that I was waiting for the Autocruise to, um, kick in! I think he would have loved to kick me in the butt for playing with a $92K car like that, haha! Well, hey, after driving a Tesla Model 3 for four years and seeing progressive improvements in the Autopilot functions, I thought that Autocruise would be included in such an expensive car! Maybe that is a $2000 option that wasn't included in that test vehicle.
Hi Raja. We have to draw a line about how much we cover in these road test videos, so tend to stick with the basics rather than the more intricate technology. That being said, as cars are getting more advanced, and the technology becomes more of a "buying" reason, we may start to include this. However, thank you for watching, and taking the time to comment. All of these constrictive comments are considered for future tests.
I'm coming from another "BMW product," a 2000 M Coupe, so, yeah, this is all new and exciting, especially since my ICE vehicle is a 2005 Honda Odyssey. I've test driven both the Tesla Model Y and Model 3, and I'm almost positive that when I get to test drive the i4-40, probably in the second week of April when it becomes available here, I will prefer it both aesthetically and functionally.
As the previous owner of a 1998 M Roadster, I can say with some authority that you, Sir, have exceptional taste! The i4 is a very good car, and I am sure you will love it.
Excellent review. I have a 3 Series Sport and am looking to go EV this year. The i4/40 is top of my list bar one aspect. The instrument touch screen panel is abysmal - looks like an after-thought on a scaffold structure and not integrated.
Have had an M50 on order for 4 months in Canada 🇨🇦 and don't have any idea when it might arrive. Getting pretty frustrated. Tesla's delivery dates are long but at least you have some idea.
This seems to a be a common comment about BMW at the moment. Keep us updated Stephen, and when you do get the car, let us know what you think. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.
I should be a natural customer for the i4 since I currently own an E90 and an i3. I’m actually on my third i3, having leased a 2014 and 2017 previously. But short a catastrophic failure of the E90, I will not buy an i4 because it’s so predictable and boring. That said, I have zero interest in the competitors either. A warmed-over FWD Volvo? No. The Camry of EVs? No. Instead, I’m hoping the Neue Klasse platform BMW has teased for ‘25 will put innovation back to the forefront.
Seems like a car that is impressing many. But I am turned off by the fact it is just an ICE car with a motor. The bonnet looks way too long for an EV. Plus you dont even get to use the space for a frunk. It looks like you should push the windshield and front seats forward a foot and get some decent space in the back seats. I guess this is the price of BMW fence sitting and not doing a dedicated EV.
What you have to remember is that this marketplace is BMW’s to lose. The 3 Series is the jewel in their crown. They are being cautious not to frighten away their traditional customer, but still wanting to go EV. I can sort of see their reasoning for it, and it is a cracking car, don’t get me wrong. But like I said in the triple test with the Polestar and Tesla, I’d have just liked them tin have been a bit more brave. Like they were with the original i3. Still, there you go. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
@@AutoEV Yes good points. But I think they could have kept the body the same but used the long bonnet to create a massive frunk. Then reduced the boot size to free up some space in the back seats. Still, the fact they chose to lead with the 4 series coupe shows their intended audience does not care much about those in the back seats.
Why to worry about the platform if it's as efficient as Tesla? See here ruclips.net/video/XTuevL6HD08/видео.html Aftermarket frunk is about 250$ if you can't live without belongings under the hood
Really want to consider this however some of the design decisions seem to be driven around cost reduction for the factory > consideration for the customer. Channel in the rear, watered down M series version, battery/controls completely take the front, unnecessary front “grill”, lack of charging ports vs Tesla. I really want this but the effort to take the experience of the customer into consideration doesn’t seem to be there
Maybe this video helps, it's very efficient ruclips.net/video/XTuevL6HD08/видео.html Also there will be aftermarket frunks for about 250$, if you cannot live without belongings under the hood 😄 Infotainment is quite responsive (but Bjorn managed to record 1 lag which is acceptable)
If you're one of those people who thinks that this forced transition to EVs is about helping the environment, and that in a few decades private car ownership and driving will just be pretty much as it is now except that everybody will be driving an EV instead of a diesel or petrol car, you're in for a very nasty shock within the next 5-8 years. The forced transition to EVs has nothing to do with helping the environment whatsoever, that's just used as a smokescreen to dupe and manipulate the well-intentioned masses into going along with the forced obsolescence of ICE cars. The EV obsession exists for two reasons and two reasons only: 1. EVs are far easier and cheaper to fully automate than ICE cars due to their extensive use of drive-by-wire coontrols and their inherent ability to cope with the large power requirements of automation. 2. Electricity is far easier for the state to have total and immediate control over than is the supply of a fuel such as petrol, diesel or hydrogen. This guy gives a great explanation of why the environmental argument makes no sense: ruclips.net/video/sytWLB4-W-M/видео.html
1 is wrong...first car which is allowed to drive autonomous is the Mercedes S-Class which is an ICE...drive by wire has nothing to do with EVs and it is implemented in a lot of ICEs in the meanwhile, too 2 is wrong, too...I charge my car using Solar Panel...no control by anyone. And this is what big Oil companies fear most...no control over the masses anymore, since a lot of people are able to produce the own energy..not all, but a lot of. Even cities start to produce the own energy...with Solar and Wind...they hate this possibility to get rid of them. This is a disruption of energy market in total, too. But, yes replacing an ICE with an EV is just moving the traffic jam to another device. The car OEMs have to shift to EVs simply due to peak Oil...we reached the maximum of oil mining in 2017 already. And there are no much exploration of new oil mines anymore, too. I assume a price of 10€/L in 2030, which makes it difficult to drive ICEs. Without moving to EVs the car OEMs will not sell any car in about 10 to 20 years...
@@josefv-y8m 1 is not wrong. It's far cheaper and easier to automate EVs than ICE cars. This is a simple fact of engineering. 2 isn't wrong either. Firstly, there's no possible way you're charging your EV entirely from solar panels unless you have a huge array beyond the affordability or physical space capabilities of most people. And even if you do (which as I said, won't apply to the vast majority of people), do you really think there's anything to stop governments from legislating and regulating that? That's myopic in the extreme. In fact people with their own solar panels and wind turbines will be among the first ones to have their properties incorporated into the universal energy grid, because the long-term plan is to essentially turn everybody's house into a kind of battery that can store power and then feed back into the grid as needed, as that's the only possible way to meet the vastly increased electricity demands of EVs, so your solar panels and anything else you might have bought to generate your own power will all fall under that state control.
BMW fanboy here and this would be my choice but that front end is simply too ugly. The way that number plate hangs is really bad. This base model is an ideal package for someone like me coming from an F10 M5 but I can't work out the ugliness. I'll wait for an LCI refresh to see if they refine this. As of now, its Polestar 2 or Tesla Model 3.
Why anyone is buying a none hatckback car is a miracle for me as german...Germans do not like sedans at all...most like me even hate them...completely unpractical to load things into the trunk. For example the Jetta is sold in US very well...were as this is a grandpa car for germans and not even sold anymore.
It does look an interesting package. Lease wise it looks fairly competitive, but on a PCP the residuals worry me a bit, with as you say, a few options ticked, the numbers after the £ sign can lead towards a bit of thermal runaway in the wallet. Looking forward to the next instalment to see how the BMW fairs up against the competition. Keep up the great work.
Thanks for your very informative review. I’m currently deciding between the BMW i4 edrive40 and Polestar 2 and this video (and the next) couldn’t have come at a better time!
Great news Baz S! I hope we might be able to help with your decision. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.
Polestar is thirsty
And the BMW is very efficient
ruclips.net/video/XTuevL6HD08/видео.html
In the States and waiting for my reserve I set in May 2022. I got the EDrive over the M. Hoping to have it in the next month or two. Had the production get shifted up once, hopefully not twice from end of September to mid October. Test drove it and loved it.
Excellent review. I wasn’t sure if I ordered correctly, but your video reassured me. Thank you.
You’re welcome 😊
That "woah woah woah" at 12:09 nearly deafened me, should not have worn headphones for this haha. Fun review though thank you for all the detail.
I don't care about the extra power in the 50, but I do want AWD for wet and snow conditions. The sweet spot would be 18" wheels on the 50 with 235 or 245 40 or 45 tires all around. US configurations currently start at 19." Tesla looks like a homemade erector set next to the BMW.
Maybe we might see dual motors available with lower power outputs in the future? BMW have offered more variants of the 3-Series with its X-Drive drivetrain, so maybe the i models will follow suit? Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.
Good stuff, you suit the more relaxed presenting style 👍
Thank you very much. Also, thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.
I have never seen another manufacturer charge for High Beam assist especially in this segment...£1500 extra! Can only be purchased as part of a package.
Fantastic car the BMW i4 40. But we preferred the i4 M50, the power is addictive and four-wheel drive has our preference. Very long delivery times, almost a year!
We owned a Tesla Model 3 in the past, a nice car that is comparable on paper, but in my opinion significantly less premium. We also test drove the Polestar. A nice looking and driving car but I thought the extra cost of the BMW was worth it. We thought the finish of the interior was better than the Tesla, but not yet comparable to the BMW. We also found the BMW the best to drive, comfortable but also sporty if desired. Very curious about your findings.
We are hearing about long delivery times on many manufacturers, for obvious reasons. BMW seem to be suffering a bit more than some however. Next episode coming soon, so thank you for watching and commenting.
Looks like a lovely car. Excited to see how it performs against it’s rivals.
Not long to wait!
Have a look, it's veeery efficient
ruclips.net/video/XTuevL6HD08/видео.html
Liked the ending to this video. Onto the next one 🥂
Not long to wait.......
Very much looking forward to that next episode. The 40 looks like a good choice but by the time you put adaptive cruise control and a few other bits on it I am thinking the Polestar might pip it overall. Your views will really help my thinking.
Next episode coming soon! Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.
The polestar is chinese, I won't finance the chinese by buying their cars.
Android automotive in Polestar/Volvo is truly awful, not a patch on the idrive system and best avoided
See this efficiency
ruclips.net/video/XTuevL6HD08/видео.html
So this is the Msport ed40 BUT without the Msport Pro pack I think. However it has red callipers and Shadowline + sun protection glass so not clear
I would instantly subscribe for car channel that would have a really tall reviewer doing videos. because we usually dont get those :)
Beauty and the Beast!!!! Love it
Great review thanks. Might I sugest you put a camera behind the driver so we can see the dash as you drive? Otherwise we are looking up your nose for ten minutes.
It will be something we do when we get more cameras. For the moment, the measly budget we have is pretty much taken up with sandwiches.....(just kidding. We don't earn enough for those.). Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. Your support is appreciated.
Thank you! Very good review! I do wish though that you had reviewed the advanced electronics, namely the Autocruise and Lane Keeping, in action. I test-drove a new BMW iX the other day, and despite a sticker price of $92,000 it did not seem to have Autocruise! I think the salesman probably thought I was a reckless driver, allowing the car to barrel towards front stopped cars, but then I explained that I was waiting for the Autocruise to, um, kick in! I think he would have loved to kick me in the butt for playing with a $92K car like that, haha! Well, hey, after driving a Tesla Model 3 for four years and seeing progressive improvements in the Autopilot functions, I thought that Autocruise would be included in such an expensive car! Maybe that is a $2000 option that wasn't included in that test vehicle.
Hi Raja. We have to draw a line about how much we cover in these road test videos, so tend to stick with the basics rather than the more intricate technology. That being said, as cars are getting more advanced, and the technology becomes more of a "buying" reason, we may start to include this. However, thank you for watching, and taking the time to comment. All of these constrictive comments are considered for future tests.
where is part 2?
ruclips.net/video/7R3Sf5IqB84/видео.html&feature=share
I'm coming from another "BMW product," a 2000 M Coupe, so, yeah, this is all new and exciting, especially since my ICE vehicle is a 2005 Honda Odyssey. I've test driven both the Tesla Model Y and Model 3, and I'm almost positive that when I get to test drive the i4-40, probably in the second week of April when it becomes available here, I will prefer it both aesthetically and functionally.
As the previous owner of a 1998 M Roadster, I can say with some authority that you, Sir, have exceptional taste! The i4 is a very good car, and I am sure you will love it.
Nice car and Nice review? What can you tell'us about the consumption? Can I go with this car 350 miles?
Yes you can, see here
ruclips.net/video/XTuevL6HD08/видео.html
Excellent review. I have a 3 Series Sport and am looking to go EV this year. The i4/40 is top of my list bar one aspect. The instrument touch screen panel is abysmal - looks like an after-thought on a scaffold structure and not integrated.
Nice review. Thank you!. By the way, I'm binge-watching Outlander these days and I've come to realize everything sounds better in Scottish!
You bet it does! Thanks for watching (AutoEV, not Outlander...) and taking the time to comment.
does it come standard with the KP nuts?
I’m pretty sure they were an option…..😂😂
1:25 *Why on Earth would you purchase a Car painted in Battleship Grey !*
Are you from northern england?
A bit further north.......
Nice Car Bryan. I will look forward to seeing part 2. How does the number 1 road tester like it, your Daughter?
Part 2 coming soon Sean! She loves cars, and did like this one a lot. However, she does love going in the press vans I now get!
what color is this? skyscraper or brooklyn?
Brooklyn Grey. I really liked it I have to admit, especially with the red leather.
It's polished primer. Because of shortages, some cars are bring produced without their top coat
Have had an M50 on order for 4 months in Canada 🇨🇦 and don't have any idea when it might arrive. Getting pretty frustrated. Tesla's delivery dates are long but at least you have some idea.
This seems to a be a common comment about BMW at the moment. Keep us updated Stephen, and when you do get the car, let us know what you think. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.
Skyscraper grey?
Brooklyn Grey.
I should be a natural customer for the i4 since I currently own an E90 and an i3. I’m actually on my third i3, having leased a 2014 and 2017 previously. But short a catastrophic failure of the E90, I will not buy an i4 because it’s so predictable and boring. That said, I have zero interest in the competitors either. A warmed-over FWD Volvo? No. The Camry of EVs? No. Instead, I’m hoping the Neue Klasse platform BMW has teased for ‘25 will put innovation back to the forefront.
Beaver i4. :)
So let me tranlate, if you bury your foot to the floor, fun factor goes up and so does energy usage. Gotcha.
Seems like a car that is impressing many. But I am turned off by the fact it is just an ICE car with a motor. The bonnet looks way too long for an EV. Plus you dont even get to use the space for a frunk. It looks like you should push the windshield and front seats forward a foot and get some decent space in the back seats. I guess this is the price of BMW fence sitting and not doing a dedicated EV.
What you have to remember is that this marketplace is BMW’s to lose. The 3 Series is the jewel in their crown. They are being cautious not to frighten away their traditional customer, but still wanting to go EV. I can sort of see their reasoning for it, and it is a cracking car, don’t get me wrong. But like I said in the triple test with the Polestar and Tesla, I’d have just liked them tin have been a bit more brave. Like they were with the original i3. Still, there you go.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
@@AutoEV Yes good points. But I think they could have kept the body the same but used the long bonnet to create a massive frunk. Then reduced the boot size to free up some space in the back seats. Still, the fact they chose to lead with the 4 series coupe shows their intended audience does not care much about those in the back seats.
Why to worry about the platform if it's as efficient as Tesla? See here ruclips.net/video/XTuevL6HD08/видео.html
Aftermarket frunk is about 250$ if you can't live without belongings under the hood
Really want to consider this however some of the design decisions seem to be driven around cost reduction for the factory > consideration for the customer. Channel in the rear, watered down M series version, battery/controls completely take the front, unnecessary front “grill”, lack of charging ports vs Tesla. I really want this but the effort to take the experience of the customer into consideration doesn’t seem to be there
Maybe this video helps, it's very efficient
ruclips.net/video/XTuevL6HD08/видео.html
Also there will be aftermarket frunks for about 250$, if you cannot live without belongings under the hood 😄
Infotainment is quite responsive (but Bjorn managed to record 1 lag which is acceptable)
Gorgeous car. Don't know if its at tesla model 3 rank yet. 13 hours to 100% is pretty bad.
I Believe the saying is payback is a bitch.
If you're one of those people who thinks that this forced transition to EVs is about helping the environment, and that in a few decades private car ownership and driving will just be pretty much as it is now except that everybody will be driving an EV instead of a diesel or petrol car, you're in for a very nasty shock within the next 5-8 years. The forced transition to EVs has nothing to do with helping the environment whatsoever, that's just used as a smokescreen to dupe and manipulate the well-intentioned masses into going along with the forced obsolescence of ICE cars.
The EV obsession exists for two reasons and two reasons only:
1. EVs are far easier and cheaper to fully automate than ICE cars due to their extensive use of drive-by-wire coontrols and their inherent ability to cope with the large power requirements of automation.
2. Electricity is far easier for the state to have total and immediate control over than is the supply of a fuel such as petrol, diesel or hydrogen.
This guy gives a great explanation of why the environmental argument makes no sense: ruclips.net/video/sytWLB4-W-M/видео.html
We don’t mention anything to do with the environment. We are car enthusiasts who appreciate that there is another way of doing things, that’s all.
@@AutoEV I was referring to the governments forcing the transition, not you guys.
1 is wrong...first car which is allowed to drive autonomous is the Mercedes S-Class which is an ICE...drive by wire has nothing to do with EVs and it is implemented in a lot of ICEs in the meanwhile, too
2 is wrong, too...I charge my car using Solar Panel...no control by anyone. And this is what big Oil companies fear most...no control over the masses anymore, since a lot of people are able to produce the own energy..not all, but a lot of. Even cities start to produce the own energy...with Solar and Wind...they hate this possibility to get rid of them.
This is a disruption of energy market in total, too.
But, yes replacing an ICE with an EV is just moving the traffic jam to another device.
The car OEMs have to shift to EVs simply due to peak Oil...we reached the maximum of oil mining in 2017 already. And there are no much exploration of new oil mines anymore, too.
I assume a price of 10€/L in 2030, which makes it difficult to drive ICEs.
Without moving to EVs the car OEMs will not sell any car in about 10 to 20 years...
@@josefv-y8m 1 is not wrong. It's far cheaper and easier to automate EVs than ICE cars. This is a simple fact of engineering.
2 isn't wrong either. Firstly, there's no possible way you're charging your EV entirely from solar panels unless you have a huge array beyond the affordability or physical space capabilities of most people. And even if you do (which as I said, won't apply to the vast majority of people), do you really think there's anything to stop governments from legislating and regulating that? That's myopic in the extreme. In fact people with their own solar panels and wind turbines will be among the first ones to have their properties incorporated into the universal energy grid, because the long-term plan is to essentially turn everybody's house into a kind of battery that can store power and then feed back into the grid as needed, as that's the only possible way to meet the vastly increased electricity demands of EVs, so your solar panels and anything else you might have bought to generate your own power will all fall under that state control.
an 2022 electric car should not have a gear shifter handle
BMW fanboy here and this would be my choice but that front end is simply too ugly. The way that number plate hangs is really bad. This base model is an ideal package for someone like me coming from an F10 M5 but I can't work out the ugliness. I'll wait for an LCI refresh to see if they refine this. As of now, its Polestar 2 or Tesla Model 3.
Real life it's fine
Why do all electric cars have to be hatchbacks? I’m not going to buy this car now! smh!
You’ll need to wait for the “new” i3, the fully electric 3-Series that is on its way.
Why anyone is buying a none hatckback car is a miracle for me as german...Germans do not like sedans at all...most like me even hate them...completely unpractical to load things into the trunk.
For example the Jetta is sold in US very well...were as this is a grandpa car for germans and not even sold anymore.