BMW i4 Review & Prices

The BMW i4 should have been, and kind of is, the electric 3 Series. After all, it’s based on the same chassis as the big-selling, much-loved saloon, but replaces that car’s petrol and hybrid engines with battery power. The problem is that BMW now actually has a proper all-electric 3 Series, the i3, and it’s about to blow the i4 out of the water with its 550+ mile range.

That makes the i4 rather like an old gunslinger in a modern action movie, as it’s just outgunned and out-teched. Which doesn’t mean it’s a bad car, though. It’s basically the same, on the outside, as the petrol-engined 4 Series Gran Coupe; it looks distinctive, if not exactly pretty. It also means that it has four seats inside, and a decent boot under that sloping fastback rear end.

As well as the incoming new i3 though, the i4 has some serious competition in the shape of the evergreen Tesla Model 3, which just seems to find more and more range every year, and the new Mercedes CLA Electric, which suffers from some of the same ‘the grille’s too big’ styling issues, but which has a one-charge range of up to 484 miles.

Still, the i4 manages to look appealing. That big, narrow, deep grille at the front remains controversial, and at least as many people hate it as love it, but the rest of the shape leaves the i4 looking like a classic ‘fastback’ four-door coupe. It’s still appealing, even as it enters its twilight years, just like Hugh Bonneville.

BMW i4: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 319-380 miles
Efficiency: 3.4-4.1 miles per kWh
Battery size: 67kwh / 81kWh
Max charge speed: 205kW
Charge time AC: 9-11hrs, 10-100%, 7kW
Charge time DC: 30mins, 10-80%, 100kW
Charge port location: Right rear
Power outputs: 286hp / 340hp / 601hp

The cabin will divide opinion a bit less — it’s classy and well made, although we do still miss the separate climate control buttons of the earlier generation i4. What you do get are two massive screens — 12.3-inches for the driver, and 14.9-inches for the central screen — which sweep in one shallow arc across the dashboard. BMW has filleted the i4 of most of its physical buttons (boo!) but there is still the twist and click iDrive controller on the centre console. This helps, but can’t get around the fact that there are just too many on-screen options and menus.

Quality levels are excellent, though. The i4’s cabin feels almost indestructible, but also really classy — like an armour-plated Hermes handbag. You can choose between man-made or cow-made leather, but you can’t, sadly, dig out any more rear seat space as headroom and legroom are both quite compromised. The rear doors are also small so loading up very old or very young rear seat passengers is going to be a chore.

At least the boot is a good size, and although the 470 litres on offer is easily dwarfed by the luggage space of the Tesla Model 3, the i4 still compares well with the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and the Mercedes CLA Electric. The fact that it’s a fastback helps too, as you can fold down the back seats to stretch your luggage space.

In its most basic form, called the i4 eDrive 35, the i4 comes with a small 67.1kWh battery and a 286hp rear-drive electric motor, with a potential range of up to 311 miles. Need more? There’s an eDrive 40 version with an 81.3kWh battery, 340hp, and up to 380 miles of range, although we’ve often found it hard to squeeze the full claimed range out of any i4 that we’ve driven.

At the top of the range is the mighty i4 M60, which gets two motors, four-wheel drive, and a faintly ridiculous 601hp with a 334 mile range. An electric M3? Not quite — the M60’s extra weight counts against it, and the more basic eDrive 40 is actually more fun to drive.

They’re all good around town, though, with smooth acceleration and suspension that’s firm, but yielding. The small rear window makes parking a little trickier than is ideal. On long motorway runs, the i4 is smooth and quiet, and even the bigger alloys don’t trigger much tyre noise. The M60 really is blisteringly fast, but again the rule is that the simpler and cheaper your i4 is, the more actual fun it is to drive. The M60, curiously, just lacks the fluid, fluent steering of the ‘lesser’ i4s.

Verdict

The i4 is a genuinely good early electric effort from BMW. The M60 model provides the high-power headlines, but the humbler eDrive 40 version is the best version, and the one you should actually buy. Just remember that the limited rear space means that this is a car better suited to thrusting executive types, rather than someone who needs a roomy family car. The problem now is that the incoming i3 is likely to leave the i4 rather high and dry, overtaken by the new technology.

Check out the latest BMW i4 deals on Carwow, and BMW i4 lease deals, or you can find a used i4 for sale through our network of trusted dealers. You’ve got plenty of other used BMWs to choose from, and we can even help you sell your car when the time comes.

Right now, the i4 seems to have a reasonable price starting point, although it is more expensive than the Tesla Model 3 (which keeps getting its price cut as Tesla tries to bolster its sales), and the Polestar 2 (getting on a bit now, but still a really competitive car against the i4).

What will really upset the i4’s personal applecart is that the new ultra-long-range i3 will very probably be priced almost identically to the i4 eDrive 40, but will offer an extra 200 miles of range. Even before the i3 arrives, the i4 has to cope with the new Mercedes CLA Electric, with its 480 mile range and a price that’s around £5,000 cheaper than the cheapest (and shortest-range) i4.

It’s also worth considering the Hyundai Ioniq 6 here — it’s well-priced, arguably more handsome than the i4 and much more efficient in real-world conditions, while BYD’s slick-looking Seal saloon offers more range for less money than the i4 (and it’s as quick as the M60 in four-wheel drive form).

Quick, quiet, and comfortable, but not as exciting as a BMW M3

In town

The BMW i4 works well around town, and not just because it's a tailpipe-free EV. Whether you go for one of the rear-wheel drive models or the four-wheel drive M50, the i4 is very lively from a standing start and will leap towards any gap in traffic. It’s just as happy to be driven gently, with a smoother ride than the Tesla Model 3.

Something you’ll really notice if the i4 is just how quiet it is - even by the standards of electric cars. With no engine noise you slip through urban traffic in hushed comfort.

Slip the transmission into ‘B’ instead of ‘D’ and the car increases the level of regenerative braking, capturing energy that would otherwise be lost when slowing down. In this setting you can almost ignore the brake and drive with one pedal, as the car will come to a complete stop using regenerative braking alone.

If you had to pick holes in the way the i4 drives around town, you’d say that all-round visibility could be better. The slinky four-door coupe looks are matched to a low-down driving position, so you’ll see out more easily if you choose an electric SUV instead.

On the motorway

Leave town behind and head out on the motorway, and the i4 is right at home. If anything, the quiet of the cabin is even more impressive at high speed, with just some road noise for company. There’s hardly any whine from the electric motor (or motors if you drive the M60) and very little wind noise.

Whether you are driving the eDrive40 or the M60, there’s more than enough performance to accelerate quickly after being stuck behind slower traffic. The eDrive35 feels notably slower to accelerate at motorway speeds than its more expensive siblings, but it's only slow in context - it really doesn't lack power. The optional adaptive cruise control makes for a relaxed drive, even when the road is busy, but it seems slightly outrageous that you have to pay extra for it.

The BMW is very comfortable on the motorway - it’s much less fidgety than a Tesla Model Y’s, for example - so long journeys in the i4 are something to look forward to.

On a twisty road

Like most electric cars, the BMW i4 is heavy. Most of the time it disguises this bulk well, but when you get to a winding country road you do notice that the i4 needs more persuasion to change direction than the likes of a BMW M3. Some more feel from the steering wouldn’t go amiss, either.

That said, you can still enjoy driving the i4. The big tyres grip the road tenaciously and there’s very little lean when cornering.

Even the eDrive35 is very quick indeed, while the M60’s acceleration is positively savage. While the entry-level car is rear-wheel drive, the faster model sends power to all four wheels, which helps get its power to the road in wet weather.

A decent boot size, but the i4 isn't the roomiest in the back

As a four-door coupe, the i4 tries to balance style and practicality. It’s never going to be as practical as a regular saloon, hatchback, or SUV, but for the most part it does a decent job of being roomy and good looking.

You’ll have no complaints in the front, where there’s plenty of legroom, sufficient headroom, and a really high standard of fit and finish. The car’s hefty price tag doesn’t weigh so heavily when you look at the curved twin-screens and the excellent materials used throughout.

There’s enough storage in the front of the cabin to keep most owners happy, with door bins big enough for a large bottle of water. There’s also a roomy bin beneath the driver’s arm rest and twin cupholders at the base of the centre console.

You sit low to the ground with the seat on its lowest setting, which feels right in such a sporty car. It can be raised higher if you find that more comfortable. In fact, with a good range of adjustment to the seat and wheel, drivers of most shapes and sizes should be able to find a sound and supportive seating position. Front lumbar support comes as part of the optional Comfort Plus Pack or, more affordably, as an individual option.

Space in the back seats

More and more modern electric cars are built from the ground up to be electric and electric only. That’s not the case with the i4, which leads to certain compromises. Because it shares underpinnings with the 3 Series, there needs to be room for a regular engine, transmission, and fuel tank for models that don’t have batteries and an electric motor. Hence the big transmission tunnel, which gets in the way a bit if three try to sit in the back.

Legroom is okay for adults, so long as the driver and the passenger sitting behind them aren’t too tall. However, headroom is really very tight - blame the sloping roofline - and you don’t have to be tall to feel claustrophobic in the back of the i4.

There’s a lack of storage space, too. While the door bins are adequately sized there aren’t any pockets on the front seat backs. At least you get a pair of cupholders in the flip-down armrest, and there are ISOFIX points for mounting child seats - though you’ll have to watch your head when loading them in.

Boot space

Keep the back seats upright and there’s an impressive 470 litres of luggage room. Lift the hatchback and there’s a wide opening for loading luggage, and only a slight lip to lift items over. The parcel shelf is a split item that doesn’t entirely lift with the hatchback, but you can always take it out if it gets in the way of bigger items.

Fold the seats down and that space increases to 1,290 litres, and the seat backs lie almost flat. However, you do need to use the catches on the top of the back seat - there’s no lever to pull by the tailgate. There are no hooks in the boot, either, so your shopping might roll around.

The back seats split 40:20:40, allowing you to carry long items like skis as well as passengers.

Lift the boot floor and you’ll find space for the charging cables. Just remember to get them out before you pack if you’re going on a long journey and will need to recharge on route.

Impressive tech in a stylish cabin, although no separate climate control buttons any more

The outside of the car, with its big kidney grille, isn’t everyone’s pint of pilsner. But you’ll struggle to find anyone who slides behind the driver’s seat of the i4 and isn’t impressed.

The dash is dominated by twin screens that curve around the driver to give the appearance of one huge display. We defy you to see them light up for the first time and not say ‘wow!’ and they’re much better to use than BYD’s gimmicky rotating touchscreen.

Directly in front of the driver in place of conventional dials sits a 12.3-inch screen, which the driver can customise to their heart’s content. To the left is the larger 14.9-inch infotainment screen, which is as sharp and clear as any high-end smartphone’s. The whole twin-screen set-up - Live Cockpit Plus in BMW-speak - runs on the BMW Operating System 8.5.

You can use voice control, or rather you can try to. We’ve found this part of the infotainment system needs a bit more work. Otherwise, the latest version of BMW’s iDrive is the slickest yet, with a choice of touching the screen or using the iDrive rotary controller to move between menus and make selections. The iDrive control is less distracting on the move, and saves smudging fingerprints all over that expensive-looking touchscreen.

Perhaps the only area in which BMW’s infotainment has taken a backwards step is in moving the air con controls to the bottom of the screen rather than having separate buttons.

If you prefer Apple or Android’s way of doing things to BMW’s, the infotainment is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and as you’d expect of a recent infotainment system, BMW Operating System 8.5 is compatible with over-the-air software updates.

Everything you can see or touch in the cabin is of a high quality, from the materials used on the top of the dash to the seat upholstery. A mix of man-made materials - Alcantara suede and Sensatec leather - is standard on Sport and M Sport models, although the M60 comes with proper leather included in the price.

Every BMW i4 is an electric vehicle, so there are no exhaust emissions at all. That’s good for the environment and for your tax bill if you are a company car driver and paying the 20% tax rate, you could spend as little as £26 a month in Benefit in Kind (BIK) charges.

For private buyers, there’s a £10 first year vehicle excise duty road tax bill, but after that you’ll have to pay an extra £425 per year, for years two-to-six, as all i4 models sit on the wrong side of the ‘expensive car levy’ cutoff of £40,000.

The entry-level i4 is the eDrive35, which has a 67kWh battery and a single electric motor at the rear. Official range is 319 miles, which in the real world is likely to be around 280.

Above this sits the eDrive40 or the twin-motor M60, which both come with the same 81kWh battery. The less powerful eDrive40 stretches each kWh further than the M60, unsurprisingly, for an official range of up to 380 miles in Sport spec - or closer to 320 in the real world. That drops to a maximum of 370 miles if you go for the M Sport spec with its larger wheels.

The M60 consumes electricity more quickly, dropping the range to 338 miles. Make the most of its performance - which is very tempting to do as it's only a flex of your foot away - and this drops off very quickly, down to around 250 miles if you’re being a bit cheeky.

In isolation those are decent ranges, but it’s worth noting that the Tesla Model 3 Long Range can cover up to 436 miles.

In practice, you’ll need a gentle right foot and warm weather to get close to those figures. In winter, batteries don’t like the chilly conditions and so the real-world range will drop, as is the case with all EVs.

You should be able to top-up the batteries very quickly, thanks to a maximum charging speed of 205kW for eDrive40 and M60 models. The eDrive35 only charges at 180kW, but its smaller battery means charging times are comparable.

BMW i4 Euro NCAP (2022): 4/5

Adult occupant: 87%
Child occupant: 87%
Vulnerable road users: 71%
Safety assist: 64%

The i4 has been tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP and came away with a four-star rating out of five. The car only lost a star because of the safety assistance software; it scored 86% in both adult and child occupant protection.

Every i4 comes with Driving Assistant software. This package uses camera and radar sensors to give the driver warnings and reduce the chance of a collision. The optional Driving Assistant Professional pack adds no fewer than 11 extra driver aids.

Every i4 comes with a tyre repair kit rather than a spare wheel, which may not bother you in the slightest, but could be a deal-breaker for some drivers.

BMW came eighth overall in the 2025 Driver Power survey for owner satisfaction, which out of 31 manufacturers should be a confidence-inspiring result.

From new, the i4 comes with a three-year unlimited mileage warranty, or eight years and 100,000 miles in the case of cover for the high-voltage battery. That’s better than the Mercedes CLA Electric which caps mileage to 60,000 over the same three-year period.

Both are blown out of the water by the BYD Seal’s six-year, 93,750-mile warranty and 125,000-mile battery warranty, though.