BMW 4 Series review

Driving position

It might be a coupé, but the BMW 4 Series is a fairly large car, which is good news because it gets all the big car gadgetry and adjustments you need.

The seats are comfortable, and you can choose how much you want to be hugged with the adjustable side bolsters available across the range.

As you’d expect from this driver’s car, you can also choose to sit very low for a more sporty feel, but upward movement might be more appropriate for drivers who want a clearer view of the road.

Because the 4 Series isn’t a small coupé, if you sit low it can feel slightly long. Our 420i M Sport test model had front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree camera array, which really helped in tight spaces.

Tech and features

Over a decade ago, BMW was hailed for having one of the best infotainment systems in the business, and we’re pleased to report its iDrive system is still just as impressive.

Things have come a long way since iDrive first launched, and the latest version in the 4 Series gets you access to internet-connected apps to find parking and more.

The two displays inside fuse together to create a large curved expanse of seemingly endlessly customisable screens.

The digital instrument cluster changes depending on the drive mode, and you can also configure it to show different types of information such as maps or fuel economy.

Purists will appreciate the rev counter display, but we liked its alternative – a power meter. Showing how much of the available power you’re using is a more usable metric to help you regulate your fuel economy, hence why it’s the standard view in the Eco Pro drive mode.

Smartphone connectivity is also available, and software like Apple CarPlay can be controlled via both the touchscreen and the rotary controller on the centre console, which is far easier to use on the go.

There are some physical shortcut buttons on the centre console for the windscreen defogger and rear windscreen demister, but the music skip and back buttons seem a little redundant given they’re repeated on the steering wheel, as well as the screen.

We would rather BMW used the space for something more useful, like other climate control shortcuts, but we can’t really grumble at the simple ‘+’ and ‘-’ shortcuts at the bottom of the touchscreen.

Engines and power

The 4 Series is based on the 3 Series, and in its first generation when it split from its saloon sibling, it was available with the same wide range of engines.

These days, the 4 Series is only available with two petrol engines – even the frugal 190hp 420d model has been discontinued from the range.

The family kicks off with the 420i, which might not sound too exciting in an era of electrified performance models, but it’s a real gem.

It’s the same 184hp 2.0-litre petrol engine BMW has been selling us for years, but it’s got an added mild hybrid system that helps improve efficiency while giving you a noticeable boost as the turbo spins up.

Its 0-62mph time of 7.5 seconds is respectable, and the standard-fit sports automatic transmission with paddle shifters is really intuitive to use.

You can pick between standard and sport modes, or take over with the paddles and change manually. The car changes when it shifts depending on which drive mode and which gear mode you’re in, but it’s rarely hesitant to drop a gear or two when you put your foot down.

The only other engine option is the M440i – it has a meatier 3.0-litre straight-six engine, and it also benefits from a gripper four-wheel-drive system.

It’s a big step up, with 374hp and a 0-62mph time of 4.5 seconds, but you’ll pay the price.

Handling and ride comfort

The BMW 4 Series is more of a coupé that happens to have two rear seats, than a four-seater that happens to look good.

It’s really engaging to drive with agile and precise handing, making it more dynamic and fun to drive than the 3 Series on which it’s based.

Keen drivers will love the stiff suspension, but if you spend a lot of time on bumpy, potholed roads, the ride can be a bit jarring.

On a smooth motorway, it settles into a refined cruise with minimal tyre or wind noise, to the point that we were disappointed to have finished a two-hour motorway trip because it felt so at home.

We also spent some time on some twisty Welsh country roads, where it was just as cut out for an enjoyable experience.

The only time we wished for slightly softer suspension was on a cross-country night drive along a really poorly surfaced road. Any car will have had a problem tackling the conditions, but the 4 Series with M Sport suspension was a little too firm for our liking.

Boot space

Don’t think that, because this is a coupé, you won’t get any boot space. It might have a narrower saloon-style opening, but you get more room than many hatchbacks.

The 440-litre boot is around 40-60 litres more than your standard family hatch. Add that much again to the boot of a 4 Series and you’ve got a 3 Series boot, so the 4 Series is slap bang in the middle.

Getting to the rear seats in a two-door to fold them down would be tricky, but there are levers in the boot to split the rear bench 50:50 for extra storage.

Rear seats

There are two seats in the back of the 4 Series, and a large hump in the middle of the bench to give them a more bucket seat-like feel.

Headroom is very limited because of the shape of the roof, but even with the front seat in the position of a 5’10” driver, we were able to slouch with a fair amount of legroom to compensate for the sloping roofline.

Adults wouldn’t really want to be back here for too long, but many drivers spend most of their time driving solo, so the added benefit of some additional seats in your stylish coupé can only be good news.

Storage solutions

It might not be a family car, but the 4 Series still has stacks of space inside. The door bins hide all manner of lost items, and they have integrated cupholders too.

A central cubby with two more cupholders, a wireless phone charger and storage under the armrest complete the interior storage solutions.

Fold the rear armrest and you’ll reveal a ski hatch, so even if you’re carrying two rear passengers, you could still slide some long items in from the boot.

Safety

Because this coupé shares a lot of mechanical parts with the 3 Series, which is an extremely popular pick for company car and family drivers, it gets the same five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

The standard array of modern safety features are all present, including a lane departure warning system and those annoying speed limit bings and bongs.

BMW knows this, so rather than having to dig through menus, the designers built a shortcut into the steering wheel – just hold the cruise control ‘Set’ button to disable those warnings.

It’s a shame that adaptive cruise control, which is standard in a lot of more affordable cars, is an optional extra. You only get basic cruise control as standard in the 4 Series.

Fuel economy

We spent a week with the 420i and, over the course of around 400-500 miles, we got an average of 37mpg.

Spend a lot of time around town driving inefficiently and this could drop to 30mpg, but do a longer motorway trip and you might see this creep up to 45mpg. With a really careful right foot, we were able to coax the 420i up beyond 50mpg, which is impressive given its decent performance.

Buy the thirstier M440i and you’ll probably be around the 30mpg mark.

We know buyers are steering away from diesel power, but we do wish that there was at least one diesel option for long-distance drivers who want a good blend of fuel economy and performance.

Reliability

BMW’s reliability ratings in consumer satisfaction surveys are about middle-of-the-road, and is based on the 3 Series, the 4 Series uses a lot of tried-and-tested parts.

The three-year warranty is an industry average, but it doesn’t have a mileage cap, so you won’t need to worry about mileage if you’re looking at a nearly new car.

Insurance groups

The BMW 4 Series sits in insurance groups 30-34 depending on engine choice. The more powerful M440i is in group 40.