Automotive

Review: 2024 i4 a winner as BMW’s lowest-priced electric

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The BMW i4 adds a new xDrive40 model, bringing all-wheel drive to the electric model in the 4 Series
Aaron Turpen / New Atlas
The BMW i4 adds a new xDrive40 model, bringing all-wheel drive to the electric model in the 4 Series
Aaron Turpen / New Atlas
Smaller than most of its comparable contemporaries, the BMW i4 is a sedan in a market full of hatchbacks and SUVs
Aaron Turpen / New Atlas
The lack of a hatch means the i4 is more limited in cargo space, but sedan buyers should already understand this
Aaron Turpen / New Atlas
The interior of the BMW i4 is typical of the brand, with a comfortable but not too plush design
Aaron Turpen / New Atlas
There are better infotainment options in some of the BMW i4's rivals, but usually at higher cost
Aaron Turpen / New Atlas
As with its gasoline-engined counterparts, there isn't much to see but a large cover under the BMW i4's hood
Aaron Turpen / New Atlas
The 2024 BMW i4 has one of the faster charging speeds on today's market, capable of up to 200 kW
Aaron Turpen / New Atlas
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BMW is getting good at building polished, driver-centric cars that happen to be electric. Viewing the EV option as a choice instead of a must makes the electric Bimmers more appealing.

At a Glance

  • Good drive feel and acceleration
  • Well done luxury interior
  • Right-sized EV capability

The BMW i4 is part of the 4 Series sedan lineup, which includes several gasoline- and electric-powered models. Gasoline models come in both two-door (Coupe) and four-door (Gran Coupe) formats plus a two-door convertible. The i4 is similar to the Gran Coupe, and for those with a performance bent, the sport-tuned M4 models have an electric counterpart in the M50.
For those wondering, the electric BMW i4 is actually lower priced than is the gasoline model 430i. Starting price is US$53,195 plus destination for the eDrive35 entry-level i4 compared to the $59,095 of the 430i. For this review, I drove the more expensive all-wheel drive xDrive40 model i4 with some options added for a total price tag of about $65,000 with delivery.

The most compelling part of the i4, though, is its drive quality. It’s a true BMW with a responsive feel and poised presence. If your inclination is to try to counter that with claims that your preferred EV is just as good, you aren’t the audience here. There’s a particular nuance and road-ready feel to a Bimmer, especially in coupes and sedans, that isn’t replicated elsewhere. It’s not the same as the opulence of a Mercedes or the prim of a Jaguar. Tesla does not have the refinement and Audi, while coming close sometimes, is still too pushy. A good BMW glides while staying engaged with both road and driver. And while some models, especially in the SUV lineup, miss this, the BMW i4 does not.

In short, the i4 is an electrified model that core BMW fans will very much enjoy.

The lack of a hatch means the i4 is more limited in cargo space, but sedan buyers should already understand this
Aaron Turpen / New Atlas

The 2024 BMW i4 has a nicely done interior. It’s typical of most BMW models, being comfortable but not too comfortable in that way the German automaker is known to be. Others are comparably more plush or more sport-centric in feel, with this BMW fitting between those two ends of the luxury spectrum. Infotainment is well-placed and easy to understand, and adjustments are easy to make, with decent visibility through mirrors and head turns.

The i4’s trunk isn’t huge, but it’s large enough for a sedan of this size. There are of course some compromises to be made when choosing a sedan over a hatchback or crossover-SUV.

BMW says that the i4 has a range of 280-300 or so miles per charge, depending on model. The near-base eDrive40 models are EPA-rated at about 301 miles (484 km) per charge and all-wheel drive models (introduced this year) up that to 307 (494 km). Most drivers should get close to that as those ranges appear to be near to real-world returns. I was on track to get over 300 miles out of the xDrive40, and it’s a pretty small car compared to some others with longer expected ranges.

Charging is another high point of the BMW i4. At fast chargers, most EVs today top out around 150 kW. The i4 goes to 200 kW. Most at-home chargers are at about 11 kW. Public charging wasn’t operational when I tried to plug in the BMW, but it plugged into my home charger without a hitch and pulled the maximum 41 amps available.

The BMW i4 is what those who know the brand would expect from their car. It’s well-built, comfortable without being cushy, and very engaging. It’s difficult for me to think of a better example of the BMW driving experience than what I had in the 2024 i4.

Product Page: 2024 BMW i4

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5 comments
veryken
The annoying, oversized, ridiculously unnecessary double-kidney front emblem ruins it for me. I could've bought BMW years ago and especially now that they're into EVs as I'm also committed to EVs. But it's just too ugly for my taste. Would be a daily reminder that I'm grotesque with huge nostrils. I'm not this ugly. No way. I would never get caught anywhere near a late-model BMW, not one with such an ugly frontend design.
Username
I really dislike those beaver teeth!
yawood
@veryken and username. I wholeheartedly agree. I own a 2016 428i Gran Coupe with the original, normal sized, kidney grills and I would never swap it for one of the later ones with the ridiculously large grills. If they made both new, I bet the normal sized one would outsell the larger one by 10 to 1.
AllenH
I have had one since April and do agree about how they feel to drive. I've been a BMW owner and driver for far too many years to remember and keep coming back to them because of how they feel to drive. I've tried a lot of other cars and agree very much with the Author. My i4 which is a middle of the range one replaced a Tesla model 3 performance that I was very happy to give back because acceleration aside driver feels was terrible, high speed cornering and braking feel were very poor and just living with it on a daily basis was annoying. I do agree with other commenters about how the front looks, they will never be as good to look at as say an e24 635csi or an E9 3.0 csl or even an E30 325i but I seldom see the front of the car so it doesn't really worry me. I do however spend a lot of time driving it so how it does that is vastly more important to me.
Jinpa
Any Audi is more pleasant to drive than any BMW. BMWs are for people who want a lot of road feel, and driving control. Audis are for people who want quiet, smooth rides without a lot of road feel but who want a lot of driving control. We had four Audis, then switched to Hondas, because Audis and presumably BMWs are very expensive to maintain. Unfortunately Honda discontinued the Clarity PHEV, instead of continuing and upgrading it. Find a used one if you can.