Pricing
eDrive35 - $52,395 MSRP
$51,019
Federal EV Tax Credit: not eligible The eDrive35 trim does not qualify for the Clean Vehicle Credit.
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2023 i4, so we've included reviews for other years of the i4 since its last redesign.
Our first EV
BaronofGreymatter, 03/22/2023
updated 12/21/2023
2023 BMW i4 eDrive40 4dr Sedan (electric DD)
34 of 34 people found this review helpful
In 2020 we built a new net-zero house with a 15 kW solar array, so when the lease on our 2019 Honda CR-V ended, we shopped for an EV to replace it. We tested the Model Y, Mach-E, ID.4, EV6, Ioniq 5, BMW iX, and BMW i4, settling on an i4 eDrive 40 with the M-Sport package. This was a big step for us not only in the switch to an EV, but also because it replaced an AWD SUV (our other car is a 2018 Audi S4). We chose the i4 based on driving dynamics, range, and build quality, figuring that the large hatchback would manage 99% of the hauling tasks of an SUV or wagon. We chose the RWD i4 based on better range and driving dynamics than the AWD i4 M50. Living on the south coast of MA, winters are mild so we anticipated that RWD and the OEM all-season (i.e., no season) tires would be sufficient all year round, particularly as we have the S4 with an 18" winter wheel and tire package for those few days when RWD might be dicey. I love performance cars, which is the i4 emphatically not, but it is so rewarding to drive that I hardly use the S4 anymore. The dynamics are quite good. Steering unsurprisingly lacks feel but is accurate with crisp turn-in and good centering (we got the dynamic steering option). We got the M-Sport package because that was the only way to get adaptive dampers. The car corners fairly flat and comfort mode hits an excellent balance between absorbing bumps while limiting excess body motion. The car can hustle and has decent grip on the OEM Pirelli P Zeros, but the 4680-pound curb weight makes it more of a luxurious cruiser than a sport sedan, despite the pretense. Given that weight, we opted for the uprated brakes, but they hardly ever get used since the regen works so well. At least the brake pedal feel is good and the transitions from regen to mechanical braking are imperceptible. The single motor i4 has more than adequate acceleration (high 4 to low 5 sec 0-60 according to reviews) and has the typical EV benefit of instant torque that makes merging on highways or passing bicycles on country roads easy. It feels quite a bit like my BMW R1250RS motorbike in that regard, but without the sustained push. The interior build quality and feel are great, and the car is very quiet on the road. We got the Harmon Kardon sound system upgrade and it's worth the money, particularly because the background noise level is minimal. This is the first car I've owned where listening to classical music is worthwhile. The interior downsides are the center tunnel (this is a dual-purpose ICE/EV platform) and limited rear passenger leg and headroom. Not a problem for us with no kids or dogs but could deter many. The hatch works well, and the car can easily haul a bicycle or all our trash & recycling for the dump run. The iDrive 8 infotainment system is on par with better end of those in EVs we tested (ID.4 the worst) but the lack of physical buttons for some functions is irritating. My biggest gripe is with turning on the seat heaters (at least the steering wheel has a one-level physical button) and the lack of physical audio preset buttons. Voice control works well but is too laggy for flipping between Sirius XM channels. The graphic quality of the display is excellent, and we haven't had any issues with using it in bright sun or at night. The heads up display also works well and has multiple options but it's inconsistent in showing next turn instructions from Waze via Android Auto. I don't know if that's BMW or an Android Auto or Waze programming issue. Sometimes the instructions show on the HUD and sometimes they don't, The OEM nav is probably okay but hasn't seen much use since Waze is better even if I can only see it on the infotainment screen and not the HUD. We initially optioned dynamic cruise control and 360-degree parking camera, but those became unavailable as the wiring harnesses were made in Ukraine. Damn Putin! One downside of the M-Sport package is that it only comes with staggered width 19" wheels. Those large contact patches cost about 7% of range compared to the 18s on the base e40. Given the way we drive the car, I'd happily give up some grip for better range. Despite big wheels, the car has been more efficient than we expected. Our solar array makes more power than the house uses, and MA has net metering, so we have paid nothing for charging over the first 20,000 miles of use (October 2022 through December 2024). When the weather is good (no rain, temps in the high 40s to low 70s) we routinely see 3.7 to 4.2 mi/kWh or better in mixed driving that's about 80% highway. Average mi/kWh since factory now sits at 3.9. It loses 20-25% of range in cold weather, with a low of 3.0 mi/kWh with temps in the single digits. Still, there is enough capacity (81.5 kWh) that even in the worst conditions I can make my once a week 150-mile round trip commute while keeping the state of charge between 80-20%. I believe that I could beat the EPA rated range 282-mile range in ideal conditions. Since we bought the car outright, I'm trying to keep the SOC in the 80-20 range. So far, I have avoided DC fast charging. For longer trips, particularly in foul weather, we use the S4. When I started looking at EVs I never imagined buying one built on an ICE platform, but the test drive sealed the deal for the i4. Something about the low center of gravity, very quiet cabin, and nicely balanced suspension makes the i4 driving experience feel like a much more expensive luxury car. Despite being a petrol-head and former amateur motorcycle road racer, the peak i4 driving experience for me is serenely wafting along in that comfortable and quiet cabin, listening to music, and eking out the highest mi/kWh I can. It's fun to try and maximize coasting and then judge the regen invoked by moving the drive selector from D to B so the car stops at a light or intersection without touching the brake. Another benefit of being inside the car is not having to look at its godawful nose. At least it has a low coefficient of drag. The i4 might not appeal to a wide audience, but for us it's near perfect. I'd give it five stars if we could have got the dynamic cruise and parking assist features. The first scheduled maintenance is at 40,000 miles and is relatively trivial. Compared to all the ICE cars I've owned, that's remarkable. I suspect the brake rotors will go at least100,000 miles whereas our previous Audis, Toyotas, and Hondas all required new rotors by 40,000. The negatives are minor so far. The M steering wheel is too thick and the metal trim on its spokes are very cold and take a long time to warm up in winter despite the heated wheel. The outside doorhandles are oddly designed, making it easy for your hand to slide off when trying to open them. The blind spot warning lights in the side mirrors are too small peripherally placed to be ideal. Our Audi S4 has big warning lights in the side mirror bezel that is much better, but the mirror placement in i4 wouldn't allow it. The flat top of the rear bumper trim is a dirt magnet. Might be better if it was angled down a bit. That's about all I have to complain about so far.
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Ultimate EV Driving Machine
Razvan Simonica, 11/09/2022
2023 BMW i4 eDrive40 4dr Sedan (electric DD)
17 of 17 people found this review helpful
I have owned the BMW i4 now for 2 weeks and it has not disappointed. The comfort level is outstanding and battery distance is unbelievable 300+ miles. It rides so nice and have receive multiple compliment on the choice of color, the San Remo Green. If anyone is contemplating an EV and wants something other than the same old Tesla I would highly recoutaki g a look at this beauty.
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I love my 2023 i4 eDrive40
Mick1969, 12/28/2022
2023 BMW i4 eDrive40 4dr Sedan (electric DD)
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
I got very lucky in that someone had backed out on their VERY well spec'd 2023 I4 eDrive40 in late Dec 22. It has everything I want and only missing what I don't want (such as parking assistance). This car is fast, smooth, comfortable and relaxing to drive. The Harmon Kardon is the best I've heard in a car (I've owned many, many BMWs) and dare I compare the sound to the Bowers and Wilkins? It sounds that good. And the hatchback is just awesome! Two thumbs up on this well built, good looking EV. Some of the comments made by the two testers are wrong (such as the cons - they shouldn't compare the engagement to an ICE vehicle), but they're entitled to make those type of comments.
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I was hoping but not quite there yet BMW
M-T, 05/06/2023
2023 BMW i4 eDrive35 4dr Sedan (electric DD)
24 of 29 people found this review helpful
I recently took delivery of an i4 eDrive 35, the BMW dealer in Kelowna refers to it as i4-35. I waited about 6 months to get it and I think that is actually pretty fast. It only went into production in November '22 and I got mine in April '23. I was so looking forward to getting this car with all the advertised features like the 418KM range, being able to use your phone as a key, advanced driving features like lane centering, lane changing and following a lane or cars on the freeway in cruise control. I ordered everything on the menu and even got rejected for the suspension upgrades. So I'm thinking that I'm getting all this, right? April comes, I got to pick up the car and it was a beauty. However, just getting in the car, first thing I noticed is that the advanced driving package wasn't in there. Oh how upset was I. Dealer tells me that the Advanced Driving Package was not available on the eDrive35 when we were ordering it - so he didn't discuss it with me. Pure shock on my part - I would have simply waited or bought the eDrive40 - how can you not tell me? Anyways, big fight, they refused any responsibility and they already had my money so I figured, let's go with the car in this configuration and see. Things I like: 1) Looks, fit and finish are incredible. Exactly what I expect from BMW 2) I love my buttons, which is a main reason for going with BMW over Tesla and Polestar's laptops. Connected Drive and iDrive 8 work great. 3) The center console display is crystal clear and easy to use. You can control things by voice, buttons or through the touchscreen. I'm beginning to get used to just driving the system by voice. "OK BMW set the passenger temperature to 21" ! 4) Straight-line take-off is fantastic and you just can't get enough of that 5) Charging times are very acceptable and usually I'm done in 30 to 45 minutes at level 3 6) Range seems to be in line with their ads but I'm not sure since their range indicator is kind of a random creature - you cannot rely on it and need to go by your charge gauge. I ordered the car with 18" wheel to make sure I get the best range possible and that seems to have been the right choice so far. 7) The Harmon Kardon sounds system is freaking incredible. Is like a concert hall in that beast. Just love it. Also, love that you can set the sound settings for individual stations and inputs. 8) The Iconic sounds sound gimmicky, but I'm thoroughly enjoying them with Sport mode. Don't seem to be getting it in any other mode. Here are my issues and dislikes so far: 1) In an attempt to reduce the base price of the car for government grant qualifications, BMW has created a massive collection of confusing options. Per the story above - I personally got bit by this messy approach and may never buy a BMW from one of their dealers again. Dealers add no value here and they should go with the Tesla sales model. 2) I have a Samsung Flip phone - apparently that isn't supported by the car and BMW support tells me that their support for Android phones is lagging - really, the largest phone OS in the world is lagging? So no phone door opener. They need to stop advertising this. 3) The "OK BMW" voice control is brilliant. Except it takes forever to do anything. I ask it "set the temperature to 20" ... wait 5 seconds and it might say ok or "that command is not supported". Unless the voice control can do what I ask for simple things like bringing up sounds settings in less than 2 or 3 seconds then I'd mark this as useless in real life. Great show and tell the first 2 times. Needs work BMW, it is too slow. 4) The advertise Alexa in home integration so you can check on your car's charge and status from inside your house. I have spent hours trying to get this to work and it simply does not work. They need to stop advertising this. 5) The Range indicator is always telling me I am going to get between 200 and 300 KM's. Even at 100% charge the range indicator states 330 KM of charge. I don't think this is a correct indication but it is nowhere near the 418 Kilometers they are advertising. They need to stop advertising this. 6) I was really looking forward to the heads up display when I ordered it. During the day I can barely see it, even at 100% brightness. At night, because I set it so bright for the day, it is really distracting until I re-adjust the brightness to 50% or lower. They need some kind of auto adjust here. 7) This is a powerful beast but seems really, really heavy and you feel that around the windy corners. It's pretty good but don't expect a 3 series or 4 series kind of handling. 8) The auto parking is cool when it works but in our underground parkade it is batting around 20% success rate. I'm not sure if this is lighting or what. Outside, it is doing much better at 80% success rate. 9) I have a massive song collection that I wanted to plug in via USB. This has not been as easy as what I had in the 328d. Took me days just to get the songs just right for i4-35 to recognize them and I think it kind of has figured out most of my playlists too. But there is no feedback regarding any errors. You kind of have to figure it out on your own. 10) I noticed you can now buy an aftermarket Frunk for your i4. Really? BMW, did you cheap out on this too? I'm getting so sick and tired of their nickle and dimming. Just put it together and tell me what it costs. 11) The 360 reversing camera is awesome. Until it is not. The screen is split in two halves. The left screen/camera seems accurate, but the right screen shows like a weird wall next to the car if you are backing up with anything to your side. Needs work. I really wish I could have experienced the Advanced Driving Package but because of BMW's gong show of options and lack of dealer knowledge about their own product I'll have to wait. Maybe for the better given the issues already on the table for the i4.
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A wonderful car, if you can manage to get one
Don Norman, 11/08/2022
2023 BMW i4 M50 4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD)
9 of 12 people found this review helpful
The BMW i4 has all of the safety and design features I seek, plus BMW's high quality of production. But to get all the safety features requires another $10,000 for the M 50 model -- they are not available as options for the straight i4. Driving the car was a pleasure, but I don't want all the performance features of the M series car: I want the safety ones. BMW has done a good job by its use of mechanical switches and knobs, not screens that take attention away from driving. Cars that are moving toward all digital touch screen displays instead of physical controls are making a serious safety error. BMW has the right mix: large screens to display information, but physical controls where attention to the road is essential. Their heads-up display is well done. But good luck on getting the vehicle. I can't even place the order because there are not enough slots allocated to dealers.
BMW i4 is all the sport expected from a BMW
Wanderar , 06/29/2023
2022 BMW i4 eDrive40 4dr Sedan (electric DD)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
The i4 has all the feel and drive performance expected from an BMW. The curved touchscreen extension from the main dash is a great look and feel. The car drives like a car that happens to be electric, not an electric motor given wheels. The craftsmanship is what I expected from BMW. Not cheap, but a middle price in the EV market. Price/distance per charge is good, with an average of 160 miles between 25%-80% charging.
My 4th and Best BMW
Brian - Seattle, Washington , 12/09/2023
2023 BMW i4 M50 4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
After owning 3 BMW M sport models starting in 1997, in 2022 I decided to order my first EV,. My 2023 Portimao Blue I4 M50 arrived in February 2023. After driving it for 10 months I rate this the BEST BMW I have owned. With 536 hp it out performs any of my previous BMW’s and has the best road manners. I love my I4 M50
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Welcome home gorgeous!
MAT, 04/22/2023
2023 BMW i4 eDrive35 4dr Sedan (electric DD)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
We just got our eDrive35 in British Columbia. The dealer neglected to advise that the eDrive35 did NOT get the Advanced Driver Assistance. So VERY disappointed in BMW and their dealer network. This is why dealers are going to be a thing of the past a simple web site could do a better job of telling you what you get and what you don't. Anyways, the rest of the car is simply incredible. We got the white with conjac interior. Excellent quality, feel and comfort. So far, the car is just tight and well made - solid. I'm not sure about the mileage quite yet. With 90% charge, the distance estimator thinks I can do 370 KM. That's a lot below the advertised 418KM to this point. I've heard that the car estimator will get better and better as you use it and gets more accurate as it figures out the environment and driving style. On the charging, at 50KW on a level 2 charger it seems to charge at 1% per minute. As far as room goes, there is a ton of cargo room back there. However, no trunk and back seat is a little tight ... ok a lot tight. So far we have been pleased as punch with everything in this car. The only advice I have for potential purchasers is to buy, but know EXACTLY which packages you are delivered - this can be a real big list and very confusing if you don't have a good sales consultant.
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Very different experience with electric car.
Chuong Dang, 01/03/2023
2023 BMW i4 eDrive40 4dr Sedan (electric DD)
8 of 12 people found this review helpful
I decided to choose the BMW as my first electric car. Advantages of sports car design, high performance. Cons: battery life is not as expected.
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a curb will total this car
Charisse, Norwalk, cT, 10/31/2023
2023 BMW i4 M50 4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD)
7 of 13 people found this review helpful
It seemed like an amazing car. After having the car for three weeks, I was leaving a drive-through and touched a curb at 5 mph. There was no visible damage to the car. When looking under the car there was a 2 inch gap in the battery casing with no undercarriage damage evident. The insurance company totaled the car as the minimal cost was $28,000 and they couldn't tell if there would be damage found to the battery. The car is too low and the battery too close to each wheel. STAY AWAY
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