[ebmwdvr]

I did look at the Q4 even the Q8 sport back etron and i like them both….but i’ ve been a BMW enthusiast my entire life, and a transit to Audi seems even harder for me, as i was always more than satisfied by BMW cars.

Currently and Audi ICE owner and was waiting for q6 Etron on new platform but it got delayed. So on waiting list for i4 m50 and switching to BMW.

 

[i4eD40]

I had a 2012 X5D and it had every option available from the factory, MSRP was pretty close to 100K. I was the second owner. While the the X5 was nice for the nearly 8years I owned it, i4 is far better. Comfort, noise, handling, etc far better. Only thing the i4 lacks is the 7 seat passenger capacity and the ability to swallow large amount of stuff. I've never gone off-roading or even took the X5 on dirt roads so I don't miss the extra suspension travel.

 

[Chuck]

I've always driven a sedan or coupe, and I will never enjoy driving my wife's SUV. It's like switching from a go-kart to a school bus. If you enjoy driving a school bus, then the i4 may not be for you.

 

[tonorc]

I have an i4 M50 but my wife won't drive it. She likes SUV's. We lucked out and are waiting for delivery of a March production X5 45e to replace her X3. Possibly find a used one??
I like the iX but had range / charging concerns in Western Canada. Same curved display and shortage of buttons as the i4.

 

[6452]

The new X5 in Greece starts from 135.000€ and can easily get up to 150.000 adding a few extras. This plus the heavy tax system makes a purchase of this magnitude feel like buying a super car or at least a model 8 ….

I'm sorry to hear that. That is almost double what it starts for here in the US.

 

[Mr_E28]

I feel like the space really isn't an issue... it's the low seating position. You will be low to the ground, and it is a bit harder to get in and out of compared to an SUV. It feels like there is less space, but there is actually a lot of space in the i4.

 

[Trej]

Don't get the i4, stay with iX3 or iX... And if range is an issue, maybe don't go electric right now

 

[mikealberti]

The i4 is a small sports car, very different than an SUV. For BMW electric SUV did you consider the iX or the iX3? Also unlike the i4 M50 which is all wheel drive, the eDrive40 is only rear wheel drive, very different from what you’re used to.

The i4 eDrive 40 is a great car, but definitely no spacious 4 wheel drive SUV.

I also have driven SUVs for most of the last 25 years. Before that I was a strict, two-seater sports car guy. With the new, i4, I occasionally miss having more space in the back, but in my mind, it is much less important than the performance and savings on gas that I get now. The interior of my car, an I 50, is gorgeous, and every bit as nice as my SUVs. It is not a Porsche 911, but it also is much more forgiving and friendly to drive. In other words, a good compromise.

 

[Vassilis]

I also have driven SUVs for most of the last 25 years. Before that I was a strict, two-seater sports car guy. With the new, i4, I occasionally miss having more space in the back, but in my mind, it is much less important than the performance and savings on gas that I get now. The interior of my car, an I 50, is gorgeous, and every bit as nice as my SUVs. It is not a Porsche 911, but it also is much more forgiving and friendly to drive. In other words, a good compromise.

Thank you so much for sharing your point of view

 

[9thbeemer]

For the past 10 years i' ve been driving and X5 (2012 model 3.0), and even before that another X5 (2004 model 4.4). Three months ago i ordered my first electric car the i4 ev40. Since, i 've been questioning myself if this was the right choice to make.

This mainly because i am used to suvs. I really love the large spaces that they have for both the passengers and luggages. They are easy to drive, especially in off road situations (i am located in Greece where most of the beaches in summer have quite awful roads - at least those not packed with tourists), easy in snow conditions (suvs can almost go everywhere with winter tires), and believe it or not, easier to park as you can climb almost everything. Not to mention flooded roads ( a common thing here ) that suvs have absolutely no problem with.

Of course i do get all the benefits that you have from using an electric car (and this is the reason i ordered it), but still i have my doubts. Will i miss the luxury and spaces of the X5? As a SUV lover, will i find the transition, an easy one, or will i soon regret it, upon receiving the i4? I do have the filing that i made a big mistake, but all the comments at this forum speak about a great car and a great experience, and this keeps my order going.

I will appreciate any thoughts or opinions from anyone with similar experience to mine.

I have and i4 and also have a seven-year-old Suburban. Living in the midwest we deal with snow and very cold and hot temps. I love my i4 but wouldn't want it as my only vehicle. I think you would definitely miss the space and capabilities of an SUV. I rely on my Suburban in very bad weather and temperature extremes. There is a big drop in range when it gets cold or hot and you're running the AC. You also mentioned flooded roads - I would be quite concerned if you had to drive any electric car in water deep enough to risk submerging the battery. Also bad roads would really drop your range. If you have doubts, you should probably hold off buying it.

 

[Vassilis]

I have and i4 and also have a seven-year-old Suburban. Living in the midwest we deal with snow and very cold and hot temps. I love my i4 but wouldn't want it as my only vehicle. I think you would definitely miss the space and capabilities of an SUV. I rely on my Suburban in very bad weather and temperature extremes. There is a big drop in range when it gets cold or hot and you're running the AC. You also mentioned flooded roads - I would be quite concerned if you had to drive any electric car in water deep enough to risk submerging the battery. Also bad roads would really drop your range. If you have doubts, you should probably hold off buying it.

Everything points towards keeping my SUV as well, and having to deal with the increased taxes afterwards.

 

[kindofblue]

It is not a Porsche 911

I was at a BMW Car Control Clinic in Feb and a new Porsche 911 was in front of me in line for running the autocross course. He showed us the rear hatch that opens up to add oil and windshield wiper fluid and brake fluid IIRC. We asked him about oil changes and he said they take off the back bumper to access the engine. Wow.

Oh and he got the "crushed cone" award in our group for having demolished the most small orange cones during the training. He also drove so hard at one point on the skid pad exercise he spun out, doing a 360 before stopping amid a cloud of his smoking rubber.

I like drifting as much as much as many people do but prefer wet or snow covered surfaces to save the tires.

Now back to your regularly scheduled posts.

 

[Vassilis]

Its almost a year and a half after i started this thread and i feel that i have to come back to it. Not as a question any more, but as an advise to everyone. I am sure you have all heard the following saying: "When man makes a plan, God laughs at it". Same thing happened to me. I did order the i4, and even gave a downpayment for it, but immediately afterwards, i lost my father from cancer, my best friend from kidney treatment disease and i got divorced. All these within two months. I had to cancel my order and restart my life.

So reading all my above thoughts now, just a year away, it sounds more like a bad joke to me, rather than reality. Anyway, having entirely different needs now, i sold my X5 and ordered again the i4. It sounds like the best choice now . So people, don' t make plans, as life has its own plans for you! Instead, live your life the best way you can, as you never know what comes ahead.

A week, before finally becoming an i4 owner too!

 

[ssh]

I have a relatively new mantra which plays to this: "If not now, when?"