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Finally the car is here and ready to share the first impressions of my long awaited (11 months to be exact) i4 M50. I might update the review as I am learning the car. I will be comparing it to some cars I've owned, or own: Merc E300E 2021, BMW 330E G20, Tesla Model 3P 2022 (current next to i4M50), iX3 2021 pre-face lift (previous BMW).
Config: i4M50, 18" 858, rear spoiler delete, color: Brooklyn Grey, full electric and heated seats, adaptive cruise, comfort access, wireless charger, parking assistant plus.
Aim of the config: power of the M50, but with maximum range possible.
Drive comfort. 8/10, I'd say on par with Merc E Class, but firmer and sportier of course. Swallows any bad roads like cobblestone or potholes with pride. Not as planted and not as "go kart" direct as the T M3P, but also not so twitchy at the same time. Very very quiet, even without double pane glass, especially no road noise or wheel arch noise, BMW did an amazing job here.
Driving dynamics. Straight line: 8/10. Super quick and engaging in a straight line. Not ranking higher due to torque steer on front wheels. Twisty road: 7/10. It is heavy and it cuts power excessively on a twisty road. Understeer much. If you don't want that to happen - go i4 40, it is much more playful. With the m50 you can still have fun, but you MUST go DSC OFF, as simply switching to Traction doesn't change much. DSC OFF allows for some fun in turns, but the car remains heavy and AWD.
Efficiency. I couldn't do full length tests, but did several reference points today. Please note, weather was 19-21c and absolutely no wind, so pretty much best conditions possible. So direction of driving didn't matter. I drove both south and north on the A2 between Amsterdam and Utrecht. Drive mode: ECO PRO individual (without ECO PRO airco). Front passenger airco on at 20c. Rear passenger airco was on and set at 20c too (you can save a bit more power by turning it off if no one in the back). Screenshots to follow.
Drive modes. Speaking of drive modes, this is the only BMW so far where I don't mind the ECO PRO mode. All other ones (330e, iX3) became very spongy with acceleration pedal and far from linear (need to press far to get some acceleration). Not so much in the M50 - ECO PRO remains very responsive and sporty, it also eliminates torque steer when accelerating hard. So actually a total winner mode so far. The car still kicks like a mule. Also it's super quiet as it by default disables all the Hans Zimmer madness.
Build quality. Interior: absolutely amazing. I chose Sensatec seats with alcantara. Total winner. By the way, I couldn't tell difference on leather bits from my Vernasca leather iX3 or 330E. Super quality really. All interior trims solid, no squeaks or rattles whatsoever. Exterior: outstanding build, EXCEPT for some parts: that hockey stick end air breather flexes by simply pressing with your thumb (!), also front air breathers just flex pressing them, I think even a kid can press them and flex them.
Infotainment. Great (8.5/10), mainly due to great wireless Carplay integration, curvature towards the driver and the sheer size. Super snappy too. Didn't try BMW maps yet, as I almost never use them. The screen get HOT though, like literally - its running very hot, both front of the screen and rear. It didn't hang or get reset as of yet, but something tells me on a hot summer day (30c+) it might be an issue.
Sound quality. 8.5/10. Huge positive surprise. I didn't option HK this time (had it on my iX3 so have a good reference point), and the Hi-Fi (so mid-tier) audio has definitely been improved over previous cars, no kidding. I had the hi-fi option on my G20 330E and it sucked big time. So I already made peace with the thought of having a sub-par audio. Boy was I surprised - it is much crispier, better positioned, much deeper base and also clearer mids and highs. Loving it. It's really on par with Tesla premium audio (or whatever they call it), which is quite good. And definitely not worse than iX3 HK. Miles ahead of G20 Hi-Fi option. One addition: BMW updated the M50 with new more aggressive Hans Zimmer sound samples and the car actually makes very engaging and interesting sounds in Sport Boost now. This was not the case on demo models and as heard in most reviews (just a boring monotonous sound). So try it.
Rear view. Non existent (3/10). Get the 360 cameras, it' a must. Front view: 7.5/10. Good view, but not as wide and immersive as the M3P. The long hood of M50 gets a bit in the way (I like to sit in the lowest possible position). Side view. 7.5/10. Doors are quite high; decent view out (so not as bad as in a Polestar 2), but also not as good as in the M3P / Model Y. Overall - not disturbing at all, provided you have opted for 360 cameras with top view, especially when reversing it is truly amazing due to the huge screen size, no need to look in the tiny rear window.
HPC charging speed. 8.5/10 Didn't have time to test fully and couldn't get my car below 43% state of charge today (dealer delivered with 80%+). However the positive news is that at Ionity with 43% SOC the car was charging with 170kwh; at 50% SOC was charging with 120kwh (which is great - anything above 100kwh at 50% is good). I stopped charging at about 70% with still about 86kwh, so very very satisfied with the preliminary result.
Practicality / space. 8/10. Front passenger space - perfect. Some soft cushioning for the right knee (Polestar go home). Plenty of headspace. Rear passenger space - up to 1.75m all good. Above - not so much. Trying to sit behind myself (1.86m) wasn't comfortable at all, but moving the front sit literally a couple of cm resolved the issue. Child seat with a base (maxi-cosi) - fits well, but front passenger will not have much space or angle of the seat must be more vertical to accommodate. Trunk space - very spacious (470L + underboot) and super easy access as a lift back. also some nice side cubby space. Underboot space is quite decent, in case you don't opt for the HK (as it would place a subwoofer there). Without it you can store your cables and many other things, including a 17" laptop bag for example, you could even stack 2 of those.
Overall impression then - very solid experience. Car feels like a high quality, well made and well rounded product, with nice services built around it as well (BMW charging, My BMW, digital key, etc). I think it's more of a GT than a sports car (i.e. it's no M3/M4 and don't even try to compare. It is also not as direct and sporty as an M3P), the M50 is perfect for long distances of autobahn, or even daily city driving as it isolates the hectic world outside really well and absorbs any speed bumps or potholes rather well. Personally - I think it is the best that BMW has to offer right now (iX might be 2nd best, but it looks rather weird; with iX3 being somewhat outdated already). The car feels much more like a 5 series (weight and comfort wise) than the 4GC (i.e. petrol or previous gen 4GC), which can be a good thing if it is what you value and expect. Finally, the car offers plenty of space, for a family of 2 or family of 2 + 1 kid for sure. 2 kids you might need to look for something bigger. In the end, the M50 feels like a better product than my M3P overall, so the Tesla is being sold and the M50 will be kept.
Hope I was able to cover it well for a one day experience so far.
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Config: i4M50, 18" 858, rear spoiler delete, color: Brooklyn Grey, full electric and heated seats, adaptive cruise, comfort access, wireless charger, parking assistant plus.
Aim of the config: power of the M50, but with maximum range possible.
Drive comfort. 8/10, I'd say on par with Merc E Class, but firmer and sportier of course. Swallows any bad roads like cobblestone or potholes with pride. Not as planted and not as "go kart" direct as the T M3P, but also not so twitchy at the same time. Very very quiet, even without double pane glass, especially no road noise or wheel arch noise, BMW did an amazing job here.
Driving dynamics. Straight line: 8/10. Super quick and engaging in a straight line. Not ranking higher due to torque steer on front wheels. Twisty road: 7/10. It is heavy and it cuts power excessively on a twisty road. Understeer much. If you don't want that to happen - go i4 40, it is much more playful. With the m50 you can still have fun, but you MUST go DSC OFF, as simply switching to Traction doesn't change much. DSC OFF allows for some fun in turns, but the car remains heavy and AWD.
Efficiency. I couldn't do full length tests, but did several reference points today. Please note, weather was 19-21c and absolutely no wind, so pretty much best conditions possible. So direction of driving didn't matter. I drove both south and north on the A2 between Amsterdam and Utrecht. Drive mode: ECO PRO individual (without ECO PRO airco). Front passenger airco on at 20c. Rear passenger airco was on and set at 20c too (you can save a bit more power by turning it off if no one in the back). Screenshots to follow.
- 100km/h: 16.1kwh --> theoretical range 500km
- 120km/h: 17.2kwh --> theoretical range 468km
- 130km/h: 20.1kwh --> theoretical range 400km
Drive modes. Speaking of drive modes, this is the only BMW so far where I don't mind the ECO PRO mode. All other ones (330e, iX3) became very spongy with acceleration pedal and far from linear (need to press far to get some acceleration). Not so much in the M50 - ECO PRO remains very responsive and sporty, it also eliminates torque steer when accelerating hard. So actually a total winner mode so far. The car still kicks like a mule. Also it's super quiet as it by default disables all the Hans Zimmer madness.
Build quality. Interior: absolutely amazing. I chose Sensatec seats with alcantara. Total winner. By the way, I couldn't tell difference on leather bits from my Vernasca leather iX3 or 330E. Super quality really. All interior trims solid, no squeaks or rattles whatsoever. Exterior: outstanding build, EXCEPT for some parts: that hockey stick end air breather flexes by simply pressing with your thumb (!), also front air breathers just flex pressing them, I think even a kid can press them and flex them.
Infotainment. Great (8.5/10), mainly due to great wireless Carplay integration, curvature towards the driver and the sheer size. Super snappy too. Didn't try BMW maps yet, as I almost never use them. The screen get HOT though, like literally - its running very hot, both front of the screen and rear. It didn't hang or get reset as of yet, but something tells me on a hot summer day (30c+) it might be an issue.
Sound quality. 8.5/10. Huge positive surprise. I didn't option HK this time (had it on my iX3 so have a good reference point), and the Hi-Fi (so mid-tier) audio has definitely been improved over previous cars, no kidding. I had the hi-fi option on my G20 330E and it sucked big time. So I already made peace with the thought of having a sub-par audio. Boy was I surprised - it is much crispier, better positioned, much deeper base and also clearer mids and highs. Loving it. It's really on par with Tesla premium audio (or whatever they call it), which is quite good. And definitely not worse than iX3 HK. Miles ahead of G20 Hi-Fi option. One addition: BMW updated the M50 with new more aggressive Hans Zimmer sound samples and the car actually makes very engaging and interesting sounds in Sport Boost now. This was not the case on demo models and as heard in most reviews (just a boring monotonous sound). So try it.
Rear view. Non existent (3/10). Get the 360 cameras, it' a must. Front view: 7.5/10. Good view, but not as wide and immersive as the M3P. The long hood of M50 gets a bit in the way (I like to sit in the lowest possible position). Side view. 7.5/10. Doors are quite high; decent view out (so not as bad as in a Polestar 2), but also not as good as in the M3P / Model Y. Overall - not disturbing at all, provided you have opted for 360 cameras with top view, especially when reversing it is truly amazing due to the huge screen size, no need to look in the tiny rear window.
HPC charging speed. 8.5/10 Didn't have time to test fully and couldn't get my car below 43% state of charge today (dealer delivered with 80%+). However the positive news is that at Ionity with 43% SOC the car was charging with 170kwh; at 50% SOC was charging with 120kwh (which is great - anything above 100kwh at 50% is good). I stopped charging at about 70% with still about 86kwh, so very very satisfied with the preliminary result.
Practicality / space. 8/10. Front passenger space - perfect. Some soft cushioning for the right knee (Polestar go home). Plenty of headspace. Rear passenger space - up to 1.75m all good. Above - not so much. Trying to sit behind myself (1.86m) wasn't comfortable at all, but moving the front sit literally a couple of cm resolved the issue. Child seat with a base (maxi-cosi) - fits well, but front passenger will not have much space or angle of the seat must be more vertical to accommodate. Trunk space - very spacious (470L + underboot) and super easy access as a lift back. also some nice side cubby space. Underboot space is quite decent, in case you don't opt for the HK (as it would place a subwoofer there). Without it you can store your cables and many other things, including a 17" laptop bag for example, you could even stack 2 of those.
Overall impression then - very solid experience. Car feels like a high quality, well made and well rounded product, with nice services built around it as well (BMW charging, My BMW, digital key, etc). I think it's more of a GT than a sports car (i.e. it's no M3/M4 and don't even try to compare. It is also not as direct and sporty as an M3P), the M50 is perfect for long distances of autobahn, or even daily city driving as it isolates the hectic world outside really well and absorbs any speed bumps or potholes rather well. Personally - I think it is the best that BMW has to offer right now (iX might be 2nd best, but it looks rather weird; with iX3 being somewhat outdated already). The car feels much more like a 5 series (weight and comfort wise) than the 4GC (i.e. petrol or previous gen 4GC), which can be a good thing if it is what you value and expect. Finally, the car offers plenty of space, for a family of 2 or family of 2 + 1 kid for sure. 2 kids you might need to look for something bigger. In the end, the M50 feels like a better product than my M3P overall, so the Tesla is being sold and the M50 will be kept.
Hope I was able to cover it well for a one day experience so far.
.Is the Spotify app already installed when you receive the car? or you have to install it after you configure your profile and add the car to your in my bmw app.
