[footie]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

Ok after having the i4M50 for 10 days now I think I can give a reasonably good opinion on how I now feel about the switch from the M5 Competition and whether it was the right move or not. I will touch on how the car drives, some of the tech which might be different depending of what’s allowed in your country and finally range and cost of ownership.

1: How it drives

The switch from the M5 was made on a financial basis because currently there’s tax benefits for business customers and due to shortages of second hand cars my M5 was holding a premium but it still had to drive like a proper BMW for me to be happy with my decision. The most noticeable difference is the instant performance on tap, my M5 was no slouch but compared to this it feels slow, in sport boost the push in the back is brutal there’s no other word to describe it, even in ECO Pro it’s got enough performance for day to day driving to not need either Comfort or Sport and can overtake at the kind of pace one would associate with a top level hot hatch.

Handling, a sticky point for most because at 2.2 ton it’s a real porker and yet it can tackle corners with surprising composure, I am sure if you really started to push at speeds that would lose you your license it’s composure would fall apart but you will not experience this on the road at real world speeds, the only real negative I can point at is the steering feel which simply isn’t there and I can’t quite understand why this should be, it’s perfectly accurate but you feel nothing. Plus points, the brakes seem to be good and the ride quality to a definitely step up from the M5, its rides more like my 740d did which is amazing considering it’s size and how it tackles corners.

2: The technology

The contains some pretty cool tech, if you aren’t on the throttle and approaching a car in front of you that’s traveling slower it automatic brakes for you, likewise entering a slower speed zone without throttle it slows the car to within 5 mph of the speed limit before freewheeling again. Then there’s the cruise control which allows you to SET the speed to the new speed limit you are approaching and it auto adjusts itself, I am finding myself using this function all the time, it’s probably been available before but it’s new to me. Also new to me but probably no to other electric car owners is the departure conditioning function, basically set the time you intend to leave the house on the app and the car pre warms itself cabin etc which is brilliant in cold mornings. Also like how you can set the charging time with the app which is good if you have an EV electricity tariff which is cheaper at night.

3: Running costs and range

Of course we are in difficult times with regards to fuel prices and energy prices so this could vary but I am basing this on present day prices and compared to me M5 which in my opinion is a good comparison because the real world performance of i4M50 is very similar to that of the M5.

I reckon I was probably getting very good mpg out of my M5, I was getting 20mpg (imperial gallons) from mine and based on this figure and the cost I am paying for my electricity (currently don’t have an EV tariff) the i4M50 is working out to be costing my a third of what the M5 cost per mile, so based on my yearly mileage that works out at £2K per year saving. When I switch to an EV tariff this figure will increase by quite a bit so for anyone debating the switch I say it’s a no brainer.

Range on 20” wheels, these are the wider 20s which are offered in the UK but I am 100% getting between 236-244 miles in less than ideal operating temperatures for an electric car, most of my journeys are less than 8 miles which would mean the range might drop with longer journeys but one thing I have found is the state of charge it shows is very accurate to the figure of range it shows so the range left before empty you can believe you’ll achieve.


Conclusion I am over the moon with the car and I can’t recall the last time I felt this happy with a car purchase.

[Cosmo_Kramer]

“The contains some pretty cool tech, if you aren’t on the throttle and approaching a car in front of you that’s traveling slower it automatic brakes for you, likewise entering a slower speed zone without throttle it slows the car to within 5 mph of the speed limit before freewheeling again.”

Can you elaborate how this works? Are you referring to adaptive brake regen or automatic braking with driver assistance pro feature?

[techwhiz1]

Without pictures it didn't happen.
That means we need at least one picture of the car.

[footie]

Originally Posted by techwhiz1

Without pictures it didn't happen.
That means we need at least one picture of the car.

Ok will take a few today and I would like to apologise for the dust as no time to wash it.

[footie]

Originally Posted by Cosmo_Kramer

“The contains some pretty cool tech, if you aren’t on the throttle and approaching a car in front of you that’s traveling slower it automatic brakes for you, likewise entering a slower speed zone without throttle it slows the car to within 5 mph of the speed limit before freewheeling again.”

Can you elaborate how this works? Are you referring to adaptive brake regen or automatic braking with driver assistance pro feature?

Yes on both counts, the adaptive braking which works when cruise control isn’t on, not sure if this is a unique feature of EV cars but I do like it. The other I think I seen it on the latest X5 but can’t be sure, the way it gradually slows to the correct speed is a brilliant feature. Over here you are never too far from a speed camera so this added safety net is very welcome.

P.S.
Only negative I am finding at the moment is that when I am in cruise control I like to tuck my right leg away from the pedals but with the raised floor for the battery pack it's sitting in an awkward position and actually hurting my hip. Will need to find a new position that's more comfortable but other than that extremely pleased.

[spool twice]

Beautiful! And thorough initial review!

[footie]

Originally Posted by spool twice

Beautiful! And thorough initial review!

Thanks, I was all set to get either Brooklyn Grey or Dravit Grey but after seeing the Tranzanite Blue I was smitten.

Driving it in ECO pro mode I can understand why so many say the i4 40 is enough because for day to day driving it really is enough, I compared it to the wife Mk8 Golf R with her behind upon exiting the 30mph limit I gave her 3 honks and we gunned it to 60mph, I pulled an easy 8-10 meters on her so for daily overtaking the ECO is more than enough and anything beyond this (comfort & Sport Boost) are purely for giggles.

Depending on what you had prior to the i4 will determine how you feel about the ride quality, it's significantly better than the M5C.

[riguy]

And as garages go…that's a beautiful one!

[footie]

Originally Posted by riguy

And as garages go…that's a beautiful one!

LOL and a bloody expensive set of garages too, the original intention was to have the one nearest the car done in glass doors for the vintage Mini I have but costs spiralled and that idea had to be knocked on its head.

[Haywood]

Originally Posted by footie

Thanks, I was all set to get either Brooklyn Grey or Dravit Grey but after seeing the Tranzanite Blue I was smitten.

Driving it in ECO pro mode I can understand why so many say the i4 40 is enough because for day to day driving it really is enough, I compared it to the wife Mk8 Golf R with her behind upon exiting the 30mph limit I gave her 3 honks and we gunned it to 60mph, I pulled an easy 8-10 meters on her so for daily overtaking the ECO is more than enough and anything beyond this (comfort & Sport Boost) are purely for giggles.

Depending on what you had prior to the i4 will determine how you feel about the ride quality, it's significantly better than the M5C.

footie, great review. I'm curious what you think you will achieve in terms of miles completely in ECO mode?

[cruzer666]

footie very nice review!

1) I'm jealous
2) are things starting to pop-up you'd want coded?

[bavarianride]

That is a great review, thanks for sharing!

How is experience so far with charging and miles/kWh?

[footie]

Originally Posted by Haywood

footie, great review. I'm curious what you think you will achieve in terms of miles completely in ECO mode?

I seem to be varying between 236-244 miles of range at 100% depending on morning temperature but this 100% very quickly drops to around 96% with 5-8 miles but the actual range stabilises there after and is very consistent in what it shows in battery capacity vs range available.

[techwhiz1]

Nice.
Tanzanite 8s awesome!

My car is Tanzanite, cognac leather and carbon fiber trim.

All options.

I do wish we got the M-seats and tinted glass in the US.

[footie]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

That is a great review, thanks for sharing!

How is experience so far with charging and miles/kWh?

So far it’s a learning curve I’m on. As I enter a town I push the level to B to one pedal driving but the rest of the time I leave it in normal mode but as I said above I’m mostly driving in ECO pro because the performance is plenty enough, in this mode the miles/kW ranges between 2.3-2.5 mostly. I would imagine this will drop a little at motorway speeds where there’s little to no braking to recoup energy and probably only town/city driving would be higher.

[footie]

Originally Posted by techwhiz1

Nice.
Tanzanite 8s awesome!

My car is Tanzanite, cognac leather and carbon fiber trim.

All options.

I do wish we got the M-seats and tinted glass in the US.

I have get to meet a single person who hasn’t commented positively on the colour, depending on the angle and how the light hits the car it can look black but sometimes it’s sparkles with the nicest blue tones I have ever seen in a car paint.

At the time I thought the M-seats offered to the adjustment as the M5 seats did but like the car these seats are also M-Light, they look the part but are very limited in their adjustments.

Funnily in the UK if you pick Cognac interior you can only get that with the M-seats. Carbon trim is a nice addition, I always specced it when I ordered a performance Audi so when I saw it as an option here I had to go for it.

[footie]

Forgot to mention if you have one of the big iPhones the charging pad in the centre console accommodate it, something the M5 didn’t do.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by footie

So far it’s a learning curve I’m on. As I enter a town I push the level to B to one pedal driving but the rest of the time I leave it in normal mode but as I said above I’m mostly driving in ECO pro because the performance is plenty enough, in this mode the miles/kW ranges between 2.3-2.5 mostly. I would imagine this will drop a little at motorway speeds where there’s little to no braking to recoup energy and probably only town/city driving would be higher.

I am interested in i4 M50 and eDrive40 miles/kWh, colleagues can get 4 miles/kWh with their Model 3, I hope i4 can apporach that number too.

[footie]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

I am interested in i4 M50 and eDrive40 miles/kWh, colleagues can get 4 miles/kWh with their Model 3, I hope i4 can apporach that number too.

Maybe the i4 40 might approach that figure but the M50 I very much doubt it.

[techwhiz1]

Originally Posted by footie

Maybe the i4 40 might approach that figure but the M50 I very much doubt it.

The difference between the eDrive40 and M50 is pretty small given both cars have the same tires.

Most of the diffences being seen is when you swap out 18" for 19" or 20" wheels.
Given both cars with the same 19" wheels you get a range estimate for the eDrive40 of 282 vs 270 miles for the M50.

The 20" wheels are wider and have a larger and sticky contact patch. That's why you only get 227 miles with that setup.

[Jez_zza]

Great review ! I'm also swapping in few months my F90 for the i4 and it's good to see that it doesn't feel like a downgrade
I was supposed to get mine in July but it got delayed for few months due to supply chain issues

[MXNSITH]

The departure condition function (precondition) is not specific to EVs. I thought my M5 Comp had it as well.

It also allows you to do it via the app.

I've since sold it so I can't verify.