Thoughts on the i4 M50 from a former M3P owner

I'm sure I'm going to get blasted in these parts but I recently picked up a i4 M50. I had a 2021 M3P for 2 years and an Audi RS3 for 1 year in between. The reason for the imminent change was a job change requiring me to commute 5 days a week (something I haven't done in 4 years). I enjoyed my M3P during the time that I had it. I had it lowered with 20s and a few visual cues to set it apart. Car was fast as hell and fun to drive and toss in corners. Literally a go kart on wheels. I knew I wanted to head back to an EV and if the Highland model had been released, I might have considered that over the BMW but I needed a car now. I actually cross-shopped the BMW with the Model S given current pricing even though the i4 is more traditionally considered a M3 competitor.

I've had the BMW for a week and have really enjoyed it. My biggest gripes with the M3P was the spartan interior, low quality materials and road noise. Traditionally, I've owned German sedans so the i4 was really targeted at me and addressed the 3 complaints directly. The fit, finish and interior are several steps up from the Tesla. It's really not even close. Yes, the penalty for all of this luxury is the extra weight and additional cost (I got a screaming deal on the BMW however). For me, these trades offs are worth it on a personal level. Some observations for those who may be comparing these vehicles:
1. Acceleration - the BMW is a hare slower than the Tesla in a straight line, but still plenty fast. Most tests put it at about 2/10 behind the current M3P. Feels about right to me.
2. Range - I usually got about 260-270 out of my Tesla. I'm seeing about 240-250 on the BMW. Pretty darn close tbh. BMW underrates and Tesla overrates. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a push since it’s pretty cold where I am.
3. Handling - Tesla gets the win here in large part due to the weight. The Tesla is a legit fun car to toss around. The BMW is more of a GT car. It's pretty planted in street driving but you can't hide the weight.
4. Suspension - This is a big win for BMW. The M3P suspension is flat out horrible in stock form. The BMW in contrast is sporty but very comfortable. The air suspension on the rear is really a joy for a daily driver. No contest here. BMW nailed it.
5. Tech - This is a close call. The BMW idrive has a great large screen and is snappy. Probably not as intuitive as the Tesla but everything is there. The BMW has a full 360 degree camera system that's amazing and parking sensors. The HK audio system is pretty good, maybe a bit worse than the M3P but comparable. The BMW offers a screen in front of the wheel and HUD is standard.
6. Charging - I plan to charge at home so it's mostly a non-factor for me. However, on my 4 hour ride home from the dealer I did stop at an Electify America station and it was a complete debacle. 6 of 8 chargers were down and there was a line of people waiting for a charger. What should have taken me 15 minutes, took me 90 minutes. I was definitely not happy about that.

Fun to drive? For me, the BMW wins largely because the suspension is that much better than the Tesla and for my daily needs,. The BMW feels great in normal conditions and not at any limits. Since I'm not taking the car to the limits, I'm very pleased with handling and super planted feeling. Others may prefer the Tesla for good reason and I couldn't blame them if they did. The Tesla is trackable and tossable.

In short, the i4 m50 was really the perfect car for me. It fixes my major gripes with the Tesla but still retains the best things about EVs (namely, blistering acceleration and immediate torque). Sure, not getting gas is nice too. Please go easy on me. Yes, I know people don't like the grill (I kinda like it) and it's a porker.

"BMW i4 M50 1X7A7379" by Alexander-93 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Admin note: Image added for Blog Feed thumbnail

 

[clerks]

Understand your points but I don't value ride quality and looks as you probably do. I wish the M3P was faster and I wish the Plaid was smaller. Hopefully the Ludicrous Model 3 is the sweet spot. Again, for many of us, its personal preference vs. affordability that is driving our decision for choose a Model 3 vs. a Model S

You'll probably get your wish to some extent but unless you are tracking, any car that's sub 3.5 is already too fast for the roads. Not saying we all aren't chasing even more fun, but I have a habit of buying fast cars and driving them like a grandma. LOL.

 

[Mercimek]

For the i4 owners: do you use the internal sound generator or turn it off? Also is there an external sound generator as well and can this be turned off?

Finally how is the regen braking compared to model 3?

 

[pipestem]

For the i4 owners: do you use the internal sound generator or turn it off? Also is there an external sound generator as well and can this be turned off?

Finally how is the regen braking compared to model 3?

Not an I4 owner, but I test drove one a couple of times. The B mode which has the one pedal driving, felt just.... sluggish. I can't explain and not everyone agrees. Otherwise the driving was near perfect.

 

[dcfas]

I'm looking forward to the BMW Neue Klasse with NACS plugs. Full EV only platform will lower mass, and without the beaver tooth grill. They're going back to the 2002/e30 model looks, and I mean the model not the year.

BMW Vision New Class: Preview of the upcoming electric 3 Series | electrive.com

www.electrive.com

Ambitious project. Like the exterior of that model they focus on in the line-up. The inside is disturbing.

 

[DustyVolts]

I do a lot of long out of state trips. The charging situation alone is enough of a reason for me to not consider the BMW.

 

[TespaceX]

Great review.

That model has been on our minds for a while as we decide what to upgrade our commuter. (Long road trips and family trips are with an X).

I’m very interested in a performance Highland 3 or Y, but that realistically seems like it’s 2-3 years out. So, for now, something like the i4 seems to be right, especially if we will never be charging the commuter outside of home.

 

[clerks]

For the i4 owners: do you use the internal sound generator or turn it off? Also is there an external sound generator as well and can this be turned off?

Finally how is the regen braking compared to model 3?

It’s only active in sport mode and you can turn it off. I kind of like it. Regen is fine. I set mine to medium because I actually like using the brakes. Makes me feel more involved than one pedal driving.

 

[Unobtanium]

It’s only active in sport mode and you can turn it off. I kind of like it. Regen is fine. I set mine to medium because I actually like using the brakes. Makes me feel more involved than one pedal driving.

I dislike 1 pedal and choose medium settings because with 1 pedal, mid corner transitions are jittery.

 

[voxel]

Loved my i4 e40 but the lack of passenger and cargo space basically forced my hand as I was NEVER driving it in the last 3 months except going to track days or autoX. I traded it for a 23 Sequoia TRD Pro (worst mistake ever) then moved on to a R1S.... but briefly flirted going back to an i4 (M50 of course) or EV6 GT.

The biggest benefit the i4 has over the current Model 3 is the rear air suspension (if you get M Sport package it has adaptive suspension and thus Sport vs. Comfort modes are vastly different) and the quiet cabin (almost Audi like).

The new Model 3 Highland fixes two major issues with the current Model 3... the ultra-firm uncomfortable suspension and wind/road noise (NVH) and it gets closer to the i4 at a much lower price point. Yes BMW is offering a $7500 lease rebate plus dealers are discounting 6% but a fully loaded Model 3 Highland will be cheaper than a fully loaded M50.

IMO the Highland is major leap forward for Tesla. Econobox be gone.

 

[voxel]

I dislike 1 pedal and choose medium settings because with 1 pedal, mid corner transitions are jittery.

I disable regen almost completely for track and autoX as I am fighting regen + acceleration in corners like you said. It's much easier to do in an i4 or Ioniq 5 or EV6 than a Tesla where the regen strength is hidden and you need to buy a third party system (SEXY buttons).

A little regen just emulates engine breaking... but just a tad.

 

[Apprunner]

I disable regen almost completely for track and autoX as I am fighting regen + acceleration in corners like you said. It's much easier to do in an i4 or Ioniq 5 or EV6 than a Tesla where the regen strength is hidden and you need to buy a third party system (SEXY buttons).

A little regen just emulates engine breaking... but just a tad.

Can't you eliminate regen completely in track mode?

 

[JCtx]

I went to drive a M3 P the other day, but there wasn't one available. So drove a MS LR instead (both 3.1 to 60). It was a boat... but a nice boat. Ha ha. Suspension was awesome, and the thing handled pretty darn well, even though tires were at just 32 all around. But was disappointed it doesn't have a front camera. Tried it in my tight garage (motorcycle in front, and foldable trailer on side), and it fit (it's a whopping 198" long), but it'd be a PITA to own, since the stupid sensors were at full alert WAY before I needed to stop, so of no help at all. So that alone is a deal-breaker. But it also doesn't qualify for the rebate, which seems stupid (why an $80K SUV does, but not a more efficient car?), but it is what it is. The other detraction for me was the seat cushions felt short; even shorter than the '21 M3 LR we owned, which was barely adequate. And no extensions, even manual ones, which is ridiculous at that price. So will consider a M3 P this time, but want to drive one first. Hopefully a little quieter than my ex-'21 LR, which was pretty loud. The S was really quiet, even at the limited 85 I was allowed to drive it; very nice.

 

[Apprunner]

I went to drive a M3 P the other day, but there wasn't one available. So drove a MS LR instead (both 3.1 to 60). It was a boat... but a nice boat. Ha ha. Suspension was awesome, and the thing handled pretty darn well, even though tires were at just 32 all around. But was disappointed it doesn't have a front camera. Tried it in my tight garage (motorcycle in front, and foldable trailer on side), and it fit (it's a whopping 198" long), but it'd be a PITA to own, since the stupid sensors were at full alert WAY before I needed to stop, so of no help at all. So that alone is a deal-breaker. But it also doesn't qualify for the rebate, which seems stupid (why an $80K SUV does, but not a more efficient car?), but it is what it is. The other detraction for me was the seat cushions felt short; even shorter than the '21 M3 LR we owned, which was barely adequate. And no extensions, even manual ones, which is ridiculous at that price. So will consider a M3 P this time, but want to drive one first. Hopefully a little quieter than my ex-'21 LR, which was pretty loud. The S was really quiet, even at the limited 85 I was allowed to drive it; very nice.

Driving the current version of the M3P is moot if you want the new Highland version which is coming soon. Highland is much closer to refinement with the current Model S than the outgoing Model 3 so you may get the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, its still TBD when the new version hits the states.

 

[Unobtanium]

Can't you eliminate regen completely in track mode?

In my GT, yes, but I wouldn't want to. The regen is why it has no brake issues. It can brake over 300kw of regen. Kia did amazing with it and it shows in the lap times.

 

[aerodyne]

I went to drive a M3 P the other day, but there wasn't one available. So drove a MS LR instead (both 3.1 to 60). It was a boat... but a nice boat. Ha ha. Suspension was awesome, and the thing handled pretty darn well, even though tires were at just 32 all around. But was disappointed it doesn't have a front camera. Tried it in my tight garage (motorcycle in front, and foldable trailer on side), and it fit (it's a whopping 198" long), but it'd be a PITA to own, since the stupid sensors were at full alert WAY before I needed to stop, so of no help at all. So that alone is a deal-breaker. But it also doesn't qualify for the rebate, which seems stupid (why an $80K SUV does, but not a more efficient car?), but it is what it is. The other detraction for me was the seat cushions felt short; even shorter than the '21 M3 LR we owned, which was barely adequate. And no extensions, even manual ones, which is ridiculous at that price. So will consider a M3 P this time, but want to drive one first. Hopefully a little quieter than my ex-'21 LR, which was pretty loud. The S was really quiet, even at the limited 85 I was allowed to drive it; very nice.

Adding 3D view parking assist for these cars now via software update.

 

[Zer0t]

I'm looking at an iX, model x and eqs right now. The BMW m60 smoked the 70 MPH range test on out of spec

 

[Apprunner]

I thought it was interesting that the new Highland Model 3 was quieter than the i4.

 

[clerks]

I thought it was interesting that the new Highland Model 3 was quieter than the i4.

All I can say is the i4 is scarily quiet. Almost disturbing. So if Tesla matched that well done.

 

[voxel]

All I can say is the i4 is scarily quiet. Almost disturbing. So if Tesla matched that well done.

Highland being as quiet as i4 is impressive. As I've mentioned elsewhere the i4 was probably the quietest EV I've owned or test drove.... until...

If you want scarily quiet... the Q8 e-tron is a step above the i4/iX. It's a coffin. Very impressed.