2016 BMW 420i Gran Coupe XDrive M Sport - BMW 4 Series Review

In this one I give you an honesty and objective review of my new 2016 BMW 420i Gran Coupe Automatic. This is the XDrive MSport version - this is my first BMW 4 series review so I hope you enjoy.
With it's 2.0litre petrol engine it produced 181bhp which is quick enough for me without being what you would call a fast car, the automatic gearbox is a dream and the MPG is not too bad so far at around 37.
The car is a fantastic "drivers car" and really feels good to get behind the wheel of, theres a great driving position, it handles fantastically well, and the egnine has all the performance you need. Ride comfort is also very good especially when you consider that it has the M-Sport Suspension and the iDrive system (ID5) mated to the NBT Evo head unit is great to use. I'm a very straightforward person and not at all swayed by if I own the car or not so this is my very honest car review.
It's not all happy stuff though so watch the entire video to find what I'm not so happy with and what my one big regret is. I have to say that I'm really pleased with my purchase, I know some of you will not like BMW for whatever reason but this is pretty much the perfect car for my particular use case, budget and wants/needs. In a future video I'll also be telling you about coding some features into the car with BimmerCode.
I also tell you about my experience buying a car from Stratstone Hull.
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[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Visit my site and support me here : notaguru.co.uk/support-me/

[@lloydgriffiths1847]

No need to point out your physical flaws man, nobody is perfect and I enjoyed your honest and thorough review. I can’t even afford to buy cars really but I just enjoy watching reviews of them and I enjoyed this video. Hope you’re doing well.

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Thank you buddy!

[@ab-theboss8248]

Awesome was looking forward to this one! Keep uploading as much as possible the videos are great and so is your channel growth

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Thank you brother 🙏

[@fastlane2914]

Congratulations on your new car! I’ve just watched your coding video. Hope you are enjoying it, from one bimmer owner to another.

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Yes, it’s a really nice car, great to drive, thanks

[@MERCKXWOOD]

Thanks for the honest review, it's an absolute disgrace that it didn't come with folding mirrors as most would assume that it would and wouldn't check. 😀 I think Audi are the same in that respect.

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Yes, the German brands seem very tight fisted at times

[@philmr3089]

Great review, live in Hull, had doubts about Stratstone will avoid 👍

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

They did not impress me one bit.

[@justjosh11]

Those subs are coming thick and fast now! Stratstone Hull is my local BMW dealer, been there quite a few times and used to take my E46 there for recall work - interesting to hear your take, they were 'fine' for me but I wasn't buying a car from them so didn't require much effort from their part.

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

To be honest mate there wasn’t a bag of effort required for me, very easy sale for them which they got horribly wrong.

[@rumelahmed8724]

Great car mate! Shame about the power folding mirrors - something you would just assume should be standard without even looking! Great work with the subscribers too! Great content = great following :)

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Yes mate, crazy isn’t it?

[@Tq78]

You’re too harsh on yourself!! Brilliant work young man! 👍🏻

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Thanks buddy 👍

[@Leonfr_2022]

Oh the folding mirrors!! My 20k skoda has them, very useful when going through narrow roads and can fold them in from the inside!

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Definitely

[@Drvnl14]

Hi Jim, finally pulled the trigger on a 420i GC. Your honest review was an invaluable tool in my decision making, so I thank you! You mention you eventually enabled Apple Car Play, did you have to go to a specialist to do this? And finally, anything to watch out for in the 420i? Thanks!

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

That's great to hear. For the Apple CarPlay I had a local guy come out to the house and do it for about £70/£80. If you took it into BMW I think it's severla hundred pounds - it does need someone with the correct software and knowledge to do it.

[@artie2070]

Really professional and informative video👍👍

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Thank you 🙏

[@silverhammer8347]

I’ve just bought a 2015 420D 2 weeks ago after owning a 2010 E93 and you’re so right about the little ad one’s that are missing. Am gutted that mine doesn’t have folding mirrors. Not too keen on the standard sound system and want to upgrade it. Not keen on the seating adjustments and wish the seat could jack up higher and I’m a 5’10 man. Wish it had also had a clock on the dashboard instead of just on the centre display. Even though I’ve not used the boot yet or sat in the back, I would’ve been happy to loose a couples of inches of boot space in aid of more rear leg room, but the boot is a big selling point I guess. Still trying to work out if you it has dual heating controls which will be another pain if it hasn’t. Drive wise, I’m loving it apart from the steering is a tad on the light side. This is by far the best review I’ve watched and now keen to go and watch your coding video.

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Thanks buddy, I’ve actually just put mine up for sale, I’ve grown to really adore the car but my work circumstances have changed and I’ve got press cars for review most of the time so can no longer justify keeping such an expensive car. Gutted to be seeing it go to be honest. Coding was a breeze and have also now added wireless Apple Car Play (you need some help for that). Thanks for watching 👍

[@sayed978]

Enjoyed the review thanks I wanted to get your opinion on bmw x1 suv you can pick one up for similar price as this and for a family of 4 which do u recommend? In terms of Fuel consumption, drive, practicality and reliability I considering keeping the car for couple of years. And also desiel or petrol bmw x1?

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

I would personally go for petrol as they’re just simpler and bmw diesels seem to be patchier than my hair. X1 is a nice car. Looks also at Mazda CX-5 which may give better value and are great family cars. 👍

[@sayed978]

@@DefinitelyNotAGuru thanks for the advise

[@ssc4201]

Gran Coupe all day long - X1 is a classic boring car mums and dads buy when they have kids - gran coupe still lets you feel young

[@yudramdoyal]

It's my dream car, and I will have it😊

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Lovely motor that I very much miss

[@1blackballed]

Bought myself a 2016 435d about 4 months ago and love it apart from the wide door when parking as I have the 2 door coupe! Love everything else about it. Though the 1st owner must have had big pockets as it's has pretty much everything added like the power folding mirrors...heads up display, which I thought I would hate but actually love 😀 even has a good old sun roof 😂 and even though the car was over £20000 I bought it private same as my car before and although it's a risk I reckon I saved about £4000 compared to a sales room. And also the buyer was fantastic with constant contact 👍 like any car it's a risk but I have now bought my last 2 Cars via private sale and it has both times been a great experience 👍 ohhh and I have to on a daily basis remember not to get fined or gather any points 😂😂😂 absolute beast of a car.....ohh and I will need to check your coding video as the only other thing I hate bar the wide door is the auto stop start! Total waste of time!.... another good tip I got was finding a good BMW independent specialist for service and repairs 👍

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Great, I really love mine actually. You can code the stop start out I think. I just had the wireless Apple car play coded too (not in the same way I do it in the video) and I’m loving that, I find it much easier to search for things on nav and navigate through media etc whilst driving with the CarPlay. Make sure you keep on top of the servicing with that 3.0 diesel, don’t take any notice of manufacturer guidelines.

[@SuperKoreanzombie]

Hi, how has the 435d been for you? I’m looking at the exact same engine/ year coming from an f30 328i m sport. Also, how do u find the handling, the reviewer mentioned it’s an M sport but if u really look into it. The Xdrive (despite saying M sport) only has m sport cosmetics BUT not on the suspension. Due to the 4WD set up, it sits higher and uses the non m sport set up I had a non m sport 320d F30 and hated the way it handled. Changed to my current 328 m sport and felt totally different

[@craigpalma272]

Hi I’m actually looking for one of these but the 2012-13 is the reliability the same? Also I’m finding them quite hard, to purchase compared to a diesel. But reliability and also petrol sound im after either, 420i or 430i xdrive auto’s do you have any info on, reliability for the 2012-13 models please

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

It should be pretty much same as mine, make sure alloys are not corroded (especially near the bolts/studs) - very common on BMW's, give it a good test drive and make sure service history is 100%. Make sure boot lid opens properly with the remote, make sure steering rack is ok (full lock either side - listen for knocking). No other major common faults on petrol models to my knowledge.

[@xmarcika]

Hey, very nice car. I can see always just 420d here around. Never seen the 420i. Which I would be interested too. As I'm not a fan of diesel engines. I would like to ask you, how is your motorway fuel consumption with Xdrive? Thanks a lot.

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Thanks. I don’t have the car anymore but from memory it was getting about 38-40mpg on the motorway 👍

[@eagleelisei]

@@DefinitelyNotAGuru Why did you sold it?

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

@@eagleelisei left my job and went self employed, needed the money and didn’t need a car (I get a review car most weeks)

[@peromalmstrom7668]

Jim, Happy for You with liking your new car. As a BMW new vehicle owner since 2007, changing every 3 years, the following observations, will add to your review 1) Agree, BMW add-on's to get a desirable spec, is 'pocket emptying!" 2) Agree with cockpit instrument speed increment measurements. That said, I don't use them, as ever since BMW made available its 'Head-Up Display', I personally swear by it and hardly ever look at the cockpit instruments. 3) I unfortunately believe, UK BMW Dealership customer care has been in decline for some time, with the past 2 years accelerating this phenomenon further. So, unlikely to be an isolated experience with a Dealership you had. When compared to other Countries BMW Dealership network, the UK is not highly rated in my personal opinion, from personal experience. 4) I find UK BMW Genesis far more helpful than their Sales staff. Maybe it is in the job description title, i'm unsure, as I've been unable to get a straight answer from a BMW Sales rep for 2 years, where a often young BMW Genesis staff member, will within BMW Corporate and Dealership limits, give a straight and honest answer, even if saying, 'sorry, I don't know'. 5) I've never kept a BMW over 4 years old (Until now as waiting 12+ months for a new ordered vehicle) and would be interested in its serviceability costs, as friends sometimes complain about costs associated with older BMW vehicles. Safe travels Jim in your BMW, enjoy, just remember, as you have yourself previously alluded, Tyres are the only thing that connect a vehicle to the road, so invest in good quality tyres appropriate for the climatic conditions for your new BMW and be interested to see what Tyre choice you go for. In the UK, it is always recommended a All Season Tyre, if available for your size and type of wheel. This is another area BMW Dealerships empty pockets, dependent on wheel size spec. Keep-up the great informative content, Thank You.

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Thanks so much for the feedback and insight. I’m definitely going for all seasons but it’s tough to get a matching pair for my wheels so may drop down a speed rating (which makes it much easier to find a matching set) - I don’t plan on doing 180mph in it so may do that. 👍👍👍

[@rimmerblues1586]

@peromalmstrom7668 my recent experiences are tending to agree with you, recently bought a new BMW X2 and it has an issue with it and trying to get it sorted has me time wasting and phoning around different departments, indeed talking (in person) to a BMW Genius (i think this is what u meant [not "Genesis"?] and i too got more friendly & open and to-the-point answers whereas the main staff were more almost dismissive. This is the first new car i've just wanted not to have, not coz of it's issue(s) & perhaps not the right car for me but just the negative feeling about the buying & customer service processes, even though it's a decent motor maybe the negative energies surrounding has jinxed it - even the local foxes are walking and defecating on it! So perhaps i should've gone for a used 4er GC afterall, even if there's higher service costs i likely would've lost less money long-term.

[@fmustansar]

Hi Jim, I am in process of buying a "2019 BMW 420i 17000km driven". I wanted to ask about the comfort of the car e,g, Is it good for a long distance traveling or it is just a good sports car? Also I wanted to know about seat positioning, is it really low? Lastly, what about the wind, engine and road noise in the car? It will be very helpful if you can help me with these points.

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Seats are quite low, it’s comfortable on a long run and not very noisy 👍

[@chrisirving7]

As you do a lot of motorway miles, why did you choose a petrol over 420D? Enjoy your videos. 👍

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

I have a mate who's a BMW tech, loads of issues with the diesels and they need servicing way more than manufacturer recommendations to keep them fit and well. The performance stats are mega impressive but I didn't want to spend an extra grand per year on servicing. Have since changed jobs and sold the car.

[@01starnet]

You are absolutely right about main dealers, most are just over priced ordenery mechanic, I found a BMW specialist near by, I tell you what they are BMW engineers not an ordinary mechanics with fractions of the price.If anyone needs info I can tell you where the shop is located in London

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

My experience of specialists is that they’re generally former main dealer staff who got sick of being pushed to churn through jobs quicker than he card says and/or sick of being forced into upselling. I recently used a specialist for our family car as the main dealer gave me less confidence than a promise from a politician.

[@h.bsfaithfulservant4136]

Yep Jim… that looks swish 👌. I’m glad you’re happy with it. I could live with the bits that are missing… but if BMW included them they’d probably charge another £3k. The thing that impressed me the most was the boot 😁…I’m only 5’ tall. Do you reckon I could sleep in that? I’ve got me inflatable mat 🤣

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Thanks HB. I reckon you could but the rent would be steep and I’m an awful landlord. I spent 5 hours in it today so it’s less fragrant than on delivery day too 😂

[@h.bsfaithfulservant4136]

@@DefinitelyNotAGuru Lol… get the air freshener out: you can’t have a smelly Beemer 🤭😮

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

@@h.bsfaithfulservant4136 magic tree here I come!

[@johnroberts9212]

Hi Jim, nice car and excellent review. Shame about the attitude of the Main Stealer you bought from but that almost seems to be the norm these days. Interestingly, when we were looking around at new cars a couple of months back, it was BMW who were clearly the least interested in us as potential purchasers and couldn't be bothered to unlock a car so that we could have a proper look inside. We were told that "if you really, really need to see inside I might be able to get someone to find the key in about 20 minutes"....................we didn't hang around! The Audi Main Stealer was better but still gave off an air of vague disinterest. Mini (who are of course BMW) and Skoda were leagues ahead.

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Main Stealer is about right!!! 😂😂 it is such a shame that they manage to spoil what should be a nice experience. I’ve done 600 miles in last 2 days and I’m really delighted with the car which is the main thing.

[@rimmerblues1586]

I had the same dismissive and dis-interested attitudes from my local franchise, they really weren't interested in selling me anything, maybe i didn't look rich enough 😂

[@daigonedumdai2044]

Hi my car is a BMW 420iA Coupe 1) Yesterday when I shifted from D to N, my left hand felt the gearbox shaking a bit, I could feel the gears, seemed just below the other end of the gearbox stick in your hand, had rammed between themselves (I didn't have this feeling before ) 2) There is a thumb button on the right side of the gear handle, what is its function/purpose? Thx

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

You press the thumb button to shift

[@daigonedumdai2044]

@@DefinitelyNotAGuru thx for your reply

[@hashmatullahafroz8336]

Hello i just bought the Bmw 4 series 2016 coupe it is very nice car but i dont know the i drive screen keeps restsrting every 6 or 7 min i updated the software also but still have a problem

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

That never happened with mine so guess there’s a fault with yours rather than it being a generally quirky system?

[@hashmatullahafroz8336]

@@DefinitelyNotAGuru thanks you for reply, is there any way to fix and also i want to add a feature that when iam getting close to my car it unlocks when iam going away the car gets close is there is possibilities to do that?

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

@@hashmatullahafroz8336 I doubt it as it would need hardware capable of doing that as well as the software. I’m not sure a 2016 would have it.

[@rimmerblues1586]

Fair review, mate. I see from the comments that u've sold the car on but from what it's worth i thought i'd add my pennies: The F-model 4-Series (F32/F36) & 3-Series (F30/F31) of that generation that have X-Drive don't have M-Sport suspension, the 4er suspension travel seems a little less than the 3er but only the 2-wheel drives have the stiffer 'm' set-up. The series' of this generation really started to become 'dated' by 2017, their look okay outside but interior kit definitely a decade out-of-date. At least the 4er steering wheel position seemed more centrally located to the driver than the 3er which seems offset a tad toward the centre. Though i do still like the look of these cars and though dated the interior set-up is very well functional, the nav screen a touch small not entirely within reach (if u have the touchscreen version). I like the analogue dials but my OCD peev with them is the blank area at the bottom of the speedo - at least on the "full black panel" version the portion under the tacho is used with an extended mini digital display but the other side is dead space - like i said, _dated_ . Indeed a few months ago i was interested in a nice example 430i GC from Berry BMW Shield Drive but the salesman had a disinterested attitude and they only gave a minimal test drive, really put me off so i didn't bother in the end. They seem quite good when it comes to servicing and it's useful having their uesd cars out and open on display but i felt numb to their sales. Having been around most of England and even over into Wales it's always fascinating how different BMW franchises operate.

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

👍👍

[@eagleelisei]

Who do you think is more reliable: 430i or 420i? Would the added horse power theoretically affect the reliability of the engine in a negative way because it might "stress" it more?

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

I’m not sure but the 430i probably has an easier life. That is if they’re not both the same engine but with different levels of tune.

[@eagleelisei]

@@DefinitelyNotAGuru They both have the 2L capacity B48 engine but they differ in hp (249 vs 181)

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

@@eagleelisei yeah I thought that was the case; in which case I guess the 2.0 is under less strain but both variants should work well as long as they’re serviced regularly (and properly)

[@eagleelisei]

@@DefinitelyNotAGuru Thanks for the answers! so the 420i should be slightly more reliable on paper

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

@@eagleelisei 👍

[@problemslayer3538]

The most important part of this review was the feedback on Stratstone. People part with their hard earned money into dealerships for a car, for many people they have been desiring for some time. Customer service is crucial in terms of building trust going foward, especially when it comes to servicing and when parts and labour are required. A shit standard of customer service should be a red flag warning and an indication not to proceed. Given your comments, i would not purchase a car from Stratstone Hull. Feedback like this is what the wider public need so that informed choices can be made as to where to buy a car if not privately. I think an excellent idea would be a dealership database, centralised software, such as the road haulage association. A neutral platform that holds data directly concerning the performance of dealerships in areas such as after sales services. This way dealerships would have an incentive to perform and look after customers, rather than not giving a shit.

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Good shout 👍

[@K21XYS]

The option to carry a 5th passenger is good. I have 2 child seats in the back but easily fit my kids 10 year old cousin in-between. We also have a 4 seat Audi A5 Sportback in which we cannot legally do the same. :(

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

👍

[@shaziedalam4074]

I'm not sure what to choose between 420i and 420d

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

If you do mostly short journeys then petrol, if mostly long trips get the diesel (and change the oil every 12k miles max)

[@cainesanders5845]

how did you add the speedo to the dash?

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

It was a good while ago but there was an option for it somewhere on Bimmercode

[@jdreamer1843]

Is the car on PCP or Lease

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

I paid cash for this one. My other car is leased. PCP almost never makes sense to me.

[@paulsuddes1144]

I agree regarding Stratstone. I bought a x3 from Doncaster stratstone….same problems….they just talk rubbish

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Many main dealers just don't seem to get the customer care aspect of things. Such a focus on selling units and add-ons that providing or selling the service gets lost. Pants.

[@brynmills7767]

I’ve got a 435d xdrive, sold it for an M140i then bought another 435d 2 weeks later 🤣 you can’t get a better car for the money, hilariously fast, 4 wheel drive, premium badge and unreal fuel economy even when driving like a hooligan

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Awesome cars 👍

[@brynmills7767]

@@DefinitelyNotAGuru I’m a big fan of the 420s though, the fuel economy is on another level and it’s got enough power so that you’re never stuck behind anything in the motorway 👌🏻

[@rimmerblues1586]

@@brynmills7767 is that the 420i or 420d?

[@brynmills7767]

@@rimmerblues1586 420ds to be specific, the 420i feels abit wet if I’m being honest.

[@rimmerblues1586]

@@brynmills7767 cheers. Yeah I did wonder that about the 20i, the output is ok but i was guessing the weight drags it back and u have rev the nads off it to get a good feel - newer models are even heavier! Indeed I've found the mid-torque from a diesel makes-up greatly for lack of hp.

[@theflyingmilkfloat]

What mpg are you getting

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

I sold the car a while ago. From memory around early-mid 30’s around town and 40 on a run

[@theflyingmilkfloat]

@@DefinitelyNotAGuru I was guessing something in around those figures. Thanks for the reply

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

@@theflyingmilkfloat no worries 👍

[@teggsy2165]

At least some people can still afford to buy a used car this day and age,i'm keeping my 2015 Mini Cooper S till used car prices come back down to Earth,yeah ! i know that may never happen the way the car market is ATM.

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Used car prices are dropping a fair bit at the moment.

[@StreetBob-tn1ed]

ive had the 420i and ive now got the 420d and the d is a better car 400 ft lb of torque and 53 to 55 mpg on the motorway

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

It’s also well known for timing chain issues and needs servicing far more than manufacturers recommendations if you want to keep it healthy. Great car otherwise. I originally wanted the 435d but getting no an oil change every 6k is just not for me (one of my good mates is a BMW tech).

[@stewartrowley1]

Not car related its about your hair,i had the same and a friend said eat brazil nuts they have hair growth vitamins in them called selenium, eat 3 to 4 per day over a couple of months and watch what happens.My hair lose has gone.Now the car i have the BMW 435i car and love it.and its rapid.love it.Try the nuts.

[@DefinitelyNotAGuru]

Thanks Stewbie, I will do. I’ve had alopecia for 25 years and it’s getting boring now. Would love a 435 but I can’t be trusted! Thanks for taking the time to pass on the tip mate, really appreciate it 👍