2021 BMW M440i xDrive Coupe Is Big Fun (And That’s What Counts)

The first thing you need to know about the 2021 BMW M440i xDrive Coupe is that it delivers true Ultimate Driving Machine fun. Plus, it’s a true two-door coupe, none of that four-door coupe BS. And yes, it has the controversial schnoz, but even if you don’t like it, remember, it’s not seen from the driver’s seat. And really, don’t judge until you see it in person. Tom Voelk checks out a well-equipped M440i that puts a grin on his face as wide as the polarizing twin kidney grille.
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About Tom: Tom Voelk is an award-winning automotive contributor to The New York Times. His podcast was the first to win an Emmy Award (and he's won for photography, editing, producing and reporting). But really, all you need to know is in the videos. Watch a few and you'll subscribe.

[@moiggc]

That was textbook automotive reporting, while others spew thoughtless hate, you analyze and philosophize on the single most important talking point in car design. Now, that's a real car guy in my books. I always enjoy your BMW reviews! Pls keep em coming.

[@ElijahsAba]

Tom, in an attempt to give your hard work the respect it deserves, I no longer watch you on my phone but give you the full 65” living room treatment instead.

[@DrivenCarReviews]

I appreciate that. All of my stuff is shot to be seen on the big screen.

[@leodi9245]

Me too, so freaking 😎

[@xanderunderwoods3363]

Smart move, looks great on a 4k tv

[@seanjones2753]

Same here.

[@timothymorrison2214]

You are the Gold Standard of reviews!

[@BHBeckenbauer]

Had my 4 series for a month so far and I’m really impressed with it

[@Origen17]

I love the grill - have since the beginning. Thanks for mentioning Genesis and Lexus. Perfect examples of large grills done wrong.

[@ClassicBMWFanInQuebec]

Great review Tom, you handled the polarizing subject of the grille like a gentleman. We need more reviewers like you.

[@danceallurlife3508]

He truly fantastic

[@chele089]

I really like the larger grill. Still prefer the G20 I think, but looking at this on the road it‘s really striking. In a good way.

[@kristians2704]

The upcoming 2 series will have the same engines as the 4 series but will have the small grille and a manual.

[@danceallurlife3508]

I have driven the 2 series since it was released and continually bought the newer version twice. It’s a fantastic car but I have now ordered the M440i as I was bored of the same look. Change is good as not everyone will continue to buy a new car that looks the same as one that’s years older.

[@Jsah11]

Another great review. Love your style and footage. Thank you for your superb efforts and I look forward to seeing more!

[@vintagedesmo2658]

I know this review is a few months old now but I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your insightful and charismatic presentation. I was looking at the 8 but couldn't get what I wanted for under 100k. Someone suggested I look at the 4 and after some research I fell in love with it. I gotta say for me, all the past grills look dated now, I love this car's face. But that had very little to do with why I just ordered a m440ic. Now I'm reveling in the anticipation. Thanks for helping me along the way.

[@DrivenCarReviews]

Personally, I think the 4 is a MUCH better value and easily as much fun to drive. Smart choice IMHO.

[@Foregrlz]

​@@DrivenCarReviews thoughts on M440i coupe vs E53 amg coupe?

[@danceallurlife3508]

I have bought this car in the convertible option. I have watched every and I mean every review on this car due to lockdown and not being able to see or drive the vehicle before ordering. This hands down is the BEST review. No crap jokes or lingering on the “grill” issue. It is what it is. And as you say when sitting in the car the drive is what’s important not the grill. And your closure on point. People don’t like change and every new thing in the past always gets criticism until it becomes the norm. By then I’d be bored but that’s me. Thanks for the video. This is how to deliver a review... well done 👍 👏🏼

[@CarStory]

Fantastic review Tom! You are one of the best around!

[@davidplon9215]

Great review Tom and always look forward to Tuesday!

[@vicenteferrazpacheconeto6503]

This is a fantastic vehicle. Congrats BMW! Great review Tom! Thank you!

[@stewartstarling2309]

Waiting for your GLB review!! You’re one of the best reviewers around!!

[@tomhoots]

Thank you, Tom -- more excellent work, as usual. I have respect for some of your "contemporaries" -- you "KZbin automotive journalists" that used to get together and have great fun at launch events and so on -- and I hope those days will return, some day. But there is quite a bit of "shot on iPhone" going on with a lot of those folks lately, and while I suppose the video is OK, the audio is nothing but "recorded by the phone," and those folks are drowning in a sea of wind noise. Let's just say that "the bar has been dropping," but you easily remain the standard of the industry. And trust me, we appreciate it. Of course, that goes far beyond the technical stuff -- the writing is absolutely best in the business, as well. "Always a pleasure."

[@67tomcat]

Great review as always- loaded with info. Have seen this car in the flesh- same color, etc. Looked really good- even with the oversized grille. And, it's not another crossover!

[@IAutoEnthusiast]

As always, great reviews.

[@iandavies9576]

Very good and informative review. Thank you. I love the new ‘nose’/grill. I’ve ordered the GC version.

[@Log1cTech]

good job Tom great review

[@bradcolby3624]

Always excellent content great review..nice BMW

[@scottmarks389]

Great review

[@moehio]

The grill is becoming. I like it.

[@What_The_Fuck_Did_I_Just_Watch]

That grille is mind blowing!

[@jody024]

Another solid honest review.

[@xanderunderwoods3363]

Best car reviewer on KZbin

[@iragottlieb9764]

Another great review Tom. I confess I didn't like the grill when I first saw it in videos, but am now willing to give it another chance. At least want to see it in person before I decide.

[@mirageycq]

Nice vid, thanks.

[@johnb6680]

Tom... This is an objective review. In other words, Sweet! I definitely want one. The grill - I like it.

[@hyper_channel]

This is some quality content

[@DjdMenis]

Hey Tom another good in the bank. Look the discussion on grills. I like it myself. Consider my expectations met. One concern. I understand the commercials are necessary, but I noticed today while watching your Vlog that your video wasn’t paused during commercial playback. So I had to go back to watch what I missed. KZbin really needs to do better when ads break-in its so rough it happens. Anyhow loved the Vlog. Have a good remaining week.

[@joeallison2779]

Thank you for yet another fantastic review! Add me to the hate those god-awful new grills group

[@weirdshibainu]

Thank you for the review. Other than personal preference ( 2 doors vs 4 doors) do you think one would lose any of the handling qualities if one chose a 4 door gran coupe over the 2 door?

[@denault3985]

Looking good in the BMW... a stunning coupe!

[@rowauthority]

Thank you, Sir - Todd from Prince Edward Island, Canada

[@davidwolf226]

Overall, this is a very appealing sport coupe. The redesign of the kidney grill is not that big a deal to me. A very nice review, Tom.

[@f1pro910]

I saw black color m series with new grill in other video. It looks dope. Not great in weird colors.

[@superioraddo2381]

The 2021 bmw 3 series review is what we are waiting to see see too

[@herme99]

Too lazy to check but size wise it does put me in mind of the original 6 series.

[@eddstarr2185]

Given the M440i's overall proportions, BMW is growing the 4 series very close to the old Ford Thunderbird profile. This is a surprise to me as big coupes don't seem very popular with car buyers. Maybe the plan is to have the new face of BMW breath new interest big 2-door cruisers.

[@superioraddo2381]

Woww.very nice and superb vehicle ...I wish I could drive one for my weekend

[@Jaguar7444]

I'm starting to come around to the grille. I don't hate it anymore.

[@CarStory]

It looks even better in person.

[@Jaguar7444]

@@CarStory yeah I saw it in person. Might have changed my mind.

[@DrivenCarReviews]

As I said at the end, the designers are working 2 to 3 years out on things that are different, sometimes it just takes a little time to get used to. It will be interesting to see how this ages…

[@Jaguar7444]

@@DrivenCarReviews BMWs always age well. The a 2001 3 series coupe in good condition still looks good to me even though I have a newer BMW.

[@danielc3321]

I’ve seen it in person too. It’s totally fine.

[@MarioDallaRiva]

A great car review, indeed!! Bravo, Tom. I’m getting used to the new front end. Phew. Btw, my 1 series coupe rear lid has exterior hinges and hydraulic struts. Keeps interior room as large as possible. Why don’t they use that functionality on this larger coupe??

[@mattdlynch]

My friend's Arctic Race Blue M440i order status was just updated to "in port," so I'm sending him this video as a tease.

[@DrivenCarReviews]

He’s going to have a great time with that car

[@jaimevlnc74]

My dream car!!🚘

[@cadsux]

I'm a fan of retro-modern styling, and the so-called "beaver" grille is just fine by me. Cars like the Beetle, 911, Challenger, 370Z, MX-5 all honor the past. It especially works for the Mustang. Speaking of which, I can't seem to find that review on your channel.

[@DarkRendition]

I think it's an instant classic.

[@noorghani5053]

Beautiful car 😍

[@ckp4394]

Hi Tom, will you be reviewing the M3?

[@seanjones2753]

I love the grill. Love the whole front end, really. Good Batmobile vibes (even though it's not a Maserati). I'd rather drive this than the Tumbler, that's for sure.

[@roxyroller25]

BMW 4 series: I have big grille :) Kia K9: oh, are you challenging me?

[@benoit.b9337]

Don't know why BMW are getting backlash for these grills, they are the traditional BMW grille.

[@danceallurlife3508]

I know. It’s ridiculous

[@davidrobertnewman]

Bet BMW just *loves* the Mercedes appointment in your calendar at 7:27 :-)

[@DrivenCarReviews]

Ha! Pretty sure they don’t care.

[@Silverdeamon92]

Nice explanation about the grille but I will have to still say uh-uh I prefer not to squint in revulsion each time as I approach my car. It's just not for me. As you said some will like it. just like the Aztek some love that tupperware-cladded assault on the eye beast, I am not one of them. Thanks for the hard work you do Tom always Love your work and presentations.

[@gothops154]

13:30 it’s 3 years later and I love the nose now hahah

[@serjiang]

When Tom did the braking test, I thought the front grill is going to dig into the ground to help it stop.

[@sequoia689]

That voice command tech seems better than MBUX. Nice review

[@DrivenCarReviews]

About the same I’d say. Both are quite good.

[@barryw9473]

Tom, I remember reading that BMW spent ~$1 billion in the late 1990s/early 2000s to redesign their engines to enable low amperage 12 V water pumps, oil pumps, etc. so it did not need to add a 48 V system. I guess it realized 48 V is finally cheap enough to implement. Thoughts on this decision?

[@samuelmcgraw7927]

Hi Tom, great review! Ok, I'll bite - what about those run flats?

[@DrivenCarReviews]

I've been in two situations where they were useless. Damage was bad enough where they didn't work. Not cool in a remote area with a tire shop 200 miles away.

[@jimlevering4613]

Kidney grill is now a set of lungs.

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

First we had to save the manuals. Then we had to save the coupes. Now we have to save the grills. I'm getting overwhelmed having to save everything...I'll be over in the corner having a Fresca. :D

[@josephkearsey8951]

What was the issue with Run-flat tires? They are a very safe choice.

[@DrivenCarReviews]

Twice I have been stuck in situations where my entire day was ruined because of tire damage so severe the run flats didn’t work. I’ve heard of cases where people have been stuck for days waiting on a replacement tire.

[@christopherprose3881]

In-line 6s are so under-used in the industry which seems to favor V-6s, probably due to being more compact in the engine bay (and, of course, fuel consumption). I can think of dozens of cars that could benefit from one. The original 240Z would never had made such a splash had it not come with such a great example. Sadly, no engine in most cars today not only don't sound good, they look terrible. All those wires, cables and emissions plumbing make them all look like a bad bowl of inky spaghetti. That's why the hide them underneath big pieces of sculpted plastic and foam. People used to relish looking under the hood to admire the mechanical genius at work. Not any more. Lastly, your video work is top-notch. I know it must take a lot of time and work, but it is worth it.

[@TinLeadHammer]

No boring suburbia in this one. Thanks. Liked. I don't really care about the car.

[@khelmikyahvyer6000]

You are my favorite car youtuber, much better than doug

[@Vanguardkl]

Don't see any reason to love or hate the grill. At first it looked shocking but now it fits the car and looks like it fits the part. Brave design choice and I've gone from a hater at first glance to hey that grill is pretty cool

[@miguelircontar]

Grille looks better in dark colors only

[@richardupton19]

Tom, did you leave some rubber on the tarmac?! 5:49

[@okayg5735]

Enjoyable review, as always. I love BMW’s wheel designs. They continue to be the best of any manufacturer.

[@ksorsomeplace]

I went to see one of these. I like the grille and don't see what all the fuss was about. Price...well, that's a different story. I did find a convertible (not the M variant) that was more reasonable, but I wasn't able to try it out due to an outstanding passenger airbag recall. Seems a pity one cannot even drive it for a test drive until (when?) that recall is completed.

[@ahmedsyed3436]

Excellent review. As far as BMW new front grilles, maybe they were designed for the amount of air needed to cool these high performance engines.

[@robertkamanzi9147]

You might be on to something here, 12:32 i BMW thought so in their press literature

[@ahmedsyed3436]

@@robertkamanzi9147 missed that part lol 😂

[@JClark-34695]

At 3:39, you can clearly see that most of the lower grille is solid plastic. So much for "more air."

[@Gonzol7]

Evil Twin is, rather, a primo uomo. It's also why we like him.

[@OrganicStuff1]

Oh shit new Jersey

[@mdjak3686]

I’d be watching Tom on my new Sony 83” OLED but my wife has control of the remote.

[@ascott2168]

..still lacking ventilated seats and a pano-roof! Aside from that, the cognac colored interior looks great (it would be nice if the headliner was the same color) along with the exterior color !

[@mattfinchdesign]

Assume the tyre marks at 4.07 “ weren’t you😀

[@marcob1729]

Having both a nav and map button seems redundant

[@keithjackson4985]

Definitely polarizing. Not my cup of tea but, you have to applaud the bravado and attitude of the company though. I do.

[@redmusichouse]

7:28 Mercedes GLB coming next?😄

[@TrademarkTheo]

This car costs about the same as a new RAV4 or CRV in my country. I’m always surprised how US folks react when your luxury cars are priced so favorably.

[@andyroberts3619]

Nothing drives like a BMW!

[@raqcem99]

Tom, go to China and test drive a NIO EC6 for us please. Bring one back while you're at it :)

[@DrivenCarReviews]

Sounds good. I’m waiting for the funds to be transferred to my Venmo account by you.

[@briancaos]

Great review. Love that there is a car channel for grownups. The grille is ugly, no other way to put it. But don't worry, Google "bmw 4 series aftermarket grill" and go buy a new nose for the otherwise excellent looking car.

[@swells1]

great car other than that grille

[@acemacgruber6593]

First the Bangle butt, now the Dukec....schnoz?

[@Druezer]

A car! 🥲

[@NMS350]

I want your shoes!

[@tommihelich2613]

No mention of the sound. A lowly Harmon Kardon system in a $70K automobile. Still I would expect it sounds just fine in a coupe.

[@DrivenCarReviews]

Actually, I was thinking about that as I posted. The sound system is actually pretty good and I meant to talk about that. You might think it’s lowly but I was impressed

[@justinclark5078]

Tom said it: many car manufacturers are not designing cars to suit solely American/Western European tastes anymore. I remember reading a while back that large front grilles are a status symbol in China. Go figure that a manufacturer would target what is likely to become its biggest market...

[@britton6062]

they can have it

[@Carfan678]

I actually don’t mind the grill and I hate the Alfa one like why a triangle 😭

[@firstlast1047]

As always, great commentary, videography. But, this time, too much commentary regarding the grill. After all, it's only a minor design feature that only warranted two brief comments...not a total 3,4 and especially a closer. You made it sound as if the car was specifically designed around the grill. From a marketing standpoint, I primarily remember the grill comments.

[@DrivenCarReviews]

It’s very controversial, I think I hit it just right.

[@williesjohnson2673]

7:26 "sushi in the shower"???

[@limpunsing224]

Indeed it's fun but there are better-looking fun alternative too Topnotch review, though

[@petegalindez9961]

Love you Tom, but can’t get past the beaver teef. I’d buy a Yugo before this thing…

[@93455Driver]

Great review as always. Maybe a marmite nose, but everyone seems positive about the drive. Wonder why BMW is not offering vented seats for a 70k car? I am not a fan of the gauge cluster design, prefer rendering the old analog gauges.

[@fatbart8551]

I just can’t get past that hideous grille. I was looking to replace my 2016 435i but I think I’ll keep it.

[@mluu510]

That nose... I am snout, I mean out 🤭

[@davidb3271]

I hate the fact that im starting to like the way it looks...

[@tanman7627]

I liked the drive hated the front end

[@sbmabusaeedranashahriar7399]

🤝