The i4 M50 is BMW's Answer To Tesla And Porsche | 2022 BMW i4 M50 Review

[@johnw.9687]

Purchased a i4M50 on August 12 (get the $7500 tax credit), have 1650 miles on it so far. Love the power, color, look, (front grill) ride (smooth, quiet), interior, everything.

[@eddiehaug]

I'm gonna have to correct your description of the seats a bit. The correct one would be something like this: BMW offers three types of seats for the i4(M50), the M Sport seats, which are a bit firmer and come in Vernasca leather. Very focused on driver stability and sporty driving, they are bulkier than the other options and don't have any storage included in the back. The Sport seats, which offer adjustable side bolsters (as the M Sport seats) and are a bit softer than the M Sport; they can be spec'ed with Sensatec, Vernasca leather or Merino leather. Finally, the ventilated seats, which are the ones in the car being reviewed. These seats are similar to the Sport seats but come without adjustable side bolsters. So the question is what features are most important to you? Answer that and you can find the right seat for you.

[@LiKeMiKe103]

Just purchased an i4 M50 last week. I've been loving it but unfortunately got a flat tire earlier this week (ran over a DEEP pothole, should've avoided it). I've been dying without it but have been driving in a X1 xDrive in the meantime. I miss my i4 so much and can't wait to get it back next week. The seats are comfortable, both my parents rode in the backseat and didn't complain about leg room. Put about 800 miles on it so far but the driving is amazing tight and smooth.

[@JulioVillavicencio-ru2sn]

Thanks for posting. Love my 2024 i4 M50 in Portimao blue. Never considered Tesla. Been driving BMWs for the past three decades

[@michelellison9687]

For my money I would take it over a Tesla Model3. I am okay with it not having a front trunk

[@spencer476]

My i4 edDrive40 is on a boat headed here from Germany, and I can’t wait. BMW has clearly learned from the i3 (and the i8). Reviews I have seen suggest real world range may be a bit better than the EPA numbers suggest, but I will wait to see what sort of range I actually see once I get it. Great work here Alex, please keep up the high quality content.

[@battousaihimura]

eDrive40 gets upto 10 to 20% extra efficiency

[@branflank]

Picked mine up a couple of days ago and it's been great. 100% worth the wait, feels premium but still fun, and the I'm really happy with the range thus far.

[@spencer476]

@@branflank fantastic! I hope you enjoy it. Curious - what color combo did you choose?

[@branflank]

@@spencer476 M Sport trim with Davit Grey and extended shadow line (black grill, windows, etc) + removed blue accents where possible. I wasn't too sold on the nose on this thing initially, but I think it works really well if you go for the shadow line option, particularly with a darker color option. Also included the peanut butter (cognac?) interior which makes a good "premium" combo with the sportier exterior. Hope your i4 makes its way to you soon and that you enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed mine!

[@spencer476]

@@branflank Noice, very noice indeed. Mine is M Sport, shadow line, Portimao Blue with Oyster leather. Enjoy.

[@matsuda333]

My i4 M50 is finished, just waiting for a ride over from Germany. Really looking forward to it.

[@trevorsutherland5263]

LMAO that thumbnail graphic....🙂 I hate the grille like most everyone else, but I could get over it. Quality wise I could not even compare it to any Tesla, the Model 3 goes up against Kia EV6 or Polestar 2, etc. in terms of quality. The BMW and Porsche are in an entirely different Universe than those in terms of build quality; they are a class of three (if you include the Audi e-tron gt).

[@appleiphone69]

Sandy Munro is saying tisk tisk on all the plumbing and poor packaging.

[@john_dee1431]

Good perspective offered on torque steer in light of segment competitors, i.e. Tesla. Also, offering something to check into if and when M come available. Great work!

[@grahamsalmons2027]

Some of the comments super interesting from a person who really knows! Great video

[@fireteam_]

This car's price tag was quite a bit lower than the Model 3 if you considered the $7500 tax credit, but with those going away with the new bill the price is much harder to swallow, especially since the Model 3 will probably have its reinstated in 2023, although some of those are definitely over the cap.

[@joeb4294]

The easiest way to get rid of the torque steer (and improve efficiency and comfort), is to just get the eDrive40 RWD version with 18 inch wheels. 😋

[@hardykornfeld1733]

We have an e40 waiting at the port in Germany. I wanted the variable suspension and big brakes that, unfortunately, only come with 19” wheels. I hope the aftermarket comes up with lightweight forged aero wheels strong enough to cope with the higher GVW of EVs.

[@JustMe99999]

I don't understand the obsession with "frunks"... I wouldn't want to open my hood just to put a small bag in there, seems silly.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Alex, It is Beaveriffic!!

[@gregp.7148]

Might be nicer riding than a Tesla 3, but the Tesla is available in 3 months, while BMW dealer told me just a week ago that the wait time on the i4 is 2 years! These EV wait times are just crazy!

[@hardykornfeld1733]

We signed a buyer’s contract on an i4 e40 in July and the car is now built and waiting at the port in Germany. Anticipating delivery in late October.

[@gregp.7148]

Availability looks to be better wherever you are!

[@wilber8260]

Greg P - 2 years? Sheeeit!! I am in the Bay Area CA and got interested in the RWD version just a couple of weeks ago. The dealer said they didnt have any in inventory, but that they were getting cars in for folks who ordered about a year ago. And, he would let me know if there was a cancellation. He contacted me 2 days ago about a cancellation and i snapped it up yesterday! Really enjoying driving and learning about the car. Guess i got real lucky! Of course i paid a few grand OVER MSRP.

[@gregp.7148]

Good for you! They never suggested that to me!

[@wilber8260]

@@gregp.7148 Sorry, I forgot to mention that they added $5k to the MSRP for me. the original order was probably just for MSRP. So, the dealer doesnt mind selling to me as they make more $$. I was able to negotiate a price that was less than MSRP + $5k.

[@StarryTemplar]

Great video, Could you please tell me if you link to Android or Apple Car play, will the Car screen display our Google saved map info as well????

[@philipmacrae7435]

I rented the i4 for 3 weeks and couldn't get my android Spotify to sync.

[@naarealy]

I want to know more about these brushed motors... Specifically what are the failure modes and wear items, and how costly will it be to maintain them?

[@MyaniSons]

Nice detailed review, but I wonder about the reliability

[@cletusowns]

I've had one on order since January and my dealer hasn't gotten a single allocation here in Texas. It really is a shame that BMW just can't seem to make many of these.

[@spencer476]

For what it is worth I ordered mine in June from a dealer in Raleigh NC and should take delivery by the end of October.

[@KurtSeiffert]

@@spencer476 For what its worth, I ordered in October 2021 and am still waiting for the car to be manufactured let alone an additional 8 weeks for shipping. I will be lucky to get it before 2023.

[@spencer476]

@@KurtSeiffert - that sucks. I know other have had similar experiences. From what little I know, there are very limited allocations that the dealers get and then they divvy them up to customers on their waitlist as the allocations are made. It sounds like either the dealer has a very long waitlist or they are not getting any sort of regular allocations for some reason, but then again I could be completely off base. I hope it come through soon for you.

[@branflank]

@@KurtSeiffert I'm in Europe and ordered mine around August 2021, and got it just a couple of days ago -- this'll vary wildly depending on where you're located, but just adding a data point to the mix.

[@spenceralridge4958]

@@joeking433 - I paid sticker for mine, ordered it in July, took delivery in October, and it has been great - although it is the 40, not the 50.

[@pokerfred68]

I drove this and it will snap your neck if you aren’t ready for it…the passengers will love you 😂 Can you please review the 2023 VW Arteon SEL Premium…think this is the last year for this model and it’s one of the best sedans you can buy. Thanks for the review on the i4 M50.

[@davesax11]

Yes, passengers will object if you drive it "spirited."

[@PQV-8898]

Why even bother to mention the Taycan. Nobody cross shops them. The only thing they have in common is they're electrified. Other than that they're apples to oranges.

[@joeisawesome540]

how is brushed motor more efficient?

[@LeesChannel]

It makes them more money

[@SuperHumhum]

Take a look at Bjorn Nylands test. This is one of the most efficient EV's on the market.

[@Tokamak3.1415]

@@SuperHumhum 81KWH/227 miles battery is barely more efficient than the Mach-E. The Ioniq and Model 3/Y have much better WH/mile - somewhere between 4 and 5. If this was as efficient it would minimally travel 320 miles. Even if you hypermiled behind an 18 wheeler and got 290 miles it's still less efficient than a Chevy Bolt. I can only assume from the number of replies you posted that you work for BMW auto group.

[@Charlesbjtown]

What is this, 1987?? Whoever thought it would be a good idea to use a brushed motor, should be terminated on sight. Along with whoever ok that nonsense.

[@cadriver2570]

Low frequency road noise will be de-emphasized by a-weighted SPL measurements, so no surprise they scored similarly.

[@leemarshall3649]

That blue is incredible ❤

[@philipmacrae7435]

Load length with the seats down about 2m.

[@aardvarkansaw]

Trouble is the the front door openings a way too far forward and it is hard to get in and out of.

[@romeitaly8524]

I have to admit I’m disappointed in the frunt trunk and also no full glass roof. I’m going to stick with my taycan that’s on order. I hate the bucktooth grill jeez what were they thinking

[@luso57]

Taycan is a Porsche! Great car and it was designed to be EV go the space usage inside is better. I love the Taycan design. Good choice.

[@Somebody294]

Way out of my budget, but that's a nice paint job

[@agzand]

For me I would lease this but buy Tesla. These will be expensive to fix and maintain once warranty/free maintenance is over.

[@philipmacrae7435]

Rent one for a few weeks and you'll buy one.

[@thezanzibarbarian5729]

Considering how expensive this i4 M50 is, I'm surprised that it doesn't have an electric adjustment for the steering wheel, but does for the seats. Even my old 330d from 2010 had electric adjustment for the steering wheel so when my missus, who's barely 5 foot tall drove the car, with one press of the memory seal button, I could get the steering wheel and seat to MY 6'2" driving position.

[@m2ap29]

i was told that is because of the semiconductor shortage. Newer ones have them back

[@geekdomo]

Nice Alex!

[@mohakand1]

Good car but not worth the price after the federal tax credit got removed. Now with telsla’s price reduction, Model S is an option to consider as i4 m50 fully loaded comes above 90K on road

[@liamporter1137]

Great review. Thanks for sharing.

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

BMW targeted efficiency....so why only 227 miles from an 81Kwh battery????

[@BogeyTheBear]

That's the range with the least efficient wheel option: 255/285 on the 20" rims, while you get the 300+ miles with the 225 mm wide 18" wheels.

[@davesax11]

Very thorough review. AWD off the highway handling is far more important than range. Tax credit gone for now since over the 55k threshold. Much better ride than the Model 3.

[@barryw9473]

Taycan can get much longer range, depending on version and wheels/tires.

[@barryw9473]

@@joeking433 Porsche tends to cost more because Porsche knows many people will pay more.

[@barryw9473]

@@joeking433 of course.

[@almcdaniel1035]

My favorite of the 4 series

[@gregp.7148]

Getting the car in black makes the grill less noticeable, if you don't like it.

[@gene978]

Medusa’s head under the hood made me spit up my tea all over my keyboard😂

[@ronkemperful]

Lovely car. Great job reviewing. One comment: You mentioned that the front seats are comparable to the Model 3; you should have said “were” for Tesla has dropped adjustable lumbar support, replacing the adjustment knob with a cheesy plastic blank. Not having lumbar support adjustment turns the Model 3 into an economy car for features.

[@frumpd63]

The driver still has lumbar. Was only removed for the passenger.

[@ronkemperful]

@@frumpd63 I stand corrected, thanks.

[@vominator]

dang that's a deal killer. Unless I can put one backpack under the hood, a car is useless to me

[@jasonhillgiant]

The buck teeth aren’t as offensive in the not-quite chrome boarder. But I’d still prefer a less… ridiculous front end.

[@seannguyen593]

Watching this in Feb 2024. How time has changed. M50 is still desirable yet Model 3 has becoming too common & cheap thanks to Elon.

[@dolphinsmadden]

Lol good old BMW reliability. Already has a recall. Way to start bmw.

[@ouch1011]

The efficiency on the highest performance model is embarrassing. The use of a *brushed* front motor is highly questionable to me. Depending on whether it mainly drives with the front or rear wheels, I suspect the actual motor life will vary substantially depending on how much you use the skinny pedal. Knowing BMW, they won’t have had enough foresight to make the brushes easily serviceable, and/or the contacts on the rotor will need to be replaced at the same time as the brushes, meaning the front motor will need to be removed and completely disassembled, or the whole thing will just need to be replaced. Maybe it won’t be an issue, but I wouldn’t want to buy one of these until the front motor proves itself over time. Every other brushed motor is known to have a substantially shortened service life vs a brushless motor.

[@KurtSeiffert]

You should read up on the brush motors. First they are both designed the same way with brushes. Second they are mounted in a way that makes them fairly easy to service - at least you don't have to take the motor apart to replace them. The major benefit is that they can truly free-wheel and allows for true coasting which is the most efficient mechanism. Other motors have to supply electricity when free-wheeling or the internal magnets would slow the motors. Coming from a manual where I hyper-mile and use engine braking a lot, this car feels very natural to drive unlike any other "automatic" - EV or ICE. (Its single gear so there is no actual shifting.)

[@gregp.7148]

To answer your question, the lack of front trunk has never been a "need to have ". No one ever uses it anyway.

[@philipmacrae7435]

Would be great to store the cables though.

[@FuncleChuck]

Spectacular thumbnail. Some say the grill is ugly, but I’d have to say it’s growing… no, it’s just growing. It’s enormous. It’s hilariously stupid. Can’t stop laughing at it.

[@isolatedintegration1154]

Got me in the first half not gonna lie

[@JBM425]

Is it asking too much to have cars that actually look good? Even price doesn’t buy good looks anymore. (My current ride is no exception… I keep telling myself that what it looks like doesn’t matter because I can’t see it from behind the wheel. 😣)

[@300rivers7]

I'm torn. I want to like this car, and to an extent, I do. It seems to me however that bmw could have and should have taken a bit more time to "complete the package" if you will. It seems that they're lucky that what appears to me a rushed project turned out as well as it did. Nice review, btw

[@EMJ754]

HATCHBACK ITS A GOD DAMN HATCHBACK.

[@AFJDM]

Would genuinely consider replacing my Polestar with this if it wasn't for the fact that it's not a well-packaged vehicle and is also horrendous up front. Other than that it's mighty tempting and I can't blame anyone that is able to get over the front of this.

[@technologyandsociety21C]

5,100 lbs.? Seriously?

[@vincenty747]

It weighs more than the Mach E and people labeled that a heavy car.

[@naarealy]

IKR, it weighs as much as Ram 1500 truck with a Hemi.

[@Wised1000]

The matte blue is absolutely fabulous. Almost... makes up for that absolutely horrible, revolting and nauseating grill. Still🤮 Too bad because it seems to be otherwise a homerun. The interior design is a little too boyracer for me, but nice. Finally the range is quite bad. The real competition to this will be the EQE AMG. Inquiring minds want to know!

[@LeesChannel]

Brushed motors are not more efficient! They have way more friction, get much hotter, and yes, use more energy, as well as fail much sooner. The only way they are efficient is with BMW's margins. Audi just tried to pull the same scam with drum brakes over disk brakes. I won't even buy a powertool with brushed motors, let alone a luxury car. Nice to know BMWs have the same power train technology as a cheap RC car.

[@SuperHumhum]

Well, Bjorn Nyland did a test and the i4 has been proved to be one of the most efficient EV's on the market. Even more efficient than a crappy Model 3.

[@captainjack6890]

With the major car manufacturers now turning to EVs, suddenly Teslas look more like a one trick pony. Q

[@davesax11]

Yup. Tesla led the way, but is NOT keeping up.

[@Yo-ItsYo]

Tesla can't keep up. They will turn into a software/battery/charging company in a few years, you watch!

[@maxflight777]

Nothing competes with Tesla …. *not until they invest in their own supercharger network*

[@Yo-ItsYo]

Tesla already look and feel so dated. Plus they're uncomfortable. And plastic feeling. This easily beats Tesla.

[@maxflight777]

@@Yo-ItsYo you might find millions of Tesla buyers disagree !

[@maxflight777]

@@Yo-ItsYo that really is an especially stupid comment, when you consider that the BMW is an ice car, modified for electric drive 🤦‍♂️

[@Yo-ItsYo]

@@maxflight777 I do hope their giga-press works out well for them with new models etc.. I like Tesla and what they've done. But I'm sceptical about them being able to easily use existing presses to make newer models. I do think they'll end up just concentrating on software and battery tech in the future, and maybe just release new models and new different types of vehicles (like the truck) slowly. But also when the big existing companies really start fully concentrating on full electric, they'll out-sell Tesla.

[@philipmacrae7435]

Not a Real problem. I just drove the i4 in California for 19days . Over 1000miles.

[@HarlemGreatest]

Why the hell do you keep saying wheels and tires. What’s the difference

[@seabream]

In car terms they often are distinct. A tire doesn't include the rim that it's mounted on or the hub. When you talk about tire choice, you can be talking about whether it's seasonal (winter, summer, all season, all weather), its performance class, the line (Pilot Sport, Primacy 3, etc...). When you say wheel, it _can_ mean the whole thing, but often it means the metal rim that the tire is mounted on. So for instance often for cars, when people talk about wheel size, they're actually talking about the diameter of the rim, not the rim + tire. If people are talking about aero "wheels" they're talking about the rim, not the tire. And fairly obviously, you can use different combinations of tires and wheels for different results. You'll have limits on what options you can put together based on the requirements of the vehicle, but there are a lot of characteristics with a wide range of values that you can optimize depending on what you want out of the vehicle (e.g.: noise, ride comfort, cornering handling, hydroplaning resistance, tire life, wet grip, dry grip, ice grip, snow grip, rolling resistance, looks, etc...). Some of these factors are more related to the tire choice, others more the wheel choice. Manufacturers will of course choose them together, but owners will often change just one depending on their needs or desires.

[@Aikynbreusov]

Best electrical vehicle for ALL the WRONG reasons..... poor reliability....high maintenance costs...... too complex....

[@DiabloVan]

not good for a family.

[@samctm]

wait. what? they can make electric cars that doesnt look like a frog's face? ie. tesla.

[@gregp.7148]

Alex, please change up your attire. Let's see something else than jeans. Shorts? Short-sleeved shirts in the summer? Noone ever wears the same type of outfit! Cheers 🍻

[@naveenthemachine]

He used to wear a sport coat in his older reviews. Even in some of his much older reviews (2012) he’d wear a t shirt. IIRC in his review of the 2012 x5 M he wore a shall we say interesting t shirt

[@gregp.7148]

I think I recall the sport coat, now that you mention it! But he hasn't changed it up a bit for many years. Although Doug demuro has been wearing his t-shirt forever as well.

[@gregp.7148]

I'm one of the few who likes it. No one complains about Audi's humongous grills and now all of a sudden when BMW does it, they are huge. People should make up their minds.

[@amigatommy7]

Hold on to your wallet.

[@georgem5589]

Hate these kind of car review vids, dishonest. Don't be fooled. It's mkt ploy. Range on these cars is sub standard, no supercharger network, no self driving. It ain't time yet to buy anything but Tesla. Maybe in the future, but not yet.

[@zilboubmalyzayatsky5466]

All I4 are RECALL - many bug with acceleration - battery from old TECHNO

[@SuperHumhum]

What idiotic statement is this? Thats utter bullshit. Show me where all the i4 are recalled? That is the best electric car on the market at the time being. The only better car is the Taycan.

[@NotJanine777]

@@SuperHumhum BMW has sent out a recall for its iX and i4 electric vehicles because of a risk of the batteries bursting into flames. For now, a total of 83 vehicles manufactured between November 22, 2021 and July 30, 2022 are part of the recall. It comprises the 2022 BMW i4 eDrive40, i4 M50, 2022-2023 BMW iX xDrive50 and iX M60 models, with 83 cars currently part of the recall notice. Together with US agency the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, BMW is saying owners shouldn’t charge or drive them, or park them indoors or near vehicles and buildings. The recall follows an investigation by BMW prompted by incidents in the US and abroad, which discovered that cathode plates in a cell could have been damaged during manufacture. If debris from the cathode works loose in the cell, that could lead to a short-circuit and then a fire. According to BMW, the suspect cells were from Samsung SDI, but there have been no known accidents or injuries so far. Owners are being urged to get the battery pack replaced with a new one at a dealership.

[@SuperHumhum]

@@NotJanine777 How is that "all" i4? They sell like hot cakes and only 83 are recalled. That is nothing. Even if they would recall 500 cars, it's still nothing. Porsche did recalls, Tesla has a huge recall and a lot of others as well.

[@NotJanine777]

@@SuperHumhum I never said it was ALL vehicles. I'm just pointing that that there has been as recall.

[@SuperHumhum]

@@NotJanine777 You didn't. Sorry for the misunderstanding. The first guy zilboub is the weirdo that knows nothing.

[@naveenthemachine]

I’m sorry but that grille 🐽🦫 is just hideous

[@viccionetti5907]

These fugly 4 series BMW’s will NEVER see their owners turning back around to look after parking it 😱!

[@SuperHumhum]

@@viccionetti5907 You sure? You seem angry that you can't afford it. Enjoy your Hyundai.

[@almcdaniel1035]

@@SuperHumhum😂

[@205rider8]

Wonder how many people will not buy this car with the fugly front end.

[@JustMe99999]

Just a matter of taste. I don't think it's bad.

[@ctk4949]

DISGUSTING!!!! 🤢🤮🤢🤮🤢🤮🤢🤮🤢🤮🤢🤮🤢🤮

[@SuperHumhum]

Do you talk about you?

[@ctk4949]

@@SuperHumhum Dang you made me click on this FUGLY ASS THING AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!! EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

[@bmw128racer]

The car is a hideous. I don't care how great it is mechanically and dynamically, because it's still an eyesore. 👎

[@SuperHumhum]

Well, it is the best selling BMW on the market.

[@bmw128racer]

@@SuperHumhum There's no accounting for taste.

[@SuperHumhum]

@@bmw128racer Only people that drive the ugly outdated and 2001 looking F series don't like this design because it makes their car look even more outdated than it already is. Hence, I assume you have a F series BMW.

[@bmw128racer]

@@SuperHumhum You assumed wrong. There's a difference between outdated and butt-ugly and the i4 is butt-ugly.

[@Yo-ItsYo]

It's beautiful..

[@badimpulses17]

Tesla quality is trash previous Model Y owner, speaking from experience. Never buying a Tesla again.