BMW I4 M50 test drive

[XKSS]

Front grille is so ugly (bugs bunny!) and that dated overall design - stand it next to a Taycan

 

[MrBeanPT]

This was my alternative but ended up spending double for the Taycan. I don't like the graphics of the main dashboard, but I envy having the great integration of Android Auto and Car Play into the main dash, which Taycan lacks. I don't get how they can take so long to integrate that considering BMWs have had it for years...

 

[Tsingtao]

Thx for sharing. That grill again a non-starter for me but OK, let's park that.

The thing I find TBH just odd about this car is that it feels dare I say it dated? Listen, I've had various BMW (M's) over 20 years so was quite the fan, but when I look at this my gut reaction is more 'old' std. ICE design (mostly referencing interior but somewhat exterior too) with a couple of welded iPad screens planted on the dash.

When I look inside the Taycan I see a really fresh design logic that uses multiple screens in new, interesting and yet 'comfortable' (integrated/sophisticated) ways that still speak to a driver's car vs certain competitor's looking like a computer with wheels. The BMW sans the new screens looks again almost identical to previous ICE equivalents which to me feels like a missed opportunity. Suspect getting into this to me would feel like stepping back in time !

Not surprised re its performance and handling - it's not trying to be a Porsche but no tin can either, they make excellent cars but, if I had to sum it up, I just don't get very emotional looking at this car!

Do agree re good to see solid additional options but this won't bring me back to BMW.

PS: Agree re the Mini - hoping to buy the next gen (2024) out of China and hoping more that it retains all it's go-cart qualities!

The grill is especially easy to hate, but you touched on another really good point: the dated dash that was simply "updated" by bolting an ipad to it. IMO, BMW's interior problems started with the advent of nav screens. They never could seem to integrate artfully the screens with their otherwise classic gauge cluster. Hopefully, over time, they will design a more nuanced dash layout. I do however think that most people would take this somewhat dated/clunky-updated styling and BMW ride/handling over anything Tesla has to offer, and that may been BMW's objective. (And, if you spec the car in black (wrap the chrome on the kidney grill), and perhaps throw on some decent wheels, it's not a bad looking ride.)

 

[Mtljckt]

An ugly car with a decent interior (except the slapped curved screen which is completely unrelated to the rest of the design). The front of the car, ouch, forget about it.

One significant advantage that Porsche has over all the other EVs (including Tesla's voldemort fronts) is that all their great designs had a rear engine. This early design afforded their cars enough time to become an iconic design. The transition was smooth, a similar design was adopted for their EVs. Take a look at all other brands, they all think they need to fill the space between headlights somehow.
Porsche will never make a bad looking EV because they solved this problem from the start AND because they adapt their designs to the current year, instead of deleting their past. Most of the other brands will continue to have styling issues, until lead designers accept that people want their cars to look "normal". Not even Giugiaro was able to reshape design so drastically from one model to the other.

BMW lost their initial i-team to competitors. The notable designs of the i3 and i8 were lost. Their current "innovative" designs are standard cars patched with various ugly items that do not follow function and will not wrap around the driver. It may be a PR stunt. They want people to speak about them and everyone will be happy when they are back at their roots. It might be too late for many drivers who switched teams.

 

[ciaranob]

An ugly car with a decent interior (except the slapped curved screen which is completely unrelated to the rest of the design). The front of the car, ouch, forget about it.

One significant advantage that Porsche has over all the other EVs (including Tesla's voldemort fronts) is that all their great designs had a rear engine. This early design afforded their cars enough time to become an iconic design. The transition was smooth, a similar design was adopted for their EVs. Take a look at all other brands, they all think they need to fill the space between headlights somehow.
Porsche will never make a bad looking EV because they solved this problem from the start AND because they adapt their designs to the current year, instead of deleting their past. Most of the other brands will continue to have styling issues, until lead designers accept that people want their cars to look "normal". Not even Giugiaro was able to reshape design so drastically from one model to the other.

BMW lost their initial i-team to competitors. The notable designs of the i3 and i8 were lost. Their current "innovative" designs are standard cars patched with various ugly items that do not follow function and will not wrap around the driver. It may be a PR stunt. They want people to speak about them and everyone will be happy when they are back at their roots. It might be too late for many drivers who switched teams.

Indeed - have to say hated and still do hate the i3 design but the iconic i8 was/is such an obvious platform to build forward with (at least high end) EV variants I was truly surprised that a full EV version did not appear.

 

[Mission C]

Thx for sharing. That grill again a non-starter for me but OK, let's park that.

The thing I find TBH just odd about this car is that it feels dare I say it dated? Listen, I've had various BMW (M's) over 20 years so was quite the fan, but when I look at this my gut reaction is more 'old' std. ICE design (mostly referencing interior but somewhat exterior too) with a couple of welded iPad screens planted on the dash.

When I look inside the Taycan I see a really fresh design logic that uses multiple screens in new, interesting and yet 'comfortable' (integrated/sophisticated) ways that still speak to a driver's car vs certain competitor's looking like a computer with wheels. The BMW sans the new screens looks again almost identical to previous ICE equivalents which to me feels like a missed opportunity. Suspect getting into this to me would feel like stepping back in time !

Not surprised re its performance and handling - it's not trying to be a Porsche but no tin can either, they make excellent cars but, if I had to sum it up, I just don't get very emotional looking at this car!

Do agree re good to see solid additional options but this won't bring me back to BMW.

PS: Agree re the Mini - hoping to buy the next gen (2024) out of China and hoping more that it retains all it's go-cart qualities!

Totally agree, on specs the I4 should be a winner. However, they really missed the mark on the design. It looks way too much like a standard 4 series gran coupe, which is not a good thing at all. Also, the interior design looks way to standard BMW fare, which I normally like, but doesn't play well in new EV space. Time will tell whether it will be a sales hit, but it's way to meh in design.

 

[Windpower]

That grill again a non-starter for me but OK, let's park that.

BMW front end is just Fugly.

It's better looking than a Tesla 3P and a far superior interior.

I hate the front grille. The iX is much worse though

Front grille is so ugly (bugs bunny!)

The grill is especially easy to hate

An ugly car with a decent interior

Wow! What do you all like most about the front grill?

My first EV was a BMW i3. While not the most attractive car (I liked it but others didn't), it was a great daily driver. BMW should have been a leader in the EV space but they blew it by not doing anything for 5+ years.

 

[Mr.Smith]

Wow! What do you all like most about the front grill?

Im curious what focus group BMW used to green light this design?

 

[WuffvonTrips]

Im curious what focus group BMW used to green light this design?

The regulars at the collagen clinic?

 

[HK111]

The i4 seems quite good... if you could actually get one. We have had one on order at my company since quite a while. We just got a delivery date update: June 20_23_. Ouch.

 

[4sCT21]

June 2023?! ?

oh boy.

 

[BJCanadaMax]

Well said. Now i am glad that i didn't put myself into a worse situation than picking up just the MINI SE. If i got the i4 as my main car, then i probably won't be able to do a Taycan. On the other hand, i may get a refund on the deposit since the i4 won't be delivered for a long while. But i wonder if i would think of the Taycan if i already put down an i4 deposit. Anyway, I can't wait to order my Taycan and hope no bullshit on parts getting removed, like electric steering adjustment. Keep swinging between sedan and Cross Turismo or even an option reduced GTS sedan.

 

[BJCanadaMax]

Totally agree, on specs the I4 should be a winner. However, they really missed the mark on the design. It looks way too much like a standard 4 series gran coupe, which is not a good thing at all. Also, the interior design looks way to standard BMW fare, which I normally like, but doesn't play well in new EV space. Time will tell whether it will be a sales hit, but it's way to meh in design.

You have to understand that they did the i3/i8 route already and shared platform make sense for them and you cannot fault the ridiculous low price of the i4. If you are looking for something like Taycan, then you have to pay for a Taycan. The question is Sedan or Cross Turismo. Somehow the Sport Turismo doesn't really look good to me.

 

[WuffvonTrips]

Harry's Garage video review...

...closing remark "first real disappointment of 2022".

For comparison, his Taycan 4S review from Nov'20...


Range the big issue with both cars, but the Taycan was "engaging" while the BMW "lacks the dynamics and driver involvement of proper M cars" (my paraphrasing).

 

[f1eng]

Wow! What do you all like most about the front grill?

My first EV was a BMW i3. While not the most attractive car (I liked it but others didn't), it was a great daily driver. BMW should have been a leader in the EV space but they blew it by not doing anything for 5+ years.

The information I have is that BMW were surprised that most customers were so conservative that the innovative i3 and i8 did not sell as well as they expected so they went back and made their future electric cars look like people were used to so a lot of the innovative engineering was dropped. A shame IMO but there we are.