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Former Model S and 3 owner. Just got myself the BMW i4 M50.
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Tam
Well-Known Member
It has BMW’s version of Enhanced Autopilot, which I don’t plan to use at all. Would rather drive this car
Proppilot
Member
My 21 MSLR is in the shop for the fifth time for SRS (airbag) issues. If it happens again, THAT is the car I have been eyeing up and actually wanted to purchase in 21 but it was still vapourware. Will be really curious to see how the 'battery mileage' compares to the Tesla as BMW uses a different methodology for reporting EPA and range (I believe it has the 20-25% losses already factored in to what is displayed) vs Tesla showing the 100% efficiency theoretical and you know you will get 0.8 of that IF. Please keep us posted ! I have 34,000 km on my MSLR and had to use the Supercharger once so I am not that wedded to the notion of the supercharging network as much as I was in the past. Congratulations. It is a beautiful car.
Mr Puzzles
Member
Don’t leave us hanging. What’s it like?
In the UK they have very long lead times for the m50 and they are quite a bit more expensive than the m3p.
I was still very tempted to get one with small wheels to get the best range.
In the UK they have very long lead times for the m50 and they are quite a bit more expensive than the m3p.
I was still very tempted to get one with small wheels to get the best range.
I have now driven it for 5 days, and I absolutely love it. It reminds me a lot of the e92 335i I used to drive back in my pre Tesla days. I have been looking for a car that is practical but still has great driving dynamics, and it was hard to find something that checks those boxes. What I love about the m50 is the steering feel - precise and perfectly weighted that always gives you the feeling that you have total control of the car. The car is also amazingly planted and has great cornering abilities (pleasantly surprised as I had thought BMW lost its ability to build a driver's car).
Areas where the m50 excels compared to any Tesla
- Fit and finish: beautifully made with no paint or panel gap issues
- options: although I snagged my car from a cancelled order, you have way more options for paints, trims, seats etc.. My exterior paint is "Brooklyn gray", which I thought is quite unique for the car
- Real world range: I am getting around 3miles / kwH, which would translate to 240-250 miles of real world range. My short range Model 3 never gave me more than 160-170 miles of range
- Driving dynamics: noted above
- Luxury: Everything inside (seats, carbon fiber trims, interior lights, buttons and controls etc.) has premium feel to it
- Carplay: not sure why Tesla doesn't support it, but you get native Google / Apple maps, YouTube music, Apple books etc. Much prefer it to Tesla's native UI. + seamless integration with messages and access to Siri
Areas where Tesla wins
- Supercharging network: I haven't tried EA network, and I don't think I care as I will be charging at home 99% of the time. But I have heard that EA network has many many issues. Kind of reminds me the early teething issues Tesla's SC network had
- Mobile App / Infotainment UI: BMW's app is garbage. Although you can do all the things that the Tesla app can do (schedule charging, controlling the car etc.) the app design is extremely hard to navigate and shows a legacy auto mindset
Overall, I am extremely happy with this car and look for excuses to drive it every day.
(I've never owned/leased a Tesla but have been driving BEVs as my primary car since end of July 2013 and been ICEV-less since end of Jan 2019.)
I used EA a bunch of a recent road trip from the Bay Area to LA then Central Coast (e.g. Santa Barbara, Lompoc, Hearst Castle) then back home, about 1150 miles in total. I always check Plugshare first and try to have backups, if needed. I can say that every EA site I went to where I intended to charge, I was able to charge. Sure, there might've been some down chargers or handles, but I was able to charge. I don't recall having to even switch handles due to discovering one not working.
The good part is that at these EA sites: Pismo Beach, Culver City and Salinas (Harden Ranch), there were at least 2 stations set to complimentary session, so I got free juice from those. I had one session in Solvang that looks like I won't be billed for (long story, but looks like some weird backend bug or communications problem). IIRC, for EA, I used these 4 sites + Goleta.
From Plugshare reports, EA can be hit or miss. I think for every time I've gone to an EA site where I intended to charge (either paid or set to complimentary session), unless the site was full, I was able to charge. There might down handles or stations though.
I did some other charging that wasn't on EA and some were broken: Delano Caltrans (free, but busted) and two very cheap per kWh Santa Barbara County sites (all the cheap DC FCs were broken). I got a decent amount of free juice from Madera and Tejon Pass free DC FCs (New Electric Vehicle Fast Chargers Now Available Along State Highways in Central California | Caltrans).
I've been using CarPlay since end of Jan 2019 on two non-Tesla EVs. I usually use Apple Maps and Waze on it. On this recent road trip, I also sometimes used Google Maps. Like having the variety of mapping apps besides having support for stuff on the car's LCD like Spotify, Overcast and Apple Music.
Not sure what you mean by that. FWIW, Edmunds did test an i4 M50 at Edmunds Tested: Electric Car Range and Consumption | Edmunds.
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Did you lease or buy?
I ask because, IIRC, the motors on these have actual brushes that need to be replaced, at a large but unknown cost. Could you please review your service guide and advise how often this is to be done, and what the cost is?
Thanks!
p.s. Why does it still have a transmission and driveshaft tunnel running down the middle of the interior?
My car is leased. Will let you know if any service issues. BMW covers first 50k / 4 years of service. The transmission tunnel is weird. The reason it is there is because this car is literally an ICE platform and looks identical to the M440i gran coupe
Proppilot
Member
For the US market, legally, BMW has to use EPA test methodology. I can't speak to Canadian laws/regulations.
Proppilot
Member
Next time you're in for service, do please ask them about the cost of this service, and when it's due--very curious as to why BMW went with brushes for their electric motors as I believe they may be the only brand doing so.
Thanks!
Just saw this on Youtube
www.pcmag.com
I read that you have to take it in for a software update. Not sure why it couldn’t be done OTA.
BMW Recalls 14,000+ Nearly New EVs Over Faulty Battery Software
The solution requires dealers to reprogram the electronics in the battery on iX, i4, and i7 vehicles to avoid a sudden loss of power and increased risk of crash, BMW says.
I read that you have to take it in for a software update. Not sure why it couldn’t be done OTA.
I used to drive BMWs, liked them. But they gotta ditch the buck tooth grille ASAP. Perfect opportunity for a new iconic front for their electrified future. Could still be dual elements but extremely minimized to what they need to be to do their job. Unfortunately for this issue, more is less.
You have to give BMW a break here. The Model S (an "EV" that BMW considered a fad) only arrived in 2012. IIRC, they wouldn't even talk to Elon when he came by to visit their Munich HQ (per Ashley Vance's bio I believe).Just saw this on Youtube
BMW Recalls 14,000+ Nearly New EVs Over Faulty Battery Software
The solution requires dealers to reprogram the electronics in the battery on iX, i4, and i7 vehicles to avoid a sudden loss of power and increased risk of crash, BMW says.
I read that you have to take it in for a software update. Not sure why it couldn’t be done OTA.
BMW has only had a decade to provide OTA update tech on their cars--they'll get to it eventually, I'm sure . . . .
SMR lumps BMW into the "dead men walking" category and he may well be right given the i4 is such a poor competitor to the current Model 3, let alone the next Model 3, and was introduced a full five years after the current Model 3 arrived.
