2024 BMW M4: All You Need to Know
By James Diaz
| Updated 3 Days Ago
Interior Design and Quality
The M4 features an excellent and extremely high-tech cockpit. As with other BMW interiors, it can’t command the feeling of luxury that is offered by a Mercedes interior, which can border on the sublime. Few would argue the BMW is as elegant or stylish as a Merc when you’re sitting inside. However, the BMW is nonetheless magnificently functional and its ergonomic design quality is first rate.
The controls are easy to find, and there are plenty of spaces for everyday items. It also brings to the forefront top-notch materials, so while it might look a tad dated in some ways, the tactile values of its cockpit are very strong. It feels luxurious. There are also customizable color options that can add flair.
No design review can ignore the front grille design, which has polarized opinion. Subtle, it is not! But this is the design cue that BMW have opted for across the range. We actually think we will all adjust to it, and some people of course already love its boldness, but there is no doubt that for now, as buyers get used to the new combative nature of what BMW is doing, it will remain a love it or hate it feature.
Interior Features
You get a good deal of luxury inside. The M4’s cabin is characterized by premium Merino leather upholstery, as well as by standard heated front seats. There is also the now well-known fully digital BMW instrument panel and an excellent 16-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system. The M4 also comes with the iDrive infotainment system as standard, and it features a 10.2 inch touchscreen that can also be controlled with a dial in the center console. This has been with us on BMWs for a while now. It is a good, intuitive system and supports Apple and Android functionality.
Buyers are also able to take up an Executive Package option (quite pricey, at around $1,850), and this will give you a heated steering wheel, a power liftgate function, and a head-up display. In addition, you get gesture control, which is a lot of fun, as it allows the driver or front passenger to change the volume, switch the radio station, or answer or decline a phone call merely by gesturing with your hand. In truth, some competitors have some of these features as standard.
Seats and Cargo Space
The M4 has a 2+2 seating layout, so you get two bucket seats, rather than a second-row bench. It is therefore only suitable for 4 and not 5 passengers. It is a moot point as to which is better. Some buyers would have preferred the flexibility of the rear seats as a full bench for three, but a well-bolstered bucket seat is more desirable for any individual rear passenger, as the car will be driven in ways that require some cosseting support. You may also choose – at almost $4000 extra – the M Carbon bucket seats. They are gorgeous, but obviously you’re paying a lot for them.
Space is not a strength. You have just 12 cubic feet of cargo space. That’s not a lot, but it’s actually still more than you get in the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupe, or the Lexus RC F, or even in the Audi RS 5 Coupe. These three are miserly with space and offer only around 10 cubic feet of trunk space. In that sense the M4 is the big guy.
Powertrain
The true core of the BMW M4 is the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter in line 6-cylinder engine. It provides 473 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. Impressive. In the M4 Competition, this becomes 503 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. Power is routed to the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. As expected, BMW provides its excellent drive mode selector with multiple M Drive modes to enhance driving experience.
Acceleration
The base M4 has a zero-to-60-mph time of 4.1 seconds. The more powerful M4 Competition knocks 0.3 off that and does it in 3.8 seconds. But the fastest M4 is the M4 Competition xDrive which gets you to 60 in just 3.4 seconds. This is class leading.
The M4’s top speed is electronically limited to a 155 mph top speed, which might disappoint some who want to get nearer to 200mph. For those drivers, BMW offers the optional M Driver’s Pack, but it’s a hefty $2500. For that, you get a one-day performance driving course at a BMW Performance Center and top speed gets pushed up to 180 mph.
Ride and Handling
With a car like the M4, acceleration is never just the whole story. The M4’s handling and precise cornering are what make it a driver’s car. The M4 features an adaptive suspension and buyers can also select optional carbon-ceramic brakes if they want stronger braking performance.
If you really want to make the most of your driving experience, you can select an on-track lap data recorder, called M Drive Professional, but it will set you back around $1000. With it, you can record lap times and track performance data, so for the experienced driver it is worth it.
Fuel Economy
Fuel economy is not a strength, but nor is it below class expectations. Both the M4 and M4 Competition return 16 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. The all-wheel-drive 2024 M4 xDrive will also give you 16 mpg in the city, but just 22 mpg on the highway.
Reliability
Reliability is high. The M4 model has recently been awarded 87 out of 100 in the J.D. Power’s Quality and Reliability ratings. This score is based on owner response and feedback. Model results may vary year on year, but with a BMW you will almost certainly get reliability and decent service back-up.
Driver Assistance Features
The M4 is equipped, as you would expect, with a long list of standard driver assistance features. You get collision avoidance; automatic emergency braking; pedestrian detection; traffic sign recognition; lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. Other standard driver assistance features include driver drowsiness monitoring, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and traffic sign recognition. All in all, it is a good package.
That said, we might have expected some of the options to be standard too. Optional at extra cost are parallel and perpendicular park assist; a surround-view parking camera, and a head-up display. You can also choose to have installed Traffic Jam Assist, which is handy in slow traffic, as it manages steering, acceleration and braking in low-speed traffic conditions.
Competition
The BMW M4 is not the only swaggering island of fast luxury you can buy. There are some peachy rivals. Each of the following is an excellent contender.
You may prefer the Mercedes AMG C63 S Coupe, a world class car. Also outstandingly good and with a passionate following is the Audi RS 5. Less iconic, but arguably no less good overall, is the Lexus RC F.
The C63 S Coupe will give a hand-built twin-turbocharged V8 that will fire you forward from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds with 503 bhp. It starts at around $80,000. Its cabin quality and style are the unequivocal pick of the bunch. Its design is beautiful.
The Audi RS 5 is also an outstanding car with a very suave interior. Pricey too, at around $79,000, its power is delivered by a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 that offers 444 bhp and that takes you to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.
The Lexus RC F, which slightly surprisingly comes in at notably less money, and which is available for around $70,000, is the only one in this quartet that does not use supercharging and turbocharging. Its naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 puts out 472 horsepower and accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. Lexus also offers the RC F Fuji Raceway Edition at the much heftier price of over $103,000. It features a carbon fiber hood and a carbon fiber rear wing and will get you to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. The RC F has a relatively cramped cockpit, at least when compared to the other cars we’re discussing, but its V8 engine has a growl and a pant that is delicious.
If family or lifestyle needs mean you have to ensure four doors, have a look at the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing. It has a twin-turbocharged V6 that generates 472 horsepower and that will take you from zero to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds while also offering you a top track speed of 189 mph, the fastest of the bunch, in fact. With a starting price of just over $59,000, the CT4-V Blackwing is an absolute bargain, given what you get in terms of performance. In addition to the Cadillac, if you need speed and want a performance luxury car with four doors, don’t forget to check out the BMW’s M3 Sedan, which starts at just $69,900, which is also not much money for a great car.
Availability and Production
The 2024 BMW M4 is built in Regensburg, Germany, and is on sale now everywhere.