2021 BMW 4 Series

2021 is the launch year of the second-generation G22 coupe (US on sale from late 2020); the volume 430i uses the B46/B48 2.0L turbo four at 255 hp. The range tops out with the S58-powered M4 Competition at 503 hp, which arrived for MY2021 in rear-drive form only.

The 2021 430i's 2.0L turbo makes 295 lb-ft from 1,550 rpm; the M440i xDrive's 48V-assisted B58 inline-six lifts that to 369 lb-ft, and the M4 Competition peaks at 479 lb-ft.

BMW quotes 5.3 s for the 2021 430i xDrive Coupe (the volume configuration scored here) and 4.3 s for the M440i xDrive — brisk for the price step, though the base four trails six-cylinder rivals.

The 430i's 2.0L turbo four is smooth with little lag and a broad torque plateau, its only rough edge being the auto stop-start restart; the M440i's 48V mild-hybrid B58 six is a segment benchmark for linear, refined thrust.

The ZF 8HP 8-speed Steptronic Sport is quick, smooth and smart in every mode with responsive paddles; the 2021 M4 also offers a genuine 6-speed manual.

xDrive is optional on the 2021 430i and standard on the M440i xDrive, so AWD is available across the mainstream range; the 2021 M4 and M4 Competition were rear-drive only (M4 Competition xDrive did not arrive until MY2022).

Three engines for 2021 — 2.0T four (430i), 48V mild-hybrid 3.0T six (M440i xDrive) and S58 twin-turbo six (M4 / Competition) with manual or automatic — cover mainstream through full performance, but there is no PHEV or EV coupe variant.

EPA combined rating for the 2021 430i xDrive Coupe (2.0L turbo, 8-speed auto, no mild hybrid); RWD 430i manages 29, and the six-cylinder trims fall to 25 and 19.

EPA city figure for the 2021 430i xDrive Coupe; the RWD car adds 2 MPG.

EPA highway figure for the 2021 430i xDrive Coupe — respectable for a luxury coupe but below the best four-cylinder rivals.

Computed from the G22 coupe's 15.6-gallon tank and the EPA 27 MPG combined rating; EPA does not publish a gas-vehicle range figure.

EPA's published annual fuel cost for the 2021 430i xDrive Coupe at 15,000 mi/yr on premium fuel; EPA recomputes this figure at current fuel prices.

Every 2021 4 Series Coupe — 430i, M440i xDrive and M4 — is rated by EPA on premium gasoline, with no regular-fuel, flex-fuel or plug-in alternative.

NHTSA lists the 2021 4 Series 2-door coupe (RWD and xDrive) but published no overall, frontal, side or rollover rating; per the framework, never rated = 0. The shared-platform G20 3 Series sedan's 5-star result is not transferred to a different body.

IIHS did not crash-test the 2021 G22 4 Series coupe and it holds no award (no IIHS rating page exists for the 2021 coupe). It is structurally derived from the G20 3 Series, a 2021 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ with Good ratings across the crashworthiness tests, so the untested coupe is scored mid-band rather than penalized as a known-weak structure.

Active Driving Assistant is standard on the 2021 430i and M440i: frontal collision warning with city collision mitigation (AEB with pedestrian detection), blind-spot detection, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert and automatic high beams. Full-speed adaptive cruise and lane centering sit in the optional Driving Assistance Professional Package, so the volume trim lacks ACC as standard.

The 2021 4 Series coupe was not separately rated for front crash prevention by IIHS; it shares the camera/radar hardware of the G20 3 Series, which earned Superior vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian AEB ratings in its TSP+ evaluation. Scored below the 3 Series result because the coupe itself is unverified.

Blind-spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert are standard on every 2021 4 Series coupe as part of Active Driving Assistant. Active steering intervention for blind-spot (Active Blind Spot Detection) comes with the optional Driving Assistance Professional Package.

Lane departure warning is standard; active lane keeping and Steering & Lane Control Assistant (centering) need the Driving Assistance Professional Package. When fitted, BMW's centering on the G20/G22 platform is reviewed as smooth with little ping-ponging, but the volume trim ships warning-only.

Full-speed Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go and integrated steering assist is available via the Driving Assistance Professional Package and is among the better-calibrated systems in the class (smooth gap-keeping, quick resume). Points off because the volume 430i comes with conventional cruise unless optioned.

Extended Traffic Jam Assistant, part of the optional Driving Assistance Professional Package, allows hands-free driving up to about 40 mph on limited-access highways with driver-attention camera monitoring. Useful in congestion but far narrower than Super Cruise or BlueCruise, and not available at highway speeds in 2021.

LED headlights with automatic high beams are standard on the 2021 4 Series; adaptive LED headlights are optional. IIHS did not publish headlight ratings for the 2021 coupe, so the score leans on the shared G20 platform, where standard LEDs rated below the adaptive units.

Low roofline, wide C-pillars and a shallow rear window limit rear-three-quarter sightlines, as expected for a coupe. A rearview camera and park distance control help; the 360-degree Parking Assistant Plus is optional.

Two-door 2+2 layout means fitting a child seat through a single door opening after sliding the front seat forward; the rear bench has two LATCH positions with anchors recessed in the cushion seam and limited legroom for rear-facing seats.

2021 is the launch year of the G22 4 Series Coupe, a strict 2+2 with two individual rear buckets split by a fixed console — four seats on every trim (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive, M4).

Mid-pack for a luxury coupe; the standard moonroof and low seating position cost some room, but front occupants are not pinched.

Ample front legroom with long seat travel on the standard power sport seats; reviewers describe the front compartment as roomy.

The sloping coupe roofline is the limit in back; Consumer Guide found enough headroom for occupants up to about 5-foot-10 to sit upright.

Generous for a two-door coupe, though tighter than the G20 3 Series sedan and reached through a narrow front-seat aperture. Fine for adults on shorter trips.

A 12.0 cu ft trunk is modest in absolute terms but typical for a two-door luxury coupe; the split-folding rear seatback extends it for long items.

The cupholders sit under a sliding cover ahead of the shifter, and in 2021 the wireless charging pad is an option, so phone and drinks compete for one small well. Door bins and the console cubby are shallow, and the fixed rear console leaves no center storage in back.

The standard power sport seats with lumbar support are well bolstered and hold up over distance, though some testers found the padding firm. The rear buckets are shaped better than most 2+2s; headroom and entry limit them more than cushioning does.

The standard suspension is compliant for a sport coupe, and the optional adaptive M suspension balances control with absorption. M Sport wheels on summer tires add sharpness over expansion joints, which keeps it out of the top band.

Good isolation for the class: the fixed-roof body keeps wind noise low at highway speed. Most of the noise comes from road roar on large-diameter summer tires, not from the four-cylinder.

Automatic climate control and power sport seats are standard, but heated front seats, ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel are all extra-cost on the 2021 430i, mostly through the ~$2,300 Premium Package. There is no rear climate zone.

2021 is the launch year of the second-generation G22 4 Series Coupe in the US; the entry rear-drive 430i Coupe listed at $45,600 plus BMW's $995 destination charge.

The volume configuration is the 430i xDrive Coupe ($47,600 + $995 = $48,595) ordered with the Premium/Convenience packages and metallic paint, as nearly all US cars were specified; that lands around $53,000.

BMW Ultimate Care covers scheduled service for the first 3 years/36,000 miles, keeping early costs near zero, but years four and five carry typical out-of-warranty BMW turbo-four repair exposure; blended between published models.

Above-average retention for a German luxury coupe, helped by the 2021–2022 used-price surge during the chip shortage, but coupe-specific data runs below the 4 Series line average.

BMW's New Vehicle Limited Warranty runs 4 years/50,000 miles, a year longer than the mainstream 3/36 and standard among German luxury brands.

BMW covers the powertrain only within the same 4-year/50,000-mile factory warranty, with no extended powertrain term — weak against 5/60 and 10/100 coverage elsewhere.

BMW Ultimate Care gives 3 years/36,000 miles of full scheduled maintenance (oil, filters, brake fluid, spark plugs, and brake pads/rotors and wipers as needed) plus 4 years of unlimited-mile roadside assistance and ConnectedDrive trials. Scored a notch under the 2022 car because the plan only became transferable to subsequent owners from MY2022.

$53,000 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (54% retained, or about $28,620) leaves about $24,380 in depreciation. Add the projected $6,200 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $30,580 in total.

2021 is the launch year of the G22 second generation (production from June 2020), so it carries first-year redesign risk; J.D. Power nonetheless rates it 'Great' and the shared G20 3 Series platform was already proven, and three-year-old MY2021 BMWs later landed near the industry dependability average. Held just below the 80 band because the strong ratings for this generation largely accrued to the 2022+ cars rather than the launch year.

For the 2021 model year BMW's standing was mixed: Consumer Reports' 2021 survey dropped BMW four places to 17th, while J.D. Power's dependability study of three-year-old MY2021 cars put BMW 3rd among premium brands. Mid-pack-to-upper rather than consistently top-5 — BMW's CR jump to 3rd came a year later, with the 2022 survey.

Six NHTSA campaigns cover the 2021 430i — more than the 2022 car, as befits a launch year — including a rearview-camera FMVSS 111 failure, a convertible head-thorax airbag deployment fix, and two starter campaigns, one of them (25V636) a park-outside fire-risk recall for corroded starter relays. The park-outside order marks a systemic electrical defect, pulling this into the low end of 'typical'.

The volume 430i uses the B48 2.0L turbo four with the ZF 8HP automatic — a mature combination already in the G20 3 Series since 2019 — and the M440i's B58 3.0T (with 48V mild hybrid) is among BMW's most durable modern engines. Docked for the B48 starter-relay water-ingress campaign and the family's known gasket and coolant-tank wear items.

Reviewers praise the G22 cabin's materials — SensaTec or Vernasca leather, metal and wood or carbon trim, and crisp BMW switchgear — as strong for a mid-$40Ks luxury coupe; 2021 cars predate the 2022 de-contenting of the upholstered dash on some configurations. Hard plastics in the rear quarters keep it short of class-leading.

Dingolfing-built G22 assembly is tight and consistent, but BMW's 2021 initial-quality result sat slightly worse than the industry average, and launch-year cars drew complaints about phone-mirroring connectivity rather than panel or rattle issues.

BMW runs roughly 340 US dealers with dense metro coverage and thinner rural reach, and service satisfaction rates above the luxury-brand average. Every 2021 4 Series shipped with BMW Ultimate Care (3 years/36,000 miles of scheduled maintenance), easing the early service relationship.

Parts are easy to source since the G22 shares its B48/B58 powertrains and most hardware with the high-volume G20 3 Series, and the BMW aftermarket (FCP Euro, ECS Tuning, Turner) is deep. OEM parts and dealer labor keep out-of-warranty repair costs well above mainstream norms.

The launch-year 2021 G22 has an 8.8-inch central touchscreen as standard. The 10.25-inch screen comes only with optional Live Cockpit Professional, which became standard for 2022.

iDrive 7 is mature and fast, with the physical rotary controller, real climate hard keys and steering-wheel shortcuts alongside touch, the best-balanced control layout in the class. The smaller standard 8.8-inch screen loses some of the split-screen layout of the 10.25-inch version.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto are standard on every 2021 4 Series Coupe with no subscription. The G22 launched after BMW had dropped its CarPlay fee and added Android Auto.

Navigation with cloud-based BMW Maps is standard even with the 8.8-inch screen, and the 'Hey BMW' Intelligent Personal Assistant handles natural-language commands. It is capable, though a step behind the later iDrive 8 assistant in comprehension.

The standard 10-speaker, 205-watt HiFi system is clean but unremarkable. The optional 16-speaker, 464-watt Harman Kardon system is a real upgrade and the top tier offered on the 4 Series.

The volume 2021 430i comes standard with analog gauges and a 5.1-inch color info display. The 12.3-inch fully digital cluster is part of optional Live Cockpit Professional, which Car and Driver notes comes in the Premium Package. It became standard for 2022.

BMW Remote Software Upgrade is supported on iDrive 7 and delivers periodic over-the-air updates to infotainment, maps and some vehicle functions. Its scope is narrower than whole-vehicle OTA from Tesla.

The My BMW app covers lock/unlock, location, status and remote climate. NFC BMW Digital Key works with a compatible iPhone but depends on optional Comfort Access, and remote engine start is an option on the 2021 430i.

Only two USB ports come standard on the 2021 430i, and wireless charging is an extra-cost option. There is no 120V outlet.

Comfort Access keyless entry is standard on the M440i xDrive but an option on the volume 430i through the Premium Package, a notable omission at ~$46K. Remote start and the NFC Digital Key come with the options.

A rear-view camera and Park Distance Control are standard. The optional Parking Assistance Package adds surround-view cameras and automated parking, which is useful given the thick rear pillars.

A full-color head-up display is available on the volume 430i through the ~$2,300 Premium Package. It is widely attainable but not standard on any trim.

Two LATCH sets serve the rear outboard buckets and the long doors open wide, but every child seat goes in past a tilted front seat. Rear legroom (34.5 in), the 12.0 cu ft trunk and the 40/20/40 seatback make it better than most coupes, while the fixed rear console allows only two rear positions.

Standard equipment includes lane departure warning, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, pedestrian warning with braking and automatic high beams. Adaptive cruise with lane centering and surround view cost extra, and the 2021 coupe has no full NHTSA crash rating.

The rear buckets suit adults over a real stretch and the cabin is quiet. There is no rear climate zone, the roofline crowds rear heads, and a 12.0 cu ft trunk limits four-up luggage beyond a weekend.

The 2.0T makes its 295 lb-ft low in the rev range and pairs with the excellent ZF 8-speed, and the standard suspension is compliant. Firm seat padding, stop/start restarts and summer tires on M Sport cars keep it from the top of the band.

High-20s combined MPG is respectable for a 255 hp luxury coupe, but it requires premium fuel and BMW insurance and out-of-warranty repairs run high. Three years of included Ultimate Care maintenance soften the early years.

A compact-executive footprint (~188 in long) with a 37.4 ft turning circle and a standard rear camera plus Park Distance Control. Thick C-pillars mean leaning on the camera, and surround view is optional.

BMW publishes no US tow rating or factory hitch for the 4 Series Coupe, and the load space is a 12.0 cu ft trunk. It is not built for load work.

The B48 engine and ZF 8-speed are durable hardware, but nothing about the car suits abuse: low clearance, low-profile tires and luxury trim surfaces. As a first-year redesign it carries more launch-year risk, and repair costs are premium-brand.

Work provisions stop at trunk hooks, a 12V socket and two standard USB ports. There is no AC inverter, bed or upfit ecosystem; the only rack hardware is BMW's leisure roof-rack base system.

A good tourer with roughly 430–450 miles per tank, a quiet fixed-roof cabin, a supple ride and supportive seats. Firm seat padding, plus adaptive cruise with stop & go and lane centering being optional, cap it.

Optional xDrive, a genuine BMW roof-rack system and a rear-seat pass-through lift it above most sport coupes. Low ground clearance, no tow rating and summer tires on M Sport cars keep it low.

A usable square 12.0 cu ft trunk, a 40/20/40 split rear seatback with pass-through and an available roof rack. It lacks a hatch's flexibility and offers no hitch for a cargo tray.

The G22 has a wider track, extra stiffening and a lower center of gravity than the G20 3 Series, giving quick turn-in, neutral balance and little roll; optional adaptive M suspension and the M Sport differential sharpen it further. The volume 430i is tuned for composure more than playfulness.

The rack is quick, accurate and well weighted but filters out road texture, and Sport mode adds heft without adding feedback. It is precise but numb.

Stopping power is strong for a ~3,600 lb coupe (around 105–109 ft from 60 mph in G22 430i tests), but pedal response is grabby at low speed and not perfectly linear.

The B48 2.0T and ZF 8-speed are a benchmark pairing: 295 lb-ft from low revs, almost no lag and immediate kickdown. The non-hybrid 430i's stop/start restarts are the one noticeable shudder.

The four is well isolated and vibration-free, but what character it has is largely piped through the speakers. Reviewers want more genuine engine and exhaust voice from a coupe; the six-cylinder M440i provides it.

Mid-pack for the segment given the 112.2 in wheelbase and wide front track.

Excellent power sport seats, a driver-canted dash and physical climate and iDrive controls are class strengths. The low two-door seating position makes getting in and out a drop-and-climb, and the standard moonroof limits headroom for tall drivers.

Quick (5.5 s to 60 for the RWD 430i), well balanced and easy to drive briskly, but the numb steering and muted engine mean it entertains through competence rather than character.

The 2021 launch-year 430i Coupe came with a moonroof, sport seats, LED headlights, wireless Apple CarPlay and Active Driving Assistant, but its standard Live Cockpit Plus used a smaller 8.8-inch touchscreen and partly analog cluster — the 12.3-inch digital cluster and 10.25-inch screen were optional until made standard for 2022. Heated seats, heated wheel, Comfort Access, lumbar support and blind-spot monitoring were all package-only, so a realistically equipped car runs well past the base price.

Fair rather than generous: the 255-hp 430i sits a few hundred dollars from a Mercedes C 300 coupe and above an Audi A5, and options add $5,000–$10,000 to a typical car. The M440i xDrive at $59,495 with a 382-hp mild-hybrid inline-six is the strongest value argument in the range, delivering most of an M4's pace for far less.

Narrower than later years because 2021 was the G22 launch year: the coupe came as 430i, 430i xDrive and M440i xDrive, with the M4/M4 Competition coupe and the G23 convertible arriving during the year, while the 4 Series Gran Coupe was still the outgoing F36 until the new G26 arrived for 2022. Still a well-spaced ladder from about $46,600 to M4 money with deep package flexibility.

A strong launch-year rebound: US 4 Series sales more than doubled from 9,495 in 2020 to 22,937 in 2021 as the G22 coupe and convertible arrived, in a two-door segment that was shrinking industry-wide. Below the 2022 peak, when the Gran Coupe and extra xDrive variants lifted volume to 41,571.

BMW was the top-selling US luxury brand in 2021, with an aspirational, enthusiast-anchored image that props up resale. The model-specific drag was at its sharpest in the launch year: the oversized vertical kidney grille drew a heavy public backlash and is flagged in nearly every US review.

Mixed year for buyers: early 2021 still saw launch lease support and modest BMW Financial incentives on the new coupe, but from mid-year the semiconductor shortage drained inventory, incentives were pulled, and transactions moved to or above sticker. Better than 2022 but well short of a normal-market discount.

2021 is the first US model year of the all-new second-generation G22 4 Series, launched in June 2020 on the current CLAR platform shared with the G20 3 Series, with the 48V mild-hybrid M440i. No redesign risk for a 2021 buyer; the LCI facelift was several years away.

Well reviewed for its chassis, powertrains and tech, and the M440i in particular drew strong praise, but the grille and filtered steering held aggregate scores in the good-not-great range and it was rarely the outright class pick. Main award was What Car? Coupé of the Year (UK, 2021).