2024 BMW i4

The volume eDrive40 makes 335 hp from one rear motor. For 2024 the range runs from the 281 hp eDrive35 to the 536 hp M50, with the new 396 hp xDrive40 in between.

The eDrive40 makes 317 lb-ft from zero rpm. The eDrive35 makes 295 lb-ft, the xDrive40 443 lb-ft and the M50 586 lb-ft.

BMW quotes 5.5 s from 0 to 60 mph for the eDrive40, and some outlets list 5.4 s. The eDrive35 takes about 5.7–5.8 s, the xDrive40 4.9 s and the M50 3.7–3.9 s.

The electric drive gives instant, silent, linear thrust, with none of the turbo lag or engine noise of BMW's gas sedans. Reviewers rank the i4 among the smoothest premium EVs.

A single-speed direct drive has no gears to hunt between, and the selectable regen settings, including adaptive and one-pedal 'B' mode, are well calibrated.

For 2024 AWD comes on two of four trims: the new xDrive40 and the M50. The volume eDrive40 and the base eDrive35 are RWD only. The dual-motor xDrive varies its torque split continuously but has no terrain modes.

There is no gas, hybrid or PHEV version, but four distinct EV setups for 2024 (281 hp RWD, 335 hp RWD, 396 hp AWD, 536 hp M50 AWD) cover a wide performance and price range. Buyers who want gas can choose the closely related 4 Series Gran Coupe.

EPA combined rating for the 2024 eDrive40 on 18-inch wheels. That is 30.9 kWh/100 mi, before the 2026 silicon-carbide inverter update raised it.

EPA city rating for the volume eDrive40. It is solid for a 400V EV built on a platform shared with gas cars, but trails lighter dedicated EV sedans.

EPA highway rating for the eDrive40. The slippery liftback body keeps highway efficiency almost equal to city.

EPA combined range for the volume eDrive40 on 18-inch wheels, from the 81.1 kWh usable battery. 19-inch wheels and the AWD trims reduce it.

BMW's fifth-generation eDrive 400V system peaks around 200 kW on the eDrive40, which is mid-pack for EVs. That beats 150 kW-class cars but falls well short of 800V rivals.

BMW quotes about 31 minutes from 10 to 80% for the 81.1 kWh usable battery, and independent charging-curve tests come in slightly under that. Without preconditioning, a cold battery charges much more slowly.

EPA's estimated annual energy cost at 15,000 mi/yr, using the national average home electricity price. Owners who rely on public fast charging will pay more.

As a full EV it has no fuel-grade requirement and charges cheaply at home, taking about 8 hours on 240V via the 11 kW onboard charger. It uses a CCS1 port, so Tesla Supercharger access needs an adapter and BMW's software enablement, and its DC charging is competent rather than fast.

NHTSA has never crash-tested the i4 under its 5-Star Safety Ratings program; no overall rating exists for 2024 or any other year of the G26 generation.

IIHS published no ratings and no award for the 2024 i4 (pre-facelift); the i4 is absent from the 2024 TSP/TSP+ list. The same body shell, tested later as the 2025–26 facelift, rates Good in moderate overlap (updated), side (updated) and driver-side small overlap, which suggests sound structure but cannot be credited as a 2024 result.

Active Driving Assistant is standard on every 2024 i4 (AEB with pedestrian/cyclist detection, forward collision warning, Active Blind Spot Detection, Lane Departure Warning, rear cross-traffic alert, speed-limit info), but adaptive cruise and active lane keeping are locked in the optional Driving Assistance Professional package.

IIHS did not rate front crash prevention on the 2024 i4. The closest data (2025–26 facelift, same standard system family) shows Good pedestrian detection but a Poor result in IIHS's tougher updated vehicle-to-vehicle test, so performance is mixed rather than demonstrably strong.

Active Blind Spot Detection (mirror light plus steering-wheel vibration) and rear cross-traffic alert are standard on all trims, but they warn rather than steer or brake; no safe-exit alert on the 2024 car.

Only Lane Departure Warning (steering vibration) is standard; Steering & Lane Control Assistant with active side-collision protection requires Driving Assistance Professional. When fitted, reviewers find it smooth and well-calibrated on highways.

Full-speed-range Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go is refined and reviewed favorably, but it is optional (Driving Assistance Professional) rather than standard on the volume eDrive35/eDrive40 trims.

The 2024 i4 cannot get BMW's 85-mph Highway Assistant (its electronics don't support it); hands-free operation is limited to Extended Traffic Jam Assistant on limited-access highways at up to about 40 mph, part of the optional Driving Assistance Professional package.

IIHS did not rate the pre-facelift 2024 i4's headlights. LED lights with automatic high beams are standard and adaptive LEDs optional, but the closest IIHS data (2025–26 facelift) rates every tested configuration Marginal or Poor, so there's no evidence of Good-rated lighting.

The fastback Gran Coupe roofline and thick C-pillars leave a shallow rear window and sizable over-the-shoulder blind zones. Front and rear parking sensors and a rearview camera are standard; the surround-view camera is optional (Parking Assistance Package).

IIHS rates the i4's LATCH Good for the same body on the 2025–26 cars (eDrive40 tested), and the hardware is unchanged from 2024. Anchors are easy to reach, but the compact rear bench and sloping roofline limit rear-facing seats and make three-across impractical.

Five-passenger seating with a 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat on every 2024 i4 trim.

Mid-pack front headroom for the class; the sunroof is standard on the 2024 i4, so this is the representative figure.

Adequate but at the lower end of compact luxury sedans; shares the 4 Series Gran Coupe package.

The fastback roofline trims rear headroom below the 3 Series sedan; roughly Model 3 territory.

The underfloor battery raises the floor and the rear seat is tight for adults; one of the snugger rear seats among compact luxury EV sedans.

The US-published trunk figure is 10.0 cu ft, which sits at the floor of the sedan band. The liftback opening and 45.6 cu ft seats-folded volume make it more usable than that number suggests, but the published US figure is what the spec measures.

Competitive everyday storage: center console bin, door pockets, standard wireless charging tray, and a power liftgate with 40/20/40 pass-through. There is no frunk and little hidden underfloor storage, unlike EV-native rivals.

Supportive, well-bolstered front sport seats with wide power adjustment earn praise on long drives; the rear bench is flat and the raised floor gives poor thigh support.

Well damped and controlled for a heavy EV, but firm on the M Sport setup and larger wheels and it gets busy over broken pavement. Not as plush as an EQE or Lucid Air.

The EV drivetrain and an acoustic windshield make the cabin hushed at highway speed. Some tire roar comes through on coarse pavement with the larger wheels.

Dual-zone automatic climate, heated front seats, wireless charging and app-based pre-conditioning are standard. The heated steering wheel, heated rear seats and ventilated seats cost extra, which is stingy at this price.

The 2024 i4 starts with the RWD eDrive35 at $52,200 plus $995 destination. The other trims are eDrive40 $57,300, xDrive40 (new for 2024) $61,600 and M50 $69,700.

The eDrive40 is the volume trim at $58,295 with destination. A typically equipped car adds the Premium Package and a paint or wheel option, which puts it near $61.5k.

The EV drivetrain has no oil, plugs or transmission service. Routine costs are cabin filters, brake fluid, tires and rotations, and the first 3 years of scheduled maintenance are covered by Ultimate Care.

Luxury EVs lose value steeply. The i4 retains about 36% of its price over 5 years, roughly 13–14 points below the gas 4 Series Gran Coupe. Heavy discounts on leased cars, which receive the $7,500 credit, push used prices down further.

BMW's new-vehicle limited warranty is 4 years / 50,000 miles, which is typical for German luxury brands.

The high-voltage battery is covered for 8 years / 100,000 miles, the industry-standard EV minimum. BMW gives the electric drivetrain no longer coverage than that.

Included perks are BMW Ultimate Care scheduled maintenance for 3 years / 36,000 miles, 4 years of roadside assistance, and 2 years of free 30-minute Electrify America charging sessions for MY2022–2024 i4s. That is a stronger package than the 2026 car gets, though it stops short of multi-year unlimited charging.

$61,500 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (36% retained, or about $22,140) leaves about $39,360 in depreciation. Add the projected $3,100 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $42,460 in total.

Consumer Reports owner-survey data rates the 2024 i4 as much more reliable than the average 2024 vehicle, its top reliability tier; the climate system is the one recurring trouble spot flagged. CR's forward prediction for the nameplate (pooling 2023–2025) is only about average, so the signal is strong for this year but not uniformly top-tier.

BMW sits mid-pack to upper-mid-pack in recent Consumer Reports brand rankings and J.D. Power VDS premium-brand results — ahead of Mercedes-Benz and Audi but behind Lexus and Toyota.

Three NHTSA recalls touch the 2024 i4, two of them serious: high-voltage battery modules with insufficient weld seams (fire risk, module replacement) and a left longitudinal chassis beam that may crack (crash deformation near the battery). The third, a drive-motor software fault causing loss of drive power, is fixed OTA. Typical count but notable severity.

The volume eDrive40 uses BMW's 5th-gen eDrive electrically excited synchronous motor and an 81.1 kWh (usable) pack shared with the iX/i5 — no systemic motor or battery failures reported, and EVs carry few wear items. The 2024 battery-weld and drive-software recalls keep this below the proven-high-mileage tier.

The 2024 i4 cabin (pre-2025-refresh) shares the 4 Series Gran Coupe's well-finished interior with BMW Curved Display, SensaTec upholstery and soft-touch surfaces; reviewers rate it class-competitive though less lavish than its price peers at the top trims.

Built at BMW's Munich plant alongside the 4 Series Gran Coupe with tight, consistent assembly; scattered owner complaints center on climate-system and software glitches rather than panel gaps or rattles.

BMW has roughly 340 US dealers — solid nationwide coverage though thinner rurally than mass-market brands; J.D. Power service satisfaction is mid-pack among premium brands.

BMW parts and labor are expensive and EV-specific components (HV battery modules, inverter, curved display) are largely dealer-only; independent-shop support for the i4's EV systems is limited. Shared 4 Series body/chassis parts help availability.

The 2024 i4 has the BMW Curved Display as standard: a 12.3-in driver display joined to a 14.9-in central touchscreen running iDrive 8.

iDrive 8 is fast and sharp and keeps the rotary controller. However, moving climate controls into the touchscreen and deep menus drew criticism, which iDrive 8.5 (2025 refresh) only partly addressed.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and shown on the large curved display.

BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant handles natural speech and car functions well. Built-in BMW Maps includes cloud routing and EV charge planning, and AR navigation is available.

The standard HiFi system is competent, and the optional Harman Kardon surround system is well regarded. The Bowers & Wilkins system offered in larger BMWs is not available here.

A crisp, configurable 12.3-in digital driver display is standard as part of the Curved Display.

BMW Remote Software Upgrade delivers whole-vehicle over-the-air updates for Operating System 8 cars, sometimes adding features as well as fixes.

The polished My BMW app offers remote climate, lock/unlock, vehicle location and charge scheduling. Digital Key Plus with UWB phone-as-key is supported on compatible iPhones and Android phones.

A wireless charging pad is standard, and there are USB-C ports front and rear. There is no household AC outlet.

Comfort Access keyless entry and push-button start are standard, and Digital Key Plus allows passive phone-as-key entry.

A rear camera and front and rear Park Distance Control are standard. Surround View, Remote 3D View and the Reversing Assistant are optional through Parking Assistance packages, not standard on the volume trim.

A full-color head-up display is available as an option, not standard on the volume eDrive40.

The liftback and 40/20/40 rear seat help with strollers and gear. But tight rear legroom (34.2 in), a sloping roof and a modest door opening make rear-facing car-seat installs cramped.

Standard Active Driving Assistant covers forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Full-speed adaptive cruise and lane centering are optional.

The quiet cabin and 301-mile eDrive40 range are real strengths. The 10 cu ft US-rated trunk and snug rear seat limit a family of four on longer trips.

The silent, instant-torque drivetrain, adaptive regen and one-pedal B mode, and refined low-speed manners make it an effortless commuter.

Rated at about 109 MPGe combined, it costs only a few cents per mile on home electricity, far below any gas luxury sedan. Insurance and tire costs are the offsets.

The compact 188.5-in footprint and standard front and rear sensors plus rear camera help. But a 41-ft turning circle and a thick-pillared fastback rear view hurt in tight lots.

It has no US towing rating and only a small liftback cargo area, so essentially no work-vehicle capability.

The luxury interior, low ride height and complex electronics are the opposite of a work vehicle, and there is no fleet or work configuration.

There is no factory hitch, no bed, no exportable power and no upfit ecosystem.

A quiet highway ride, good front seats, 301-mile eDrive40 range and 200 kW peak DC charging make it a capable EV tourer. Stops still take about 30 minutes, and the small trunk limits luggage.

AWD is offered on the xDrive40 and M50, but low ground clearance, low-profile tires, no factory roof rails and no tow rating keep it on paved and gravel roads.

The liftback and 40/20/40 pass-through give far more flexibility than a conventional trunk (45.6 cu ft seats folded). A 10 cu ft seats-up figure and no roof rails or hitch cap it.

Balanced weight distribution and a low battery mounting give it composed, playful handling for a 4,700-lb EV. Reviewers rank it among the best-driving EV sedans, though mass blunts the classic 3 Series feel.

The variable-ratio steering is quick and accurate with natural weighting, but it filters out more road feel than gas BMWs.

Strong stopping and a progressive pedal. Regen-to-friction blending is good, though early cars drew occasional remarks about pedal feel in B mode.

The single-speed electric drive delivers instant, seamless torque. Tip-in is well calibrated across drive modes, and the dual-motor xDrive40/M50 transitions are imperceptible.

The motors are nearly silent with well-suppressed whine. IconicSounds Electric adds optional synthesized sound, and tire noise is the only intrusion at speed.

A large turning circle for a compact sedan, longer than the sedan band ceiling.

The low, adjustable BMW driving position is excellent. Rearward visibility is limited, and iDrive 8 moved climate into the touchscreen, which reviewers criticized.

The rear-drive eDrive40 is balanced and playful, and the 536-hp M50 is one of the most engaging EV sedans. It is still a step below gas M cars.

Every 2024 i4 comes with the iDrive 8 curved display (12.3-in cluster + 14.9-in screen), wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, power seats, LED lighting and a basic driver-assist suite. Heated seats and steering wheel, Harman Kardon audio and Driving Assistance Professional are still extra-cost packages, which is typical of German brands charging for options.

The eDrive35 and eDrive40 ($53–58k with destination) cost more than a Tesla Model 3 Long Range with similar range and do not qualify for the federal purchase credit. The M50 ($70.7k, 536 hp) is widely considered a strong performance-EV value next to the Taycan and e-tron GT.

For 2024 the new AWD xDrive40 joins the lineup, making four well-spaced trims: eDrive35 (RWD), eDrive40 (RWD, longest range), xDrive40 (AWD, 396 hp) and M50 (AWD, 536 hp). Prices run from about $53k to $71k.

In 2024 the i4 was BMW's best-selling EV in the US, at 23,403 units, and made up more than half of 4 Series sales. That is high volume for a premium EV sedan, though far below the Model 3.

BMW is a top-tier aspirational luxury brand with a loyal following. The M50 adds M Performance appeal, giving the i4 credibility with enthusiasts that some rival EV sedans lack.

The i4 does not qualify for the $7,500 federal purchase credit, but BMW passed the commercial EV credit through on 2024 leases and added loyalty and conquest cash. EV sales softened in 2024, so meaningful discounts were easy to find.

MY2024 is the third year of the G26 generation, which launched for 2022, and it predates the 2025 LCI facelift (iDrive 8.5, new styling). A 2024 buyer gets a car that was about to be refreshed, though its powertrain and platform were still competitive.

The i4 was a Car and Driver 10Best winner (2023) and is consistently praised by MotorTrend, Edmunds and Consumer Reports for its ride and handling balance, refinement and interior quality. It regularly places at or near the top in comparison tests against the Model 3 and Polestar 2.