Test drive: 2024 BMW i4 M50 dials up the numbers, not the fun

The M50 is the top-performance model of the BMW i4 lineup
Acceleration numbers aside, it’s not the best handling or riding i4
The M50 offers less driving range than other i4s but charges quickly and predictably

Until BMW’s lineup of Neue Klasse vehicles arrives in 2025, with the “outsider” i3 EV far in the rearview mirror, the i4 remains the entry point for electric vehicles in the German automaker’s lineup. However, at nearly $90,000 for the top-performance i4 M50 version I recently drove, it feels like the most unlikely of entry EVs.

In the two years after the arrival of the i4 hatchback, the market around it has changed a bit. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 has shown that a sedan with something close to its rakish roofline can be remarkably roomy and efficient. The Polestar 2 has made a switch to a focus on rear-wheel drive. And perhaps most notably, the Tesla Model 3 Performance has been completely refreshed.

2024 BMW i4 M50

Getting more time driving the i4 reminded me that this family of electric vehicles is a solid rival to those models but has a completely different set of priorities—aimed more to carry BMW’s signature driving experience forward to the realm of EVs. And it helped me realize that lesser versions of the i4 deliver that in a less heavy-handed way than the M50.

Whether this is the Ultimate Driving Machine of EVs or not, time spent with the i4 M50 made me appreciate its well-integrated wireless Apple CarPlay, impressive Harman Kardon sound, abbreviated interface from the i5 and i7, and sharp head-up display that left a lot of interface flexibility.

Over a few days this spring, I took the i4 M50 from Portland to an event at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, and back. No, I didn’t take it out on the track, sadly. But throw in some favorite backroads and some in-town errands, and here are the pros and cons of the i4 as I experienced it.

2024 BMW i4 M50

Pro: M50 has punchy responses, quick steering

BMW i4 M50 acceleration feels forceful and verging on supercar-quick. That’s because a rear-power-biased pair of permanent-magnet motors makes 469 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque (or 536 hp and 586 lb-ft in Sport Boost mode). At 3.7 seconds officially to 60 mph for the M50, it feels far quicker than the rear-wheel-drive i4 eDrive40 and its roughly 5.4-second 0-60 mph time from its 335 hp and 317 lb-ft motor—partly, perhaps, because the M50’s tires are so good at delivering all the traction they need. The M50 also has very quick, precise steering that mates well with the personality of the AWD electric powertrain, though we would like more feel through the wheel.

2024 BMW i4 M50

Con: It’s not a 3-Series driving experience

Take the i4 off on a backroad and it feels very heavy, especially in this M50 build. It feels much more like it should have an 8-Series badge than a 4-Series one. The i4 M50 tips the scales at an official 5,018 pounds. That’s about roughly 1,000 pounds more than today’s 840i coupe and nearly 1,500 pounds more than a base 2024 3-Series. While I only momentarily got close to the immense cornering potential of the sticky, low-profile Pirelli P Zero PZ4 Elect summer performance tires—255/35R20 in front, 285/30R20 in back—the steering doesn’t load up in a reassuring way or give signals from the road surface the way the steering does in the iX electric SUV. Or, for that matter, the eDrive40 I drove on some of the same roads two years ago. Interstate-tarmac ride quality in the M50 isn’t great either. Between the air suspension, adaptive M dampers, specially tuned anti-roll bars, and a front strut tower brace, something just doesn’t compute. If it’s not weight, that thing might be simplicity.

2023 BMW i4 eDrive40

Pro: BMW i4 has predictably quick charging times

The i4 isn’t quite one of the fastest-charging EVs, or an EV that charges at an especially high power level. But BMW EVs have offered “no surprises” DC fast-charging since the i3, and this i4 M50 is no exception. On a road trip stop, with a 350-kw EVgo connector plugged in at a 4% state of charge, the i4 quickly blipped to around 205 kw and after just 30 minutes, had reached 71%.

2024 BMW i4 M50

As Green Car Reports has emphasized before, using a 150-kw connector instead won’t slow you down much at all. With the previous i4 eDrive40 I’d plugged into a 150-kw connector at just 3% and in 30 minutes I was at 67%. Just to see what would happen with a peace-of-mind plug-in in a sub-optimal situation, I plugged the M50 into a 150-kw connector at 40% and in 10 minutes I’d gained a 62% state-of-charge.

2024 BMW i4 M50

Con: M50 underdelivers on range and efficiency

The i4 M50 I drove had the available 20-inch wheels, with corresponding M wheels, M Sport brakes, and Shadowline trim and lighting. The stance of the i4 with this combination is fantastic, but the wheels cost more than the $2,500 up front. Ride quality isn’t the same with them, and you take a huge dip in range by selecting them over the 19-inch wheels that otherwise come with the M50. The official EPA range of the M50 drops from 269 miles with the 19-inch wheels, and down to 227 miles with the 20-inch wheels this test car had. That’s already a dip from the 301 miles the eDrive40 version can extract from the same 80.7-kwh usable battery capacity.

2023 BMW i4 eDrive40

Note that much of the 2025 BMW i4 lineup does get a modest range boost, plus a refreshed look inside.

Over the 336 miles I drove the i4, it averaged 2.6 miles per kwh, according to its trip computer, over a highway-focused mix, with ambient temps in the range of 55 degrees and the climate control set on auto to 69-72 degrees. While the eDrive40 seemed to overdeliver on its range, I quickly found 227 miles to be optimistic for the M50 in real-world conditions. I’m quite sure the Polestar 2 with the Performance package beats it in real-world driving, as it does by its 247-mile EPA rating.

2024 BMW i4 M50

Pro: i4 front-seat comfort

The BMW i4 has fantastic front sport seats, including extendable thigh support as well as width adjustment for the driver. Yes, the center console feels a little limiting versus wide-open layouts like the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Tesla Model 3, but I got used to it quickly and those seats left me refreshed after hours on the highway.

2023 BMW i4 eDrive40

Con: Backseat everything

The 3-Series has never been great for backseat space, and the i4 follows in that tradition and then some. The i4 has narrow door cuts and a low roofline in back, especially around the door openings, so it’s hard to get into. With the front seat adjusted for a 6-footer there was next to no legroom in back, and anyone near 6-foot will be mashing their head into the soft headliner. On window stickers and in marketing, BMW is labeling the i4 as a Gran Coupe in 2024, whereas it wasn’t in 2023, so this may be part of an effort to get shoppers to see that this is the cost of a more fashionable roofline. Cargo space with the back seat up is just 10.0 cubic feet but more than 45.6 cubic feet with them folded. Just go for the latter; it’s a hatchback—and a coupe in spirit.

2023 BMW i4 eDrive40

2024 BMW i4 M50
Base price: $70,695
Price as tested: $87,845 (M Sport Package Pro, HP tire package, various other trim and tech options)
Propulsion: Dual permanent-magnet motors, 469 hp and 538 lb-ft combined, 536 hp and 586 lb-ft in boost mode; all-wheel drive
EPA efficiency: 227 miles of electric range, 2.4 mi/kwh combined
The hits: Punchy powertrain, quick steering, predictable charging times, supportive front seats
The misses: Tight backseat space, heavy-handed dynamics, poor M50 range and efficiency