Overview

What's New for 2021

The 4 Series comes in two trim levels -- the 430i and M440i.

The 430i has a starting price of around $46,000. For that, owners get rear-wheel-drive and standard safety technology like blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, rear parking sensors, and automatic emergency braking. Key exterior elements include 18-inch wheels, automatic LED headlamps, rain-sensing windshield wipers, heated auto-folding side mirrors, and a power moonroof. The cabin features premium leatherette upholstery, power front seats, proximity keyless entry, tri-zone climate control, wood trim, a leather steering wheel, Apple CarPlay / Android Auto, Bluetooth, an 8.8-inch touchscreen, and navigation.

An all-wheel-drive version called the 430i xDrive is available for roughly $48,000.

Pricing begins at about $58,500 for the faster and sharper-handling M440i model. It has all-wheel-drive, unique M Sport wheels, a sport suspension, rear differential, special M badging, a spoiler, and more.

The 430i uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that produces 255 horsepower and 294 pound-feet of torque. The EPA estimates fuel economy of 26/34/29 mpg city/highway/combined, which are excellent figures for a car with the 430i's road-going performance.

It's appropriate that the sportier M440i also has a more powerful engine, and this one comes with a twist. The 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine is turbocharged and incorporates a 48V mild-hybrid system. It helps to recapture energy when the vehicle is braking and stores that electricity in a battery pack. That electricity can then be used to supplement the engine during low-speed driving. The M440i makes 383 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The EPA estimates it should return 22/31/25 mpg.

Both models employ an 8-speed automatic transmission. Selectable driving modes allow the driver to adjust the powertrain's responsiveness depending on the driving conditions.

The 4 Series has a 15.6-gallon fuel tank capacity.

The BMW 4 Series's interior styling is virtually indistinguishable from that of the 3 Series sedan, which is good news. The cabin is filled with soft, premium synthetic leather and brushed metal surfaces. A thick steering wheel commands the driving area and has an excellent feel. The available digital gauge cluster sits behind the wheel, as do the brushed silver paddle shifters.

An 8.8-inch widescreen infotainment unit is perched atop the center stack and blends much better into the dashboard than the last generation's. Users can operate it either by touch or a console-based selector wheel. This versatility makes the system easy to navigate and should suit most drivers. Notably, the HVAC controls have been scaled down in size, taking up less space in the center stack and giving the interior a cleaner look.

The headroom in both rows is average for the class, but the 4 Series shines in the rear legroom department. Cargo space is also better than many rivals, though it's still small at 12 cubic feet.