2024 BMW i4 eDrive 35 review

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2024 BMW i4 eDrive 35

How much is enough?

In terms of food, a 200g eye fillet ticks the box. There’s enough to satisfy, but there’s scope to extend to something a little bigger should you feel so inclined.

And herein lies the connection to BMW’s new executive entry point, the i4 eDrive 35.

Like the juicy 200g fillet steak, the i4 eDrive 35 presents an option of elegant sufficiency. A car with enough power, equipment and space to satisfy, but with pathways to either more performance-oriented i4 models, or even a more traditional 3 or 4 Series should you again feel so inclined.

That the i4 is also a fully electric option, in a world where EVs are largely presented as the more expensive pathway, adds another layer of marinade to what is already a suitable meal. For many executive buyers, this opens up discussion about a raft of three letter acronyms like FBT, GST, LCT and ABN, that all link back to the ATO and a broader consideration of TAX.

Sure, the i4 is simply the electric version of the five-door version of the two-door version of the classic mid-size BMW four-door sedan, but given the amount of frills found on this ‘no frills’ entry-level variant, have we finally hit the point where the grass-fed 200g car is just what you need?

And, more importantly, have we also finally hit the point where an electric car makes more sense than a petrol one from a purely financial perspective?

Whatever the case, these analogies are making me hungry…

How much is a BMW i4 eDrive 35?

The BMW i4 eDrive 35 is priced from $85,900 before options and on-road costs. This is $17,000 less than the more powerful (but still rear-drive) i4 eDrive 40 and a massive $48k under the range-topping i4 M50.

Sure, you get more electro-oomph in the up-spec cars (250kW and 400kW respectively), but that’s a significant dollar jump up in anyone’s language.

But the value discussions on the i4 eDrive 35 don’t stop there.

With the entry-point to the 3 Series range now a $94,700 330i M Sport (the same price as the i4’s cousin 430i Gran Coupe), the electric i4 looks like a bargain by comparison.

Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED head and tail lamps, keyless entry with proximity function, powered tailgate with hands-free function, head-up display, active cruise control, Sensatec artificial leather upholstery, powered front seats, and BMW’s connected telemetry capability.

Simply put, it looks and feels like a proper BMW.

In fact it’s easier to call out what you don’t score on the entry-level eDrive 35, which is predominantly the popular M Sport body styling kit, and the upgraded driver assistance package which adds an active lane-keeping element to the included tech. You also don’t get a lot of personalisation choice, but more on that later.

The only real option is a $3000 premium pack that adds metallic paint, front heated seats and a tilt-slide glass sunroof. I can assure you that after seeing an i4 in white, with cold seats, you’re going to want to tick this box.

The Sanremo Green on our car looks fantastic, especially over the Cognac brown interior. So when choosing yours, do look at some colour options. Black and white are standard, metallic white, orange, green, grey, red and metallic black are optional – go on, be bold!

The real callout here though is that even with the $3000 option pack, the i4 is priced under the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold for electric vehicles ($91,387 for FY24/25).

While that does mean you aren’t pointlessly paying the government to protect a now non-existent car industry (for example the LCT on the $102,900 i4 eDrive 40 is $3881), it also means the car is eligible for even more generous rebates if purchased using a novated lease.

As I’m not a finance writer, I’ll keep this part general. If you like the cut of my jib, so to speak, speak to your accountant or financial advisor to see if this may work for you.

In simplest terms, if you opt to have your employer include a car as part of your salary package, it can be paid for in pre-tax dollars. This means your take-home pay is taxed at a potentially lower rate, but in doing so the car is seen by the government as a fringe benefit and thus eligible for Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT).

Not so with an electric car.

As well as the benefit of cars purchased as part of a novated lease being exempt from GST (10 per cent of the price, or in the case of the i4, about $7800), they are also exempt from FBT which means is that you can potentially save somewhere between 30 and 40 per cent on the value of the car over the life of the loan.

Of course, everyone’s situation is different and a BMW i4 is still a relatively expensive car, but when you weigh up these finance savings along with the sharper entry price, it makes a move to electric, especially as an executive commuter, a little bit tempting.

How big is a BMW i4 eDrive 35?

In the same way that 200g eye fillet is still a steak, the i4 eDrive 35 is still a BMW.

If you are familiar with any recent interior from the German brand, you’ll feel right at home. The materials and quality feel typically top-notch and while the layout doesn’t exactly swim in design flourishes, the ‘Mesheffect’ aluminium inlays look smart and modern and the interior overall, well-constructed.

The seats are supportive, power-adjustable with driver memory, and fitted with manual-extension thigh support.

The choice of Cognac trim (a no cost option) over the standard black adds a level of sophistication to the cabin, even if just from a visual sense. This is your only alternative selection by the way, as I noted above, the base i4 may be well packaged but its personalisation palette is limited. For contrast, the i4 eDrive 40 offers seven interior trim options, a further five extended or full leather options ,and another seven inlay choices.

Around the cabin you’ll find conveniently placed cup holders and a wireless phone charger plus a USB-A and 12-volt outlet under the console cover, a USB-C port in the central storage cubby and decent bins in the doors.

As a four-door coupe, the i4 uses frameless windows which look great but can rattle a little bit when you close the doors.

The downside to that stylish sloping roofline is a less spacious rear passenger compartment. Pair that with a higher floor than you’d find in a 430i GranCoupe due to the battery placements, and the back seats of the i4 are best left for occasional use, or for school-age children.

It’s not dire by any stretch, but at 190cm my head was touching the roof and my legs felt a bit cramped, but as Marty McFly said, “your kids are going to love it”.

For those in the rear seats, there are map pockets, air vents and temperature controls, a pair of USB-C ports and a central armrest with integrated cupholders. Both outside seats have ISOFIX mounting points too.

The fastback hatch has a hands-free kicker and power operation that leads to a 40:20:40 split option for larger loads. The cargo area is easy to access and space is 470L (that can expand to 1290L) which is the same as the 430i GranCoupe but marginally smaller than the 480L boot in the 3 Series sedan.

It’s a very usable layout, and as a one or two-up executive commuter that can manage some school sports and other family activities on the weekends, the i4 ticks the practicality boxes well.

Does the BMW i4 eDrive 35 have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

The BMW OS8.5 operating system driving the I4’s infotainment is a nice upgrade on the often clumsy ‘OS8’, that moves it back to again being one the best in the business. Interaction can be had through voice commands, the screen or by using the jog-wheel on the centre console, which often makes sense when on the move.

You also score access to the BMW Connected app and telemetry functions which enables you to monitor the car, and its charging from the convenience of your phone. It’s a brilliant tool, that keeps improving over time. As the car is electric, you can use its onboard power to prime the cabin temperature by running the heater or cooler ahead of your arrival back to the car, either to a pre-determined time or on-demand from the app.

Back inside the car, the 14.9-inch central touch screen has wireless support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and presents the smartphone projection in a well-integrated full-screen environment. It’s a very bright screen with high-resolution graphics and a clean menu layout that can be configured to your liking.

There is a DAB digital radio tuner, and everything is relatively easy to access and adjust, although in this generation of 3/4/i4 Series cars, the physical preset buttons have been dumped along with all other functions bar track selection and the demist function for the climate control.

You now need to use the screen (or voice assistant) for everything, including temperature changes and heated seat activation. This is becoming the norm in many cars, and while the voice activation generally works well, it’s still not as intuitive as a button.

At least there is still a physical volume dial to manage the 10-speaker 205-watt sound system.

Is the BMW i4 eDrive 35 a safe car?

The BMW i4 eDrive 35 received a four-star ANCAP safety rating when tested in 2002. This was made up of an 87 per cent score for adult occupant protection, 89 per cent for child occupant protection, 71 per cent for vulnerable road users and 62 per cent for safety assistance systems.

The i4 was marked down for not including occupant detection for rear passengers (part of the seatbelt reminder component), a lack of junction-assistance AEB function, and below-average emergency lane-keeping performance.

As noted, there is no active lane-keeping function on the i4 35, but there is on the eDrive 40 and M50 models.

The BMW i4 eDrive 35 features eight airbags.

What safety technology does the BMW i4 eDrive 35 have?

One of the key areas where the i4 eDrive 35 is a little more noticeable as the range-entry variant is in its ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) equipment array.

Make no mistake, there is everything that you need, including adaptive cruise control with traffic queuing function, blind spot detection and traffic sign recognition, which works in concert with the head-up display, but more advanced features like an active lane-keep function or intersection-aware AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) need the step up to the ‘professional’ assistance package that can be found on the i4 eDrive 40.

What this means is that you do need to drive the i4 eDrive 35 a little bit more, but in urban confines, even with regular short-hop freeway trips, this isn’t a huge deal. If you feel you need more tech between you and the road, like a 360-degree camera or automatic parking, that’s where the 300g eye fillet comes in.

In terms of the equipment fitted to this i4 is concerned though, the adaptive cruise control function works well, parking is easy enough with mirrors, sensors and a rear camera, and the lane-departure buzz is felt through the steering wheel warning enough that you should be looking out the windscreen rather than wistfully glancing out a side window coming up with more ways to incorporate steak metaphors in a written review.

What is a bit strange though, is the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster doesn’t offer an ‘ADAS’ view to show the current active driving assistance mode. There are modes that show navigation, radio or other audio input, trip data, and even a fun g-force sensor, but no driver assistance view.

How much does the BMW i4 eDrive 35 cost to run?

Along with the more affordable entry price, the i4 also benefits from a more affordable servicing plan than its petrol counterpart. A six-year BMW Service Advantage package on the i4 is $2450 ($408 per year), compared to $2225 ($445 per year) for a five-year package on a BMW 4 Series.

In terms of insurance, a comparative online comprehensive insurance quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW comes to $2733 per annum, cheaper than the same details applied to a 430i Gran Coupe ($3008) but more expensive than a Tesla Model 3 Long Range ($2410).

Note that insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

What is the range of a BMW i4 eDrive 35?

Rather than the more universally WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) efficiency standard, BMW uses the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) standard to claim a 430km range from the i4’s 70kWh battery.

The i4 eDrive 35 has a quoted average efficiency of 17.4 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometres and we saw an average of 18kWh/100km during our time with the car. This is at the higher end for a mid-sized electric sedan, given the best-of-breed award currently sits with the Hyundai Ioniq 6 at 14.3kWh/100km, and that a Polestar 2 claims 17.2kWh/100km.

You can recharge the i4 at a maximum of 180kW, with BMW claiming a 10-80% rapid charge can be completed in around 32 minutes.

What is the BMW i4 eDrive 35 like to drive?

Looking like a BMW and feeling like a BMW doesn’t mean much unless the car drives like a BMW, and in the case of the i4 eDrive 35, you’re in luck!

Yes, the i4 is heavier than the equivalent 4 Series GranCoupe (due to the battery) which in turn, is heavier than a 3 Series sedan (due to the extra structural bracing needed for the five-door liftback body, but the tight chassis and rear-drive dynamics make the electric i4 feel BMW enough, particularly around town.

The 210kW output means the i4 is punchy enough for zipping through traffic and to handle freeway merging and overtaking with ease. As is typical of single-speed electric cars, the 400Nm response comes on strong early in the speed range, but then tops out, making the car very adept at leading away from the lights, more so than for high-speed touring passes.

Step out of the urban confines, and yes, it does feel heavier than a 3 Series, particularly over bumps and through tighter bends, but it manages the heft well enough for a car that isn’t trying too hard to be a sports sedan. Sure, if you want more oomph you can step to the higher-output i4 models, and if you want a little more agility through the bends you can maintain a petrol 430i, but for where and how this car is positioned, it answers the balanced and enjoyable BMW brief very well.

Ride quality is good too, with the smaller 18-inch wheels offering just a little more sidewall cushioning (Hankook Ventus S1 Evo – 255/45 R18) than the snazzier 19-inch rims on the higher-spec cars.

Melbourne’s patchy street surfaces are no problem, and in a way, the weight of the car helps it settle and feel more planted over sharper urban undulations like tram crossings and cobbled transfers.

As an executive runner, the i4 feels properly BMW enough in terms of both quality and engagement and for a keenly priced electric player, that says a lot.

Should I buy a BMW i4 eDrive 35?

Could it be, that the smartest BMW purchase is an electric one? From the brand that consistently wins awards for combustion engines (Winner of International Engine of the Year in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2015), this feels a bit of a wild statement to make, but to say the i4 is a smart buy, isn’t to say other BMWs aren’t.

The fact you have a car that looks, feels and drives, for all intents and purposes, like an electric 3 Series, for less money than a petrol 3 Series is a point that is hard to go past. Blend that with the incentives afforded to buyers who can take advantage of a novated lease, and the comparative savings make the i4 eDrive 35 a great value proposition.

However, is calling an electric BMW good value something of a misnomer, especially when you can have any Tesla Model 3 or BYD Seal, which both offer the same novated lease taxation benefits, for less money and with more power?

The thing is, those cars may be better value, but they aren’t wearing the BMW badge and for some buyers that still carries plenty of weight.

The blue and white roundel still matters as a status and success symbol, and in the case of the i4 eDrive 35, it is worn with a sense of quality and dynamic prowess that some of the newer brands can’t quite match yet.

It’s not an every-case argument either. Electric still isn’t the best solution for everyone, and not all buyers can take advantage of all the tax minimisation opportunities made available through salary sacrifice.

But if you are looking for an executive commuter, can manage electric charging, and know your TFNs from your EFTs, then the BMW i4 eDrive 35 might just be the perfect amount of BMW you need.

Elegant sufficiency, with efficiency and proficiency.

How do I buy a BMW i4 eDrive 35? The next steps.

The next step on the purchase journey is to check the BMW website or your local dealer for stock. You can also find BMW for sale at Drive Cars For Sale.

We strongly recommend speaking with your finance manager or accountant to see if you can qualify for any of the taxation benefits afforded by an electric car on a novated lease.

If you want to stay updated with everything that’s happened to this car since our review, you’ll find all the latest BMW news here.

The post 2024 BMW i4 eDrive 35 review appeared first on Drive.

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