BMW 4 Series Coupe Review 2023

If you want a premium car that’s going to get the neighbour’s tongues wagging (Neighbourhood Watch will be inundated with complaints about the grille), the BMW 4 Series is a superb choice. It’s more stylish but less practical than the 3 Series, while it’s cabin will make you feel good about life for every minute you spend in it.

While rivals are perhaps less challenging in their aesthetics, the BMW 4 Series is the choice for anyone who enjoys driving. There’s an engine to suit every requirement - all of which are fun to drive and won’t cost a fortune to run.

The obvious competitors are the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe and Audi A5 while the Lexus RC is a left-field alternative. You could even compare it to sportier alternatives like the Porsche 718 Cayman or Toyota Supra. Take a look at our best coupes for 2022 for more ideas. 

Start tapping around low-down in the cabin and you might find a few firm plastics but, by and large, the 4 Series Coupe's cabin feels just as upmarket as you’d expect from a BMW.

All BMW 4 Series models are highly equipped so that helps with the premium ambience. Leather seats are standard across the range, as is a leather-trimmed steering wheel and ambient lighting. It just looks and feels like a classy place to sit.

If we had one criticism, it’s that the top-end M440i doesn’t feel that different to the 420i. You’ll notice a few minor upgrades inside (the M seat belts, for example), but that’s about it. This is more of a statement about how well finished the entry-level car is than a knock on the top-spec model, though.

A wide 10.25-inch display forms the basis of the infotainment in the 4 Series Coupe. We like it - not just because of its quick responses, sharp graphics and sensible menu layouts, but also because it can be controlled via a rotary trackpad controller next to the gear lever.

That means it’s much safer to use on the move than touchscreen-only systems and, if you’d prefer, it also responds to ‘hey BMW’ voice commands. It’s pretty clever… to a point. It’ll respond to vague inputs (‘I’m cold’, for example) and it can even perform tasks like dropping the windows. But, like a lot of these systems, it has its limits - soon becoming confused and asking you to repeat the command until you give up and press a button instead.

Smartphone integration is standard across the range, meaning you can access your phone’s features wirelessly via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Look for a BMW 4 Series with the Technology Package for wireless phone charging, WiFi hotspot preparation and a cool (if a little gimmicky) gesture control feature which lets you wave in front of the media system to do things like skip tracks or adjust the volume.

There’s a 12.3-inch digital instrument display as standard across the 4 Series range, too. Like a lot of similar systems, this has a tendency to overload you with information, but it’s nothing you won’t soon get used to.

There’s plenty of space in the front of the BMW 4 Series Coupe. You have to lower yourself down into it (a novelty in a world of SUVs) but, once you’re there, it certainly doesn’t feel cramped. A tall adult driver will find it perfectly comfortable, and you’re not going to be bashing elbows with your passenger.

There’s a reasonably big centre console storage box under the armrest, while the door bins will carry a fairly large bottle of water. There’s a couple of cup holders, too, and a slim glove box.

Of course, the 4 Series Coupe isn’t really meant for carrying rear passengers. You have to climb into the rear seats (until the Gran Coupe arrives, it’s two-door only) and, once there, any adult will feel pretty cramped thanks to the dropping roofline and tight legroom. The small windows might make children feel pretty claustrophobic or even travel sick, too, although you will find Isofix points back there to make fitting a child seat that little bit easier.

At 440 litres, the BMW 4 Series Coupe's boot’s a pretty good size and usefully square in shape. You’ll squeeze a set of golf clubs in there, but don’t expect a handy underfloor stowage area for storing odds and ends. There’s a bit of a lip for lifting heavy items over, too. If you need more space, the rear seats split 40:20:40 and drop easily using levers by the boot opening. Once dropped, there’s a fairly flat floor, but there’s no getting around the narrow boot opening.

If you're planning to tuck your BMW 4 Series Coupe away in the garage for safe keeping you'll need to accommodate its 4755mm length, 2081mm width (with mirrors out) and 1383mm height. 

Don’t think you have to spend a fortune on a high-spec BMW 4 Series Coupe to get a decent engine. The majority of buyers will opt for the entry-level 420i and, frankly, it’s all most of us will need. It’s a 2.0-litre petrol with 184PS, meaning it has plenty of punch for motorway driving and overtaking slower traffic.

If you want a bit more power, there’s a 430i with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine which will appeal to the enthusiast buyer. We’ve yet to try this but, going by our experience of the same engine in other BMW models, it won’t disappoint (provided you can put up with the slight drop in fuel economy).

Rivalling the Audi S5 and Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe is the six-cylinder M440i. This packs a hefty 374PS from its 3.0-litre petrol engine. Combine this with xDrive four-wheel-drive (which is standard on the range-topper) and you’ve got a car that’ll make serious progress in all conditions.

Of course, there’s still a market for diesel-powered coupes. The 420d ticks that box, producing 190PS from its 2.0-litre turbodiesel unit. It's usefully punchy, especially at low revs, which makes for effortless driving. It’s available with two- or four-wheel-drive, too.

All 4 Series models come with BMW’s eight-speed automatic gearbox. That’s good news as it’s one of the best on the market, providing speedy gear changes and no noticeable pause when you wish to pull away from a standstill. That’s not something that can be said for all automatic gearboxes used in premium German cars (we’re looking at you, Audi).

When you’re in the mood to relax and just want to get to your destination in comfort, the BMW 4 Series Coupe turns into an uber-comfortable GT car. It’ll waft along quite happily, doing a commendable job of buffering the driver (and your passengers) from the outside world.

Most of the noise you’ll hear comes from the suspension, but that’s not helped by the 19-inch alloy wheels of our test car (go for the smaller 18-inch wheels if you’re more fussed about ride comfort than turning heads).

If you do want a bit more noise, all 4 Series models come with a number of selectable drive modes - the sportiest of which will ramp up the sound in a slightly artificial manner. The M440i sounds the throatiest, but that’s because there’s a 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine under the bonnet. Some electrical wizardry can make even the 420i sound quite entertaining, though.

Although the BMW 4 Series Coupe hasn’t been crash-tested by Euro NCAP, we’d be very surprised if it achieved anything less than five stars out of five. The very similar BMW 3 Series achieved five when it was tested in 2019, including a very impressive 97 per cent score for adult occupants.

A plethora of camera images and data gathered by sensors to monitor the car’s surroundings means the 4 Series is available with a wide range of intelligent driver assistance systems. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), most are part of the optional Driving Assistant Professional pack, which itself forms part of the Technology Plus package.

Clever tech on hand to keep you safe includes city braking function, lane-keeping assistant, wrong-way warning and even an automatic speed limit assist (which can automatically adjust the car to the speed limit when driving).

The BMW 4 Series Coupe is still a relatively new model so no major reliability issues have surfaced yet. BMW however ranked 20th out of 30 manufacturers in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index with a rating of 86.9%. The previous generation BMW 3 Series Touring did come in the top 20 most reliable cars though, this model is closely related to the 4 Series Coupe this should be good news for those concerned about reliability. 

Insurance groups for the BMW 4 Series Coupe sit between group 30 for the 420i M Sport and group 42 for the M440d xDrive. The M440i sits just below in group 40 and the smaller diesels like the 420d are more affordable in group 32. 

The amount of VED (car tax) you’ll pay on a BMW 4 Series Coupe depends on a wide range of factors. The first year’s VED is based on CO2 emissions and lumped into the on-the-road price.

After that, the DVLA charges a flat rate of £150 a year for most cars. Mild-hybrid models (including the 420d and M440i) are classed as ‘alternatively-fuelled’ so you’ll get a discount of £10 a year, bringing the yearly VED payment down to £140. But then, as all BMW 4 Series models have a list price of more than £40,000, you’ll pay a ‘premium car’ tax of an extra £325 a year for the five years (from the second time the car’s taxed).

Still with us? Essentially, you’ll pay £465 a year in tax for the first five years for mild-hybrid models, and £475 a year for the rest of the 4 Series range.

Standard equipment on BMW 4 Series M Sport models includes 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic three-zone climate control, ambient lighting, M Sport suspension, selectable drive modes, cruise control, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, BMW Live Cockpit Professional (with 10.25-inch display and 12.3-inch digital instrument panel).

The BMW 4 Series M Sport Pro adds 19-inch alloy wheels, black exterior highlights, BMW Individual exterior paint, M seat belts, BMW Individual interior trim, Sprint mode and adaptive M suspension.

Topping the range is the M440i xDrive which includes 19-inch alloy wheels, metallic paintwork, Cerium Grey exterior highlights, M seat belts, sun protection glass, M Sport braking system, M sport differential and adaptive M suspension.