BMW 4 Series review

Historically, BMW coupés have simply been swoopier, less practical versions of their saloon car counterparts. Not any more – the BMW 4 Series is a rakish model in its own right.

Sure, the 4 Series is based on the same underpinnings as the more sensibly shaped BMW 3 Series but the differences go well beyond losing the rear doors. BMW has widened the car's rear, lowered the centre of gravity, retuned the suspension and stiffened the chassis.

All of that should help make the 4 Series even more agile and capable than its saloon equivalent through corners. In other words, BMW has worked hard to make sure this is a car with the performance to match its sleek looks.

Small Coupés like the 4 Series are quite niche these days, but has BMW done enough to keep you away from its main rival, the Mercedes CLE?

What's new?

- January 2026 - BMW 4 Series wins What Car? coupe of the year award

- September 2025 – New 387bhp power output for M440i xDrive engine, meaning it now completes a 0-62mph sprint in 4.4sec

The entry-level engine for the BMW 4 Series is the 181bhp petrol in the 420i, which is rear-wheel-drive and is our pick of the range. With a 0-62mph time of 7.5sec, it's quick enough to be fun and loves to be revved – which is in keeping with the character of a sporty coupé. 

The other engine option (excluding the BMW M4) is the M440i’s six-cylinder, 3.0-litre petrol, which gets an additional 12bhp from a small electric motor. With a total of 386bhp, it has a lot more power than the 420i – so it's a good job it has four-wheel drive for better traction.

Indeed, the M440i gets going so well that it can hit 62mph from a standstill in just 4.4sec, matching the Mercedes CLE 450 and only slightly behind the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 (4.2sec).

It feels pleasingly potent from low down in the rev range, and keeps pulling strongly all the way to its red line. For even more performance, you'll want the 523bhp M version – to read about that check out our BMW M4 review.

Whichever engine you choose, the 4 Series comes with an automatic gearbox that makes slick changes. You can take control yourself using the shift paddles mounted behind the steering wheel.

The steering is fairly light when you're in the Comfort drive mode, but switching to Sport solves this and helps give you a better sense of connection to the front wheels. This makes it easier to judge how much lock to apply when cornering quickly and makes you feel more involved in the process of driving.

The standard suspension is stiffer than the set-up in the BMW 3 Series and that in turn reduces body lean, allowing you to corner more enthusiastically than in a Mercedes CLE. However, because it's more focused on delivering poise and control than wafty comfort, you feel more of bumps than in the CLE as they pass beneath the car.

For that reason, we'd recommend adding the optional adaptive suspension. This lets you stiffen or soften the ride by changing the drive mode. Comfort mode makes the 4 Series calm at low speeds and smooth on A-roads and motorways.

In terms of refinement, the 420i is quiet enough when you’re pottering around, with a rortier edge when pushed hard. The M440i is the best-sounding 4 Series – its six-cylinder engine sounds wonderfully soulful. 

Every 4 Series (excluding the BMW M4) has mild-hybrid technology, giving it the ability to run with the engine switched off in certain situations. It also helps to smooth out the start/stop system and minimises any hesitation when pulling away from the line.

There's not much wind noise at motorway speeds, with only a bit of whistling from around the front of the car. There is a fair amount of road noise filtering up through the floor, though – especially if you go for big alloy wheels.

"With the adaptive suspension equipped, I find the BMW 4 Series a really comfortable car to cruise around in, while still being fantastic to drive." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

If there’s one area where the BMW 4 Series feels just like a BMW 3 Series, it’s the interior. The driving position, for example, is almost identical, as is the dashboard and the infotainment system.

In many ways, this is great news. It means you sit lower down in the 4 Series than in the Mercedes CLE on a comfortable driver’s seat with plenty of adjustment. The seat is pretty supportive too, although it’s a bit of a shame that you have to pay extra for adjustable lumbar support.

Forward visibility is good but, as is often the case with coupés, rear visibility isn’t so great, because the headrests on the back seats block much of the small rear screen and the chunky rear pillars obstruct your rear three-quarter view. Helpfully, front and rear parking sensors, and a rear-view camera, comes as standard on every 4 Series.

You’ll be able to see well at night, too: the 4 Series has LED headlights as standard. You have to pay extra for high-beam assist, a standard feature on the slightly more expensive CLE AMG Line Premium. Alternatively, for even better night-time visibility, you can add adaptive matrix LED headlights, which can remaining on full beam without dazzling other road users.

The 4 Series has a really smart and well-built interior, with more high quality materials than you'll find in the CLE. That said, some may prefer the CLE's more flamboyant interior design.

The 4 Series' infotainment system is brilliant too. All versions get a 14.9in display that you can either use as a touchscreen or control by twisting and pressing a rotary controller between the front seats. The latter method is much less distracting when you’re driving, all trims come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (so you can run your smartphone apps through the touchscreen)..

Next to the touchscreen is a crisp-looking 12.3in digital driver's display. This shows lots of information, although it doesn’t offer as many choice of layouts as the CLE's display.

"The optional 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system sounds great, and I’d definitely recommend it if you're a music fan." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

No one buys a two-door coupé like the BMW 4 Series with practicality front of mind, but chances are you occasionally need four seats and a usable boot (otherwise, you'd be looking at a proper sports car).

The 4 Series is as spacious as a BMW 3 Series in the front so you’re unlikely to have any problems with head or leg room. Storage space is impressive, too, with a big glovebox and a decent cubby under the central armrest.

Getting into the rear seats involves squeezing through a relatively narrow gap, but that’s true of any car lacking rear doors. (If you want four doors and coupé styling, take a look at the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé).

However, once you’re in the back of the 4 Series, you’ll find plenty of leg room, and although taller adults will need to cower slightly or put up with their head resting on the ceiling, two six-footers will be comfortable enough as long as the journey isn’t too long.

The 4 Series has a 440-litre boot, which is 20 litres bigger than the Mercedes CLE's. In more relatable terms, there’s enough space for a set of golf clubs or a small pushchair, and you can fold down the rear seats in a 40/20/40 split if you need to carry longer loads.

"The boot is plenty big enough, but I wish the opening was a little bit bigger. That would make loading bulky items easier." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

As a cash buy, an entry-level BMW 4 Series will cost you slightly less than an entry-level Mercedes CLE. However, you'll need to add some optional extras to the 4 Series to match the CLE’s standard equipment, which closes the price gap somewhat. 

It isn't as though the 4 Series is stingily equipped, though; the M Sport comes with 18in alloys, faux-leather seats (heated in the front), cruise control and two-zone climate control. In terms of options, we would recommend forking out extra for adjustable lumbar support, and, if you can, the M Adaptive Suspension. 

We wouldn't bother upgrading to M Sport Pro. This pushes up the price significantly and adds mostly cosmetic upgrades.

Meanwhile, the range-topping M440i gives you that mighty six-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, along with extra kit including electrically adjustable front seats with a memory function.

The 4 Series officially delivers better fuel economy and slightly lower CO2 emissions then most equivalent versions of the CLE, potentially making it cheaper to run as a company car – but the differences are small.

The BMW 4 Series fared well in our 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey, finishing within the top 10 in its class. BMW as a brand did well too, claiming sixth place out of 30 manufacturers in the overall league table (Mercedes came 22nd). The 4 Series comes with a three-year warranty with no mileage cap – the same as the CLE.

Safety experts Euro NCAP tested the 4 Series (in conjunction with the BMW 3 Series) in 2019 and awarded it the full five-star rating. It achieved impressive scores across the board, but that rating has now officially expired because Euro NCAPs testing protocol has become far more stringent in recent years.

Even so, the 4 Series comes with plenty of safety kit as standard, including automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-departure warning.  

"It’s very easy to get carried away with the options list, but I’d definitely recommend adjustable lumbar support and adaptive suspension." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Buy it if...

- You want a car that’s fun to drive but still comfortable and relaxing

- A high quality and usable interior is important to you

- You need usable rear seats

Don’t buy it if…

- You need easy access to those rear seats

- You often load bulky items into the boot

- You want and electric car or a plug-in hybrid

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