BMW 4 Series long-term test: report 2

The car BMW 4 Series 420d M Sport Run by Darren Moss, deputy editor

Why it’s here To show that a stylish coupé can still be a practical choice as well as being great to drive

Needs to Be fun to drive, reasonably economical, and function as a mobile office when needed

List price £43,095 Target Price £40,469 Price as tested £48,865 Mileage 3287 Official economy 61.4mpg Test economy 53.1mpg 

20 May 2021 – Photo finish

My father is a keen amateur photographer, so on a recent visit to see me we couldn’t resist checking out the nearby offices owned by fuel giant BP. This is an impressive collection of buildings which are home to more than 3500 BP employees, but their stark glass fronts and sharp angles provide good opportunities for urban photography. Surely, then, I had to capture one icon of style against another for the picture you see above.

Because my BMW 4 Series is most definitely stylish. From its flowing rear end to its huge front grille, heads turn when my car passes along the road. More than one person has asked me how I’m finding the car when I’m stopped at traffic lights, but I usually only have time to say “yeah, it’s great” before the lights change. 

And while there are cheaper paint colours available on the 4 Series Coupé (Alpine White is standard), I’m glad that I went for the metallic Arctic Race Blue colour: a £670 upgrade that I think makes the car stand out in any car park.

Don’t think that the style ends on the outside, though, because the interior of the 4 Series is also what I would call stylish. Little touches, such as the lid on the centre console that retracts to reveal the wireless phone charging pad, or the metallic vent switches on the dashboard, remind you that this is a premium product. In fact, everything you touch in the 4 Series clicks or moves with reassuring solidity.

I’m especially impressed to find that, although some sacrifices to practicality have been made on the altar of style, that the 4 Series still does everything it can to help you get comfortable. When I took my parents on a drive, for example, we liked the way the front seats move forward electrically to facilitate access to the rear bench. Neat, too, is the way that, when you’re sitting in the front seats, your seatbelt is handed to you by an extending metal arm that appears like a silent butler to your side. These are small touches, but they make all the difference.

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