2018 BMW 4 Series

The 2018 BMW 4-Series Coupe starts from $40,955 for the rear wheel drive 430i. For all-weather capability, BMW 430i xDrive is available for $42,815. Both the trims have a standard inline 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine that punches out 248 horses with 258 pound-feet of torque at just 1450 RPM. The potent thrust kicks from the start and continues all the way to 4800 RPM.

BMW 4-Series coupe has 4 trim levels. The base trim is a rear wheel drive model with a price tag of $40,955 and xDrive trim is an all-wheel-drive trim with a $42,815 price tag.

BMW 430i is powered by a 2.0-Liter four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine with 248 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It has 3 trims namely Sport Line, Luxury line and M sport. It is fitted with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Trims	430i Coupe	430i xDrive Coupe	440i Coupe	440i xDrive Coupe
MSRP	$40,955	$42,815	$51,200	$53,200
Features	6.5-inch LCD touchscreen Panoramic Sun/Moonroof Backup Camera Heated Mirrors with memory Variable speed Intermittent wipers	Additional features to 430i Coupe: All-wheel drive	Additional features to 430i Coupe: 320 hp Straight-6 Twin Turbo Engine	Additional features to 440i Coupe: All-wheel drive

Also, there are packages available for your BMW 430i trims like Convenience Tier which adds heated front seats with lumbar support and active blind spot monitoring, the Executive Tier which includes adaptive LED headlights, 360 cameras for top and side views and Track Handling Package which designed for serious drivers.

Our Recommendation

The 430i coupe is an excellent bargain for what all you get. The rear wheel drive system brings smiles on most people’s faces. However, if you frequently face snowy slippery roads, the 430i xDrive is the one to go for. Be it wet or be it snow, you will always be in command with xDrive system.

“Direct your attention to the hard-core BMW M4 for no-holds-barred performance. While the regular 4-series won’t deliver a white-knuckle driving experience, its chassis is a chameleon that instantly adapts to the spirited nature of twisty backroads or the relaxed comfort of black-top boulevards.” – Car and Driver

Engine and Transmission

BMW 430i is powered by a mighty 2.0-Liter inline four-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine with 248 horsepower generating 258 lb-ft of torque. Lightweight and smooth-running, it incorporates High precision direct injection and BMW’s VANOS technologies. The BMW 440i has a more powerful twin-turbo straight 6 generating 320 horsepower.

Models	BMW 4-Series Coupe	Kia Stinger (Base)	Lexus RC (300)	Mercedes-Benz C Class (300)
MSRP	$43,500	$31,900	$40,640	$40,250
Engine	2.0L Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4	2.0L Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4	2.0L Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4	2.0L Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4
Transmission	8-Speed Automatic	8-Speed Automatic	8-Speed Automatic	9-Speed Automatic
Power (hp @ rpm)	248 @ 5200	255 @ 6200	241 @ 5800	241 @ 5550
Torque (lb.-ft @ rpm)	258 @ 1450	260 @1400	258 @ 1650	273 @ 1300

Kia, which has brought a storm in the industry with new Stinger, has 255 horsepower with 260 lb-ft of torque and is on the top of this segment. Transmission wise, Mercedes has up to the game with new 9G-Tronic. No one in this segment offers 9 gears.

Acceleration

BMW is known for its engine and transmission all over the world and it shows its presence in the acceleration timings. The 2.0-Liter engine rushes towards the 60MPH mark in 5.5 seconds. Standing quarter mile takes 14.4 sec at 100.7 MPH.

Models	BMW 4-Series (Coupe)	Kia Stinger (Base)	Lexus RC (300)	Mercedes-Benz C (300)
0-60 MPH	5.5 sec	5.9 sec	7.3 sec	5.8 sec
Quarter mile	14.4 sec @ 100.7 mph	12.9 sec @ 110 mph	15.2 sec @ 81.0 mph	14.6 sec @ 93.3 mph
Engine	2.0L	2.0L	2.0L	2.0L
Emission(Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year)	6.6	7.4	6.8	6.6

BMW 4-Series blows away the competition in the acceleration timings. Mercedes Benz C-coupe and Kia Stinger come under the 6-second mark with 5.8 sec and 5.9 sec but nowhere close to the 5.5-second mark of the 4-Series. But Kia surprises everyone with quarter mile time and speed.

Handling and Steering

Now onto the main question, what is 2018 4-Series Coupe like when you hit the road? BMW has set this 430i coupe to be sportier than the 3 series on which it’s based and that is a really good platform, to begin with. It is a genuinely good fun car to drive, feels like a sports car and it looks like one. With a low center of gravity and wider track, BMW feels in control at any speed.

While the 4-Series is genuine fun in sport mode, it turns into a cushy grand tourer as soon as you switch to the comfort mode – thanks to the adaptive suspension which varies the stiffness of the damper between different driving modes.

Braking

BMW 4-Series Coupe is equipped with ventilated disc brakes all around. Front rotor is of 12.3 inches and the rear rotor is of 11.8 inches. BMW weighs in at 3574 pounds.

Model	BMW 4-Series (Coupe)	Kia Stinger (Base)	Lexus RC (300)	Mercedes-Benz C (300)
Brake Front(in)	12.3	12.6	13.1	13.0
Brake Rear(in)	11.8	12.4	12.2	11.8
Curb weight(lbs)	3574	3611	3737	3472
60-0 MPH (ft.)	N/A	113	110	109

Against the competition, BMW hasn’t issued its braking time yet. Here, Mercedes takes the crown at 109 ft stopping distance from 60-0 MPH because of its lower curb weight of 3472 pounds and big brake rotors in the front. Lexus takes second place at 110 ft stopping distance, being the heaviest. Kia takes the last place, stopping at a distance of 113 ft.

With an 8 speed automatic transmission and turbocharged engine, BMW manages a 24 MPG in the city, 34 MPG on the highway and 27 MPG combined with city and highway driving.

Model	BMW 4-Series (Coupe)	Kia Stinger (Base)	Lexus RC (300)	Mercedes-Benz C (300)
MPG (city)	24	22	22	24
MPG (highway)	34	29	32	33
MPG (combined)	27	25	26	28

Well, Mercedes C-coupe manages to be at par with BMW in fuel economy. Mercedes 9G-Tronic proves to be good in performance as well as frugal in daily use driving. Kia is last with a low economy despite having 8 gears which go to show the need for improvement in that department.

“The BMW 4 Series remains a pleasant middle ground to the more traditional Mercedes and starkly modern Audi interiors. The quality of materials and construction meet expectations for luxury coupes, even in the face of newer rivals.” - Edmunds

Inside, the 2018 BMW 4-Series coupe cabin is very similar to that of the 3-series. Front seats are supportive and the rear seats are surprisingly spacious for a 2-door coupe. It’s got a driver-oriented cockpit with a solid build quality. The dashboard uses high-end materials and feels premium wherever you touch.

The new sport multifunction steering wheel is wrapped in leather and gets hand bolsters in driving position. Interior is pretty much same as the 3 series i.e. gorgeous. Previously it had too many buttons on the dashboard, but they have worked on design.

Seating and comfort

The 4 Series has spacious front seats offering good support. The seats are great for long-distance freeway jaunts but they still manage to offer sufficient lateral support for spirited driving on the mountain roads. However, rear seats are cramped and are best reserved for kids.

Model	BMW 4-Series (Coupe)	Kia Stinger (Base)	Lexus RC (300)	Mercedes-Benz C (300)
Passenger capacity	4	5	4	5
Passenger Volume (ft cube)	90.0	93.8	82.0	88.2
Front (Head/Shoulder/Leg)(In.)	39.8/55.3/42.2	38.3/56.4/42.6	37.8/54.7/45.4	37.1/55.3/41.7
Second (Head/Shoulder/Leg)(In.)	36.1/51.7/33.7	37/54.8/36.4	34.8/50.8/27.3	37.1/55.5/35.2

Comparing it to the competitors, BMW is second best to Kia with 90 cu-ft. Kia being a four-door sedan has best space in both front and back. Mercedes is more or less same in front but at the back offers better room due to longer wheelbase than the BMW.

Infotainment

BMW has updated its iDrive infotainment system. It comes with new 5.0 version which you get in the brand new 7 series. It’s a 10.2-inch display with a swivel wheel and the touchpad. This is just spectacular, the way the menus are laid out is so easy to use and it is the best on the market.

• Music Player
• Service information (and reminder)
• Navigation
• Wi-Fi hotspot
• USB ports
• Apple Carplay
• BMW connected services

Cargo Space

2018 BMW 4-Series coupe has a really useful cargo as you’ve got a big wide opening and you can put a lot of stuff in the back. 15.7 cu-ft of space is commendable for a coupe. It does have 4/20/40 split folding rear seats to carry longer items.

Model	BMW 4-Series (Coupe)	Kia Stinger (Base)	Lexus RC (300)	Mercedes-Benz C (300)
Volume (ft cube)	15.7	23.3	10.4	12.6

In comparison, BMW is the best among the coupe competition between Mercedes C class coupe and Lexus RC but loses out to the four-door sedan Kia stinger, which has an impressive 23.3 cu-ft of space.

“The BMW 4 Series has been updated for 2018, but the revisions are minor: a restyled nose, larger central air intake, and elongated design of the rear light clusters.” – Kelley Blue Book

From outside, 2018 BMW 4-Series coupe is almost same as the outgoing model but BMW has made some changes to make the new model stand out. The shape of the headlights has been completely restyled. The more pronounced eyebrow and meaner look add to the look of the 4-Series Coupe. It is sleek with that dashing roofline which differentiates it from 3 Series.

You also have restyled bumper in the lower front to aid the airflow. To differentiate the packages available with 4-Series coupe, BMW has added gloss black surround to the front of the sport line and a chrome surround for the luxury line.

Dimensions and Weight

2018 BMW 4-Series coupe is 182.6 inches in length and 71.9 inches in width with side mirrors retracted. The height is low at 54.2 inches which provides for dynamic handling and cuts through the air like a knife.

Model	BMW 4-Series (Coupe)	Kia Stinger (Base)	Lexus RC (300)	Mercedes-Benz C (300)
Curb weight(lbs)	3574	3611	3737	3472
Length(in)	182.6	190.2	184.8	184.5
Width(in)	71.9	73.6	72.4	71.3
Height(in)	54.2	55.1	54.9	57.0
Ground clearance(in)	5.1	5.0	5.3	4.1
Wheelbase(in)	110.6	114.4	107.5	111.8
Track width(in) F/R	60.9/62.7	62.8/64.8	62.2/61.8	61.5/60.9

In comparison, Kia Stinger is longest at 190-inch and widest at 73.6-inch but Kia is a four-door sedan and rest of the competition are coupes. Removing the Stinger, Lexus is longest at 184.8 and widest at 72.4. Mercedes is the tallest among them at 57 inches and has a wheelbase of 111.8 inches providing more space for the passengers.

Exterior Features

BMW has also equipped some features to the 4-Series coupe on the outside of the car:

• Bi-LED Headlights and taillights
• New front bumper for better airflow
• Strip between rear reflectors
• A vent at the back of the front wheel for aerodynamics.

BMW 4-Series comes with an exhaustive list of safety features such as ABS, ASC, traction control, airbags on the front, side and back. You also get some really awesome tech like cornering brake control for thrashing in corners, dynamic brake control which helps in maintain in the straight line and the list goes on.

• ABS brakes
• Brake assist
• Dual front impact airbags
• Dual front side impact airbags
• Overhead airbag
• Knee airbag
• Occupant sensing airbag
• Panic alarm
• Perimeter/approach lights
• Security system
• Electronic stability
• Traction control
• Anti-whiplash front head restraints

The ratings of IIHS and NHTSA is currently not available for the 2018 BMW 4-Series Coupe.

BMW 4-Series Coupe Vs Kia Stinger

Stinger is clearly more exciting with a really good motor and big presence on the street. Also, the price of the Kia is $31,900 which is almost 9 grand less than more expensive BMW 4-Series at $ 40,955. Majority of buyers would look for practicality where Kia scores with 4 doors while 4-Series being a Coupe has only 2 doors.

BMW 4-Series Coupe Vs Mercedes C-300

Among the long-time rivals, Mercedes is more about presence, glitz, and impression whereas BMW is the brand that defines speed and performance. It’s completely on the buyer and their choice between these two beautiful coupes. But with a really good engine and transmission, having better ground clearance and interior space, BMW is still the best.

BMW 4-Series Coupe Vs Lexus RC

Europe vs Japan, this duel has always been a debate of many conversations. One is a really well put, solid built, quality product and other is sharp, slow and flashy looking. Lexus, as a brand, is perceived as more expensive Toyota. The brand image plays a lot of importance when you are buying a $40,000 car and this is where BMW takes all the glory.

The BMW 4 Series is a compelling Grand Tourer with the potent engine up front, excellent performance around corners and a cushy interior. However, those looking for a more hardcore driving experience should go for the halo M4.

And if the price becomes an issue, the Kia Stinger is a great alternative, offering more excitement than the BMW 4-Series for significantly less money. All considered, the 4 Series Coupe only makes sense if you are looking for a sleek Grand Tourer with a prestigious emblem for not so stratospheric price.