BMW M4 review

The M4 is every bit as visceral to drive as the M3, but lacks the latter’s practicality and lower price.

RRP £93,305

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What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)

BMW M4

Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £1,299.60 Initial payment £15,595.20

Step-by-step

Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.

• Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
• Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
• Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end

What you get

When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:

• Full manufacturer’s warranty
• Road tax and roadside assistance included
• Free returns within 30 days*

Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.

In partnership with

£15,840 total upfront (£15,595 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months

• Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
• No balloon payments
• Road tax included

Power

523 bhp

0-62 mph

3.5 s

Efficiency

28 mpg

Figures for 3.0 BiTurbo Competition Steptronic M xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

Coupe

Performance car

Sports

Jump to:

Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Buying & owning

Lawrence Cheung

Updated: 24 July 2025

How we test cars

In the movies, sequels are rarely better than the original – but with the BMW M4 the opposite is true.

It took a number of revisions before the previous-generation M4 really delivered the performance car enthusiasts hankered for, stretching the phrase "good things come to those who wait" to the limit. Thankfully, the current version got off to a much, much stronger start.

New car deals

Best price from £77,898

What is What Car? best price?

The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.

Available now from: £77,898

RRP from: £93,305

Available now

From £77,898

Leasing deals

From £1,300

About our price indicator

What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)

BMW M4

Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £1,299.60 Initial payment £15,595.20

Step-by-step

Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.

• Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
• Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
• Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end

What you get

When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:

• Full manufacturer’s warranty
• Road tax and roadside assistance included
• Free returns within 30 days*

Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.

In partnership with

£15,840 total upfront (£15,595 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months

• Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
• No balloon payments
• Road tax included

The M4 is based on the BMW 4 Series but with 523bhp fed to all four wheels from a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre, six-cylinder petrol engine. It’s a serious piece of kit, with M performance brakes, a limited-slip differential, adaptive four-wheel drive (M xDrive) and a 10-stage traction-control system. Plus, there's an even more powerful M4 CS version with 542bhp.

But is all that power and fancy kit enough to put the BMW M4 ahead of the evocative Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio (QV), the V8-wielding Ford Mustang or the plug-in hybrid Mercedes C63 AMG S e Performance?

What’s new?

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- May 2025 - Engine revisions boost power to 523bhp and the car gains the latest iDrive 8.5 infotainment system
- January 2023 - lightweight M3 CS announced as limited-edition flagship with more power and greater agility than the regular car
- June 2022 - Live Cockpit Plus now fitted as standard, with a 12.3in customisable instrument display and 12.35in central screen

Verdict

With staggering straight-line performance, incredible cornering ability and genuine all-weather usability, we reckon the BMW M4 is one of the most visceral and engaging performance cars we’ve tested to date. With its beautiful interior, impressive levels of refinement and usable back seats, it’s a class act.

Best buy

3.0 BiTurbo Competition Coupe 2dr Petrol Steptronic M xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) (530 ps) review

RRP £93,305

Pros

• Staggering straight-line performance
• Incredibly capable
• Classy interior

Cons

• Loud, but could sound more evocative
• Needs to be driven hard to come alive
• Expensive to buy

Best buy

3.0 BiTurbo Competition Coupe 2dr Petrol Steptronic M xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) (530 ps) review

RRP £93,305

Trims available

Competition

Every M4 comes well equipped, with the standard features list featuring 19in alloys at the front and 20in at the rear, front and rear parking sensors, a head-up display, electrically adjusted front seats with heating and performance upgrades such as a limited slip differential. You might still want to add some options though.

New car deals

Available now

Leasing deals

Performance & drive

What it's like to drive, and how quiet it is

Strengths

• Massive straight-line pace
• Very capable handling
• Surprisingly comfortable in normal driving

Weaknesses

• Doesn’t sound as good as a Mustang
• Needs to be driven hard to come alive

Many performance cars give you some control over how they’re set up, whether that's the ability to change the firmness of the suspension or tinker with the steering weight. The BMW M4 takes that to extremes – there’s actually a button marked Setup next to the stubby gear selector.

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Pushing it brings up a page on the infotainment touchscreen that lets you change everything from accelerator response and brake sensitivity to the speed of the gearshifts and the level of traction control intervention.

The sheer number of potential configurations can be a little overwhelming at first, so it’s handy that BMW also includes a number of preset modes that work pretty well straight out of the box.

Once you get more familiar with all the options, you’ll appreciate being able to set everything to suit your tastes. For example, you can leave the steering in its lighter Comfort mode while having the engine at its most responsive.

With everything in Comfort mode (the most relaxed setting) the M4 makes a remarkably comfortable and refined daily companion. The engine remains hushed and flexible, and the eight-speed automatic gearbox shuffles smoothly through the gears.

There's no manual gearbox option for the M4, by the way. If you want one of those, take a look at the Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

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With standard adaptive suspension, the M4 floats gently over the ups and downs of subsiding B-roads with just a little brittleness on sharply calloused sections.

Body lean is kept well in check in Comfort mode, but if you really want to push on, the mid-way Sport or firmer Sport Plus are better for making the most of country roads. Both options help to anchor the car, as well as giving the steering a little more heft, so you can gauge your inputs more accurately without it feeling unnaturally heavy.

The steering itself responds more quickly than a Mustang’s but in a more natural way than the light and hyper-alert set-up of the Alfa Romeo Giulia QV, allowing you to place the car with more accuracy. And that’s handy, because when you deploy all 523 horses, the M4 fires you up the road in an almost alarming manner.

At full chat the M4 feels angry, forcing you into your seat every time you flick up into the next gear using the paddles behind the steering wheel. Officially, planting your foot in the standard M4 will slingshot you from 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds – faster than the Giulia QV – and we don’t doubt that figure.

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The track-focused M4 CS version is a touch quicker, with 0-62mph taking 3.4 seconds. The top speed also increases, from 155mph to 188mph.

When it comes to handling, the M4 impresses from the get-go but takes a bit of mastering and a race track to get the very best out of it. The big tires and xDrive four-wheel-drive (4WD) system give you so much front and rear-end grip that you have few worries when driving at seven tenths, but if you want to start finding the M4’s limit, you’ll need to push hard.

By default, the M4 is in 4WD mode, giving you loads of reassurance as you deploy the car’s massive power, even in less favourable conditions. The rear-biased system means it hasn’t neutralised the handling balance too much.

Switching into the 4WD Sport mode makes the M4 a little more playful, diverting less power to the front wheels and allowing the rear wheels to break traction when provoked. Alternatively, you can switch to rear-wheel drive, which also turns off the stability systems and can result in the car being more of a handful.

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As standard, the M4 comes with steel M Compound brakes, with carbon-ceramic brakes available as part of the M Race Track Package. Both types of brakes can be a little grabby around town, but we found them progressive, consistent and very powerful during fast driving.

For an idea of the levels of performance on offer, a pre-facelift M4 allowed us to lap our test track quicker than in any other performance car we’ve tested.

The track-focused CS has mildly stiffer suspension, grippier tyres and is 20kg lighter to make it feel a bit more composed. Indeed, the front end responds accurately to steering inputs at high speeds on a track and it holds a line with resilience.

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However, it remains far from being a light car in general – for reference, the current Porsche 911 GT3 is more than 350kg lighter. However, in the M4 CS you'll find the drive to and from the track less punishing than in a 911 GT3.

Perhaps the only disappointment with the M4 is the soundtrack that accompanies its mighty engine. Sure, it’s loud and bassy (especially inside, where it’s piped through the speakers for some extra volume) but it lacks the drama of the V8 in the Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

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"I found the BMW M4 very approachable when I wanted to push on but you’ll need to head to a track if you want to get the best out of it." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Interior

The interior layout, fit and finish

Strengths

• Great driving position
• Dial controller for the infotainment
• Supportive seats

Weaknesses

• Visibility could be better

Sports seats aside, the BMW M4 isn't much different to the regular BMW 4 Series inside – and that’s no bad thing.

The 4 Series features one of the highest quality interiors in the coupé car class and we reckon BMW has given the M4 enough detail tweaks to make you feel like you’re behind the wheel of something rather special.

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For example, you get M Division seatbelts, a bright red starter button, carbon-fibre trim, a sports steering wheel with contrast stitching and a pair of red M mode buttons.

Plus, there’s a multitude of leather and interior trim finishes to choose from. And we mean a multitude. Colour schemes range from black on cream to bright blue on day-glow yellow. We quite like the bolder colours, but we’ll leave it to you to decide if Yas Marina Blue has any place on your performance car.

As you’d expect, the driving position is tuneable to the nth degree. Our test M4 came with stunning optional M carbon bucket seats. In their lowest setting, they basically place your bum on the floor of the car. That's handy for taller drivers who plan to wear a helmet for track driving.

The M4 comes with a head-up display as standard, placing plenty of information in your line of sight, and the 12.3in digital driver's display behind the steering wheel can be set up in all manner of configurations.

The 10.3in infotainment touchscreen can be operated by twisting and pressing a rotary controller between the front seats, which is much less distracting while you’re driving than prodding the screen. With its super-intuitive lay-out and responsive operating system, we much prefer it to the touchscreen-only systems in the Alfa Romeo Giulia QV and Mercedes AMG C63.

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Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, wireless phone-charging, DAB radio, sat-nav, a 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system and a wifi hotspot all come as standard.

It’s also handy that front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera and a parking assistant function come as standard too, because the M4’s front and rear pillars are rather chunky and can obscure your vision a little when parking.

"I’d absolutely recommend adding the optional M carbon bucket seats. Yes, they’re quite expensive, but they’re really comfortable and super supportive when driving more exuberantly." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Passenger & boot space

How it copes with people and clutter

Strengths

• Plenty of space in the front
• Decent rear space
• Usable boot

Weaknesses

• Four-door rivals offer better access
• Mustang has a bigger boot

As well as having the performance to show purebred sports cars such as the Alpine A110 and Porsche 718 Cayman a clean pair of heels, the BMW M4 is in another league when it comes to practicality.

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Compared with the standard BMW 4 Series the only difference is its wider sports front seats. The optional M carbon bucket seats we tested give the driver and passenger more lateral support, yet still offer ample head and leg room for six-footers.

Getting into the rear seats involves squeezing through a relatively narrow gap, which is similar to the Ford Mustang but more of a scramble than in the Alfa Romeo Giulia QV and Mercedes C63 AMG (which have four doors). If that's an issue you could consider the BMW M3.

Once you’re in, you’ll find there’s actually a decent amount of space in the back. There's enough leg room for most passengers, but those over 6ft will need to cower slightly or put up with their head resting on the ceiling.

Like the 4 Series, the M4 has 440 litres of boot space. That's less than the Giulia QV and Mustang but more than the C63. If you want M performance with estate car practicality, take a look at the M3 Touring or M5 Touring.

"While the M4's boot offers a decent amount of space, the letterbox opening is a little annoying, limiting the height of items you can load in. In fairness, that's true of performance saloons too." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Buying & owning

Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is

Strengths

• Lots of standard kit and safety equipment
• Depreciates at same rate as rivals

Weaknesses

• Expensive to buy
• Just as thirsty as you’d expect

As a cash purchase, the BMW M4 Competition looks rather expensive when compared with the Ford Mustang Dark Horse and costs slightly more than the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. However, the Mercedes AMG C63 S costs even more. The M4 CS is pricier but you are getting a limited edition model for the money.

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Helping to ease the impact of the price tag, the M4 is predicted to depreciate at about the same rate as all of those rivals except the Mustang, which will potentially hold on to its value far better than all of them.

Ways to buy

Cash from £77,898 Own the car outright. No monthly payments.

Lease from £1,300pm Drive a new car every few years. Lower upfront costs.

£15,595 initial payment , 60 month contract , 5000 miles p/a . Subject to status and conditions.

Available Now from £77,898 Choose a car from stock. Drive away today!

As with all performance cars, it'll be expensive to run. Official figures promise around 28mpg, and if you use the full might of the engine, you can expect it to plunge into the low teens. Thanks to its plug-in hybrid system, the AMG C63 will officially manage up to 31.4mpg and around six miles on electricity alone, but you'll have to charge it up a lot and drive conservatively to achieve close to that.

You’ll also need deep pockets to run an M4 as a company car. The high list price and hefty CO2 emissions places it in the top BIK tax band. In fairness, its main rivals – including the AMG C63 – are in the same tax bracket.

On the plus side, the M4 is marvellously well-equipped. It has 19in alloy wheels up front and 20in ones on the back (what BMW calls a staggered set-up), automatic air-conditioning, cruise control, heated leather seats, a Harman Kardon stereo, parking aids and plenty more.

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Despite the eye-watering list price, you might still want to delve into the long list of option packs. For example, the Ultimate Pack gives you carbon-fibre exterior highlights, Laser matrix LED headlights, keyless entry and a heated steering wheel.

The M4 hasn’t been crash-tested by Euro NCAP but the standard BMW 4 Series score the full five stars in 2019. You get lots of standard safety equipment, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), a lane-departure warning system, a lane-keeping assist function, an attentiveness assistant and a warning for traffic crossing behind you.

The M4 didn't feature in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey but the 4 Series did badly, finishing last in both the sports car and the overall petrol car categories. BMW as a brand did much better, finishing eighth out of 31 manufacturers – above Alfa Romeo, Ford and Mercedes.

Every BMW comes with a three-year unlimited mileage warranty, matching the offerings from its main rivals.

"If you plan to take your M4 on a track, I think it's worth considering the M Race Track package. It's expensive, but adds M carbon bucket seats, carbon ceramic brakes and increases the limited top speed to 180mph." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

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If you're interested in finding a BMW M4, or any of the other performance car cars mentioned here, head over to our Cars available now pages to find new cars listed for sale at great prices.

BMW M4 specifications

Best buy

3.0 BiTurbo Competition Coupe 2dr Petrol Steptronic M xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) (530 ps) review

RRP £93,305

RRP price range

£93,305

MPG range across all versions

27.2 - 28

Available fuel types (which is best for you? )

Petrol

Available colours

Number of engines (see all)

1

Number of trims (see all)

3

Warranty

3 years

Company car tax at 20% (min/max)

£6,542

Company car tax at 40% (min/max)

£13,083

FAQs

How much does the BMW M4 cost?

A lot – the starting price is just over £90,000 and you can easily spend six figures. A new M4 costs more than an equivalent Alfa Romeo Giulia QV or Ford Mustang but less than the Mercedes AMG C63. You can check the latest prices on our New Car Deals pages.

Why is the BMW M4 so fast?

A large part of the M4’s pace is down to its 523bhp twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre, six-cylinder petrol engine (542bhp in the M4 CS). It also helps that the M4’s power is fed to all four wheels to maximise traction.

Is a BMW M4 or M8 better?

Which is best will depend on your personal needs. The BMW M8 is larger and has more interior space, while the M4 feels sportier and more capable to drive.

Which BMW M4 is fastest?

If you want the fastest version of the M4, you’ll want to go for the CS. The performance margins are small, but the CS weighs slightly less and is officially slightly quicker from 0-62mph. The M4 CS is the track-focused version of the M4 (the CS stands for Competition Sport).

New car deals

Best price from £77,898

What is What Car? best price?

The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.

Available now from: £77,898

RRP from: £93,305

Available now

From £77,898

Leasing deals

From £1,300

About our price indicator

What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)

BMW M4

Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £1,299.60 Initial payment £15,595.20

Step-by-step

Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.

• Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
• Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
• Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end

What you get

When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:

• Full manufacturer’s warranty
• Road tax and roadside assistance included
• Free returns within 30 days*

Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.

In partnership with

£15,840 total upfront (£15,595 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months

• Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
• No balloon payments
• Road tax included

BMW M4s available to buy

In partnership with

BMW M4

3.0 BiTurbo Competition Steptronic M xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

£83,500

BMW M4

3.0 BiTurbo Competition Steptronic M xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

£83,951

BMW M4

3.0 BiTurbo Competition Steptronic M xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

RRP £98,055

£83,990

BMW M4

3.0 BiTurbo Competition Steptronic M xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

RRP £98,055

£84,223

BMW M4

3.0 BiTurbo Competition Steptronic M xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

RRP £97,255

£84,489

BMW M4 Competition Coupe

3.0 BiTurbo Competition Steptronic M xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

RRP £98,980

£85,000

BMW M4

3.0 BiTurbo Competition Steptronic M xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

RRP £93,305

£86,308

BMW M4

3.0 BiTurbo Competition Steptronic M xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

£87,495

BMW M4

3.0 BiTurbo Competition Steptronic M xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

£87,799

See all available cars

About the writer

Name: Lawrence Cheung

Title: New cars editor

Follow Lawrence Cheung on

Lawrence Cheung has worked at What Car? as New Cars Editor since 2021. He oversees the first drives section of the site and magazine, commissioning and writing about the latest cars to hit the market. He also contributes to sister magazine Autocar.

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