Car and Driver put a 2024 BMW i4 xDrive40 through 40,000 miles of real-world use, covering road trips to Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio, two Michigan winters, and an expensive run-in with a deer. The xDrive40 produces 396 horsepower from dual motors, one on each axle, and tested to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. The base price was around $63,000; the test car, fitted with the M Sport package, 19-inch summer tires, adaptive LED headlights, and white leather in a purple-painted body, came to just under $78,000. The M Sport kit also brings the specific steering wheel that several editors singled out as one of the better driving tools on an electric car. EPA-rated range is 279 miles on those 19-inch wheels, which drops to roughly 225 miles when you follow BMW's recommendation to charge daily to 80 percent.
The range math, while workable for most commuters, proved occasionally inconvenient in Michigan, where distances are long and winters cut another 25 to 30 percent from the available charge when the cabin is not preconditioned while plugged in. In those conditions, 150 miles per charge is a realistic planning number. Over the full 40,000 miles, Car and Driver averaged 235 miles per charge, tracking reasonably close to the EPA rating once winter and highway factors are applied. On the freeway at 80 mph in favorable temperatures, the 84.3 kWh battery regularly returned over 3 miles per kWh, translating to roughly 250 miles. One scheduled service visit happened at around 30,000 miles: a brake fluid flush, cabin air filter, inspection, and a drive unit warranty recalibration, all covered under BMW's complimentary three-year, 36,000-mile program. Total unplanned maintenance cost: one deer strike, $16,500 in repairs for a new headlight, bumper cover, radar sensors, and associated hardware.
Two separate tire episodes stood out. The factory Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 summer tires chunked rubber during instrumented skid-pad testing, and were quickly swapped for Michelin Pilot Sport 4s, which also experienced chunking during the final test. The winter tire situation was more instructive. A set of Michelin X Ice tires introduced sloppy, unpredictable handling immediately on installation, to the point where several editors felt uncomfortable driving the car on the freeway. The fix came from BMW's own dealer channel: Goodyear Ultragrip winter tires with a star marking on the sidewall indicating BMW approval. With those mounted, the i4's usual planted, confident feel returned. The takeaway is clear: if you are buying winter tires for a performance EV, check first whether the manufacturer certifies a specific set for your model.
Bottom line: The i4 is one of those cars that makes the electric powertrain feel unremarkable, and that is the highest compliment. The driving experience is consistently excellent in a way that the charging limitations and winter range numbers can't fully diminish. The winter tire lesson is worth knowing before you need it. And the deer is just bad luck.