2 years in... my BMW 440i Coupe
Discussion
I thought I'd put together a bit of a write-up on my 440i as it's just clicked past 2 years ownership and I see an abundance of "what rwd car" threads in the car buying forum so this might help a bit! Having spent the majority of adult life on a train/tube, my driving history had mainly been station-run cars bar a GTi and a nice estate for the family. Having relocated north of the border, I had a nice 20 mile commute to my office and on the doorstep of some immense roads, so it was time to get a swiss army knife car that could cruise all the way south, bomb around the highlands, carry the golf clubs and get to work each day.
I'd had an E46 estate and a 120d coupe before, so had an affinity for RWD Germans, but it was time for something new to keep for a while. I looked at various options and started to dismiss them one by one for my own reasons. One of the key requirements was a large driver area, as I am 6ft4, with relatively easy access to the back for my little one, but I wanted a 2 door coupe as it would be me in it alone 95% of the time. I also wanted with at least 6 cylinders, but not horrific on petrol, and it needed to be smooth enough to just get on with daily driving, but had a turn of pace where needed. It also needed to be reliable with no chance of a big item taking it off the road for long periods of time.
As much as I fancied a Cayman, it's just a bit too tight and uncomfortable (I am all legs!), and my size 12 feet couldn't sit right the one time I was in one. The C class had too much of a sloping roofline, and I have never been a big fan of the Audi's. Had to rule out a 370z, the GT86 has never sat right to look at, and I've had a mk5 GTi already so wasn't looking for more VAG-ness right now.
As luck would have it, BMW were doing an "impulse" promotion on the 4 series, a car that had always looked good to me. I contacted a bunch of dealers, narrowed it down to a couple, and ruled out a bunch of cars because I wanted the Digital Instrument cluster and park assist pack (mainly for the reversing camera, I've never used the park facility!) Finding one actually proved to be a race against time, the offer was limited to cars already in the system, and with the 0% APR PCP and huge BMW "discounts" the 440i/435d models were flying out the doors.
A dealer about 200 miles away had one they could secure that ticked the boxes:
Sapphire Black
M Sports + (Harman Kardan stereo, 704M diamond cut alloys, bigger brakes)
Digital Cluster
Park Assist
Extended Storage
Brushed Aluminium interior with Dakota Cognac leather (controversial)
Deal was done, and I had a wait of about 3 weeks for it to finish its build and come over on a boat.
I did a few bits to it to get it looking how I wanted (Splitter, black exhausts, carbon spoiler, black grilles) and it's remained like that ever since.
In my ownership I have done the NC500 twice, some shorter road-trips, a few motorway jaunts and most days it is on the bypass to golf or work (until Covid hit!), and it sits at 15k miles so I think I can sum it up now.
Bad points:
- Run Flats are still poor. Once I got a bulge on one it was enough for me to whip them all off for Michelin Pilot Sports 4s which transform the ride
- Suspension can be a bit wallowy at times, but also crashy over potholes. It's not a sports car, but I didn't expect it to be.
- Dakota leather. Hard wearing which is good, but not the last word in refinement.
- The mirrors don't fold in unless you long-press the lock button on the key which seems odd (I know it can be coded in)
- Exhaust is arguably a bit muted. It's fine for me, and this is an OPF car so you can't do much with it, but it may upset others. I kow a lot of people add the MPPSK kit but I can't say it bothers me. A bit more bhp and a very loud gunshot exhaust doesn't work with a 7am drive-time in a very quiet road. To be fair my car sounds lovely on a cold start-up and I'm more likely to listen to a podcast than the exhaust while driving.
- Spotify isn't working anymore, I think BMW have dropped support?
Good points:
- B58 engine is MAGNIFICENT. It is a feat of engineering that surprises me even now. My car has 326bhp, revs right the way up the power band, has a lovely sound to it (I don't care about fake-sound snobbery purists, it sounds lovely when you crank it in 4th gear) and is so so usable.
- ZF8 Gearbox is a marriage made in heaven. It can be a bit dim-witted when slowing down and then pulling away again as the box thinks you are stopping, but I just leave it in sports and you never have that problem. The gearbox does all the work for me 95% of the time, but if I fancy some fun then just stick it in sports, activate the paddles and away you go.
- It is fast. Very fast. I think we've lost the perception of what "fast" really is. PH feels too much now like a place where a McLaren from a year ago isn't fast enough any more. The 440i is 0-60 in 4.8 seconds I believe. I've seen a few YouTube videos where it's been timed quicker, possibly BMW being careful to protect the full-fat M brand a bit. Anyways, stick it in sports, drop the hammer, and it takes off like a rocket.
- Idrive 6 is just brilliant. Combined with the digital dash an it feels as odern and relvant as anything else to my eye, but you get a proper dial to use rather than stupid gesture control. I had the new 120d recently as a loaner and I didn't care for it at all.
- It looks great. I know, beauty is in the eye etc, but the new one with the beaver grille is too far from what it needs to be. No Hoffmeister kink, a Lexus back-end, the grille is hard to like and the side profile is just a bit bloated. I think the F32 has a real style to it.
- MPG. Blimey, never thought I would care. Thrash it around the highlands and I still can't get it below mid 20s for any period of time Stick it in cruise on the motorway and I have had it at 48mpg on various 2-3 hour drives. It's a really impressive feat.
- Rear entry is good, my little one climbs in easily and has lots of space, and it takes the clubs sideways in the boot so job done.
So there we have it, it's done very few miles of late as office working disappeared in March and won't return to the summer at least (and even then it will be less than part time) so I am not sure what to do now. I don't like paying for something sitting on the drive not going anywhere, but I am a little reluctant to get rid because a) what do I change to and b) the deal was great and at the 4 year mark it might have a bit of equity in it (or I may keep it past that even). I think these will be brilliant used cars for anyone in a post-ICE world wanting a saloon or coupe. I've put it on AT but at the same time keep debating what I would do if it went!
I'd had an E46 estate and a 120d coupe before, so had an affinity for RWD Germans, but it was time for something new to keep for a while. I looked at various options and started to dismiss them one by one for my own reasons. One of the key requirements was a large driver area, as I am 6ft4, with relatively easy access to the back for my little one, but I wanted a 2 door coupe as it would be me in it alone 95% of the time. I also wanted with at least 6 cylinders, but not horrific on petrol, and it needed to be smooth enough to just get on with daily driving, but had a turn of pace where needed. It also needed to be reliable with no chance of a big item taking it off the road for long periods of time.
As much as I fancied a Cayman, it's just a bit too tight and uncomfortable (I am all legs!), and my size 12 feet couldn't sit right the one time I was in one. The C class had too much of a sloping roofline, and I have never been a big fan of the Audi's. Had to rule out a 370z, the GT86 has never sat right to look at, and I've had a mk5 GTi already so wasn't looking for more VAG-ness right now.
As luck would have it, BMW were doing an "impulse" promotion on the 4 series, a car that had always looked good to me. I contacted a bunch of dealers, narrowed it down to a couple, and ruled out a bunch of cars because I wanted the Digital Instrument cluster and park assist pack (mainly for the reversing camera, I've never used the park facility!) Finding one actually proved to be a race against time, the offer was limited to cars already in the system, and with the 0% APR PCP and huge BMW "discounts" the 440i/435d models were flying out the doors.
A dealer about 200 miles away had one they could secure that ticked the boxes:
Sapphire Black
M Sports + (Harman Kardan stereo, 704M diamond cut alloys, bigger brakes)
Digital Cluster
Park Assist
Extended Storage
Brushed Aluminium interior with Dakota Cognac leather (controversial)
Deal was done, and I had a wait of about 3 weeks for it to finish its build and come over on a boat.
I did a few bits to it to get it looking how I wanted (Splitter, black exhausts, carbon spoiler, black grilles) and it's remained like that ever since.
In my ownership I have done the NC500 twice, some shorter road-trips, a few motorway jaunts and most days it is on the bypass to golf or work (until Covid hit!), and it sits at 15k miles so I think I can sum it up now.
Bad points:
- Run Flats are still poor. Once I got a bulge on one it was enough for me to whip them all off for Michelin Pilot Sports 4s which transform the ride
- Suspension can be a bit wallowy at times, but also crashy over potholes. It's not a sports car, but I didn't expect it to be.
- Dakota leather. Hard wearing which is good, but not the last word in refinement.
- The mirrors don't fold in unless you long-press the lock button on the key which seems odd (I know it can be coded in)
- Exhaust is arguably a bit muted. It's fine for me, and this is an OPF car so you can't do much with it, but it may upset others. I kow a lot of people add the MPPSK kit but I can't say it bothers me. A bit more bhp and a very loud gunshot exhaust doesn't work with a 7am drive-time in a very quiet road. To be fair my car sounds lovely on a cold start-up and I'm more likely to listen to a podcast than the exhaust while driving.
- Spotify isn't working anymore, I think BMW have dropped support?
Good points:
- B58 engine is MAGNIFICENT. It is a feat of engineering that surprises me even now. My car has 326bhp, revs right the way up the power band, has a lovely sound to it (I don't care about fake-sound snobbery purists, it sounds lovely when you crank it in 4th gear) and is so so usable.
- ZF8 Gearbox is a marriage made in heaven. It can be a bit dim-witted when slowing down and then pulling away again as the box thinks you are stopping, but I just leave it in sports and you never have that problem. The gearbox does all the work for me 95% of the time, but if I fancy some fun then just stick it in sports, activate the paddles and away you go.
- It is fast. Very fast. I think we've lost the perception of what "fast" really is. PH feels too much now like a place where a McLaren from a year ago isn't fast enough any more. The 440i is 0-60 in 4.8 seconds I believe. I've seen a few YouTube videos where it's been timed quicker, possibly BMW being careful to protect the full-fat M brand a bit. Anyways, stick it in sports, drop the hammer, and it takes off like a rocket.
- Idrive 6 is just brilliant. Combined with the digital dash an it feels as odern and relvant as anything else to my eye, but you get a proper dial to use rather than stupid gesture control. I had the new 120d recently as a loaner and I didn't care for it at all.
- It looks great. I know, beauty is in the eye etc, but the new one with the beaver grille is too far from what it needs to be. No Hoffmeister kink, a Lexus back-end, the grille is hard to like and the side profile is just a bit bloated. I think the F32 has a real style to it.
- MPG. Blimey, never thought I would care. Thrash it around the highlands and I still can't get it below mid 20s for any period of time Stick it in cruise on the motorway and I have had it at 48mpg on various 2-3 hour drives. It's a really impressive feat.
- Rear entry is good, my little one climbs in easily and has lots of space, and it takes the clubs sideways in the boot so job done.
So there we have it, it's done very few miles of late as office working disappeared in March and won't return to the summer at least (and even then it will be less than part time) so I am not sure what to do now. I don't like paying for something sitting on the drive not going anywhere, but I am a little reluctant to get rid because a) what do I change to and b) the deal was great and at the 4 year mark it might have a bit of equity in it (or I may keep it past that even). I think these will be brilliant used cars for anyone in a post-ICE world wanting a saloon or coupe. I've put it on AT but at the same time keep debating what I would do if it went!
Edited by carparkno1 on Tuesday 29th December 10:53
Driver101 said:
They are really good real world cars.
I wish BMW would move away from runflats. They are awful.
The ones on this were better than my 2009 1 series but still not good enough. I don't understand it either, you can have all the adaptive suspension you want but if the wheels are made of concrete you won't get the benefit. I wish BMW would move away from runflats. They are awful.
I bought my 435i around the same time you did, bought used, and I think they are a brilliant package. Similarly I changed to Michelin PS4 as soon as I needed some tyres, and it transforms the ride, but also turns in much nicer now.
Mine also does far less mileage now with the onset of WFH, and it's all paid for so I really can't see me changing it anytime soon.
Mine also does far less mileage now with the onset of WFH, and it's all paid for so I really can't see me changing it anytime soon.
That looks really nice; I love the cognac interior.
I bottled it when speccing my car because the sample at my local dealer looked grim. It appears to have been a bad sample because it looked nothing like any of the cars I’ve seen in the flesh. I played safe and went with black. Oh well.
The B58 is a cracking engine and works well with the ZF8. I agree that the perception of what fast is has been lost a bit and I’m as guilt as anyone of that. The running costs given the performance available are pretty damn good really.
I bottled it when speccing my car because the sample at my local dealer looked grim. It appears to have been a bad sample because it looked nothing like any of the cars I’ve seen in the flesh. I played safe and went with black. Oh well.
The B58 is a cracking engine and works well with the ZF8. I agree that the perception of what fast is has been lost a bit and I’m as guilt as anyone of that. The running costs given the performance available are pretty damn good really.
Court_S said:
That looks really nice; I love the cognac interior.
I bottled it when speccing my car because the sample at my local dealer looked grim. It appears to have been a bad sample because it looked nothing like any of the cars I’ve seen in the flesh. I played safe and went with black. Oh well.
The B58 is a cracking engine and works well with the ZF8. I agree that the perception of what fast is has been lost a bit and I’m as guilt as anyone of that. The running costs given the performance available are pretty damn good really.
Funny you say that, my local dealer didn't have a sample of it at all when I went to check before ordering from far away. The closest they had was a 5 series merino brown which was much darker on reflection. I actually really like the plain black interior on a white car, but couldn't find one at the time so decided to take a punt! I bottled it when speccing my car because the sample at my local dealer looked grim. It appears to have been a bad sample because it looked nothing like any of the cars I’ve seen in the flesh. I played safe and went with black. Oh well.
The B58 is a cracking engine and works well with the ZF8. I agree that the perception of what fast is has been lost a bit and I’m as guilt as anyone of that. The running costs given the performance available are pretty damn good really.
Looks lovely with the extra MP bits on it. My dad's revealed to me that he wished he'd got one of these instead of his M240i, which i did tell him about beforehand. I think he just prefers and is used to slightly bigger cars, with the extra added practicality that comes with them.
His is a slightly similar spec to this, actually. Metallic black with but with Oyster leather, the ZF8 and black grills. His is a pre GPF car and has had the exhaust fettled by PCW Mods though. Definitely recommended on these for a little bit extra noise without too much drone.
His is a slightly similar spec to this, actually. Metallic black with but with Oyster leather, the ZF8 and black grills. His is a pre GPF car and has had the exhaust fettled by PCW Mods though. Definitely recommended on these for a little bit extra noise without too much drone.
Edited by culpz on Tuesday 29th December 15:59
culpz said:
Looks lovely with the extra MP bits on it. My dad's revealed to me that he wished he'd got one of these instead of his M240i, which i did tell him about beforehand. I think he just prefers and is used to slightly bigger cars, with the extra added practicality that comes with them.
His is a similar spec to this, actually. Metallic black with the same leather interior (i think) and the ZF8. His is a pre GPF car and has had the exhaust fettled by PCW Mods though. Definitely recommended on these for a little bit extra noise without too much drone.
I thought about a 240i but the impulse deal meant I was getting a lot more in terms of options and usability (being a big guy) for a minimal increase in price with the 0% apr etc. I prefer having more room for sure, the driver compartment feels spacious and the driving position is absolutely bang on. The 2 series does have a nice look to it, I think being a little more compact helps with the lines. His is a similar spec to this, actually. Metallic black with the same leather interior (i think) and the ZF8. His is a pre GPF car and has had the exhaust fettled by PCW Mods though. Definitely recommended on these for a little bit extra noise without too much drone.
I would pay extra for that interior! When I bought my F15 I really wanted the cognac interior but there were ZERO cars available and had to go with black Dakota. Mind you, I was glad to not have to choose my wardrobe because of my car.( it replaced a F11 with oyster leather!)
I’m not sold on the styling of the G32(?) 4 series. As you say, it’s a tall order to better your car.
I’m not sold on the styling of the G32(?) 4 series. As you say, it’s a tall order to better your car.
Great write up. Lovely motor. From what you say about it, you may regret it if you sell.
Things may be back to normal in 6 months or so, even if you do go to the office less often.
And 0-60 in less than 5 seconds is flipping quick in the real world. No real need for anything faster. My Stinger is as quick as yours and it can scare me at full throttle!
Edited to say: PS I love the seat colour!
Things may be back to normal in 6 months or so, even if you do go to the office less often.
And 0-60 in less than 5 seconds is flipping quick in the real world. No real need for anything faster. My Stinger is as quick as yours and it can scare me at full throttle!
Edited to say: PS I love the seat colour!
gtidriver said:
Lovely car that is on my short list, what sort of range do you get form a tank of fuel please??
It depends on the driving style, but on a motorway cruise it can get over 500 miles before the warning comes on. I drove from Edinburgh to North of Inverness last summer which was 200 miles and it had close to 2/3rds left. Can easily get to London with plenty left. Obviously in heavy traffic or if you blast it then this will drop considerably but on its worst day its low 20s.
I think its a combination of modern large engine with the ZF8 and the more GT focused nature of the car.
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