Experienced by Kimatni D. Rawlins
Well, I must say BMW’s sport activity vehicle was delivered at the right time for a week full of family fun, daily team rituals, and weekend competitions. The girls had four games including basketball and soccer and practice everyday except Friday. From swapping out kids, teammates, gear, and food the BMW X4 M40i had an eventful time with my unit. Compact outside, larger inside, quick as cats, and full of technology, the X4 is very fitting for vigorous clans on the go.
My wife Misa owns an Audi Q7 TDI and was aptly able to compare the two German utilities. She likes bigger and three-row SUVs but had some very insightful things to say about our Glacier Silver Metallic ($700) X4 including its power and growling exhaust notes throughout every shift. Comparatively, Misa enjoyed the connected features of iDrive in relationship to her MMI multi-media system but admonished the dome shape of the X4 since the rear sloped too much causing her to bump heads a few times when entering the second row (kids always call shotgun)! “You definitely can’t wear your hair in a bun,” she whimsically stated.
I also like bigger SUVs but highly enjoyed testing the X4. In the city the vehicle’s 245/45R19 Goodyear tires handled rough roads with aplomb, xDrive all-wheel-drive delivered ultimate grip, and the 3-liter M Performance TwinPower Turbo inline 6-cylinder engine with direct injection provided superb acceleration to escape every traffic pattern I encountered. Especially when I set the 8-speed Sport Automatic Transmission in SPORT mode and shifted using the well-integrated steering wheel paddle shifters. With the pronounced M sport steering wheel in hand you instantly feel one with the X. It’s thick with thumb indentations for proper hand placement and gives the X4 M40i sporty and dynamic maneuvering capabilities. Driving Dynamics Control customizes the vehicle’s mode types with ECO Pro, COMFORT, SPORT, and SPORT+ settings. For exaggerated aggression set it in SPORT+ but keep in mind traction control is automatically deactivated since the vehicle assumes you know how to handle it like pro drivers. Expect 19 city and 26 highway MPGs.
My vehicle started off at $58,100 and topped out at $66,545 when some of the quintessential features were added. I’m based in Maryland so of course the $950 Cold Weather Package was a no-brainer. It gave me a heated steering wheel, front and rear seats, and retractable headlight washers. The $1,900 Lighting Package in not necessary since it only provides automatic high beams and Adaptive Full LED lights. However, the $2,750 Technology Package is required for seamless drive experiences since it’s your solution for the navigation system, Head-up Display, BMW Online and BMW Apps, Remote Services, and more. The other two stand-alone options are the $400 Rearview Camera (another must) and the $750 Surround View feature. A delightful Harman Kardon surround sound system is included in the packaging.
There is plenty of storage throughout as one would expect in a BMW SUV. When you open the power tailgate for example a considerable amount of space is found under the cargo liner and deep pockets outline both the right and left side panels. Lay down the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats to make room for your mountain bike or Home Depot runs. The front doors have pockets for large bottles and a separated compartment for purses or folders. There is even a wallet-sized pouch at the top of the door just beneath the window.
Aesthetically the X4 is pretty chill (although it can be polarizing to some) stemming from an Aerodynamic kit, 19” light alloy rims, small moonroof, and the Shadowline exterior trim. My squad balled out in the Bimmer when we weren’t dashing around county to county for the aforementioned practices and games. A VIP Saturday morning showing of The Batman LEGO Movie, a few hours at the 2017 Washington Auto Show, and lunch/dinner stops at our favorite restaurant — Busboys and Poets — kept the weekend pretty high-energy.
X-rated equals fun in the eyes of the Rawlins family. The 2017 BMW X4 M40i is one to remember and one to suggest if performance, utility, and technology are your requisites.
