2025 BMW M4 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Let’s address the elephant in the room: that grille. Honestly, we’re inured to it now, and frankly, it does serve a purpose. In a world where automotive design is beholden to aerodynamics in service to efficiency and range, many vehicles look the same. Not BMWs with the oversized twin-kidney grille, though. You can spot one of those from quite a distance away.

Styling changes for the 2025 model year include new arrowhead-shaped vertical running lights that make the BMW M4 identifiable at a glance, while laser-enhanced taillights improve illumination at the rear. The optional forged aluminum wheels are available in a new silver finish, and they look sensational even if they’re a hassle to clean.

Inside, the 2025 M4 has a new steering wheel design, and it’s available with an Alcantara simulated suede wrap for the first time. The optional SensaTec artificial leather wrap for the dashboard looks fancier this year, and BMW gives the M4 revised ambient lighting, new air vent adjusters, and fresh interior trim selections.

BMW sells the M4 coupe in base, M4 Competition, and M4 Competition xDrive specifications, while the M4 convertible is available only as the Competition xDrive. Prices range from $80,100 to $96,200, plus the $995 destination charge.

Our test car had a long list of options. They included the Executive, Driving Assistance Professional, Parking Assistance, and M Driver’s packages. In addition, our M4 convertible came with M Drive Professional, M Shadowline lights, carbon fiber trim, front seat neck warmers, extra-cost paint, and full premium leather upholstery. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) was $112,295.

The test car’s paint color is Velvet Orchid, one of 165 available BMW Individual colors, and an absolutely lustrous and alluring hue. Be advised that it costs $4,500. Also, its sunlit flagrance may have inspired a fellow motorist to berate us for driving with the top down on a gloriously sunny morning with temperatures in the mid-40s. This joyless human being made a point of telling us we were idiots for doing so, as if it was any of their concern. Apparently, he didn’t know about the M4 convertible’s neck warmers.

The BMW M4 exists for performance, and it excels in this regard. Starting under the hood, the M4 boasts an utterly delightful twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine. Output ranges from 473 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque to 523 hp and 479 lb-ft, depending on the transmission choice.

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard in the base BMW M4 coupe, and that model produces the least power and slowest acceleration time to 60 mph (4.1 seconds). However, if you love to row your own gears while saving a few thousand dollars, that is the M4 you want.

Stepping up to the M4 Competition coupe bumps power to 503 hp and 479 lb-ft, but you can get it only with an M Steptronic sport eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. This version scoots to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, according to BMW.

The Competition xDrive spec is available in coupe and convertible format, providing 523 hp and 479 lb-ft. With the M-tuned version of BMW’s xDrive AWD system—which offers RWD, AWD, and sport AWD modes—the coupe zooms to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, while the droptop requires 3.6 seconds.

To ensure the M4 does more than just go fast in a straight line, BMW adds an Active M Sport differential, which distributes power between the front and rear axles and the individual rear wheels to help improve driver control and handling. An Adaptive M suspension keeps the M4 glued to the ground, M Compound ventilated disc brakes with six-piston front calipers haul it down from speed, and M-tuned variable-ratio steering faithfully communicates driver input into action.

One of the wonderful things about the BMW M4 is that it can be whatever kind of a car you want it to be. Drivers can calibrate the M4’s powertrain, steering, and braking response, the exhaust note, and the suspension to seemingly any preference. You can also save specific dynamic profiles to the M1 and M2 buttons on the steering wheel, giving you quick access to specific setups for particular purposes.

We had business all around Southern California that involved freeway commutes instead of twisty mountain roads, so we wanted a cruiser most of the time. And the M4’s Efficient powertrain mode, coupled with the Comfort setting for the suspension, brakes, and steering, was just the ticket. Though the M4 proved docile and compliant in these settings, all it takes is a hard push on the accelerator pedal, and the twin-turbo six erupts in a fury of forward thrust.

For mountain driving, we chose the Sport settings, and they made a significant difference. The flawless power, extraordinary grip, firm suspension, and sharp steering supplied clear lines of communication while bolstering the driver’s courage. Even the brakes, which can be a little touchy when driving in the city or heavy traffic, performed brilliantly, particularly after rounding a blind curve and encountering a herd of deer on the road.

Regarding fuel economy, the EPA says you should expect to get 18 mpg in combined driving. We did better than that during the course of the week, at 22.4 mpg. However, on the evaluation loop, the M4 came in closer to the EPA estimate at 17.6 mpg.

Fortunately, the BMW M4 is about more than form. With four-passenger seating and a trunk providing up to 13.6 cubic feet of cargo space, there is plenty of function here.

Naturally, a two-door coupe or convertible is not as practical as a four-door sedan or sportback. And cars with a folding roof usually can’t hold as much luggage or rear passengers in as much comfort. That’s all true about the BMW M4 convertible. Still, it’s far more sensible than a Porsche 718 Boxster or 911 Cabriolet. And on public roads, it is no less thrilling to drive.

We spent hours in the M4’s driver’s seat, slogging across Los Angeles at the height of rush hour. Comfort was excellent, fatigue never arose, and with the top raised, the din of the 5, 405, and 101 freeways faded to a dull roar.

Putting the top up takes about 23 seconds, including waiting for all four windows to seal against it. When you’re ready for top-down driving, you can drop it and the windows in about 19 seconds. With heated front M sport seats, a heated M steering wheel, and the test car’s neck warmers, you’ll stay nice and toasty as long as you keep the windows up. Ventilated seats are optional for when the weather outside is hot and muggy.

We packed a family of four into the M4 convertible for a sunset cruise along the California coast. Mom and Dad moved the front seats forward to the line where comfort became discomfort, and teenagers measuring 5’3” and 5’10” got into the back seat. The teens reported that heated rear seats or a third climate zone panel would have been nice to have.

Interior storage space is more generous than expected, including a covered cubby to keep valuable items out of sight. The trunk room shrinks from 13.6 cubic feet to 10.6 cubic feet with the top down, so soft luggage is recommended for extended trips.

BMW equips the 2025 M4 with its Live Cockpit Professional dual-screen instrumentation and infotainment system, now using BMW Operating System 8.5 (iDrive 8.5).

The wide, rectangular screen gently curves as it stretches across the dashboard, canting the infotainment touchscreen toward the driver for easier viewing and access. The BMW Curved Display’s graphics and data change depending on the selected driving mode, and the screens are remarkably (though not entirely) resistant to glare and reflections when driving with the top down.

Wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, and SiriusXM 360L satellite radio are standard, and BMW provides several connected service plans and remote access capability through a smartphone app. A cloud-based navigation system is standard, as well as an Intelligent Personal Assistant voice assistant that you can rouse by saying “Hey BMW” or another wake phrase of your choice.

As you might expect, the voice assistant struggles to understand what you’re saying when driving with the top down, and at highway speeds, forget about using it. With the top up, it can understand you at speeds up to 75 mph. Beyond that, it can struggle due to ambient noise within the cabin.

During our evaluation, the voice assistant displayed faults common to many BMWs. In response to an urgent medical request (“Hey BMW, I need to go to a hospital!”), the first two suggestions were in Mexico, followed by our closest hospital. When we asked for directions to “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C.,” it correctly parsed what we said but then gave directions to 1600 Pigeon Hollow in Farmington, Washington State.

Our test car’s outstanding Harman Kardon audio system had no trouble overcoming top-down noise. The test car also had a head-up display providing plenty of useful data in a distraction-free manner.

Every BMW M4 has a collection of safety features called Active Driving Assistant. They include: forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring. Active Guard collision preparation and driver monitoring is also standard, along with BMW Assist e-Call, providing quick access to emergency services.

In addition, our test car had the Driving Assistance Professional option package. It equips the M4 with more sophisticated driving aids, including evasive steering assist, lane centering assist, and lane change assist. When using the adaptive cruise control and lane centering assist, an emergency stop assist system can help to bring the M4 to a safe halt in the event the driver becomes unresponsive.

Traffic Jam Assist, a hands-free driving aid available at speeds under 40 mph, is also part of the Driving Assistance Professional package. We used it extensively while driving in dense Los Angeles traffic, and it worked well overall, but issued far too many inaccurate requests to the driver to pay attention. In some cases, these were valid. In most, however, they were not.

It is worth mentioning the M4’s high-resolution surround-view camera system. When the top is up, visibility is compromised, but this camera and the rear cross-traffic monitoring system effectively solve the problem. Also, in a car like this, scraping the front air dam or the fancy wheels is always a distinct possibility, and the surround-view camera system helps to ensure both remain in as-new condition.

The BMW M4 convertible is expensive, priced more than $20,000 higher than an M440i xDrive convertible that takes just one second longer to accelerate to 60 mph. Yes, there is more to the M4 than simply straight-line acceleration, but unless you’re taking it to a track, the M440i promises nearly as rewarding a driving experience on public roads.

Alternatively, you could get a Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Cabriolet with a base price between the M440i and M4. Well equipped, the Benz still comes in beneath the M4’s base price and arrives at 60 mph less than half a second after the M4 does.

For argument’s sake, you could also choose a Ford Mustang GT Premium convertible. It won’t offer the same level of quality or sophistication or have AWD, but it does come with a manual transmission and a sweet-sounding V8 engine. And, even with every option box checked, including the most expensive paint with a matte film, it barely breaks the $80,000 barrier.

As much as we love the BMW M4, it doesn’t make purely financial sense. What you’re paying for is the cachet of owning an M Car and the wizardry of the BMW M division. Of course, whether or not that makes this utterly wonderful car a cost-effective choice is entirely up to you.