2024 BMW X4 Review: Style And Swagger Over Practicality

Despite automakers charging more for coupe-style SUVs that provide less space and practicality, the enduring popularity of this type of car goes to show that a sleek profile with the allure of SUV motoring is irresistible to some. Rivals such as the Audi Q5 Sportback and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class Coupe follow a similar template. With a $55k starting price, a new BMW X4's comparable all-wheel-drive base version costs $6k more than the boxier and more sensible X3, yet comes with a more cramped second row and less trunk space. The X4 doesn't offer the X3's rear-wheel drive version either, but its performance ties in well with its sporty looks, thanks to a decent 248-horsepower base four-cylinder and a hard-hitting 382-hp six-cylinder engine. Since worse practicality is a given, which of these compromised coupe SUVs does it best?

New for 2024

Just like with its X3 sibling, BMW makes no changes to the 2024 X4 this year, except that a few additional BMW Individual paint colors become available. There are still only xDrive30i four-cylinder and M40i six-cylinder trims in the range, both with standard AWD. In terms of price, the 2024 BMW X4 xDrive30i increases by $800 and the M40i by $1,000.

2024 BMW X4 Price: Which One to Buy

The MSRP of the base X4 xDrive30i is $55,000 in the USA this year, while the M40i will cost you $66,400. These are a function of our inflation-ridden times, as neither trim gets any additional features or equipment, nor does the pricing include any extras, dealer markup, or the destination fee. The good news is that BMW has managed to cap the latter at a low $995 for yet another year.

With the M40i getting on for $70k, the best value lies with the xDrive30i. The base engine provides more than adequate performance, and you're better off spending a bit of the money you save on the Premium package, which adds missing features such as a heated steering wheel and front seats, additional seat adjustment, a Comfort Access key, and a head-up display. We'd also add the Driving Assistance Professional and Parking Assistance Plus packages to get the missing driver aids.

Interior and Features

The cabin shows the X4’s relative age, lacking BMW’s latest curved displays, while also falling short on charm and style.

From behind the wheel, the X4 looks the same inside as the X3, and you'd be hard-pressed to figure out in which one you're seated without looking over your shoulder. Both cars use the same dashboard, and it's all a bit sober and retrained. It lacks the sense of style the GLC exhibits, but the materials are of high quality. The tech is all there, with digital displays for the gauge cluster and infotainment touchscreen, but it's not BMW's newfangled Curved Display, because the basic interior architecture of the X4 now dates back seven years. Interior space is reasonable, with supportive seats, good legroom, and just sufficient headroom in the second row for medium-sized adults, but it's worse than its rivals, and you have to duck well down to clear the rear roofline when getting in. The severe slope of the rear window means rearward visibility is like peering through a letterbox slot, but at least you get a backup camera and parking sensors all around.

Space

The sloping roofline exacts a headroom penalty in the second row, with minimal scalp clearance left for adults, despite competitive legroom that closely approximates that of the X3, with which the X4 shares its platform and wheelbase. There are, of course, no such problems in front, where space is abundant for two adult passengers.

Cargo

It's a similar story with trunk space, where the 18.5 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats is more than 10 cubes down on the X3. With the 40/20/40-split rear seats folded down, the gap is even bigger, with the X4 offering only 50.5 cu-ft of total trunk volume. These figures narrowly beat those of the below-average GLC Coupe. The Q5 Sportback beats both handsomely with 24.7 cu-ft behind the rear seats, even if its total volume isn't very impressive.

Cabin stowage options are numerous, with a glovebox, four cupholders, a lidded storage bin in the center console, front and rear door pockets, and other smaller receptacles for items such as keys and cellphones all part of the tally.

Materials and Colors

You don't get standard leather upholstery in an X4; the seats are trimmed in SensaTec leatherette, and you get four interior colors to choose from - Black, Canberra Beige, Tacora Red, and Cognac. Vernasca leather upholstery is available for $1,500, but only if you also add the $2,100 Premium package for a total outlay of $3,600. It's available in the same colors, in addition to Mocha and Oyster. The no-cost trim options include Dark Oak wood, fine open-pore Ash Grain wood with a Pearl Chrome accent, aluminum, and Smoke Grey Aluminum Rhombicle, with the M40i additionally adding a $300 carbon-fiber trim option. The steering wheel is trimmed in leather, with the M40i having a sportier version with M badging; this trim also has a SensaTec-trimmed dashboard, which is a $350 option on the xDrive30i.

Features and Infotainment

All X4s come with a power liftgate, a panoramic moonroof, 10-way power front seats, a tilting/telescoping steering wheel trimmed in leather, a garage-door opener, and dual-zone climate control, but they miss out on features some rivals have. These are available as options, although some are expected as standard on cars of this price, such as leather upholstery, heated front seats, remote start, and a wireless charging pad.

There is a fully digital gauge cluster, at least, and it's flanked by a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen to its right, replete with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Wi-Fi, navigation, and a 10-speaker audio system. Extra-cost options include a wireless charging pad ($500), a dashcam ($100), a head-up display ($1,100), and a 16-speaker Harman Kardon audio system ($875).

Performance

The base engine’s performance falls short of that of the class leaders, but it is reasonably economical, and the enjoyable dynamics compensate to a degree.

Even the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the BMW X4 xDrive30i develops a strong 248 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, giving it a 0-60 mph time of six seconds exactly, and a limited top speed of 130 mph. The M40i gets a powerful turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder with 382 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, giving this BMW X4 trim a 0-60 mph time of just 4.4 seconds. Its 130-mph top speed is increased to 155 mph with the appropriate optional performance tires fitted. The same drivetrain applies to all X4s - an eight-speed automatic transmission and xDrive AWD. The X4 is very much a sporty crossover and cannot do things some other SUVs can do. It lacks the ground clearance to go off-road and trailering is not provided for from the factory - BMW doesn't quote a towing capacity, nor can you add a hitch to your X4 on the online configurator. Better opt for the X3 if you want to tow, since that car has a towing capacity of 4,400 pounds.

The X4's handling matches its sporty appearance, even more so because the M Sport suspension is standard on all trims. It's responsive and agile, with precise steering and powerful brakes. The ride is a bit stiff, but well-controlled, though it deteriorates noticeably on the optional 20- and 21-inch wheels, struggling to iron out sharp jolts. The adaptive M suspension of the M40i eases up a little in its Comfort mode, but is best with standard 19-inch wheels to preserve comfort. You can drop the M suspension in favor of the standard suspension setup if you want more comfort, but try it out first on a test drive before deciding. If you mostly traverse good roads, chances are you might find it spot-on, and in keeping with the car's sporty character. With the M Sport settings dialed in to your tastes, the rapid M40i is a proper performance crossover with a stirring soundtrack, but the xDrive30i is still more than capable, if not the quickest in its class.

Fuel Efficiency

Driven sensibly, gas mileage is fairly similar between the two trims. As expected, the best mpg figures the BMW X4 can muster come from the four-cylinder powertrain, which returns city/highway/combined figures of 21/28/24 mpg - similar to the AWD Q5 but worse than the AWD GLC300 Coupe. The six-cylinder M40i is not far behind with 21/26/23 mpg.

A 17.2-gallon fuel capacity ensures a range of around 413 miles for the xDrive30i and around 396 miles for the M40i.

Safety

The basic driver assists are fitted, including front and rear parking sensors, but you pay extra for a surround-view camera and active lane-keep assist.

There is no NHTSA safety review for the BMW X4, but the agency tested the structurally similar X3 and gave a full five-star rating. Likewise, the IIHS also only tested the X3 and gave it all-around Good ratings and a 2023 Top Safety Pick+ award. The X4's results should be in the same vein.

A fine selection of driver assists are fitted out of the box and these include front-collision alert with automatic braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure alert, automatic LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, and parking sensors front and rear. For an additional $1,700, you can add the Driving Assistance Professional package, which adds features such as active lane-keep assist, lane-change assist, evasive assist, and traffic-jam assist. The $700 Parking Assistance Plus package comes with a surround-view camera, automated parking, and automatic braking while parking. A driving recorder is a $100 option and a head-up display will cost you $1,100.

Reliability

JD Power's assessment of the BMW X4's reliability was very favorable, with an excellent score of 85 out of 100 for Quality & Reliability specifically. This is borne out by the recall stats, with only one recall so far for the 2024 X4 for improperly tightened steering gear. The 2023 X4 with the four-cylinder powertrain was recalled once for a transmission oil leak that may cause a loss of drive power due to seized gears.

The standard limited warranty of the 2024 BMW X4 offers good peace of mind. Just like the powertrain warranty, it is valid for four years/50,000 miles. BMW also generously includes complimentary maintenance for three years/36,000 miles.

Warranty

Design

We're not enamored with all BMW's attempts to coupe-ify its SUVs, but the X4 works better than most and looks less odd than the X6 - and, to be fair, consumers seem to love it. It sits on 19-inch alloys, but bigger wheels of up to 21 inches in diameter can be specified. The xDrive30i comes with the standard xLine exterior design with satin-aluminum trim and gray 19-inch Y-spoke alloy wheels, but you can add the $1,900 M Sport design with blacked-out Shadowline exterior trim, different two-color 19-inch M wheels, sportier bumpers, more extensive color-coding, and an aerodynamic body kit. The M40i comes with the M Sport design by default. Both trims get LED headlights, rear privacy glass, chrome exhaust tips, a power liftgate, and a panoramic glass roof.

Verdict: Is The 2024 BMW X4 A Good SUV?

The X4 is getting a bit old now, but still looks sporty and drives well, with good handling and enjoyable driving dynamics. A Stelvio or Macan handles better still, a GLC Coupe has a more stylish cabin, a Q5 Sportback is quicker, and a GV70 is considerably cheaper. This leaves the X4 near the middle of the class, still offering a competitive package, but banking more on all-around ability than any stand-out features. It misses out on a few features that rivals have, such as leather upholstery and heated front seats, but fights back with three years of complimentary maintenance. Arguably, looks are important in this class, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Whatever your take, it deserves consideration as a premium compact coupe SUV.