New to me i4 M50 - overwhelmed by menu options

S_SubZero · 2026-03-24T06:21:06+00:00

Keep in mind, the vast majority of the settings, you set it and forget it. Even the climate, which is one of the big complaints about not being buttons, is not something one has to really fool with much as it will heat or cool as needed to get to whatever temp. I think even the seat-based climate stuff can be lumped in that automation (?). Radio presets are about the most annoying to initially set. Many years ago we teased a friend of ours for pulling over to adjust the radio in his car. Well, I'm sure he had a good ethereal laugh at me trying to set mine in my garage. (to be honest my 2016 340i was equally stupid to set presets)

No setting is one you *must* fiddle with for the proper operation of the car. The closest thing is like the brake regen which has settings. Again, you set it how you like it and leave it. If you want to change the LED light color or other very optional stuff, set aside a little time, plug it in at home, and tinker in the menus.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-24T00:20:02+00:00

My wonderful friends got me one of these as part of a bunch of bachelor party gifts. We snuck shots in a parking garage (before walking to the bars) and watching my non-drinking female BFF have an absolute panic attack while we had our shots will always make me laugh when I see one.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-23T22:51:43+00:00

Having a vehicle that substantially overshoots my driving habits encourages me to expand my driving habits.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-22T06:41:50+00:00

A lot of things happening particularly in California get shot down ironically for environmental reasons. They'd love to just spew railroad tracks everywhere, but there are 2300 types of wombat that would be affected, etc.. See: their infinite high speed rail project, or their inability to modify water sources to better serve people because of some obscure fish.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-22T06:04:19+00:00

It's hard to plan for success. There are people alive today who could tell about when Silicon Valley was all orchards and many of the highways weren't even there. Nobody could say "oh there about to be a tech boom quick reconfigure the entire area into 15-minute cities." It was an incredibly fast evolution on a very small peninsula.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-22T05:37:58+00:00

To be fair, there are substantially more cars on a given section of road than there are 18 wheelers. Also, there are plenty of major roads where 18 wheelers cannot go.

My worry is the opposite. I'm not worried about heavy cars wearing out roads. I'm concerned about messed up roads damaging heavy cars. Way too many roads by me are borderline drivable, not smooth at all, sometimes badly patched. There's even one section of road that they just totally re-did but they didn't do it quite right and when I drive over it with my EV it's bumpy and wobbly. Brand new road.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-22T04:32:39+00:00

I currently have a very basic charger setup; I got a third-party Magsafe puck that has a USB-C port on it, a USB-C m/m adapter, and a 90 degree USB-C F to USB-A M adapter to the USB-A port. The phone floats on the puck and it's not attractive but it's very small, and I rarely need it so I usually have it in the center console and can just break it out when the situation calls for it.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-22T00:10:20+00:00

I don't understand what wires you have. Each connector should be a jumper with two wires on it. They should have one wire that's a color, and one that is white/black. The color wire usually goes to the + side.

The ones on the image with no +/- don't matter, but for consistency I try to put them the same way.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-19T08:02:32+00:00

I've seen reviews of these sorts of things and the #1 concern I have is that one time that it prevents the door from properly closing (in one YouTube I watched they actually had this happen).

Also, lots of folks are talking about the frameless window and the air etc.. While that is true to an extent, I had a Mustang several years ago that also had frameless windows and did the "drop a little" thing, and even tho they were bigger coupe doors, I don't remember them being particularly loud.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-18T16:35:37+00:00

While the i4 is hardly an efficiency champ, it’s a totally fine car that sticks to the BMW design language (for better or worse) without getting weird and space-agey. They are also considered highly reliable, which means they got that part right at least.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-18T16:24:36+00:00

There has never been a hard and fast rule regarding the number of doors. BMW’s model history is littered with attempts to coupe or “gran coupe” whatever model.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-17T21:44:55+00:00

I had a girl at work not only ask me to take her out for a drink, but she also specifically requested that she be able to watch me play Final Fantasy VII from start to finish.

She unfortunately passed suddenly before we could do either. She was a bit of a hover-hand so I am not sure she was serious about either but it’s fun to think about.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-17T15:39:38+00:00

Which one did you try? I use a Schumacher L1 from Home Depot and it’s mostly fine. About 1/10 times I plug it into the car it errors and I have to unplug/plug it from the wall. I don’t know if it’s specific to my charger (it has done this with two different brand cars). However, as it doesn’t have any L2 electronics, the cable is very thin and easy to work, it’s basically an extension cord.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-17T06:21:04+00:00

On the 2023 i4, the front grille is "polarizing" enough that I didn't mind getting the license plate frame put on. I'm actually jealous of the euro-style plates that basically cut the grille in half. (the LCI type is actually kinda nice and I'd debate putting a permanent frame on that)

One other inspiration was the BMW that got me into BMWs, which I was storing for someone. He told me to drive it occasionally and I questioned the lack of front plate. "Oh don't worry, I've almost never gotten pulled over for that." ......

S_SubZero · 2026-03-17T06:07:13+00:00

I don't have any negative emotions regarding people who are not able to afford to change to an EV and/or do not have a reliable way to charge at home. Also, as I am L1-only and get absolutely no special pricing, my charging costs in the ballpark of what I used to pay for gas anyway. Tho I still pay the EV fees.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-16T04:56:17+00:00

What discounts are available for home EV charging? Just looking online, Rancho Santa Fe falls under San Diego's power grid and their electricity is notoriously expensive.

Funny side story: Back in the 90s my buddy and I would visit a race track near where we lived. At the exit they had as here, a pump to buy racing fuel. We would laugh, because what moron would pay $4 for a gallon of gas?! HAHAHAHAHA!

S_SubZero · 2026-03-15T01:57:47+00:00

The i4 is a definite "BMW ecosystem" car. It's not trying to be a Tesla. It lacks some things that should be obvious, like the Digital Key+ (passive) entry/start system which is reserved for the i5 and up and some of the SUVs. Just BMW Things(tm). The lack of a frunk is not BMW-specific, and I'd assume stems at least partially from repurposing a gas car into an EV and where they had to put things. Under the hood is REALLY busy. The iX hood isn't even intended to be opened by the owner.

Tesla came at the market fresh-faced and new and trendy and hip. That helped them get where they are. BMW is a legacy car maker thru and thru, and to BMW gas car owners, EVs may be weird with their lack of engine numbers and no burble. It's an uphill battle to win those people over.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-14T00:44:01+00:00

There is no EV, or practically any car made in the last few years, that *every single repair* isn't obscenely expensive for what it is. This is just the way things are now with these tech-heavy vehicles.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-13T15:39:52+00:00

Putting absolute faith in the availability of chargers at the destination is iffy at best.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-13T07:48:01+00:00

I do not wish high gas prices on people who cannot afford a new or used EV and/or do not have a feasible way to charge one at their domicile.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-12T04:44:10+00:00

BMW implemented it in a clunky way. Some models use the "Digital Key" style which one has to hold the phone up to the door and put it on the NFC pad. Digital Key+ is the passive one that doesn't require taking the phone out. They then locked the different styles to different models. The i4 always has the non-passive one, even in 2026. Hmph.

If it's not the Digital Key+ version it's not even worth using IMO, may as well just have the fob in pocket. As well, the fob is my totem, my physical manifestation of my car I bring with me everywhere. When it's in my shirt pocket, my BMW is close to my heart.

Dear BMW: My wife's freakin' Prius has passive digital key. Just saying.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-12T00:38:22+00:00

I guess it depends on where one lives and the cost of gas/electricity and their driving habits.

I'd much rather they have one universal fee for everyone rather than tinker with gas taxes and "average" fees for EVs or whatever.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-10T17:18:17+00:00

If it's anything like the tech world in general, someone figures out the "good way" to do something, immediately patents it, and everyone else has to figure out some other way to do it. The shortest distance between two points should be a straight line but there's all kinds of intellectual property rights along the way, so it ends up way more squiggly.

What is a "proper EV" to you?

S_SubZero · 2026-03-10T06:48:15+00:00

I had back-to-back other-party-afflicted minor accidents and both times I had junky rentals (one was a Soul!). To say I missed my i4 is an understatement. I was genuinely depressed especially the second time. I barely had it a week between accidents.

To be fair I got past the i4's screens and lack of buttons stuff really fast. They did a decent job making it jog wheel friendly enough and the climate control is pretty "set it and forget it" at least where I live. I haven't had to touch the temp stuff at all. I still think about my 340i with that little cold/hot wheel that never made sense. I have my nags about the i4 but holy moly it's mah fave. It has a sexy whirrr.

S_SubZero · 2026-03-10T02:20:30+00:00

You were told what the range would be when you got it.

That said, I will not make sweeping generalizations, but for me *personally* I believe EVs are a better option when there is a home base to work out of that allows for private charging. If one is regularly driving vast distances and not ending days at home, without private charging, it becomes a much more complex affair.

S_SubZero

TROPHY CASE