like Marmite brexit and whether you should put your milk in before or after the water when you make your tea obviously before the BMW x4 polarizes opinion some people love its SUV coupe a leg shape while others don’t and that sloping roofline may make it stand out but it makes it slightly less practical than the BMW x3 on which it’s based so is the BMW x4 a compromise too far and how does it compare with rivals including them Sadie’s GLC coupe a and Porsche Macan that’s what we’ll be telling you in this video review as well as what it’s like to drive how practical it really is and which version makes most sense and remember we don’t just review cars at Walker we can help save you thousands on your next new car so head to watcard calm and go to a new car buying section first though
let’s see what the BMW x4 is like to drive diesel is very much the order of the day with the x4 with only one petrol engine on offer the range-topping 322 brake horsepower m4 TD is perfect for those seeking some hot hatch thrills but for most buyers the smaller 2-liter diesel with 187 brake horsepower fitted to the xDrive 20 d that we’re testing today would suffice this engine offers smooth acceleration and is quieter than the diesels you’ll find in the Mercedes GLC cooping and in terms of refinement there’s very little wind and road noise now in front of any of the x4 engine names you’ll find the word X Drive and that’s BMWs code for four-wheel drive plus all cars come with a smooth 8-speed automatic gearbox BMW has firmed up the x4 suspension in an effort to make it even better to drive than the impressive x3 and sure enough it handles remarkably well for such a large car turning into corners swiftly and with very little body lean it’s good at absorbing lumps and bumps in the road – especially if you go for the optional adaptive suspension you can fill the car zooming around beneath you on scruffy roads but it’s rarely uncomfortable
if you’ve been in the latest bmw x3 then this interior should look very familiar to you and that is no bad thing because all of the materials look and feel very classy and premium in terms of visibility you sit high up so you do get a great view now the back is not quite so good however you get front parking sensors and rear parking sensors as well as a reversing camera if parking is not your strong point fear not and the seat well the driver’s seat is very comfortable it offers plenty of adjustment we just think it’s a little stingy of BMW that you have to pay extra for adjustable lumbar support but it’s definitely worth going for and it’s not a huge cost BMWs iDrive infotainment system sets the standard for ease of use in this market because frankly it is just so easy to use you can navigate through the menus clearly see what you’re doing and you can keep one eye on the road and one eye on the using the rotary doll which just means it is far less distracting than touchscreen only system here in front of the x4 there is plenty of room to stretch out and there’s also lots of spaces for your odds and ends in here we’ve got somewhere for your phone and two cupholders and in here we’ve got that’s not going to fit in there but we can fit healthy snacks in there it’s a decent size and we’ve got door bins which we’ve got another section there to keep the bottles separate and the glove box is a decent size moving to the back and it is a different story altogether this sloping roofline means it’s actually quite squishy in here if you’re six-foot you probably will not like it at all we’ve got a decent armrest here if you are sitting in these outside seats but sit in the middle seat and even my head’s almost touching the roofline these rear doors are also quite small so getting in and out can sometimes be less than dignified what about the boot well it is plenty big enough to swallow a few large suitcases and if you’re planning on a weekend trip to Ikea leave half the family at home because you can fold the rear seats down and turn your x4 into a stylish fan the BMW x4 is an expensive option especially when you compare it with the BMW x3 that it’s based on and the Mercedes GLC coupe a and that’s where they are buying it outright or on a PCP finance deal however running costs are better and if you go for the 20 D diesel engine that we recommend you shouldn’t be visiting the fuel station too often we team that engine with entry-level sport trim which comes with everything you’re likely to need including leather upholstery sat-nav cruise control automatic emergency braking and adaptive LED headlights upgrading to M Sport trim brings larger alloy wheels sport seats and more aggressive styling while M Sport X cars get a panoramic glass roof and contrasting gray cladding around the colours lower edges sure there are some more practical SUV choices out there but thanks to its sharp handling and user-friendly infotainment system we’d still happily recommend the x4 if that’s what you’re looking for with some added style thrown into the mix for plenty more on the x4 including our full online review and those of its rivals head to what car comm and while you’re there check out the new car buying section and see how much money we can save you but before you do any of that catch all our videos and hit subscribe