A few years ago, BMW stopped selling two-door versions of its 3 Series ... by calling the two-door versions of the 3 Series the 4 Series. When you add an M to 4, you get a high-performance two-door version of BMW's 3 Series sedan ... which isn't an M4, the much more expensive but fairly similar otherwise ultra-high-performance two-door version of the 3 Series BMW also sells.
Confused yet?
Let's try to unwind that!
What It Is
The M440i is the high-performance version of BMW's 4 Series coupe, which is based on the 3 Series sedan.
It is similar in looks — and under the hood — to the BMW M4, which is an extremely high-performance coupe that's also based on the 3 Series but differs in being much less expensive — $58,500 to start versus $71,800 for the M4.
Both have BMW's legendary inline 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine — with a pair of turbos — under the hood. But the M440i's version is mildly hybrid, with a 48-volt electrical system designed mainly to reduce emissions by enabling the engine to cycle off and on more often and less noticeably.
Also: The M440i is automatic-only and comes with all-wheel drive standard, while the M4 comes standard with a six-speed manual and offers all-wheel drive as an option.
What's New
The '21 M440i is all-new.
What's Good
The straight six survives!
It's less pricey than a new M4 — and almost as quick as last year's M4.
There are functional back seats and a serviceable trunk.
What's Not So Good
The price has gone up — a lot. Last year's M440i stickered for $51,350 to start.
There's no more manual option; there's no more option to not buy all-wheel drive.
The mild-hybrid system adds considerably to the car's cost to buy without greatly reducing its cost to fuel.
Under the Hood
Like the M4, the M440i comes standard with BMW's 3.0-liter dual overhead camshaft inline six cylinders, goosed by a pair of turbochargers. Unlike the M4's version of the six, the M440i's six is also supplemented by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that quietly cycles the engine off and on to save gas and lower emissions.
There is also the upside of an 11-horsepower goose — bringing the total output of the combo to 382 horsepower and 369 foot-pounds of torque, a significant uptick from the 2020 M440i's 326 horsepower and 330 foot-pounds of torque.
Performance is also upticked.
The new M440i gets to 60 mph in just over four seconds — which is not too far from what the previous-generation M4 was capable of.
The main difference now is that the M440i is automatic- and all-wheel drive-only, while the M4 still comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission, with the option to buy all-wheel drive.
What about gas mileage?
The mild-hybrid system bumps it up from last year's 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway to this year's 22 mpg city and 31 mpg highway. Whether that hardly noticeable 3 mpg uptick is worth the uptick in the car's price is debatable, but what's not debatable is that the new M440i is much quicker than it was before.
On the Road
The definition of a gentleman is a guy who is nice — but doesn't have to be. In other words, he has the capability to not be nice, but keeps it in check unless being not-nice is called for. He is the mild-mannered fellow who can become Superman when the occasion arises.
The M440i is the gentleman of high-performance cars.
It idles authoritatively but not abrasively — just enough to let you know what it is capable of, should the need arise. And when it arises, you can almost see the "S" on the M440i's hood — or you would almost see it, were it not for the blur of instant speed this thing delivers.
At the Curb
Inside, you'll find a functional, close-fitting but not confining cabin.
The trapezoidal digital dash layout is a little funky, especially the tach, which hockey-sticks up in double digits from 00 to 10. Below this is the "charge tach," the meter that tells you how much juice is being added to the mix.
Other than this, the layout is direct and operative, with redundant knob/button controls you can use to avoid the LCD touchscreen while driving.
It is also a space-efficient car for the type of car it is, with a reasonable 34.5 inches of back seat legroom and a 12 cubic foot trunk.
The Rest
This BMW will unlock itself upon your approach — and lock itself as you walk away. You can also change the radio station or increase or decrease the volume without touching anything. Just twirl your finger.
BMW calls this gesture control — and it's handy when you're driving, since you don't have to fiddle with the controls while you're trying to focus.
The Bottom Line
The new M440i is a way to get last year's M4 for less money — and that's easy enough to understand.
Eric's latest book, "Don't Get Taken for a Ride!" is available now. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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