2025 BMW M4 Review and Test Drive

A ton of fun in the sun and ready to run when there's a race to be won.

Christian Wardlaw | 

Mar 5, 2025 | 7 min read

Christian Wardlaw

As eye-catching as the BMW Individual Velvet Orchid paint is, and as gorgeous as those bright silver wheels are, it's not the M4's looks that won me over. Instead, it was this BMW's combination of luxury and performance — and the four-person seating that allowed me to bring my family along for the fun.

Christian Wardlaw

The M4 is the high-performance version of the 2025 BMW 4 Series, available in coupe and convertible body styles. Base prices range from the low $80,000s to mid-$90,000s, including the destination charge to ship the car from the Dingolfing, Germany, assembly plant to your BMW dealership.

For this 2025 M4 review, I test-drove the M4 Competition xDrive Convertible in Southern California. Optional equipment included upgraded leather upholstery, carbon-fiber interior trim, and a neck-warming system. BMW also added the Executive, Parking Assistance, Driving Assistance Professional, and M Driver's packages. That list of options brought the manufacturer's suggested retail price to $112,295, including the destination charge. BMW provided the vehicle for this M4 Convertible review.

Christian Wardlaw

Is the 2025 BMW M4 a Good Car?

Without a doubt, the BMW M4 is an excellent luxury performance car. Whether I was driving long distances on a chilly day with the top raised, experiencing top-down thrills on local mountain roads, or cruising the California coast with my family aboard, the M4 met the moment.

I don't even mind the oversized grille anymore. But if you're looking for an alternative, only the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 comes close. And it's not as quick as this BMW.

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What's New for the 2025 BMW M4?

This year, BMW gives the 4 Series lineup a light refresh. Applied to the M4, it includes more power for the Competition xDrive versions, boosting their twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engines from 503 to 523 horsepower. BMW says the Competition xDrive Convertible will accelerate to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds.

The styling changes are barely noticeable. If you spot an M4 with arrowhead-style running lights, it's a 2025 or newer model. Coupes are available with new M design graphics, and BMW is offering M forged light alloy wheels in a bright silver finish, a decision I applaud.

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Interiors have equally subtle changes, such as a new flat-bottom steering wheel with a centering line at the top, which is also available in an Alcantara wrap. In addition, the M4 has a richer grain for the simulated leather on the dashboard and upgraded ambient lighting.

On the technology front, the BMW Curved Display adds updated software called Operating System 8.5. It continues to provide a 12.3-inch driver display and a 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with M-specific graphics and data.

There is one additional bit of news. An M4 CS Coupe with 543 horsepower is available for a significant price premium, boasting numerous performance modifications. BMW also sought ways to reduce the car's weight, resulting in claimed acceleration to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds.

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A Range of Personalities Widens the BMW M4's Appeal

The M Setup menu in the infotainment system allows you to configure the M4's engine, suspension, steering, brakes, xDrive all-wheel-drive (AWD), and traction-control. Depending on the component you're calibrating, settings include Efficient, Comfort, Sport, and Sport Plus. In addition, a button on the center console activates the M4's active exhaust system for extra vocal accompaniment when driving the car enthusiastically.

Due to this range of configurability, the M4 feels like it has more than one personality, making the car remarkably easy to live with while simultaneously delivering the performance you might expect.

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With the powertrain in Efficient mode and all other settings in Comfort, I slogged across Los Angeles in thick evening rush-hour traffic. With the top raised, the excellent Assisted Driving Plus hands-free technology on, and the impressive Harman Kardon audio system streaming chill beats to eliminate stress, the M4 was a sanctuary.

Sure, it's louder inside than a typical luxury cocoon, but given the fabric top and M performance tuning, it's quieter than expected. I sat in this car for almost five hours straight and emerged without fatigue or stiffness.

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When cruising in the suburbs, the M4 is remarkably docile if you prefer it to be, exhibiting an unassuming demeanor while providing a surprisingly supple ride. Only slightly touchy brakes can spoil the experience. Or, you can tune everything to Sport or Sport Plus and set the exhaust to extra loud to generate an attention-getting ruckus.

For a rollicking ride across the Santa Monica Mountains, I picked Sport mode for everything except the AWD system. As I expected, the M4 was a sheer pleasure to drive with the top down in the middle of a weekday afternoon with nobody else on Mulholland Highway.

However, it is impossible to safely explore the M4's significant handling limits on public roads, so don't try. If you can afford an M4, you can probably afford to attend a track day.

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My favorite drive in the 2025 M4 Convertible was the evening my wife and kids joined me for a sunset cruise on Pacific Coast Highway. With the top down, the windows up, and the heat on to ward off the winter chill, it was perfection.

The M4 returned much better fuel economy than I expected. The official ratings are 16/22/18 mpg in city/highway/combined driving, and my test car averaged 22.4 mpg over 390.8 miles.

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Tech That's Flawed and Tech That's Flawless

BMW touts the M4's new Operating System 8.5 infotainment system, but I wasn't impressed, mainly because the digital voice assistant flunked several tests. Unsurprisingly, it had trouble hearing and understanding me, especially when the top was down. I won't criticize it for that, but I do have an issue with the system's hit-or-miss response accuracy.

For example, I urgently said: "Hey BMW, I need to go to a hospital!" The first two results shown on the display were in Mexico, followed by my local hospital. Another time, when trying to demonstrate the helpful augmented-reality navigation feature to a passenger, I requested directions to the nearest McDonald's, a mile from my home. Instead, the top three results were 16, 20, and 22 miles away. There were other errors, but you get the idea.

Conversely, the Assisted Driving Plus technology worked flawlessly. It's hands-free technology that works at speeds below 40 mph, and it controls the steering, brakes, and accelerator when driving in traffic on an approved roadway. Purists might say this kind of tech doesn't belong in a car such as the M4, but you'll wish you had it if you're stuck in thick L.A. traffic.

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While I adored the M4 and strongly recommend one if you can afford it, you need not spend this much to enjoy similar benefits. The 2025 BMW 4 Series Convertible is also available as the 430i and M440i, and while neither is as fast or track-ready as the M4, either can put a big smile on your face. And they'll accommodate your family just the same.

All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.

Christian Wardlaw

Chris says his first word was "car." For as long as he can remember, he's been obsessed with them. The design. The engineering. The performance. And the purpose. He is a car enthusiast who loves to drive, but is most passionate about the cars, trucks, and SUVs that people actually buy. He began his career as the editor-in-chief of Edmunds.com in the 1990s, and for more than 30 years has created automotive content for CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, the New York Daily News, and others. Chris owns Speedy Daddy Media, has been contributing to Capital One Auto Navigator since 2019, and lives in California with his wife, kids, dog, and 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata.