[JPinky]

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EDMUNDS has published their initial impressions of the 435i. What stuck out the most was that they were impressed with the EPS (electric power steering).

Overall a very positive review.

Full review: http://www.edmunds.com/bmw/4-series/2014/road-test.html

"The steering feels even better sorted than the suspension, the electric system finally delivering the sort of intuitive tacking that BMW lost in the switch from hydraulics."

This is an easy car to like. It looks great, goes well, handles progressively and it's comfortable. Sure, much the same could be said about the old 3 Series coupe, yet the 2014 BMW 435i manages to tweak all the parameters without giving up anything along the way.

Maybe when the 4 Series lands Stateside in a couple months, it will have slightly updated tuning that will bridge the gap that we found so obvious. Even without such a change, few will find the 4 Series objectionable. It's just too pretty, too fast and too well-sorted everywhere else to complain.

TOP GEAR:

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/b...ive-2013-07-18

The sometimes gawky angularity of the outgoing 3 Coupe has given way to swisher surfaces and sleeker lines. It's obviously related to the 3 saloon, but this time it's actually wider as well as lower. The rear half's squat and strong-shouldered emphasis catch the light with immense confidence. A winner.

The suspension is lowered, and re-worked to take advantage of the lower centre of gravity and wider track than the saloon. But I'm hardly spoiling the plot if I tell you straight off that it feels pretty much like a lightly tensed-up 3-saloon, not a hard and spicy sports car.

Yes, but that's fine. There's bags of grip, but it's also all about giving you an easy confidence. The steering is super-progressive and nicely weighted. The car turns by the exact amount you're expecting. They say the nose is more agile with the lighter four-pot 28i engine, but the 35i is still pretty happy to turn. It understeers a little to give you confidence, but there are plenty of rear-drivey options to change the attitude. The three-stage stability control is superbly calibrated in the middle half-off mode.

They have given the three main chassis options - standard, adaptive and M-Sport - the same springs. The difference is damping. We drove the adaptive system. In comfort mode it rides really nicely until you go briskly on a heaving road, when it starts to float. Sport mode turns more sharply, but isn't adaptive enough - it's busy and jittery in a straight line even at slow speed. Other makers' adaptive systems can soften back for this circumstance, when you've absolutely no need of firm damping. So you soon get practiced at finding the comfort/sport switch without looking. That apart, a mighty impressive suspension setup.

So, back to the question you impertinently asked earlier. Is it a real sports car or a smart-looking sporty car?

The latter. But a brilliant one, relaxing and well-built for the everyday grind, and immaculately resolved for recreational driving. Of course it could be sharper, louder, more stimulating and edgy. But BMW knows who'll be buying the 4-series, and is serving them on the button.

AUTOCAR:

Full review: http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/...t-drive-review

On first impression, the 435i coupé doesn’t feel too far removed from the old 335i coupé There is terrific refinement to the driveline that characterises its on-road feel around town and on the motorway. But this comes as no real surprise. The worldwide sales success BMW has enjoyed over the past two decades has been based very much around evolutionary progression of its traditional model lines, and this is clearly evident in the on-road nature of its latest two-door.

Despite the familiarity, there’s no doubting the ability of the BMW 4-series to entertain. In pure driving terms, it is every bit as engaging as the Audi A5 coupé and Mercedes-Benz E-class, if not more so. The electro-mechanical steering is accurate, responsive and quite well weighted with eager self-centering traits up to moderate speeds. However, a reduction of assistance makes it artificially light, rather devoid of feel and lacking any true feedback at higher speeds.

The 435i coupe’s chassis rates are noticeably higher than those in the 435i sedan, leading to tauter body control and greater levels of agility on testing sections of blacktop in sport mode. There is genuinely impressive poise on turn in and those optional 19-inch tyres deliver loads of front-end bite – all of which raises confidence levels from the very first corner.

When you raise the pace and dial up Sport Plus mode to reduce the threshold of the switchable DSC+ (Dynamic Stability Control Plus) system that also acts as an electronic differential, you discover an added dimension to the handling, and a keen ability to kick the tail out when tempted. But, as before, a firm ride can sometimes take the shine off the handling, robbing the chassis of mid-corner compliance when the surface is not absolutely smooth.

The engine of the 435i coupé delights in much the same way it did in the old 335i coupé with enthusiastic qualities that makes it every bit as appealing when tooling around town as it is when opened up on lonely back roads. An intrinsic smoothness to its operation tends to mask the ultimate efforts of the blown in-line six-cylinder, although there is no doubting its true potential in Sport mode, where there is a perceptible improvement in response compared to Comfort mode.

With 295lb ft served up at 1200rpm, it pulls tall gears with a good deal of authority and proves delightfully flexible on part-throttle loads. But at the other end of the spectrum, it also happily runs up to the 7000rpm redline without any obvious sign of strain prior to the onset of the limiter when the road opens up and the right foot goes down. It is just a pity that BMW hasn’t seen fit to provide the standard car with a more alluring exhaust note. There’s some sense of sportiness, but the new BMW lacks for aural conviction.

Drive continues to be sent to the rear wheels through a standard six-speed manual gearbox complete with the very latest in stop-start and brake-energy recuperation functions, although all examples of the 435i coupé at the media launch in Portugal last week were fitted with the optional eight-speed automatic with remote paddle shifters.

So configured, the new BMW delivers a 0.4sec reduction in the claimed 0-62mph time at 5.1sec – a time that is just 0.3sec shy of that quoted for the outgoing M3 coupé, a top speed that continues to be limited to 155mph and combined cycle consumption that betters that of the old 335i coupé by 5.6mpg at a rather respectable 39.2mpg. But better even than the bald figures is the overall slickness of the automatic gearbox, which has received new software mapping to bring about a clear improvement in the speed and quality of shifts in Sport mode.

CAR ENTHUSIAST

Full review: http://www.carenthusiast.com/reviews...automatic.html

We have mixed emotions about how the BMW 4 Series Coupé drives. On one hand, it has lost some of the distinctly rear-led feel of the 3 Series Coupé, even when you are attacking a particularly challenging road. The flip side is that it's far more stable and probably safer to drive for more people. Keen drivers will still enjoy its exceptional balance and body control, but they'll need to specify their options carefully to make it feel very sporting.

The good news for the majority of buyers is that the 4 Series Coupé is genuinely comfortable, and very refined. Our test cars were pretty loaded with options, including adaptive damping and variable sports steering. The former is well worth having, as it allows the driver to choose the level of damping via the Driving Experience Control switch (which has Comfort, Sport and Sport+ modes). Interestingly, the Comfort mode is closest to that offered by the standard passive damping system according to a senior chassis engineer we talked to, and it is really is very comfortable, even on poorly surfaced roads and large alloy wheels.

Body roll is a little more pronounced in this setting, but it's far from yacht-like. Saying that, we chose to drive in Sport mode for the majority of the time while on the open road, as it means sharper throttle response, less power steering assistance and snappier gearchanges. The eight-speed ZF automatic transmission is brilliant as ever, allowing various modes of operation and super-quick and smooth changes. The paddles behind the steering wheel are tactile, well-weighted and feel directly connected to the gearbox's brain - not something that can be said of all such systems.

On a fast track where there was a little more room to take liberties, we found that the 435i model, with its 306hp and 400Nm of torque, is as playful as ever at and over the limits of adhesion. Lurid slides are possible, but the initiation takes more provocation than ever and this often results in the inside rear wheel spinning away the power if it's done in a clumsy fashion. Tomfoolery aside, the 4 Series applies itself well to circuit work. The brakes are strong, body control kept in check and the car's reactions linear. We wouldn't expect many owners to take a nearly standard 435i to a track day, but it's nice to know it wouldn't be too out of its depth.

In this environment, and indeed lots of twisty road time, the variable sports steering makes a lot of sense. Near the straight-ahead it has the same response as the standard system (itself an electromechanical design with speed-sensitive assistance), but the ratio then quickens the more you turn the wheel. The result is a feeling of enhanced agility and it really suits the nature of the car, as it prevents the nose from feeling too 'darty' on the motorway without compromising turn-in and quick direction changes elsewhere.

For now, we'll conclude that the 4 Series Coupé has grown up considerably, possibly at the cost of a little of its dynamism. If that is the case then it'll probably suit more buyers, but we'll await a drive in a bigger selling example to make a final call on it.

[rallybull]

wish BMW keeps releasing software updates to further improve the F30 steering too... though frankly it is already better than what it was a year back

[Powaup]

Sounds like they would give the car a 9 out 10. Wish they would have tested an M-sport package but whatever. Still unsure if it's worth the same price as a used e92 M3

[Pinkoboe]

This quote is not encouraging for a whole variety of reasons:

"In Sport, the 435i is extremely firm and tends to jiggle over short, sharp bumps while it wallows too much in Comfort. Sport might work well on a track, but as one of the BMW chassis engineers told me, it's a marketing setting: intentionally stiff to remind people that they're in the Sport mode they paid for."

The overall tone of the article was positive, and they seem to have made progress in many of the areas where people have been critical of the F30, namely the steering and suspension. Looking forward to more reviews.

[mntbiker]

Top Gear's review: http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/b...ive-2013-07-18
Car Enthusiast: http://www.carenthusiast.com/reviews...automatic.html

[TheBingoBalls]

Originally Posted by unit

This quote is not encouraging for a whole variety of reasons:

"In Sport, the 435i is extremely firm and tends to jiggle over short, sharp bumps while it wallows too much in Comfort. Sport might work well on a track, but as one of the BMW chassis engineers told me, it's a marketing setting: intentionally stiff to remind people that they're in the Sport mode they paid for."

The overall tone of the article was positive, and they seem to have made progress in many of the areas where people have been critical of the F30, namely the steering and suspension. Looking forward to more reviews.

This. I think all this adjustable dampers thing is stupid. I understand why they do it but I think it just ruins a bit of the car because no setting is as good as the stock suspension on the E9X cars - it's either too firm or too soft. This isn't just BMW, this is the same problem for Audi as well. It's good that BMW has addressed the steering issues (although this is something that will continuously be updated), BMW should also look to tweak the settings for the dampers.

[midwest 340xi 6sp]

I've got a hunch that the 4 series is going to be a serious win for BMW...

This thing in Msport trim and some M sport goodies is going to be a fantastic automobile...

Perfect for those who want sexy, good looks and a terrific driving experience - but don't quite need (or want to spend) to get to "M" territory

[hyperboost]

The car will be a sale boost for BMW. I still don't like it

[DASHOCKER]

Bravo bmw!

[TheBingoBalls]

Originally Posted by Midwest X6

I've got a hunch that the 4 series is going to be a serious win for BMW...

This thing in Msport trim and some M sport goodies is going to be a fantastic automobile...

Perfect for those who want sexy, good looks and a terrific driving experience - but don't quite need (or want to spend) to get to "M" territory

That's the thing though. The E92 was fantastic as is. Of course if you keep throwing money at it, it's going to get better but who's really looking to spend 60k on a 4-Series? The M Performance parts shouldn't make the 4-Series good, it should make it better.

[bimmerjph]

Very promising review. I hope this sentiment is shared by many reviewers and is not just a one off.

[r3dbimmer89]

So far so good review wise...I'm really glad to hear that they are sorting out the steering feel. I wonder if it had VSS. I also wonder if you get the passive suspension, how stiff it will be.

[Bimmerfestool]

The question is... Will they apply the better steering to the F30.

[Powaup]

"The new found comfort is a revelation, and it's far more refined than the 3 Series Coupé of old too, but we can't help but wonder if some of that car's inherent dynamism has been lost in the process. "

ugh hate the sound of that

[ny325]

Looks like the " Ultimate Driving Machine " has become a thing of the past.With all these electrical gizmos, software this, software that.

[ron_jeremy]

Originally Posted by ny325

Looks like the " Ultimate Driving Machine " has become a thing of the past.With all these electrical gizmos, software this, software that.

Things have to envolve, or else it will decline.
Not anything is for the better obviously, but in many aspect TheF3* will adress the comfort issues in the E9*, and the car itself is a welcome addition to the 3, and by the looks of the reviews, it holds it's own!
I just wish there was more to the 4, than just a 3 with 2 less doors, the concept was so striking, but i guess with an M package it will be a looker nottheless!
I know, there are cars to be delivered here in October, need to see it live!

[Neph]

I've never felt at a loss for comfort or luxury in my E92.

How soft have ppl become that they have to be coddled rather than enjoy the connection these cars used to offer?

Hoping all the more for the 2er to return to the real BMW.

[H17M3]

Very sharp looking car..the only thing I don't get is, the side profile looks almost identical to that of an e92. In these pictures, it looks like an e92 from the side, an f30 on the front, and a shrunken x6 in the rear.
It's a very nice car overall, I would love to have one..it just doesn't really LOOK like anything new or ground breaking. I mean that looks wise.

[hwelvaar]

Originally Posted by 寶馬.E90

This. I think all this adjustable dampers thing is stupid.

I think it is great. I drive always in comfort for daily commuting, and occasionally in sport when on the track or in weekend spirited back-country driving mode.

I never want a non-adaptable suspension car again.

[S65 #1]

Most of the car looks good but the side front profile along with that hood line are a deal killer for me. Keeping the E92 M3 till I die I guess its time to step up to the m6 for a good looking coupe. Whats up with the boomerang looking thing behind the front wheel? Im sure the BMW design could have come up with a better way to make a vent maybe like the new X5 vent. Are you listening BMW??? Oh I also agree you shouldnt have to put the BMW performance parts on a sports coupe to make it sporty!

[KevRyd]

So to re-cap, as an E9x owner:

Beat up the F30 based on steering and when that fails lets sart complaining about active dampening (which is an option).

Can you peas let us know what else you have on your list so we can just get it over with?

Originally Posted by 寶馬.E90

This. I think all this adjustable dampers thing is stupid. I understand why they do it but I think it just ruins a bit of the car because no setting is as good as the stock suspension on the E9X cars - it's either too firm or too soft. This isn't just BMW, this is the same problem for Audi as well. It's good that BMW has addressed the steering issues (although this is something that will continuously be updated), BMW should also look to tweak the settings for the dampers.

[MA///M3]

Let's drive it for ourselves, then decide. The comparison to the E9X will go on and on and on, until the next life cycle begins........