2014 BMW 428i: Separation Issues

2014 BMW 428i with M Sport package

One day I plan to fill the void left by my old BMW E46 coupe with a newer slightly used replacement. While I’ve considered everything from the new Ecoboost Mustang to the last Honda Accord Coupe, it seems I keep coming back to BMW. A part of me really likes the Mustang, but it’s interior is not as refined as I would like (makes you miss the ideal of a Capri). But like with a Corvette, I didn’t want to come off looking like a middle-aged man with a mid-life crisis.

With coupes becoming niche products in today’s market, the choices for affordable ones are getting slim. While great performing, the Toyota-Subaru pair look too juvenile to my eyes. The few low cost alternatives like the Kia Forte are no more. The remaining lower cost option, the Civic just looks funny with it’s exaggerated vents and wings.

With the low end of the market being all but extinct, one has to go up to the Audi A5 and TT – not to mention the Camaros, Mustangs and Dodge Challenger. Nissan’s Z car might be a contender, but it’s styling and engineering are becoming stagnant. Most of those just don’t seem like the right fit for me. That brings me back to BMW’s vast array of coupes.

With prices so high and the nitpicking charges for options (considered standard in other cars), the only way I could even consider a BMW 2 or 4 Series is to get one two to three years old. Choosing which one is not as easy as it once was. With the 3 series coupe gone for a few years now, used 328 and 335 models can be attractively priced, however it’s the 4 Series replacement of the 3 Series coupe that’s looking like a the better choice.

Like all BMWs these days they are starting to look the same while offering the same range of engines. It’s now just a matter of deciding what size or shape do you prefer and select either a four or six cylinder engine. The entry level 4 Series coupe that I could afford would be a 428i from 2014 or later. With patience, the 6 cylinder 435i will become an affordable option in time. In Europe it’s possible to buy a 148 hp 418! Such a car would never make it here, especially considering that it would likely have half the kit of a typical Kia and cost double. Still, even the lowest of BMW’s 4 Series offering would be more than enough for me.

Where cars are concerned, I’m lacking in the virtue of patience, so it has to be the 428i. With a turbocharged 2.0 liter inline four, it makes a respectable 240 hp and gets up to an impressive 34 mpg if I opt for the 6 speed manual transmission. That’s with more expensive premium unleaded gas of course. That’s also assuming I don’t opt for the increasingly popular iX model with all wheel drive.

428 Gran Coupe

The 4 Series comes as a coupe, convertible and four door sedan with a fastback profile called the Gran Coupe. It’s arguable more attractive than the standard 3 Series sedan, but should not be called a coupe. It’s more or less what the ungainly 5 Series GT should have looked like.

Of BMW’s true coupes, the 4 Series might be the most attractive outside of the 6 Series, with proportions that are more refined than the smaller 1 and 2 Series coupes. It even looks better than the old 3 Series coupe to my eyes. The current 2 Series like many of BMW’s smaller coupes lately have had an off putting compressed look about them.

Part of what makes the 4 Series coupe look slightly more attractive than the 3 Series coupe it replaced is it’s lower wider dimensions. Of all of BMW’s cars, it has the lowest center of gravity. It also has more interior room and is more luxurious than the 3 Series.

More importantly to me, the odd hump in the dashboard is gone, but the swooping two tone arch still looks weird to me. The Audi A5 has the better interior in the class (and may have been considered if my brother did already not have one). Nowadays even a Honda Civic can have an elegant and well-designed dash. In fact, it rivals the 4 Series in many ways. BMW may need to do a little refinement here.

4 Series dash

When the 428i arrived back in 2014, it was praised for it’s low end torque and for being quicker than the 328i it replaced. I would be looking for one with the optional M sport package that gives the car a M4-like appearance with a special front end and rear diffuser. It also includes slightly larger brakes and some suspension tuning biased for improved handling. In short, the 4 Series coupe keeps BMW in the sporty handling compact car game when the 3 Series had grown softer with each new generation.

My only reservation about the 428i and any 4 cylinder turbo BMW is it’s long term reliability. The E46 coupe I had before used the time trusted inline six (M54B25) that had been continually refined and improved for decades. The new smaller fours work harder with their turbos and offer improved efficiency, but it’s been at the cost of reliability if the reports I have been reading are true. That’s troublesome, because no one wants to spend $30k on a car that gives them basic engine problems before you reach the 100k mark.

2.0 Turbocharged inline four cylinder engine

Considering that most 3 Series BMWs used 4 cylinder engines when I was growing up in the ’80s, I’m perplexed that BMW would have reliability problems now. After all, most smaller cars sold in the USA had four cylinder engines before pickups and big SUVs became so popular.

Long-term 4-cylinder turbo engine problems seem to be industry wide. I suspect that direct injection coupled with high compression and turbocharging has become so widespread, that auto manufactures have had little experience in dealing with the requirements these combined technologies demands of an engine. Combine that with ever strict emissions and fuel economy standards and you have a recipe for potential problems. Those companies sticking with 6-cylinder engines like Lexus have manage to keep their engine complaints to a minimum.

Another issue to consider is the cost of maintenance of premium cars. The cost of maintaining all cars has gone up, especially with the inclusion of so much technology on board. BMW’s have been known to have high maintenance costs when the time comes, but are for the most part reliable. That has been my experience in the past with the two I have owned, but I never had to contend with a four cylinder turbo. The ’94 E36 and ’01 E46 I owned both had an evolved version of the same inline 6.

BMW 428i (with M Sport package)

There are factors that could change my mind about owning another BMW altogether. Short of being swayed by a Mustang, 370Z, Audi A5 or TT, if Mazda were to offer a coupe version of the next generation 6 or 3, I would seriously consider it instead. That’s not likely to happen, with Honda backing out of the midsize coupe market. Mazda is even smaller and is not likely to take such a risk without a partner (the new Toyota-Mazda auto plant in Alabama might fix that).

BMW’s still have that magic blend of ride and handling, but it is no longer exclusive to the Germans. The industry has caught up, so the BMW’s appeal like most overpriced German cars is mostly emotional at this point. So much for logic. If a manual ZHP E46 coupe showed up, I just might forget about the 4 Series all together. Short of such a miracle, it looks like a 428i or possibly a 430i could be my next car. I’d love to hear from owners of the current 4 Series coupe about their experiences as I sit on the fence.

2014 BMW 428ix rear

Postscript:

In May 2018, I purchased a 2015 428i with just over 12,000 miles on it. The glacier silver/black car is an automatic with the M Sport package (exactly like the one in the first photo. It’s just the second self-shifting car I have ever owned (I’ve had about 10 cars to date). I plan to post updates about my experience with the car and the dealership’s service department over time. This might be BMW’s last chance with me as I will discover for myself if the brand is still worth it.

Delivery day June 2018

Update: February 2019
I’m generally pleased with my car. I only drive it a few times a month (usually on short weekend getaways). It’s fast, quiet and comfortable. It even gets decent gas mileage. I got a bit over 16k miles now, but still stops with a weird jerk just before coming to a full stop. I mentioned it to my BMW service center  during my annual service check (Kelly BMW), but the tech insulted my intelligence by stating that the M Sport brakes were higher performance than most people need and stop aggressively – which I think is complete BS.  I hate car dealerships which is why when my warranty runs out I will be going to an independent garage. I’ve driven Audis and Lexus cars with high performance specs that stopped smoothly. Other than that and oh yeah the gas cap cable snapping, I have had no problems.

I may just hold on to it and replace the brakes when the time comes with something else (I do love the look of the blue M Sport calipers).

I think it’s ironic that when I finally get a car that can shift faster and smoother than  I can, it betrays itself by stopping with a jerky action. A part of me wishes I had held out for a manual. I might find myself opting for a car that will replace my Focus and this BMW altogether by this time next year. Anyone looking for a 2015 BMW 428 with less than 20k miles?

Likes:
Comfort, speed, efficiency

Dislikes:
Run flat tires
Jerky stops (with blue M Sport brakes)
Dealer experience at Kelly BMW Columbus (snugness)
Weak stereo (standard BMW sound system)

Update: November 2019
I have just under 20k miles and have had my second scheduled service ( a $120 oil change) at Kelly BMW here in Columbus. I still have that jerky stop, even when trying to stop as smoothly as possible. The service people insult my intelligence with a line about track ready brakes, but my brothers Audi S5 stops smoothly… I’m at the point where I will need to replace the run flats (in front) soon. I was planning to buy performance 4 regular all-season tires and a tire kit instead.

The 428i continues to be a comfortable and surprisingly efficient highway cruiser with considerable performance. All of this is complicated by a recent accident involving my beloved Ford Focus that was totaled (damn that wrong way driver!). I have been considering simplifying for some time by having one car. The Focus accident has forced my hand to at least consider trading in the BMW for one car that better suits my lifestyle (shuffling mentored kids around and carrying my bike/gear). I might have just stayed with the BMW had I bought a Gran Coupe in the first place. I have a decision to make.

Likes:
Comfort
Speed
Efficiency
BMW Dealer experience at Crown BMW Greensboro (they gave me a free front license plate mount!)

Dislikes:
Run flat tires
Jerky stops (with blue M Sport brakes)
Dealer experience at Kelly BMW Columbus ($150 90 minute oil change!)
Weak stereo (standard BMW sound system)
No Comfort Convenience Package (my Focus had proximity key!)
Suddenly my coupe has to do four door car things

Update: January 2021
The pandemic made me rethink my second car search. Suddenly I no longer need one as I was not really going anywhere due to lockdowns and rising infection rates. Besides, all I have is time and it works in my favor in the used car market. With that in mind I have decided to keep my 428 for the time being. I even swapped out the OEM run-flats for some ultra high performance all season tires (Kumho PA51). The ride is smoother but a tire noise is a bit higher at highway speeds. More importantly, I have more piece of mind when the temperature drops below 40 degrees. I suspect that my car’s suspension could be recalibrated for regular tires for an even better ride, but I’m happy so far with dry and wet performance. I have not driven in any snow with the Kumhos’ to compare performance vs the OEM Bridgestone run flats which I know were awful in any amount of snow.

I just got a scheduled service at the 26,000 mile mark and I could not be happier with my car’s performance and efficiency to date. Do I still wish I got a Gran Coupe? Yes – but for now I will enjoy having just one car unless the right Focus or Mazda3 comes along.

Update: January 2023
Most is still well with my car, now approaching 42,000 miles. The brakes were replaced in a service that cost as much as a used beater car before the pandemic. Even with that stops are not 100% smooth – there is still a snap most of the time, although I have gotten better of stopping smoothly if there’s a passenger in the car. I continue to be impressed with the acceleration and efficiency of BMW’s turbo 4. I have no problem getting around most traffic – even V8 powered hoodlums.

My only complaint at this point is the under-hood harness that held the left window washer jet in place has broken – perhaps an omen of things to come in a car with more plastic parts than any BMW I have ever owned. With my car’s sport package, the ride is not quite as forgiving as the 2001 325is I once owned. Speaking of that car, I have come to accept that the E46 might be the best balanced of all 3 Series cars (including the 4 Series). There really is nothing like BMW’s silky smooth inline six.

To the 4 Series’s credit, the OEM run flats were the best tires I’ve ever had on a car in most conditions. They were awful in the snow, even when light. I don’t miss the constant low air pressure warnings they seem to generate whenever the temperature changed drastically. The navigation system continues to impress – although I know where I’m going 90% of the time, the map loving nerd in me just loves looking at the display. Also the audio system which sounds flat and is under amplified, can play high-res audio. The system is especially well suited for classical music and most jazz. As happy as I am with this car, I still need a more practical everyday car (a four-door hatchback) and will get one once the used car market returns to normal.

Likes:
Still love how it looks and drives
Comfortable for two people
Audio system plays high-res files

Dislikes
Those darn Blue M-Sport calipers
Fear of plastic parts breaking
Sometimes I wish it had four doors and a hatch.