For those of us who enjoy performance driving, BMW’s have long been appreciated for their handling, power, styling and practicality. It used to be that to get a car that drove like a sports car, you had to get a true sports car. BMW changed all that in the ’60s with the 2002 coupe, a plucky little two-door with a functional back seat and usable trunk.

The 440i xDrive two-door coupe is a great driving vehicle, combining the practicality of a usable back seat and trunk with luxury amenities like dual automatic climate control, well-bolstered leather seats with three-stage heat, parking sensors, a back-up camera and rain-sensing windshield wipers. The interface is through a pop-up screen with remote controller, aka iDrive, that doesn’t seem as simple as a touchscreen, and the controller sits fairly far back in the console between the seats. However, many functions, such as the radio, can be controlled from the steering wheel, and are displayed on the heads-up display, which allows you to make adjustments without taking your hands off the wheel or eyes off the road—a nice safety feature.

The back seat is surprisingly roomy, with plenty of leg space, though anyone taller than about 5’9” would probably complain about lack of head room. The trunk is large and deep and can be expanded by folding down the rear seats. A really cool new feature allows you to open the trunk by kicking your foot under the rear bumper if you have the key fob in your pocket; a great convenience when your hands are full.

The 440i I drove was loaded with the M sport package, which added 19-inch wheels, sport seats, an M steering wheel, and an aerodynamic body kit with carbon fiber spoiler and exterior trim. The M track package added variable sport steering, adaptive M suspension and sport brakes, and a technology package, which meant navigation with real-time traffic and a heads-up display that projects your speed, navigation directions and other info onto the base of the windshield.

As the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine,’ the BMW 4-series does not disappoint when it comes to spirited driving, offering a 320-horsepower, twin-scroll, turbo 6-cylinder powerplant that moves the car with alacrity and can get you to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds. A raspy exhaust note adds to the visceral experience. A ‘driving dynamics’ setting lets you choose from economy, comfort, sport and sport plus modes. Sport mode seems to be ideal, giving you a firm suspension, tight steering and higher shift points while retaining stability control and other safety nannies. Pick-up is excellent with almost no turbo lag, and cornering is very flat. Tight steering is very communicative and gives great road feedback.

According to Ashley Hardebeck, sales manager at Plaza BMW, “The new 4-series makes 20 more horsepower, and sportline is now standard on all models. They made the 4-series better while keeping it the ultimate driving machine.”

technicals 〉〉model 440İ xDrive
price:
base: $51,000, including delivery
as driven with options: $65,000
gas mileage:
21 city
31 highway
drivetrain:
* front engine; all-wheel drive
* 3.0-litre, twin-scroll, turbo inline, 6-cylinder engine
* 320 horsepower
* 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters
* 6-speed manual also available