Spending a week with a new M car is always a treat. Rather than drawing conclusions substantiated by a few hours or even mere minutes of seat time, you get a glimpse of the ownership experience. That means putting the car through the paces in a larger variety of situations, but it also means seeing how the car exists in the real world. No car is perfect, and despite being quite the compelling driver, the 2025 BMW M4 Competition is no exception. There’s a lot to talk about – and we’ll cover it more comprehensively in a full review coming soon. But for now, here’s the five things we love and five things we aren’t as crazy about on the new 2025 BMW M4 Competition.
Things We Love: Carbon Bucket Seats
The G8X chassis isn’t the first BMW to offer carbon-fiber bucket seats. But, it’s the first time BMW has widely offered them, previously reserving them for special cars like the M4 GTS (in Europe, that is). Once you’re in, these seats do exactly what they look like they’re supposed to do: hold on and don’t let go. The bolsters hold you perfectly in place even during spirited driving, and they look ridiculous – in a good way. Especially in our test car, which wears Yas Marina Blue/Yellow upholstery.
Engine Responsiveness
The S58 engine is brilliant, a logical evolution of the equally delightful twin-turbo S55 that you can find under the hood of the F80 M3 and F82 M4. In the G82 M4, it makes between 473 horsepower and 523 horsepower depending on the drivetrain you opt for. Rear-wheel drive models like our test car sport 503 horsepower, a happy medium that leaves nothing to be desired. Quick stabs of the throttle – as long as you’re in the appropriate gear – deliver immediate response and a pleasant, aggressive soundtrack.
iDrive
BMW’s iDrive is generally considered one of the better infotainment systems on the market, and there isn’t an exception to be made here. iDrive 8.5 is quick, snappy, and intuitive. One of the things I was nervous about in the new car was that the screen and tech overload would get in the way of what matters most in an M car – the driving experience. I’m happy to report that that’s not the case here, and the 2025 BMW M4 offers easy and unintrusive tech integration.
Rear Seat Space
This one really surprised me. I had a few rear-seat passengers in my time with the 2025 BMW M4, and they all had great things to say. To quote one: “what are you talking about? There’s so much room back here!” My sub-6-foot (182 cm) friend even claimed the back seat had more space than his sedan, an Audi A3.
Braking and Grip
Admittedly our test car came equipped with heavy hitter brakes – optional M Carbon Ceramic units. But man, what exceptional brake feel – and we don’t think that’s limited to the gold-painted calipers. Coupled with the grip the car’s staggered 19- and 20-inch wheel and tire package offers and you’ve got a car that handles and stops delightfully well.
Things We Don’t Like: Design
Polarizing is the best things you can call the new M4 and M3, and the 2025 facelift doesn’t do much to change that. New headlights and laser taillights give the car a little bit more of a modern edge, but both do little to change the impossible to ignore grilles. Ultimately, you’ll either love or hate how the car looks, and that all comes down to opinion.
Carbon Buckets
They have to be the most controversial seats ever fitted to a production vehicle. Everything positive I said about the seats is absolutely 100 percent true. But getting in and out – especially if you’re doing it eight or ten times a day – can even become painful after a while. I could even overlook that. But I simply don’t feel the bolsters will hold up much past the warranty period. Particularly if you or your passenger rely on them to propel yourself up and over the equally inconvenient side skirt protruding from the bottom of the vehicle.
Size
The BMW M4 is definitely agile, but all the power in the world can’t hide that the car is the longest and widest M4 yet. The car’s dimensions make it feel big on tight, twisty roads that are supposed to be where the car excels. Admittedly, the power and exceptional chassis tuning make the car feel a little smaller when you’re at speed.
Cost and Value
Our test car’s MSRP came out to nearly $109,000 – that’s some serious cash. While a base, manual-equipped M4 starts around $80,000, it’s all too easy to get heavy-handed with the options and end up with a six-figure M3 or M4. While that cost actually keeps costs of a new M3 in line with inflation, that’s still a lot of scratch to part with. Especially when you consider what exists on the used market at that price point.
Engagement
The M4 is almost too capable, and we don’t really mean that facetiously. The chassis and powertrain are so potent that the car asks little of the driver, which translates to a somewhat less engaging experience. Compared to something like a Miata or early M car, the 2025 M4 is like a genie: “you wish to go?” Woosh, and you’re there. In epic, slide-y fashion if desired. Unfortunately this means that unless you’re driving into deeply illegal speeds the car feels a bit numb and uninteresting; like a geriatric German shepherd playing the same game of fetch it has played time and time again for the last 14 years.