M4 Review From A Mustang Owner

[WarrENDeatH]

So, I've made it clear on some threads on here of my want and desire to own an M4. At this point in my life, I've never owned an M car, nor driven one. They've been my 'realistic' dream car, with the Audi R8 being my 'unrealistic' one. Regardless, I'm in a position where I can put a decent amount down on one (more than likely a CPO) and comfortably afford it.

So, short story long, I went and test drove one. Brand new. With an MSRP of 80k. Here are my thoughts, coming from a current 2017 Mustang GT with the performance pack.



Exterior:

The M4 is beautiful. BMW doesn't make too many ugly cars, and this is one of their best looking in my opinion. It looks like it is constantly on the attack, and one of the few cars that won't make me miss my Mustang. The white really made everything pop, and the black wheels just looked incredible. It sat a bit lower than my Mustang, and I really liked that as well.


Interior:

Zero. Zero competition here. The interior of the M4 is clean. Simple. Intuitive. Comfortable and just nice. The seats are heavily bolstered, and for someone of a huge stature (6'4 245) I felt at home. I felt like I was driving a rocket ship, and felt IN the car. My Mustang gives me the feeling, at times, of being on top of the car, rather than being IN it.

The iDrive system has been upgraded since my last BMW. It felt snappy, smooth, elegant and just nice to use. I really liked it. I didn't get to play around with the sound system, despite it having the HK system. Disappointed I didn't do that.


Drive:

My Dad described my Mustang has never taking a break. He said you're constantly aware of it. It's raw, and meant to be. It doesn't have many comforts, and that's one of the negatives. The initial minute of the M4 was so smooth, quiet and comfortable. I was aware of the exhaust (which didn't bug me much, it sounded quite good) but it didn't drown out us talking. It soaked up bumps decently, a bit more comfortable then my Mustang.

And then....we turned everything into Sport Plus...and I about exited my pants a few times. My Mustang can't take turns very well, much better than previous models. It folds quickly though, and the weight takes it over. It feels planted, and can zoom out of corners quickly. The M4 goes into corners quickly, comes out even faster. We took turns at 75 that my car would've flipped on going 45. The immediate release of speed was incredible, and you didn't have to fight for it like my Mustang.

I did notice a hint, a SMALL hint of turbo lag when punching it on the on ramp. But it eventually exploded.



Final thoughts:

I'm on the fence about getting one, as a new one isn't in the books for me. My friend, who is a salesmen, has found me quite a few on auction that can be had for 50-55k that I'm going to go after (low miles, roughly 18-22k). The one we found, black on black, had an 80k MSRP. I think I'm going to go after something like that, within the next month or two. I'm still keeping the M240i in my wheelhouse, because brand new, would equal an M4 CPO. Just don't think it will make me nearly as happy.


Oh, and the wife drove an X1 and fell helplessly in love. Haha! Pictures to follow!

[Thescout13]

Originally Posted by WarrENDeatH

So, I've made it clear on some threads on here of my want and desire to own an M4. At this point in my life, I've never owned an M car, nor driven one. They've been my 'realistic' dream car, with the Audi R8 being my 'unrealistic' one. Regardless, I'm in a position where I can put a decent amount down on one (more than likely a CPO) and comfortably afford it.

So, short story long, I went and test drove one. Brand new. With an MSRP of 80k. Here are my thoughts, coming from a current 2017 Mustang GT with the performance pack.



Exterior:

The M4 is beautiful. BMW doesn't make too many ugly cars, and this is one of their best looking in my opinion. It looks like it is constantly on the attack, and one of the few cars that won't make me miss my Mustang. The white really made everything pop, and the black wheels just looked incredible. It sat a bit lower than my Mustang, and I really liked that as well.


Interior:

Zero. Zero competition here. The interior of the M4 is clean. Simple. Intuitive. Comfortable and just nice. The seats are heavily bolstered, and for someone of a huge stature (6'4 245) I felt at home. I felt like I was driving a rocket ship, and felt IN the car. My Mustang gives me the feeling, at times, of being on top of the car, rather than being IN it.

The iDrive system has been upgraded since my last BMW. It felt snappy, smooth, elegant and just nice to use. I really liked it. I didn't get to play around with the sound system, despite it having the HK system. Disappointed I didn't do that.


Drive:

My Dad described my Mustang has never taking a break. He said you're constantly aware of it. It's raw, and meant to be. It doesn't have many comforts, and that's one of the negatives. The initial minute of the M4 was so smooth, quiet and comfortable. I was aware of the exhaust (which didn't bug me much, it sounded quite good) but it didn't drown out us talking. It soaked up bumps decently, a bit more comfortable then my Mustang.

And then....we turned everything into Sport Plus...and I about exited my pants a few times. My Mustang can't take turns very well, much better than previous models. It folds quickly though, and the weight takes it over. It feels planted, and can zoom out of corners quickly. The M4 goes into corners quickly, comes out even faster. We took turns at 75 that my car would've flipped on going 45. The immediate release of speed was incredible, and you didn't have to fight for it like my Mustang.

I did notice a hint, a SMALL hint of turbo lag when punching it on the on ramp. But it eventually exploded.



Final thoughts:

I'm on the fence about getting one, as a new one isn't in the books for me. My friend, who is a salesmen, has found me quite a few on auction that can be had for 50-55k that I'm going to go after (low miles, roughly 18-22k). The one we found, black on black, had an 80k MSRP. I think I'm going to go after something like that, within the next month or two. I'm still keeping the M240i in my wheelhouse, because brand new, would equal an M4 CPO. Just don't think it will make me nearly as happy.


Oh, and the wife drove an X1 and fell helplessly in love. Haha! Pictures to follow!

From someone who DDs a 2016 Camaro SS, I could not agree with your opinions any more. I love the rawness of my Camaro, but sometimes it is exhausting and you want luxurious power. I think I will be back in an M in a year or two (wife is getting one now so no hurry) because I just miss the very poignant things you described.

[WarrENDeatH]

Originally Posted by Thescout13

From someone who DDs a 2016 Camaro SS, I could not agree with your opinions any more. I love the rawness of my Camaro, but sometimes it is exhausting and you want luxurious power. I think I will be back in an M in a year or two (wife is getting one now so no hurry) because I just miss the very poignant things you described.

So you know the feeling well. The Mustang is fun. I wanted raw power, and probably went too far in the spectrum to get it.


That, and Ford's customer service is garbage. I hate it. BMW treats me like royalty.

[lukej]

Very interesting read,, never own a newer mustang,, rented a Hertz Shelby GT a few years a ago,, sounded good,, went like hell in a straight line,, brakes bad,, corner even worse,,, I had a 04 corvette then,, and my M4 hands down over those cars, I know the vet was not 80k

You won't regret having a M car someday...

Thanks for sharing your post.....

[WarrENDeatH]

Originally Posted by lukej

Very interesting read,, never own a newer mustang,, rented a Hertz Shelby GT a few years a ago,, sounded good,, went like hell in a straight line,, brakes bad,, corner even worse,,, I had a 04 corvette then,, and my M4 hands down over those cars, I know the vet was not 80k

You won't regret having a M car someday...

Thanks for sharing your post.....

The brakes on the M4 reminded me of the Mustang. M4 was a bit more touchy, easier to modulate and didn't require as much push. The Mustang can stop really well for being so heavy.


Things are in motion. Bugs have been planted. Just waiting another month, maybe two. The ones on auction I saw were dreams. Hoping to make mine come true.

[danniexi]

interesting review because i'm constantly being told on the internet that the m3/m4 is a horrible car and that a camaro or mustang would destroy it on the track and that BMW lost its way and blah blah blah.

[48Laws]

Have you tested it leaving a Cars & Coffee? I kid I kid.

[rr006rbc]

Love the way the M3/M4s drive as well. Calm and serene when you want it to be and as soon as you open her up it's like a stripper on coke; wild and loud af. Can't get enough of it.

[Bch53211]

Originally Posted by WarrENDeatH

So you know the feeling well. The Mustang is fun. I wanted raw power, and probably went too far in the spectrum to get it.


That, and Ford's customer service is garbage. I hate it. BMW treats me like royalty.

How so? You mean the dealer treats you like royalty ? What interactions have you had with BMW?

[The Choosey begger]

Originally Posted by WarrENDeatH

So, I've made it clear on some threads on here of my want and desire to own an M4. At this point in my life, I've never owned an M car, nor driven one. They've been my 'realistic' dream car, with the Audi R8 being my 'unrealistic' one. Regardless, I'm in a position where I can put a decent amount down on one (more than likely a CPO) and comfortably afford it.

So, short story long, I went and test drove one. Brand new. With an MSRP of 80k. Here are my thoughts, coming from a current 2017 Mustang GT with the performance pack.



Exterior:

The M4 is beautiful. BMW doesn't make too many ugly cars, and this is one of their best looking in my opinion. It looks like it is constantly on the attack, and one of the few cars that won't make me miss my Mustang. The white really made everything pop, and the black wheels just looked incredible. It sat a bit lower than my Mustang, and I really liked that as well.


Interior:

Zero. Zero competition here. The interior of the M4 is clean. Simple. Intuitive. Comfortable and just nice. The seats are heavily bolstered, and for someone of a huge stature (6'4 245) I felt at home. I felt like I was driving a rocket ship, and felt IN the car. My Mustang gives me the feeling, at times, of being on top of the car, rather than being IN it.

The iDrive system has been upgraded since my last BMW. It felt snappy, smooth, elegant and just nice to use. I really liked it. I didn't get to play around with the sound system, despite it having the HK system. Disappointed I didn't do that.


Drive:

My Dad described my Mustang has never taking a break. He said you're constantly aware of it. It's raw, and meant to be. It doesn't have many comforts, and that's one of the negatives. The initial minute of the M4 was so smooth, quiet and comfortable. I was aware of the exhaust (which didn't bug me much, it sounded quite good) but it didn't drown out us talking. It soaked up bumps decently, a bit more comfortable then my Mustang.

And then....we turned everything into Sport Plus...and I about exited my pants a few times. My Mustang can't take turns very well, much better than previous models. It folds quickly though, and the weight takes it over. It feels planted, and can zoom out of corners quickly. The M4 goes into corners quickly, comes out even faster. We took turns at 75 that my car would've flipped on going 45. The immediate release of speed was incredible, and you didn't have to fight for it like my Mustang.

I did notice a hint, a SMALL hint of turbo lag when punching it on the on ramp. But it eventually exploded.



Final thoughts:

I'm on the fence about getting one, as a new one isn't in the books for me. My friend, who is a salesmen, has found me quite a few on auction that can be had for 50-55k that I'm going to go after (low miles, roughly 18-22k). The one we found, black on black, had an 80k MSRP. I think I'm going to go after something like that, within the next month or two. I'm still keeping the M240i in my wheelhouse, because brand new, would equal an M4 CPO. Just don't think it will make me nearly as happy.


Oh, and the wife drove an X1 and fell helplessly in love. Haha! Pictures to follow!

The S550 Mustang GT can take a corner as good as an M4, the top SCCA cars in FS are the new Camaro SS, S550 Mustang GT, E90/92 M3.

On the track both cars run similar times, with the M4 you're getting turbo lag, nicer interior, luxury... the exterior design is subjective and it's more refined and less raw when you want it to be.

[Dethsupp0rt]

Originally Posted by danniexi

interesting review because i'm constantly being told on the internet that the m3/m4 is a horrible car and that a camaro or mustang would destroy it on the track and that BMW lost its way and blah blah blah.

Meh, that's only from people who can't/won't spend more money for refinement.

I can't deny that BMW needs to step up their game as far as driving dynamics go though. They used to be the best.

[Towerworld]

Originally Posted by danniexi

interesting review because i'm constantly being told on the internet that the m3/m4 is a horrible car and that a camaro or mustang would destroy it on the track and that BMW lost its way and blah blah blah.

this is a 35k mid level mustang he's talking about, The Gt350R or Camaro ZL1 still destroy any BMW on the track.


BMW's aren't horrible they are just more concerned with epa ratings, luxury and gadgets more than driving dynamics and its worked for them sales wise.

[TRZ06]

Originally Posted by Dethsupp0rt

Meh, that's only from people who can't/won't spend more money for refinement.

I can't deny that BMW needs to step up their game as far as driving dynamics go though. They used to be the best.

AGREED!!! on the driving dynamics. BMW has lost their way in the dynamics dept.

I had to add extreme performance tires, Ohlin coil-over suspension to get decent traction and good shock tuning. Even with that it is still pretty traction limited and with REALLY crappy traction/stability control programming.

The two things the M has going for it as far as driving dynamics are chassis balance and great initial turn-in/front end bite. After that though, everything about driving this car in fiery just ruins the confidence of the driver.

The ass end is all over the place, the suspension tuning can't keep up (especially in rebound control) and you can't put much power down to make use of that great motor, and when you do really try the MDM system says NOPE!!!. You try to defeat it by turning it off and the damn car will get away from you really quick.

It is a good all rounder, but it does not excel in confident fast driving as an M car should.

also keep in mind the 2018 Mustang GT will get available the GT350 shocks and chassis tuning (bushing, sway bars, etc.)

[ClothSeats]

^I think BMW fixed the damping issues with the M4 CS. However because they're greedy and want to charge 100k for it, they won't update the ZCP with the improved settings.

[kitesurfer]

Originally Posted by TRZ06

AGREED!!! on the driving dynamics. BMW has lost their way in the dynamics dept.

I had to add extreme performance tires, Ohlin coil-over suspension to get decent traction and good shock tuning. Even with that it is still pretty traction limited and with REALLY crappy traction/stability control programming.

The two things the M has going for it as far as driving dynamics are chassis balance and great initial turn-in/front end bite. After that though, everything about driving this car in fiery just ruins the confidence of the driver.

The ass end is all over the place, the suspension tuning can't keep up (especially in rebound control) and you can't put much power down to make use of that great motor, and when you do really try the MDM system says NOPE!!!. You try to defeat it by turning it off and the damn car will get away from you really quick.

It is a good all rounder, but it does not excel in confident fast driving as an M car should.

also keep in mind the 2018 Mustang GT will get available the GT350 shocks and chassis tuning (bushing, sway bars, etc.)

I'm curious what track are you running where you find this car is such a handful ? You realize the throttle is not an on/off switch

[WarrENDeatH]

The M4 feels more planted. I have the performance pack GT. The body roll is a lot more pronounced. It sits a bit higher than it should. I think, yeah, looks are subjective but the M4 has a bit more elegance to it, but with a still pouncing look.

The interior? Even in a premium Mustang, no comparison. The customer service isn't a comparison either. Ford has given my wife and I so much issues.

If I get a CPO M4/M3, it'll cost me less than a GT350. The bad thing about the GT350 is it doesn't stand out enough from a normal Mustang, to a lot of people. I know that's going to stir the pot. I love them, but majority of people see a Mustang.

[Super Spartan]

Originally Posted by WarrENDeatH

The M4 feels more planted. I have the performance pack GT. The body roll is a lot more pronounced. It sits a bit higher than it should. I think, yeah, looks are subjective but the M4 has a bit more elegance to it, but with a still pouncing look.

The interior? Even in a premium Mustang, no comparison. The customer service isn't a comparison either. Ford has given my wife and I so much issues.

If I get a CPO M4/M3, it'll cost me less than a GT350. The bad thing about the GT350 is it doesn't stand out enough from a normal Mustang, to a lot of people. I know that's going to stir the pot. I love them, but majority of people see a Mustang.

The other thing is how common Mustangs are. Every other d00d has a Mustang, but how many M3s or M4s do you see on the road? I've only seen like 2 in the past 6 months.

That, and as you mentioned, all Mustangs look almost the same. Be it a V6 or a V8, etc. They have a few subtle changes but unless you're an enthusiast, a Mustang's a Mustang.


I had a 2013 Mustang Convertible V6 and that was the worst car I ever bought in my life. Cheap plastic interior everywhere and it lacked any soul when accelerating. I know, my fault for buying a V6 Mustang and top it off with the heavier convertible but the cheap interior as well left a sour taste in my mouth.

the moment I took delivery of it at the dealership, I was trying to pull the seat adjustment handle on the left of the seat to adjust the seat and the handle came off in my hand. I told the CA what the heck is this? she said it's ok sir just pop it back in its place again....

[neilum]

Originally Posted by Towerworld

this is a 35k mid level mustang he's talking about, The Gt350R or Camaro ZL1 still destroy any BMW on the track.


BMW's aren't horrible they are just more concerned with epa ratings, luxury and gadgets more than driving dynamics and its worked for them sales wise.

I think people confuse feel and stability with dynamics. The M3/4 actually have very good vehicle dynamics but where they could be better is stability and steering feel. They don't put down power as well as they should, but think about what that means. How often is this really going to be a problem on a day-to-day basis or even on a track?

This is why youtube video's confuse people more than anything, people don't understand the issue that the car reviewers are complaining about in the correct context.


The GT350/R and ZL1 will beat almost anything around a track yet this does not mean those other cars fail at dynamics either. The Gulia Quad would also get smoked by those American cars yet it's dynamics have nothing to do with it.

Just because the Gt350 is a very fast track car, it doesn't take away from the BMW, its just the bar is very very high.

If my girlfriend is an 8, and yours is a 9 it doesn't mean mine is ugly or bad in any way.

[CirrusSR22]

$65,000 cars are usually better than $35,000 cars. News at 11...

[minn19]

FWIW, I drove a bunch of regular GT Mustangs one with PP and it is no contest against the other cars that are being discussed here (M3/4, GT350 etc). It isn't a knock against regular GT Mustangs as they great bang for the buck, but when you move up to the next level it is apparent very quickly why they cost more.

Would I trade a GT PP in on a M3/4, yes, but be ready for some things long term that you might not expect or like.

Would I trade my GT350 back to an M3/4? No, based solely on fun and the overall driving experience.

I'm not sure if that helps, that's my 2 cents.

[minn19]

Originally Posted by ///M_ADDICT

The first pro is that it doesnt crash into crowds

I guess MDM is good for something.

Except when you completely disable it and then jump a median.

[TRZ06]

Originally Posted by kitesurfer

I'm curious what track are you running where you find this car is such a handful ? You realize the throttle is not an on/off switch

My car is strictly street driven.

This is just from on/off ramps, expansion joints/road dips that are mid-corner, and aggressive braking.

I am sure on a prepped surface like a track that is a lot smoother than real world roads where rebound damping doesn't come into play as much, it feels better.

It is always funny when people compare the track to the street. With most people thinking the track is the more demanding.

The truth though is that real world roads work the suspension and expose poor damping a lot more than a track does.