By Peter Perrotta
Where’s the traditional kidney designed front grille that has been BMW’s trademark for decades?
Well, for the newly designed 2021 BMW 430i xDrive Coupe it is pretty much non-existent.
If you turn your head sideways when you look at the front end of the 2021 430i, you can kind of see remnants of the former design. But, in reality, it’s a real stretch.
I must admit, I often wondered when BMW was going to switch up from its trademark kidney designed front grille. But, now that its here, I kind of miss the old styled front grille we all got so used to seeing.
But time marches on and change is good, so let’s give the new, bigger, bolder front grille design the new 2021 430i xDrive sports a chance to grow on us.
But that is not all that has changed with the new generation 4 series – first introduced in 2014.
Compared to the previous generation, the 2021 4 series coupe is 5.2 inches longer, 1.0 inch wider, 0.4 inches taller and features a 1.6 inch longer wheel base, 1.4 inch wider front and 1.2 wider rear track.
Car and Driver calls the newly redesigned 4 series “controversial” without really saying why. I am only left to assume that they are referring to the dramatically changed front grille.
Well, at the end of the day folks, what the front grille looks like, to me, is neither here nor there. It’s how it feels and drives once you get behind the wheel.
I must say, for all the years I’ve been reviewing cars, I remain partial to how BMWs drive.
Now I know that not everyone agrees with me or feels the same way, but for me, BMWs almost fit like a glove. They seem to fit my body style and my driving style, so it’s a win-win.
The 2021 BMW 430i Xdrive I just test drove for one week did nothing to change my opinion of the BMW line. In fact, the newly redesigned 4 series enhanced it.
So what is it about this 4 series I liked so much?
The car is very driveable. By that, I mean it is very adaptable to many different driving styles and weather conditions.
This car is very aerodynamic and sticks to the road in any kind of driving condition, especially foul weather.
Case in point, on Christmas Eve I had to make about a 20-mile round trip run at just before midnight when there was a driving, pelting rain and high winds.
I drove this 4 series coupe through the storm without much head wind or rain getting in the way and felt confident while driving it. There aren’t too many vehicles out there I could say that about.
More succinctly, you can drive this car hard and aggressive like a race car with confidence, or you can simply put the drive mode selector in “comfort” mode and drive it more conservatively as well. It adapts quite nicely.
My tester was powered by a 255 horsepower four cylinder turbo engine. It is also available in a 383 horsepower in line 6 cylinder engine
I found the 4 cylinder version of the 4 series to be more than adequately powered.
The 2021 BMW 430i Xdrive Coupe carries a base price of $47,600. My tester had a bottom line sticker price, with options and destination, of $61,200.
The added option packages included: $3,800 for the sporty M Sport Package; $2,450 for a dynamic handling package; $2,300 for a premium package; $1,450 for a black leather interior with blue stitching.
The premium package includes a heated steering wheel, keyless entry, lumbar support, heated front seats, ambient lighting and a heads up display.
The EPA fuel consumption estimates for this 4 series are an overall rating of 27 miles per gallon – with 34 mpg on the highway and 24 in city driving. The EPA estimates that the 4 series coupe will cost about $1,800 per year to run as it uses about 3.7 gallons of gas per every 100 miles driven.
This newly redesigned vehicle has not been government crash tested yet.
The BMW warranty remains one of the best in the business. BMW gives its clients a four-year, 50,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty that includes four years of roadside assistance and 3 years, 36,000 miles of free scheduled maintenance.
So if you are in the market for a compact sports coupe, putting this 4 series BMW on your short list of vehicles to consider would be a good idea.
Peter Perrotta’s On The Road column appears weekly. He can be contacted at peter@capitalmotorcars.com.
