[undauntednyc]

I received mine in mid December. Coming out of a 2018 3 series. It's a big upgrade for me. I also had a 2003 X3 when X3's were a brand new thing. I remember people trolling the plastic, the ride, etc back then too. Didn't matter to me. I can't tell you how many times people troll a new design with the same arguments. If you're happy with what you've got now, maybe consider waiting? BMW may certainly add upgrades to materials and design. I wouldn't expect anything dramatic though until a new re-design comes around in another 6 years or so.

[BMWbiker]

Originally Posted by avi66

I agree, the EV push is a major cause of pressure at BMW driving cost cutting, particularly on ICE platforms. Hence, it’s a what can we get away with approach at this stage of the game.

That said some manufacturers do minimal design with quality interior materials even on their EV’s.

If it’s just an appliance to commute, why spend Tesla money ?

Good point re EVs.

The reality is that if I could charge my car at my home and/or work, and if it were as easy to charge a car as it is to fuel an ICE on a road trip, I would own an i4 M50 today.

But none of that applies to me, at least not yet. Maybe in time for my next car.

[The Libertine]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

Why? Do you have a clear motivation as to why you did this? Novelty? Newness? Like something about it more?

Same question comes to my mind. There will always be something newer; however, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is the better choice.

[The Libertine]

Originally Posted by Murat1453

I currently own Fully loaded LCİ M40 im really happy with and can’t fault it
I’ve ordered the new M50 with same spec and now having doubts on going ahead 😩
All the reviews I’ve seen is not promising (interior cost cutting etc etc )not even a few good ones for all you guys that already own the new G45 is it that bad? Am i doing the right thing? Im in UK and haven’t test driven one as yet no dealers around me have it just confused 😵‍💫 need your honest opinions thanks 🙏

My LCI M40i does everything I need and want it to do (performance and comfort). With the new M50 platform, and to your point, pretty much all reviews note the compromise for improved performance and handling is an underwhelming interior. And, candidly, that is not a compromise I either am or would be willing to make when my current model does everything I need it to do - without sacrifice.

Ultimately, we can’t validate this choice for you. I will state, unequivocally, that I personally would not even consider placing an order without at least first seeing the car in person and taking for a test drive.

[themightychimp]

As other have said, personally there’s no way that I would commit to purchasing a new car without having actually seen one. Based on what I’ve seen and read about the G45, I too hadn’t been encouraged, but to be fair I think better to pass judgement when I’ve seen it in the metal. Its a car a ‘really’ want to like.

I finally had my chance to take a good look around a G45 today. I’ll say from the outset that I thought it looked better than I’d expected, better than the pictures would have you believe, although I do think it’s likely to be colour sensitive. Apart from the brutal and very upright front end, I think it looks good from the outside, especially the side on view - at a stroke I think it makes the G01 look dated.

I didn’t drive the car, and not sure that I will any time soon because frankly I found the interior to be unacceptable. I don’t doubt that the underpinnings are improved, that it goes, handles and rides better than ever, but I just can’t look beyond all the little bits of penny pinching cost cutting in the interior, the things that you have to face and interact with the most as an owner. The modernist minimalism is instantly apparent, and is something you’d either like or you don’t, a subjective thing. I don’t mind the big screen but I’d personally prefer a few more buttons to do some of the key functions. What having a stark interior does serve to do, though, is amplify the visibility of the remaining content, and in my opinion that content is not good enough. There’s so much thats wrong, some of it which I’d expected - the ‘ikea carrier bag’ mesh thats stuck on the dashboard, the awful capacitive touch controls for the vents, the cheap black plastic door handles, the sunroof that doesn’t open (how can they think thats ok?!!), the vinyl seats, the translucent plastic trims that flash colour like those cheap plastic wrist bands handed out at pop concerts. And there was so much more cost cutting even than I’d expected - the cup holders in the rear centre armrest that no longer have a soft touch cover, the retractable luggage cover in the boot which is now ridiculously flimsy, & more - just lots of little things, but they amount to a lot. It reminded me of the inside of a Dacia Duster.

It’s so disappointing, and its just not good enough for a £60k+ car. The sales manager I was speaking to kept a diplomatic silence as I pointed out the deficiencies, probably because there is no answer, its really indefensible. I’m the target market & yet I wouldn’t buy one, and I clearly can’t be in a minority - just look on Autotrader, the car has barely arrived in showrooms in the UK and dealers are already offering healthy discounts, so they can’t be shifting them.

I’m a true BMW fan boy, so it pains me to say this, that for now they’ve lost a customer. I’m so disappointed, I really hope that they quickly sort out the cheapness with a rapidly brought forward update.

[PGHBMW1]

A lot of drama with that response . I can see he old school BMW fanboys can be sensitive to the new- BMW. The car does ride ,handle and drive better than the G01. For me, the roof not opening is great. Less to go wrong and I have never used mine in other cars. Get a convertible if it means that much to you. OPT for real leather and forget the textured dash crap and the interior comes off better. Also, get a big discount and the car really shines

[avi66]

Originally Posted by themightychimp

As other have said, personally there’s no way that I would commit to purchasing a new car without having actually seen one. Based on what I’ve seen and read about the G45, I too hadn’t been encouraged, but to be fair I think better to pass judgement when I’ve seen it in the metal. Its a car a ‘really’ want to like.

I finally had my chance to take a good look around a G45 today. I’ll say from the outset that I thought it looked better than I’d expected, better than the pictures would have you believe, although I do think it’s likely to be colour sensitive. Apart from the brutal and very upright front end, I think it looks good from the outside, especially the side on view - at a stroke I think it makes the G01 look dated.

I didn’t drive the car, and not sure that I will any time soon because frankly I found the interior to be unacceptable. I don’t doubt that the underpinnings are improved, that it goes, handles and rides better than ever, but I just can’t look beyond all the little bits of penny pinching cost cutting in the interior, the things that you have to face and interact with the most as an owner. The modernist minimalism is instantly apparent, and is something you’d either like or you don’t, a subjective thing. I don’t mind the big screen but I’d personally prefer a few more buttons to do some of the key functions. What having a stark interior does serve to do, though, is amplify the visibility of the remaining content, and in my opinion that content is not good enough. There’s so much thats wrong, some of it which I’d expected - the ‘ikea carrier bag’ mesh thats stuck on the dashboard, the awful capacitive touch controls for the vents, the cheap black plastic door handles, the sunroof that doesn’t open (how can they think thats ok?!!), the vinyl seats, the translucent plastic trims that flash colour like those cheap plastic wrist bands handed out at pop concerts. And there was so much more cost cutting even than I’d expected - the cup holders in the rear centre armrest that no longer have a soft touch cover, the retractable luggage cover in the boot which is now ridiculously flimsy, & more - just lots of little things, but they amount to a lot. It reminded me of the inside of a Dacia Duster.

It’s so disappointing, and its just not good enough for a £60k+ car. The sales manager I was speaking to kept a diplomatic silence as I pointed out the deficiencies, probably because there is no answer, its really indefensible. I’m the target market & yet I wouldn’t buy one, and I clearly can’t be in a minority - just look on Autotrader, the car has barely arrived in showrooms in the UK and dealers are already offering healthy discounts, so they can’t be shifting them.

I’m a true BMW fan boy, so it pains me to say this, that for now they’ve lost a customer. I’m so disappointed, I really hope that they quickly sort out the cheapness with a rapidly brought forward update.

Seems like fair feedback based on UK market tastes and expectation. I guess we call a spade a spade, but there’s no hate or fanboy defensiveness.

In an earlier post I also mentioned the number of new cars being offered on Autotrader UK. At present 12% discount all in can be had in the UK on a new launch car. Had several calls/emails from the dealer about releasing the decent amount of equity in my current car and moving to a new G45.

[Mavus]

front end is definitely high and it looks weird. combine that with horrid substandard interior, ugly toyota, vw, kia like headlights and this is no go as is currently. Most likely we will be looking at preowned g01 as it looks superior in and out at 50% of the cost.

[jones99]

I have the exact same car as you and have been thinking about making the move too. This weekend, my son got a G45 M50 as a loaner car while work was being done on his X1.

As an aside, the fact that they are using this car for a loaner says something about how well they are selling. Our local dealership had 11 of them the last time I looked.

Back to the point - I spent a lot of time in this car and even drove it a bit. My feeling compared to the LCI is that it drives more smoothly and I think that sacrifices a little road feel. The acceleration seemed diminished. It could be just that I'm used to my broke-in LCI. That being said, I feel like it was slower. Cornering was on point. I drove it pretty hard.

I saw the car from many angles including some from a second floor window while the car was parked 50 feet away - and I liked it - a lot. The rear tires were FAT and it looked great. The inside of the car didn't bother me and I'm used to the control interface because my wife has a 2024 X1 M35i. I personally like more buttons, but less seems to be the way things are going.

To get to the point, I plan on ditching my LCI and ordering a G35 in the Spring. Currently, my dealer is at 6% off, but I think it will get better as the model year closes out.

Like others have said, only you can decide if it is the right car for you. Based on all the reading I have done on this forum, it seems like most folks that actually have one, like it.

[JOE YOUNG]

Cheap plastics inside, wobbly vent control. More so at the back, The door packet has sharp edges, plastic looks and feel really cheap and no ambient light .
Plus side, upon test drive, still really good to drive, quieter not too bad looking outside in person.

[ronaldinhocro]

Originally Posted by PGHBMW1

. To say the G01 is superior is a broad statement. There are many technical improvements that say the opposite. If your judging it on material quality alone that would not imo justify - its a far more superior product. Interesting that some hate the 45 but ordered a new one?

OK I agree that statement "far superior" is too exaggerated, what I meant was if you compare cars in their time and age G01 was better product. Today side by side of course M50 wins all day.

[RussB]

I took delivery of my M50 4 weeks ago and I am satisfied with my purchase. Here are some observations and opinions.

• I think the exterior design looks great. I'm a big fan of how the belt line goes up and the roof line comes down in the rear, with everything getting wider out back.
• The rear lights, pipes, and diffuser all look good to me.
• I think the exterior looks better than a G01.
• The Merino seats in mine are nicely bolstered, very supportive, and super comfortable during long distance drives. They also look really good.
• The steering wheel looks and feels excellent. I would have liked a stitched leather horn cover.
• The heated seats and wheel work well. I've yet to try the vented seat option.
• The curved display looks great and I'm very comfortable with ID9. I use the iDrive controller all the time and don't really miss the loss of hard buttons.
• I created ID9 favorites for the stuff I use most and have no problem finding what I need.
• Video streaming while parked works well and is useful while waiting for my wife in a parking lot.
• The H/K audio system is very crisp and clear and the sub in back produces an acceptable amount of boom.
• The H/K system isn't capable of producing a significant amount of kick drum punch that is a big part of the classic rock I typically listen to.
• The woofers under the front seats are too small to produce a good kick.
• The tech suite in this car is top notch.
• The built-in NAV system uses SAT images, which is nice. Augmented reality is also cool. I like the local updates the built in NAV gets. Stuff like pothole warnings, speed cameras, and more.
• The ride quality is fantastic, extremely smooth and quiet in Personal and Efficient modes.
• There is some wind noise around the mirrors at speeds over 70 MPH.
• Handling, steering, and braking are all excellent.
• The B58 is very quiet during normal driving. Power is good, delivery is exceptionally smooth, and fuel efficiency is excellent.
• I find myself using the Power gauge more than the RPM display. The Power gauge displays info related to the hybrid system. I run in Efficient mode most of the time.
• I turned Iconic Sounds off before I drove off the lot. I don't plan to turn it back on.
• The door panels are minimal in design and yes, they do have a lot of hard plastic. IMO the door panels are the low point of the interior, but I am able to look past them.
• I am ok with the black door handles and the capacitive touch vent controls. The door lock 'island' does not bother me and I like the way it lights up at night.
• The dash and center console both look ok to me. I did not get the Woven Textile dash. I would have liked soft touch material on the sides of the center console.
• I'm ok with the ambient lighting up front, I have the brightness turned down pretty close to the minimum setting.
• I'm ok with the ambient lighting in the rear, inside the door pulls and under the front seats.
• I'd like to be able to change the ambient lighting color in modes besides Personal.
• I would have paid more for an optional 'Executive' interior package and an optional headliner.
• The car feels very solid, build quality appears to be very high.
• I haven't looked at the rear cup holders or the rear cargo cover.

The folks that can't live with the G45 interior should be looking at a 2025 X4 or the upcoming Q5/SQ5 redesign.

[PGHBMW1]

I thought the X4 was going away? Perhaps I'm wrong buy the engines don't offer mild Hybrid tech and I believe they still have ID7 or 8 in the current version

[avi66]

Originally Posted by PGHBMW1

I thought the X4 was going away? Perhaps I'm wrong buy the engines don't offer mild Hybrid tech and I believe they still have ID7 or 8 in the current version

May vary by market, but the X4 G02 has had 48v MHEV for a while (years) here. It’s operating system 7, but despite this it actually drives lol. ��

I think the US was behind Europe with regards to MHEV in the G01/02. Possibly due to BMW seeing it as a market with different customer expectations and competition.

[ModernAngel]

Originally Posted by RussB

I took delivery of my M50 4 weeks ago and I am satisfied with my purchase. Here are some observations and opinions.

• I think the exterior design looks great. I'm a big fan of how the belt line goes up and the roof line comes down in the rear, with everything getting wider out back.
• The rear lights, pipes, and diffuser all look good to me.
• I think the exterior looks better than a G01.
• The Merino seats in mine are nicely bo…

Agreed on most all points.

FWIW I’ve had my M50 since launch day and yet to have any regrets. I turn around and look back at it every time I park. Still a fantastic drive.

It may not be for everyone, but right now it’s the right car for me.

Amusing side note, had a stranger compliment me on it recently… they asked if it was an X5 M.

[mikeoz]

Got my M50 with adaptive dampers before Xmas and i have owned a G01 M40i and LCI M40d previously. I find the ride and suspension much better than the previous version as are the seats which are much better. I did a bigger write up on another thread but overall i find it a better car.

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by avi66

May vary by market, but the X4 G02 has had 48v MHEV for a while (years) here. It’s operating system 7, but despite this it actually drives lol. ��

I think the US was behind Europe with regards to MHEV in the G01/02. Possibly due to BMW seeing it as a market with different customer expectations and competition.

Even in the 30i? For the US only the M40i has it from my understanding.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

Even in the 30i? For the US only the M40i has it from my understanding.

The U.S G01 30i was not MHEV, which is why I made sure to buy one before that choice disappeared with G45 which is MHEV for 4 or 6 cylinder models in the U.S.

[avi66]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

Even in the 30i? For the US only the M40i has it from my understanding.

Like I said the US was behind Europe i.e. 30i G01 is MHEV is Europe, and has been since LCI.

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by avi66

Like I said the US was behind Europe i.e. 30i G01 is MHEV is Europe, and has been since LCI.

Actually it was the G02 that we were discussing. Perhaps things changed but I can't find where that is sold in the UK or where it is MH.

Edit: I did find some sites saying that the xdrive30i is a mild hybrid.

[JohnBMW]

I have had my M50 since mid-December (Tanzanite with Cool Beige and 910 wheels). I’ve had 2 G01s which I greatly enjoyed. The car feels modern and fresh inside and out and the much-criticised interior is well put to together and produces a cabin that is comfortable and a pleasant way to travel.

The drive is smooth and comfortable (maybe due to absence of run-flats) and readily displays the higher torque than the G01 on the open road. Fuel economy is noticeably better.

The removal of certain features such as the storage next to the steering wheel and the rear ambient lights (there are some in the door) is disappointing.

No car is perfect. It’s the overall package that attracts me. The M50 feels like a step up and I’m certainly not irrationally defending my purchase.

I’m on holiday atm but can’t wait to be reunited with the car and drive it home on what I hope will be a quiet motorway.

No regrets at all and neither has my wife who can be hard to please on motoring matters!

[geddylee]

I’ve been very critical of the interior design, but I do find the fit and finish to be quite good. Idrive 9 is a bit laggy, but I’m sure the car drives fantastic.