BMW’s 440i Coupe performs as good as it looks

With a week in a 2018 BMW 440i Coupe I may have found the best compromise of great driving experience and yet practicality that I’ve experienced in a BMW.

Okay, nothing has compared to the BMW 1600, but that was only in its day. The BMW 440i isn’t such a revolutionary or exemplary vehicle. But then BMW is a different company now, no longer pushing the boundaries of product to make themselves a new mark in the world of post-war and modern European automotive manufacturers.

For me BMWs have always driven theway I like. This is not to denigrate other brands and other styles of car. Were I to buy a Bentley sedan, I would want it to feel as if it were a Bentley, not try to emulate something else. There is something common to the driving qualities of every BMW. While that is true of a few other manufacturers, the qualities I’m speaking of stand the marque in good stead. Perhaps the biggest part of this is the steering.

Without any other input you can tell you are driving a BMW while blindfolded, based on your hands on the steering wheel. (Don’t do this on public roads, should be done by a professional driver on a closed course.) But it is more than that, it is how the car responds and moves which inspired confidence, even passion. Granted that passion is expressed mostly in the performance models, but even those riding in BMW’s big Seven Series can feel confident that the nuts and bolts underneath are as much about good and safe driving as they are on a fire-breathing M5.

When the BMW4 Series was introduced in 2012, it was thought to be the two-door version of the 3 Series sedans. But it has become somewhat of a series in its own right. In the case of the 440i, it has a lower center of gravity than the BMW 3 Series by as much as 1.6in. in the case of the Coupe. It also has a wider track: 0.5 in. in front and 0.9-in. in the rear and that’s enough to make a difference.

So, the role of the 4 Series may be to be the more exciting of the smaller models. If so it succeeds by looking more aggressive, and based on the above, will usually be a bit more aggressive than a comparably equipped 3 Series. Not by much, mind you, but those small differences are meat and potatoes to BMW engineers.

The 440i Coupe is simply a pleasure to drive, even in boring situations. But it’s a lot more fun in non-boring circumstances. It is nicely sprung, with stiffer suspension and, more particularly, the application of an advanced damping technology.

It also has an upgraded steering set-up which lets it do probably the best job at providing driver feedback in its class. Combine that with the car’s reduced roll and more stable response to input and you begin to understand why even the company’s competitors concede these are truly “driv- ing machines.”

The brakes keep up, so driving this car on twisty back roads demonstrates exactly whatmakes a car drive well.

The nose stays up under even hard braking and turning hard into a tight corner doesn’t accede to centrifugal force. For good drivers it simply makes everything alright, if only for a little while. This is the true glory of BMW.

But good as the suspension, steering and braking are, what makes this car even more special is the engine. It is a modern iteration of the almost perfect inline six-cylinder powerplants that BMW has been making for decades.

Engineers will tell you that there are setups which just work better for engines depending on the number of cylinders. For V-12 and V-8 engines the V-shape is best, although the degree of angle is different depending on the number of cylinders. But nobody has built a V-6 which is as smooth as a well-designed inline engine. The same is true of four-cylinders. A straight line is best. The 3.0-liter, twin-turbo, six-cylinder engine generates 320 and 330 lb.-ft. of peak torque. This power goes galloping through the 440i’s standard eight-speed Steptronic Sport Automatic transmission which was the equipment on the car I tested. The company says the car will get to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. Top speed is limited by tire choice to 130 mph.

There is a manual transmission available, though. The automatic, which you can hand-shift, is designed to be controlled by the driver, but you can leave it is automatic and let the computer make the decisions. Actually, it does a pretty good job of watching how you are driving and keeping up with you. For that reason, if I was buying one of these I wouldn’t necessarily demand a manual. If there were one of each in the showroom I would actually have a hard time making up my mind.

The optional all-wheel drive not only makes this a car with appeal in the northern parts of the country, it allows the car’s computers to help drivers be better by increasing the car’s ability to go where you point the steering wheel.

The computer and various sensors give the car more dynamic cornering by varying the power and braking among the various wheels to better serve the driver.

Even if you aren’t into driving, this BMW is equally as commendable. Its looks are younger and more athletic, thanks to that wider and lower stance. There are coupes, convertibles and sedans in the Series, although they all sort of look like coupes.

The interior is well done, with all the touches and quality that needs to be in a luxury model. Things such as the air outlets, the control panels in the doors, and the seatbelt guides for its front seats now have electroplated finishes. The seats are comfortable for those who like lateral support. There’s plenty of support, but it doesn’t feel like a “sport” seat which keeps you exactly planted in place.

The features meet any needs be it sound or connectivity or comfort. I liked the center console, which has a glossy black cover and found the leather-wrapped steering wheel to be pleasant to the hand, even when that hand is rather white-knuckled in the middle of a corner.

There must be something wrong with this car, but for me it would clearly take more than the week I drove it. Well, perhaps there is one thing. A car this good should be free for people who appreciate it as much as this writer. Sad to say there’s a price to appreciating this car. That starts at $49,700 for the BMW 440i Coupe while the 440i xDrive Coupe begins life at $51,700.

But there may be some solace that this car drives sowell and satisfies so much of what good drivers enjoy on the road that there is no need to consider the stupendous Mversions BM Woffers. They all cost bunches more than this.