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BMW i4 M50 G26

BMW i4 M50 G26

2022 to 2026Gran CoupeM Performance

Guide Score 50Specialist$2,344 a year to ownAbout 57th of 69
Best year
2024
Example asking
$29k to $49k
Prices near you
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Photo: Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0, plates blurred, via Wikimedia Commons

The short answer

The i4 M50 was the first electric performance car from BMW M: a four-door Gran Coupe with a motor on each axle, built in Munich and sold here from 2022 to 2025, then renamed the i4 M60 for 2026 with more power.

The score, part by part

50Guide Score for 2024Specialistabout $2,344 a year to own
Place among the 69 generations
About 57th of 69, likely 40th to 67th
Likely score range
43 to 66
Confidence
Low
Acclaim
34 of 100
Chance of a bill over $10,000 in five years
5.1%

The seven parts and acclaim, 2024 model year

Heritage counts 15 of 100
1824% of it not measured
Engine counts 15 of 100
41
Drive feel counts 19 of 100
67
Analog connection counts 10 of 100
37
Weight counts 10 of 100
33
Long-term value not scored
not measured
Ownership counts 18 of 100
48
Acclaim counts 15 of 100
34

Each part is scored from 0 to 100 on a fixed outside scale. Acclaim comes from published expert lists, launch reviews and awards; the more acclaimed a car, the less its ownership cost counts in this all-time score (its dollars below are unchanged). A part marked not measured carries no weight for this car, and the others share its weight.

Long-term value, shown and not scored

8 prices from sources that allow this use (driveway.com), read October 27, 2026: the middle one is $48,373, about 73% of the price new (60% once the price new is put in today's dollars). Asking prices sit above what cars sell for.

Long-term value starts to count in the score once 75% of the 69 generations have permitted prices. Today 43 do.

The cost to own

About $2,344 a year to own ($1,416 to $4,014), about $10,773 over five years, bought at five years old or its own age if older, kept five years.

  1. Electric drive unit bearing and rear drive faults: about $1,050 over five years, possible (source)
  2. Combined Charging Unit failure (2022 to 2024 cars): about $501 over five years, possible (source)
  3. Charge-port flap stuck shut: about $52 over five years, possible (source)

Expect about $1,400 to $4,000 a year; the bills that decide it are electric drive unit bearing and rear drive faults, combined Charging Unit failure and charge-port flap stuck shut. Bought without receipts, about a 1 in 20 chance of more than $10,000 in repairs in five years. Ownership risk: moderate.

Guide Score method v5-final.14, an editorial score built only from permitted, sourced data. How it works.

EDRIVE (fifth generation, two motors)536 hpAWDSingle-speed94 city, 98 hwy mpg

Colors it came in, most wanted first. Pick one to see the page in it.

Routine service a year, estimate
$150 to $450

Best year to buy

2024The best year to buy, reading 50 of 100, about $2,344 a year to own.

The 2022 and 2023 read 51, a point higher on this scale; the model scores these years level and names the 2024 as the year to buy.

No logged change between model years sets it apart; every year reads within 2 points of it, so buy on condition and records.

No year to think twice about: none reads 3 or more points below the 2024, and no logged fault separates them.

  1. 202251$2,344 a year
  2. 202351$2,344 a year
  3. 202450best year
  4. 202549$2,294 a year
  5. 202649$2,294 a year

From our log of the changes between model years, each with its source. Only changes the score reads count as reasons; recalls BMW fixes for free, options and tuning notes do not. The cost a year is for a car bought at five years old, or its own age if older, kept five years. How the score works.

The longer answer

The M50 makes 469 hp in normal driving and 536 hp and 586 lb-ft with Sport Boost, for over ten seconds at a time, enough for 60 mph in 3.7 seconds; the 2026 M60 makes 510 hp, or 593 hp in Sport mode.

Its battery holds 81.1 kWh usable and charges at up to 200 kW, and the EPA rated it at about 270 miles on the standard 19-inch wheels and 227 on the optional 20s.

Like most EVs it loses value quickly, so a used one costs far less than the $66,895 to $71,875 it cost new with destination; the high-voltage battery is covered for 8 years or 100,000 miles, and every i4 built through January 2024 is covered by a free software recall for a sudden loss of drive power.

What to look for. A battery health report from a BMW dealer, the warranty start date (the battery is covered for 8 years or 100,000 miles), a clean recall check by VIN with the drive-power software recalls done (22V-944 on 2022 and 2023 cars, 25V-395 on cars built through January 2024, the chassis beam recall 24V-611 on 2024 cars built March to April 2024, and on a few cars the battery recalls 23V-295 on 2023 cars and 25V-470 on 2022 and 2023 cars), a dealer check for open service campaigns (the front drive unit on cars built October 6 to November 10, 2022, the charging unit, axle shafts), no history of Drivetrain malfunction warnings, no whine or rumble from either axle, a Level 2 and a DC fast-charge test, a charge-port flap that opens freely, a level stance after standing overnight (the rear springs are air springs), even wear on the rear tires, and BMW Certified cover on cars under 60,000 miles.

Holds value

  • The 2026 M60 with its extra power
  • Low mileage with most of the battery warranty left
  • BMW Certified cars
  • Frozen Portimao Blue
  • Tanzanite Blue II
  • Dravit Grey or Frozen Pure Grey II paint
  • Tacora Red or Black Vernasca leather
  • The Driving Assistance Professional Package
  • Harman Kardon sound

Hurts resale

  • High mileage near the end of the battery warranty
  • Open recalls
  • A history of drivetrain warnings or a replaced motor without paperwork
  • Accident history
  • The 20-inch wheel package for buyers who need range (it cut the EPA range from about 270 to 227 miles)

What to do next

Check a carFound one for sale? Paste the listing's link or its VIN, or enter its details, for a report on that one car.i4 M50 vs M3See where the i4 M50 G26 wins and loses, part by part.Take the checklistWhat to ask, look for and test before you pay.
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Follow the i4 M50

The M Index, once a month: any change to the i4 M50's guide or score, with the reason, new recalls on M cars, and one thing to check before you buy.