Ride Quality of M4

[Abran_tasrif]

In the market to purchase a 18 M4 normal package. Going to daily drive it in New York City with our terrible potholes and roads. Currently driving a 2015 535i. I was wondering how harsh the ride quality is of an M4 as in if its bouncier or firm. I really care about the ride because i cannot withstand hard rides.

Out of 10, 1 being the harshest and 10 being the softest how much would u rate the M4/M3 in terms of ride quality

[SakhirM4]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=BMW+M4+ride+quality

[Takumi587]

I went from a 2016 535i M Sport model to a 2018 M3 and I can tell you the ride is much more noticeably bumpy and stiff. Much more road noise and creaks from the windows too.

No regrets though because the M3 is absolutely awesome and fun to drive. I recommend opting for 19s as opposed to 20s for daily driving and Manhattan roads.

Comfort setting 3/10

Sport and Sport Plus 1/10

The shorter the wheel base the less smooth of a ride.

[ImGoingPlaces]

it will be super stiff even in comfort mode, i had an F80 in NYC and this was really my only complaint. You can make it work you just need to be prepared to do some maneuvering

[Abran_tasrif]

Originally Posted by Takumi587

I went from a 2016 535i M Sport model to a 2018 M3 and I can tell you the ride is much more noticeably bumpy and stiff. Much more road noise and creaks from the windows too.

No regrets though because the M3 is absolutely awesome and fun to drive. I recommend opting for 19s as opposed to 20s for daily driving and Manhattan roads.

Comfort setting 3/10

Sport and Sport Plus 1/10

The shorter the wheel base the less smooth of a ride.

Is it untolerable by any means?

[RickFLM4]

It is not intolerable to us, or we would get rid of our cars. The suspension is stiff, by design, so don’t expect anything close to a Lexus / soft luxury ride. But don’t decide to tolerate or hate it before test driving it for a long drive to judge for yourself. Ride quality is subjective and varies by person.

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Originally Posted by Abran_tasrif

I really care about the ride because i cannot withstand hard rides.

No offense but you should probably look elsewhere.

[SakhirM4]

I am 70 and my wife is 68 and we love our M4. We have no problem with the ride and we have the passive suspension with 19" wheels. The ride is firm, but I would not call it harsh at all.

You need to drive one to establish your own opinion. No one can tell you how the ride will feel to you.

[MarbleNY]

I've driven mine in the city a couple times recently. I have only had my car two weeks. Leaving the city is the best part, but mostly so you can open up! It's not tuned for comfort... it's and M... But it's just fine to drive in the city. Worst part about driving it in the city is parking it! Either in a lot, or on the street. You never know...

[Takumi587]

Originally Posted by Abran_tasrif

Is it untolerable by any means?

As others have said it does depend on personal preference. To me it is tolerable and worth it especially considering the car does not come with run flats. If it had run flats then I’m positive it would be intolerable.

If you want a more comfy but sporty like the M4 then I would recommend also checking out a C63 or 911.

[marvinp]

The M3/M4 ride will be noticably harsher than average cars. Some people may not like it (ie my mother in law for example doesn't like the ride even in Comfort). To me my M3 rides fine but that's because I DD a 135i w/ Sports Pkg which I feel is a firmer/harsher ride especially on big bumps.

[hellokitty]

Test drive one and find out for yourself. I find it comfortably stiff (I.e., not jarring over bumpy roads) in comfort mode. Potholes on the other hand... avoid at all costs

[gatorfast]

The M3/4 will be a noticeable step down in ride comfort from a 535i. You will need to decide if the increase in performance is worth that assuming ride comfort is very important to you.

[mcvaughan]

OP, you need to look to a different model. Stay away from the M models.

[JamesGames]

No one can tell you if it's harsh or not but yourself. Perfect example was SakhirM4 stating it is perfectly fine at 70 years young, yet I've had people ride in my car and tell me they'd rather be in a toyota sienna. To each their own. But I can tell you that if you hate a harsh ride you are looking at the wrong car... an F10 5 series vs a F8X M car rides completely different. I own an e60 550i as well as F82 and I personally feel that car was stiffer/harsher than the F10s, and the E60 non M is not as harsh as the F8X.

[maniz]

I moved from an F10 550i to the M4 and relish the ride quality; absolutely hated it in the F10 albeit it got a bit better with Dinan springs. But the two platforms are completely different. F10 chassis is shared with Rolls Royce; it is mostly a car to be driven in, not to drive. The two audiences are different.

As you might know, the M4 can be ordered with 18", 19", or 20" wheels, the sidewalls afforded with each providing incrementally more comfort. With the magnetic dampers set to comfort, either 18" or 19" might meet your needs. But it doesn't, and isn't meant to, compare to the 5-series.

Test drive is your best bet.

[swifty]

Originally Posted by maniz

I moved from an F10 550i to the M4 and relish the ride quality; absolutely hated it in the F10 albeit it got a bit better with Dinan springs. But the two platforms are completely different. F10 chassis is shared with Rolls Royce; it is mostly a car to be driven in, not to drive. The two audiences are different.

As you might know, the M4 can be ordered with 18", 19", or 20" wheels, the sidewalls afforded with each providing incrementally more comfort. With the magnetic dampers set to comfort, either 18" or 19" might meet your needs. But it doesn't, and isn't meant to, compare to the 5-series.

Test drive is your best bet.

^ agreed.

35 or 40 profile tires will greatly help.

PS4S even better.

[slaughter.mode]

If you care about ride quality/smoothness the M4 is not for you. Period.