[Leo bimmer]

Fellow 4GC owners, what are your thoughts on the 4GC so far?
I'd love to hear what you think about your 4GC's.

[Smiller155]

I have owned my 435i Gran Coupe for 3 weeks…

• Carbon Black Metallic
• Ivory White and Black Dakota Leather
• M Sport
• Driver Assistance Package
• Driver Assistance Plus
• Premium Package
• 2PL 19" Light Alloy Wheel Double-spoke wheels
• M Sport Brakes
• Navigation system
• Total build MSRP $59,125

• 2014 July 23, pickup at dealer
• 2014 July 21, arrived at dealer
• 2014 July 18, Port Huename
• 2014 July 17, at Port San Diego
• 2014 July 8, Panama Canal
• 2014 June 23, Port Southampton
• 2014 June 21, Port Emden
• 2014 June 18, Port Bremerhaven
• 2014 June 17, Production complete
• 2014 June 11, Production began

Impressions:

Car feels longer and much larger than my previous 3 series vert.

Drive is very refined and the suspension is incredible...tight and solid

Steering wheel (M Sport) is soft and sporty but you can feel the plastic screw piece at the bottom. I like the previous M Sport wheel better (I had a 2011). I miss the tighter steering of the previous model, but I have gotten use to the new variable steering and it is a lot easier to maneuver at slow speeds. The steering gets tighter the faster you go.

Car is really fast and tight in Sport Mode but I still can’t figure out how to get this mode to be the default. It keeps reverting back to standard mode every time I restart the car. Auto start/stop is disabled by a push button above the ignition start button and stays off.

Top view cameras are very useful for parking but the front side view cameras aren’t as the view is too far away to really make it useful for pulling out of a blind spot.

Blind spot indicators are super helpful for changing lanes and give me the peace of mind I didn’t have before.

I am able to switch the ambient lighting under the door sills from white to red through the settings menu (I prefer the red).

MSport brakes are good but can’t say I notice much of a difference between the regular brakes. They do collect a lot of brake dust on my 19” wheels. Also, the MSport brakes are hardly noticeable behind the rims.

Carbon Black looks black most of the time except in the direct sunlight. Still getting use to this color but mostly I love it. CB shows dirt a lot more than lighter metallic colors I have had. Also, because it’s essentially black, it’s a lot less flashy than some of the other colors and therefore it attracts less attention.

Ivory interior is very nice and feels clean. I love the contrast with the black accents and carpeting.

Phone calls and streaming of my music from my iPhone is done through Bluetooth and includes artwork and works flawlessly. I didn’t pay the extra $500 for the enhanced Bluetooth.

Headroom is good in the front. I am 5’8” and I have 3.5” of headroom even with the driver’s seat in its highest position. In the rear, I have 3” of headroom. It feels a lot roomier than my previous 3 series vert in both the front and the rear.

Interior lighting is a great. All the front and rear areas are well lit at night and have a nice clean white shine when the dome lights are on, including the foot wells and trunk. My vert had very poor interior lighting everywhere.

Rear visibility is good—better than my previous 3 series vert due to the rear side quarter windows. Even the back view is decent even though the pics make it look small. The vert had high rear headrests that obstructed the view and the roof design obstructed the blind spots. Not the case with the GC.

I have received little or no attention from my car. My previous car was a liquid (light) blue metallic 3 series convertible. Many times over the 3 years I had it, people would comment to me in the parking lot “beautiful car” and things like that. And whenever anyone noticed me taking the top down or putting it back up, I’d get strangers give me a smile, a thumbs up, or comments like, “it looks like a transformer.” Now—nothing. I suppose because the car is dark and looks similar to a 5 and 6 series no one seems to think it’s a new model. It does not look like a 3 series in person and any bimmerfile should be able to notice the difference in about 3 seconds.

Overall, I love the car but I am still adjusting to the sedan feel compared to sporty convertible feel—which felt so much shorter and aggressive to me. The car feels and looks long at times but it’s really only an inch longer than my previous 3 series. The GC is much more practical than the 3 vert I had in almost every way. It feels like a grown up’s car—sporty and aggressive but very refined. The vert felt more like a weekend fun car but I sort of miss that.

[dubdemand]

Great review - better with pictures

[Leo bimmer]

Originally Posted by Smiller155

I have owned my 435i Gran Coupe for 3 weeks…

• Carbon Black Metallic
• Ivory White and Black Dakota Leather
• M Sport
• Driver Assistance Package
• Driver Assistance Plus
• Premium Package
• 2PL 19" Light Alloy Wheel Double-spoke wheels
• M Sport Brakes
• Navigation system
• Total build MSRP $59,125

• 2014 July 23, pickup at dealer
• 2014 July 21, arrived at dealer
• 2014 July 18, Port Huename
• 2014 July 17, at Port San Diego
• 2014 July 8, Panama Canal
• 2014 June 23, Port Southampton
• 2014 June 21, Port Emden
• 2014 June 18, Port Bremerhaven
• 2014 June 17, Production complete
• 2014 June 11, Production began

Impressions:

Car feels longer and much larger than my previous 3 series vert.

Drive is very refined and the suspension is incredible...tight and solid

Steering wheel (M Sport) is soft and sporty but you can feel the plastic screw piece at the bottom. I like the previous M Sport wheel better (I had a 2011). I miss the tighter steering of the previous model, but I have gotten use to the new variable steering and it is a lot easier to maneuver at slow speeds. The steering gets tighter the faster you go.

Car is really fast and tight in Sport Mode but I still can’t figure out how to get this mode to be the default. It keeps reverting back to standard mode every time I restart the car. Auto start/stop is disabled by a push button above the ignition start button and stays off.

Top view cameras are very useful for parking but the front side view cameras aren’t as the view is too far away to really make it useful for pulling out of a blind spot.

Blind spot indicators are super helpful for changing lanes and give me the peace of mind I didn’t have before.

I am able to switch the ambient lighting under the door sills from white to red through the settings menu (I prefer the red).

MSport brakes are good but can’t say I notice much of a difference between the regular brakes. They do collect a lot of brake dust on my 19” wheels. Also, the MSport brakes are hardly noticeable behind the rims.

Carbon Black looks black most of the time except in the direct sunlight. Still getting use to this color but mostly I love it. CB shows dirt a lot more than lighter metallic colors I have had. Also, because it’s essentially black, it’s a lot less flashy than some of the other colors and therefore it attracts less attention.

Ivory interior is very nice and feels clean. I love the contrast with the black accents and carpeting.

Phone calls and streaming of my music from my iPhone is done through Bluetooth and includes artwork and works flawlessly. I didn’t pay the extra $500 for the enhanced Bluetooth.

Headroom is good in the front. I am 5’8” and I have 3.5” of headroom even with the driver’s seat in its highest position. In the rear, I have 3” of headroom. It feels a lot roomier than my previous 3 series vert in both the front and the rear.

Interior lighting is a great. All the front and rear areas are well lit at night and have a nice clean white shine when the dome lights are on, including the foot wells and trunk. My vert had very poor interior lighting everywhere.

Rear visibility is good—better than my previous 3 series vert due to the rear side quarter windows. Even the back view is decent even though the pics make it look small. The vert had high rear headrests that obstructed the view and the roof design obstructed the blind spots. Not the case with the GC.

I have received little or no attention from my car. My previous car was a liquid (light) blue metallic 3 series convertible. Many times over the 3 years I had it, people would comment to me in the parking lot “beautiful car” and things like that. And whenever anyone noticed me taking the top down or putting it back up, I’d get strangers give me a smile, a thumbs up, or comments like, “it looks like a transformer.” Now—nothing. I suppose because the car is dark and looks similar to a 5 and 6 series no one seems to think it’s a new model. It does not look like a 3 series in person and any bimmerfile should be able to notice the difference in about 3 seconds.

Overall, I love the car but I am still adjusting to the sedan feel compared to sporty convertible feel—which felt so much shorter and aggressive to me. The car feels and looks long at times but it’s really only an inch longer than my previous 3 series. The GC is much more practical than the 3 vert I had in almost every way. It feels like a grown up’s car—sporty and aggressive but very refined. The vert felt more like a weekend fun car but I sort of miss that.

Exellent! My only complaint after 2 weeks of ownership is the suspension in sport mode is a bit stiff for some roads here, but there is a tad too much roll in comfort. Unlike you, our car did attract some attention...

[Vector Pilot]

Couple comments regarding your review of your GC. I found it thoughtful and informative, however two items caught my attention. First the size of the F36, you stated it felt larger than your previous car, it's the same as the F32, perhaps the two additional doors are giving a false impression. Second for what its worth, if it's attention you desire, consider adding a E89 to your garage. The ZER, I've owned three, attract rants from the anti 1% and thumbs up, raves and ogles from a broad spectrum of admirers. Trust me it's never a dull moment. Hope you enjoy the Gran-Coupe it's the best looking model in the 4 Series line up.

[Kre62]

Originally Posted by Smiller155

I have owned my 435i Gran Coupe for 3 weeks…

• Carbon Black Metallic
• Ivory White and Black Dakota Leather
• M Sport
• Driver Assistance Package
• Driver Assistance Plus
• Premium Package
• 2PL 19" Light Alloy Wheel Double-spoke wheels
• M Sport Brakes
• Navigation system
• Total build MSRP $59,125

• 2014 July 23, pickup at dealer
• 2014 July 21, arrived at dealer
• 2014 July 18, Port Huename
• 2014 July 17, at Port San Diego
• 2014 July 8, Panama Canal
• 2014 June 23, Port Southampton
• 2014 June 21, Port Emden
• 2014 June 18, Port Bremerhaven
• 2014 June 17, Production complete
• 2014 June 11, Production began

Impressions:

Car feels longer and much larger than my previous 3 series vert.

Drive is very refined and the suspension is incredible...tight and solid

Steering wheel (M Sport) is soft and sporty but you can feel the plastic screw piece at the bottom. I like the previous M Sport wheel better (I had a 2011). I miss the tighter steering of the previous model, but I have gotten use to the new variable steering and it is a lot easier to maneuver at slow speeds. The steering gets tighter the faster you go.

Car is really fast and tight in Sport Mode but I still can’t figure out how to get this mode to be the default. It keeps reverting back to standard mode every time I restart the car. Auto start/stop is disabled by a push button above the ignition start button and stays off.

Top view cameras are very useful for parking but the front side view cameras aren’t as the view is too far away to really make it useful for pulling out of a blind spot.

Blind spot indicators are super helpful for changing lanes and give me the peace of mind I didn’t have before.

I am able to switch the ambient lighting under the door sills from white to red through the settings menu (I prefer the red).

MSport brakes are good but can’t say I notice much of a difference between the regular brakes. They do collect a lot of brake dust on my 19” wheels. Also, the MSport brakes are hardly noticeable behind the rims.

Carbon Black looks black most of the time except in the direct sunlight. Still getting use to this color but mostly I love it. CB shows dirt a lot more than lighter metallic colors I have had. Also, because it’s essentially black, it’s a lot less flashy than some of the other colors and therefore it attracts less attention.

Ivory interior is very nice and feels clean. I love the contrast with the black accents and carpeting.

Phone calls and streaming of my music from my iPhone is done through Bluetooth and includes artwork and works flawlessly. I didn’t pay the extra $500 for the enhanced Bluetooth.

Headroom is good in the front. I am 5’8” and I have 3.5” of headroom even with the driver’s seat in its highest position. In the rear, I have 3” of headroom. It feels a lot roomier than my previous 3 series vert in both the front and the rear.

Interior lighting is a great. All the front and rear areas are well lit at night and have a nice clean white shine when the dome lights are on, including the foot wells and trunk. My vert had very poor interior lighting everywhere.

Rear visibility is good—better than my previous 3 series vert due to the rear side quarter windows. Even the back view is decent even though the pics make it look small. The vert had high rear headrests that obstructed the view and the roof design obstructed the blind spots. Not the case with the GC.

I have received little or no attention from my car. My previous car was a liquid (light) blue metallic 3 series convertible. Many times over the 3 years I had it, people would comment to me in the parking lot “beautiful car” and things like that. And whenever anyone noticed me taking the top down or putting it back up, I’d get strangers give me a smile, a thumbs up, or comments like, “it looks like a transformer.” Now—nothing. I suppose because the car is dark and looks similar to a 5 and 6 series no one seems to think it’s a new model. It does not look like a 3 series in person and any bimmerfile should be able to notice the difference in about 3 seconds.

Overall, I love the car but I am still adjusting to the sedan feel compared to sporty convertible feel—which felt so much shorter and aggressive to me. The car feels and looks long at times but it’s really only an inch longer than my previous 3 series. The GC is much more practical than the 3 vert I had in almost every way. It feels like a grown up’s car—sporty and aggressive but very refined. The vert felt more like a weekend fun car but I sort of miss that.

Man Im dying for some pics on this. I just ordered almost the exact same car, carbon black and m sport brakes and all. Did you get the Orbit gray wheels, or were those introduced after your build?

[chylld]

Love mine to bits!

Love the looks, the power, the handling, the toys, the comfort of ecopro/comfort mode and the edginess of sport/sport+ mode. Never been complimented on a car so much. Rear hatch without the 3GT looks is a massive bonus

Actually feels much smaller than my previous car, which was a physically smaller Golf R. The turning circle is better in the 4GC and the surround view camera system is heaven-sent. Head-up display and adaptive cruise control are 2 other toys I think are a must on any future vehicle as well!



There isn't a single car on sale that I would have rather had as my daily driver, including the 435GC. I managed 750km (466 miles) on my 2nd tank of fuel and the power is more than sufficient - it feels like a much bigger engine and doesn't have any of that horrible turbo lag that I grew used to in my Golf R

[DecemberStorm]

Originally Posted by chylld

Love mine to bits!

Love the looks, the power, the handling, the toys, the comfort of ecopro/comfort mode and the edginess of sport/sport+ mode. Never been complimented on a car so much. Rear hatch without the 3GT looks is a massive bonus

Actually feels much smaller than my previous car, which was a physically smaller Golf R. The turning circle is better in the 4GC and the surround view camera system is heaven-sent. Head-up display and adaptive cruise control are 2 other toys I think are a must on any future vehicle as well!



There isn't a single car on sale that I would have rather had as my daily driver, including the 435GC. I managed 750km (466 miles) on my 2nd tank of fuel and the power is more than sufficient - it feels like a much bigger engine and doesn't have any of that horrible turbo lag that I grew used to in my Golf R

omg this is literally the best view of the 4GC It just looks so slick and sharp, awesome wheels too!

Although if I am honest, outside the front and this rear 3/4 view, the "hump" look doesn't look as stunning as the 6GC, perhaps has to do with the length and the hatchback design?

Either way can't go wrong with a F3x car.

[ZilberGrau ZHP]

Originally Posted by chylld

Love mine to bits!

Love the looks, the power, the handling, the toys, the comfort of ecopro/comfort mode and the edginess of sport/sport+ mode. Never been complimented on a car so much. Rear hatch without the 3GT looks is a massive bonus

Actually feels much smaller than my previous car, which was a physically smaller Golf R. The turning circle is better in the 4GC and the surround view camera system is heaven-sent. Head-up display and adaptive cruise control are 2 other toys I think are a must on any future vehicle as well!



There isn't a single car on sale that I would have rather had as my daily driver, including the 435GC. I managed 750km (466 miles) on my 2nd tank of fuel and the power is more than sufficient - it feels like a much bigger engine and doesn't have any of that horrible turbo lag that I grew used to in my Golf R

THose are the 442 "Silver" wheels right? Not the 442 Orbit Gray- I ordered the Orbit Gray version and had to have the M Brakes- AWESOME car- looks like the one I just ordered!

[chylld]

Originally Posted by Ze4eMCe

THose are the 442 "Silver" wheels right? Not the 442 Orbit Gray- I ordered the Orbit Gray version and had to have the M Brakes- AWESOME car- looks like the one I just ordered!

The face is shiny silver but the inlay bits are a rougher texture and darker colour, so I'm not sure if they're silver/orbit. Either way, after you drive for a few hundred miles/km the wheels go entirely gray anyway

I get a lot of compliments on the brakes too, the fronts are absolutely massive

[ZilberGrau ZHP]

Originally Posted by Smiller155

I have owned my 435i Gran Coupe for 3 weeks…

• Carbon Black Metallic
• Ivory White and Black Dakota Leather
• M Sport
• Driver Assistance Package
• Driver Assistance Plus
• Premium Package
• 2PL 19" Light Alloy Wheel Double-spoke wheels
• M Sport Brakes
• Navigation system
• Total build MSRP $59,125


Overall, I love the car but I am still adjusting to the sedan feel compared to sporty convertible feel—which felt so much shorter and aggressive to me. The car feels and looks long at times but it’s really only an inch longer than my previous 3 series. The GC is much more practical than the 3 vert I had in almost every way. It feels like a grown up’s car—sporty and aggressive but very refined. The vert felt more like a weekend fun car but I sort of miss that.

Well I dont have all the money in the world but I got the 4GC because it is a hybrid sports/luxury car and Im not sure that it is 51% Sport or Luxury. But I am saving up and hopefully if plans hold will have VW GTI for exactly the driving experience that your missing- I will then have the best of all worlds and will partly pay itself back by me not putting as many miles on either one. But the 4s (unless Ms) are not light and spunky- they are much more solid and composed. Home Run. And thank you for the excellent review. I do believe the 4s (and 3's) are very color specific. I chose mineral gray but was torn between the Carbon Black- I absolutely love the Blue/black hue in the right light - no other color like it that I have seen and Ive seen quite a few. But its still basically a black car and takes too much maintenance in the construction dust bowl called Texas. Gray will show dust too but not as bad.

[Smiller155]

Originally Posted by Kre62

Man Im dying for some pics on this. I just ordered almost the exact same car, carbon black and m sport brakes and all. Did you get the Orbit gray wheels, or were those introduced after your build?

My pics are in this thread:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=790116

I have to reduce the resolution of my iPhone pics to post them here.

[Leo bimmer]

Originally Posted by chylld

Love mine to bits!

Love the looks, the power, the handling, the toys, the comfort of ecopro/comfort mode and the edginess of sport/sport+ mode. Never been complimented on a car so much. Rear hatch without the 3GT looks is a massive bonus

Actually feels much smaller than my previous car, which was a physically smaller Golf R. The turning circle is better in the 4GC and the surround view camera system is heaven-sent. Head-up display and adaptive cruise control are 2 other toys I think are a must on any future vehicle as well!

[img]http://puu.sh/a9bgJ/367f140dcc.jpg[/img]

There isn't a single car on sale that I would have rather had as my daily driver, including the 435GC. I managed 750km (466 miles) on my 2nd tank of fuel and the power is more than sufficient - it feels like a much bigger engine and doesn't have any of that horrible turbo lag that I grew used to in my Golf R

Mineral grey seems to be a common color choice, but it does look good though... We have a 428i, and I think that it has sufficient power (it's rare that we can use full power ), and decent fuel economy at the same time.
Just wondering, what sort of fuel economy are you getting?

[dt23]

Originally Posted by Smiller155

I have owned my 435i Gran Coupe for 3 weeks…

It feels like a grown up’s car—sporty and aggressive but very refined. The vert felt more like a weekend fun car but I sort of miss that.

Did you badge the car yourself? Some pics have the side badge, some don't, thought they are deleted from the dealers ...

[chylld]

Originally Posted by Leo bimmer

Mineral grey seems to be a common color choice, but it does look good though... We have a 428i, and I think that it has sufficient power (it's rare that we can use full power ), and decent fuel economy at the same time.
Just wondering, what sort of fuel economy are you getting?

Most of my trips are very short (< 1 mile) but still averaging 9.5 L / 100km so far, or 25mpg

Significant improvement over my Golf R which averaged about 15% worse... and the 4GC isn't even run in yet

I will admit though that I've been spending 95% of the time in ecopro mode. The way it smooths out the throttle just makes for such a refined, relaxing drive.... and whenever I need proper acceleration I just mash the gas pedal and off I go

[Leo bimmer]

Originally Posted by chylld

Most of my trips are very short (&lt; 1 mile) but still averaging 9.5 L / 100km so far, or 25mpg

Significant improvement over my Golf R which averaged about 15% worse... and the 4GC isn't even run in yet

I will admit though that I've been spending 95% of the time in ecopro mode. The way it smooths out the throttle just makes for such a refined, relaxing drive.... and whenever I need proper acceleration I just mash the gas pedal and off I go

Once, we were able to average 8l/100km (some urban and extra urban driving).
We also mainly use eco pro, sport/sport+ is just too stiff for some roads, the car will jump and skip over unevenness in the roads, everyone inside the car gets jostled around. But whenever there is a nice piece of road, sport+ is waiting.

[Smiller155]

Originally Posted by dt23

Did you badge the car yourself? Some pics have the side badge, some don't, thought they are deleted from the dealers ...

Yes--I wanted the side fender badges put back on like the car comes in other markets like Europe. BMW North America decided to debadge the sides for the U.S. market so I tried to get the factory to delete the option "3DZ Without Lines designation outside" but its embedded within the M Sport package so it couldn't be changed. So I purchased the OEM badges online for $25/ea and then started a thread about the position on other people's cars. A guy from South Africa gave me the exact measurements and I stuck them on in about 5 minutes.

[Smiller155]

Originally Posted by chylld

Love mine to bits!

I'd love to see more pics of your car as Mineral Grey is not a common color in the advertising/promo pics but a lot of people want that color. I was torn myself.

[chylld]

Originally Posted by Smiller155

I'd love to see more pics of your car as Mineral Grey is not a common color in the advertising/promo pics but a lot of people want that color. I was torn myself.

[ryanSTL]

I have 2500 miles on my 435GC. i will save a formal review for once I finally get some extended time thrashing it on some twisty backroads. that being said...

I love this car more and more every day. As I said in the review thread recently posted... the 435GC is plenty fast, looks beautiful (carbon black WOW), brilliant transmission, handles well, tons of tech, luxurious enough, super practical with the big hatch & real seating for 4 adults, and priced right.

I've added a hardwired Passport Max, color matched CB front reflectors, debadged, tint, and have spacers on order. Once I've worn out my run-flats, I'll probably choose a 19 or 20" summer set of wheels & tires.

If you take the time to order the car and package it just the way you want to, I dare you to not love it. If you don't, you simply bought the wrong TYPE of vehicle.

[ZilberGrau ZHP]

Originally Posted by chylld

Thank you very much for the pictures mate!!
Mine will be here in October cant wait- MG with black interior
M442 Orbit Gray wheels (I think thats what this has?)
Just a beautiful machine.

[F36 Pilot]

Originally Posted by Smiller155

Yes--I wanted the side fender badges put back on like the car comes in other markets like Europe. BMW North America decided to debadge the sides for the U.S. market so I tried to get the factory to delete the option "3DZ Without Lines designation outside" but its embedded within the M Sport package so it couldn't be changed. So I purchased the OEM badges online for $25/ea and then started a thread about the position on other people's cars. A guy from South Africa gave me the exact measurements and I stuck them on in about 5 minutes.

I think I'm going to do the exact same thing you did. Would you mind providing the exact measurements or a link to your thread along with where you bought these?