No matter who you ask, the BMW i4 is a quick depreciator. iSeeCars suggests a 64.5% drop in value over its first five years on the road, Recharged and BMWBlog both cite 68.1%, and our own price-tracking tools see a 2022 eDrive40 Gran Coupe taking a 51.7% loss from its initial MSRP.
Pair that low price with the low maintenance costs of owning an EV, and this creates an interesting opportunity for buyers who’ve been waiting for their first shot at an electric luxury car. Let’s see how the numbers shake out.
The i4 Is A Quick Depreciator Even By BMW Standards
2022 BMW i4BMW
According to CarEdge, a new BMW will lose around half of its initial MSRP in its first four years on the road. Luxury vehicles tend to lose value fast owing to a number of factors.
- Rapid obsolescence. Luxury cars are usually decked out in the newest, shiniest gadgets, meaning that they start to feel outdated almost as soon as you drive them off the lot.
- That new car prestige. Luxury drivers often see the latest model as a status symbol, so you have quick turnover.
- High maintenance costs. Many luxury buyers have no interest in keeping the car for even a single mile after the warranty runs out.
- Returned leases. Many luxury buyers lease, rather than buy, meaning that most luxury cars will see a spike in supply, and a shrink in demand, three years in.
- Higher MSRPs. When luxury car prices come down on the used market, they’re coming down from a higher high than a comparable Toyota or Honda.
Our price tracker currently sees the base 2022 eDrive40 model selling for $26,779 from an MSRP of $55,400. The M50 is a slower depreciator, currently selling at $42,199 from an MSRP of $55,400, but our sales data on this model is limited. CarEdge points to depreciation in the area of 42.5%, which should put an M50’s fair market value at around $31,855.
In other words, if someone’s still charging 75% of MSRP for any version of a four or five-year-old BMW i4, let them know that you’ve done your research.
How Does A BMW i4 Compare To A Honda Civic?
2025 – 2026 Honda Civic Sedan 11th Gen (FE) Facelift Honda
A brand-new Honda Civic Sport sedan starts at $26,595, which is just $184 cheaper than our own trending price for a base i4, making it the perfect model for a little comparison shopping. So how do these cars stack up?
First off, a 2022 BMW i4 eDrive40 is more than twice as powerful as a Honda Civic Sport. The Civic delivers 150 hp, while the i4 packs a 335-horse electric powertrain. If that’s not proof that EVs democratize horsepower, we don’t know what is. The base i4 hits 60 mph in as little as 4.8 seconds, while the Civic gets there in eight. In terms of performance, it’s really not a fair comparison. An i4 is a sporty electric sedan, while the Civic merely has “Sport” in its name.
It may be another story if we want to compare the i4 to a Type R or a Civic Si, but we’re specifically looking at what we can get for under $30,000, and those numbers favor the i4 in every way that matters.
BMW Maintenance Costs Aren’t A Big Concern In An EV
2022 BMW i4BMW
We’ve gone on record more than a few times warning bargain-hunters to stay away from European luxury cars. Even if you can grab a BMW or a Mercedes-Benz at a rock-bottom price, you’ll usually make up the difference at the garage. That is, BMWs cost more to repair, owing to specialty servicing and expensive parts.
But, the i4 is electric. Electric cars typically cost around 50% less to maintain than a comparable combustion-powered car, from year to year. You’re not paying for new timing belts, you’re not paying for new mufflers or spark plugs, you’re not paying for oil changes or transmission flushes. The powertrain is a motor and a battery, and a handful of electrical components, compared to thousands of moving parts in an ICE powertrain.
A study from AAA estimates a typical ICE vehicle costing around $949 each year to maintain, while a comparable EV would cost around $619. Case in point, take a look at the most expensive common maintenance tasks in a BMW i4, according to RepairPal.
- Pre-purchase car inspection $275 – $403
- Noise diagnosis $198 – $291
- Tire pressure monitor lamp diagnosis – $198 – $291
- No start diagnosis – $198 – $291
- Vibration diagnosis – $198 – $291
The Honda Civic is one of the cheapest cars in the world to maintain, with RepairPal estimating around $368 in annual repair costs. We don’t have an estimate to compare for the BMW i4, because RepairPal hasn’t collected enough data on the EV to give an estimate.
The i4 Will Save You A Lot Of Money On Refueling
2022 BMW i4BMW
The Honda Civic is fuel-efficient, but it still burns gas. FuelEconomy.gov estimates the 34 mpg compact averaging $1,850 in annual fuel expenses, assuming 15,000 miles driven each year, split 45/55 between highway and city driving. Meanwhile, a BMW i4 should only cost you $700 a year in recharging expenses. With gas prices being as they are, there’s never been a better time to invest in electric.
Insurance Can Be Difficult To Estimate When Comparing New And Used Cars
2025 – 2026 Honda Civic Sedan 11th Gen (FE) FaceliftHonda
According to CarEdge, a Honda Civic will cost you around $2,415 a year to insure, while a BMW i4 will cost you around $3,824 to insure. These numbers both assume a 40-year-old driver with full coverage, good credit, and a clean driving record. They also assume you’re insuring for the full MSRP.
Realistically, the values for which you are insured are going to be much closer. You may still be paying a higher premium on the i4, but you’re not likely to be spending nearly twice as much to cover your BMW as you would for a new Honda Civic.
Ultimately, the cost of ownership favors the BMW over the Honda. We never thought we’d be typing a sentence like that, but the EV segment has turned out to be the great equalizer. We’re getting massive horsepower at a low price, we’re driving luxury cars that can be maintained for pocket change, and we’re seeing BMWs outlasting Hondas.
Some BMW i4s Are Selling For Peanuts
2022 BMW i4BMW
Our price-tracking tool sees the lowest price for a BMW i4 coming in at just $18,950, for a model sold in February this year. Taking a look at our marketplace for current listings, we turn up the following models.
- A 38,962-mile 2023 eDrive35 is selling for $25,991 in California.
- A 37,230-mile 2023 eDrive35 is selling for $29,973 in California.
- A 32,068-mile 2024 xDrive40 is selling for $30,655 in Florida.
- A 35,816-mile 2024 eDrive35 is selling for $30,999 in Kentucky.
- A 45,007-mile 2023 eDrive35 is selling for $30,863 in Virginia.
- A 46,752-mile 2022 eDrive40 is selling for $35,054 in Florida.
Note that these listings are only provided as an example of what’s out there. There’s no telling what will be available in your price range, and in your area, by the time you’re ready to go shopping. Even so, these numbers give us an idea of what a fair market price looks like. Our advice would be to budget around $31,000 for the purchase, and look for the best deal you can get on a BMW i4 with under 50,000 miles on the odometer.
As with any cost estimates, your mileage may vary. Depending on what sort of incentives you may qualify for, you could be spending much less on a Civic than you would on a used BMW i4. Depending on how many miles you drive in a year, you could be spending far more, or far less, than $700 a year to keep your battery charged up. Regardless, the numbers tend to favor the criminally underrated BMW i4 as an affordable alternative to a cheap compact no matter how you do the math.
Sources: BMW, Honda, RepairPal, CarEdge, iSeeCars, AAA, Recharged, BMW Blog.
