2021 BMW M440i xDrive Coupe

I came away from this test with one regret and one surprise, but here's the short version: If you can afford it, go ahead and do it.

Why?

Because you probably won't regret it. If………………

If, that is, you actually enjoy driving.

Now that's not to say that I'd blame you if you bought this just for its looks.

This is a trim and athletic coupe. Understated in a confident way. It doesn't seem to scream "Look at me!", but rather just suggests "Hey…if you like the way I look, just wait…there's more 😊"

Don't let BMW's new vertical kidney grille throw you off…the 440i delivers everything that you expect from a BMW…and in "M" trim, perhaps a little more.

Of course, you can get roughly the same look for less money. That'd be the mid-$40's 2-door / 2-liter 430 coupe. But it's the M440i xDrive that delivers BMW's iconic 382 HP twin-turbo six cylinder that will get you to 60 MPH in less than four-and-a-half seconds.

And in "M" trim, you also get performance brakes and suspension and a more serious air intake system. Plus the xDrive gives you BMW's intelligent all-wheel drive for maximum traction and control for every road condition.

The result? Well…pre-covid I might have said that BMW's M440i fits you like that outfit that makes you feel like a million bucks, but these days, I'll let you choose your own analogy. Favorite sweats? Your go-to ZOOM outfit? Just know that this ride simply makes you feel good. Real good.

In addition to exceptional performance, part of that "feel good" comes from BMW's tech and luxury. Our test M440i xDrive gave us heated leather, heated steering, a heads-up display, gesture control, 19" alloys, Harmon Kardon audio and more.

So back to that "if" that I mentioned earlier. With so much talk about self-driving cars in our future, if you're one of those folks who would rather still drive your car than have your car drive you, you ought to find BMW's M440i xDrive real easy to live with for years to come.

Which leads me to that one regret…and that's simply that I realized that I'm probably not going to age quite as well as I expect the 440 coupe's classic lines to endure.

And the surprise? I'm already used to the new vertical grille.