UPDATE 3/13/2024: We have revised this story since it was first published to incorporate new information about issues we experienced with the winter tires fitted to this long-term test car. IntroductionThe Hyundai Ioniq 5 won our 2022 Electric Vehicle of the Year award. But if the compact electric SUV with origami styling was that year's valedictorian, the BMW i4 Gran Coupe was surely the salutatorian.
This was a clear case of cause-and-effect—new winter tires, unnerving handling—so we set out to understand why the normally agreeable i4 was having a violent disagreement with its new winter rubber. We looked at several factors that might have influenced the car's handling. The i4's weight—5056 pounds—could have been one, but it was not too porky for the winters, which have the same load index ratings as the summer tires.