Compare the2024 Porsche TaycanVS 2024 BMW i4

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Porsche Taycan are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW i4 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Taycan and i4 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Taycan has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The i4’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Taycan helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The i4 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the Taycan and the i4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in initial quality. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in long-term dependability. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, BMW is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Porsche 1 place higher in reliability than BMW.

The Taycan has more powerful engines than the i4:

On the EPA test cycle the Taycan Sedan gets better mileage than the i4:

The Taycan Sedan can travel longer on a full charge than the i4 on a full charge:

For better stopping power the Taycan’s brake rotors are larger than those on the i4:

The Taycan offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The i4 doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The Taycan stops shorter than the i4:

For better traction, the Taycan’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the i4 (F:265/35R21 & R:305/30R21 vs. F:255/35R20 & R:285/30R20).

The Taycan’s standard 275/45R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the i4’s standard 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Taycan has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the i4. The Taycan’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the i4 M50.

The Taycan offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The i4 doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Taycan offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. BMW doesn’t offer an active suspension on the i4.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Taycan’s wheelbase is 1.8 inches longer than on the i4 (114.2 inches vs. 112.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Taycan is 4.7 inches wider in the front and 2.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the i4.

The Taycan 4S handles at 1.03 G’s, while the i4 M50 pulls only .96 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Taycan w/Rear Axle Steering’s turning circle is 4.3 feet tighter than the i4’s (36.7 feet vs. 41 feet). The Taycan Cross Turismo’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the i4’s (39.4 feet vs. 41 feet).

The Taycan has .3 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room and .2 inches more rear headroom than the i4.

The Taycan has a larger trunk than the i4 with its rear seat up (17.2 vs. 16.6 cubic feet).

The Taycan has a much larger trunk than the i4 with its rear seat up (18.7 vs. 16.6 cubic feet).

The Taycan has a much higher standard payload capacity than the i4 (1331 vs. 933 lbs.).

The Taycan has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the i4 (1596 vs. 933 lbs.).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than BMW. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 13% lower rating, BMW is ranked 7th.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the i4, the Taycan offers an optional driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Taycan’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The i4 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Taycan offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the i4.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Porsche Taycan has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the i4.

The Taycan’s optional Active Parking Support can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote ParkAssist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The i4 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Porsche Taycan comes in sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the BMW i4 isn’t available as a station wagon.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Taycan first among upper midsize premium cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The i4 was rated second in its category.