Drive Report: 2018 BMW 640i GT xDrive M Sport

We test the BMW 640i GT xDrive M Sport in a mix of winter weather and come away with some strong opinions.

The BMW 640i GT xDrive M Sport is a great combination of practical and attractive. It is a hatchback design with four passenger doors and a large, roomy cabin and cargo area. Its style has a hint of crossover (sort of), and with BMW's xDrive AWD system it seems to meet the definition in some ways, but in others, it is simply a large hatchback sedan. Regardless of how it is defined, the 2018 BMW 640i GT xDrive M Sport is an interesting vehicle for those who are looking for sedan styling and a liftback's utility.

2018 BMW 640i GT xDrive M Sport - Pricing and Equipment
Our 640i GT came loaded with every package. That added things like autonomous emergency braking (standard on cars like the Corolla now) heated seats (not standard at $70K?) and a panoramic moonroof. Adding up the options on top of the $70,695 base cost, we arrived at $83,945. The M Sport Trim Package adds an aero package, 19" double spoke "647M" wheels and leather with contrast stitching.

2018 BMW 640i GT xDrive M Sport - Layout and Interior
This BMW seems to ride a bit higher than a standard sedan. We like that. Ingress and egress was good. The front seats are roomy and comfortable and have manual thigh support we always like to have in any premium vehicle. The rear seating area is also quite comfortable and large.

The cargo area is huge. Very long and relatively tall given the hatchback. We loved the heated steering wheel and seats. The heat level is powerful and quick-acting.

2018 BMW 640i GT xDrive M Sport - The Drive
We preferred the Comfort setting. There are actually two, and we like the "standard" comfort best. Over the broken up pavement of New England mid-winter, this was just the ticket. Eco Pro and Sport along with configurable settings to suit your taste are also available. Sport sharpens the pencil, but we felt a little bit disconnected in this BMW in a way we don't feel in a 2013 X3 we spend time in regularly. Like all BMWs, the chassis is solid and the vehicle is quick, capable of a sprint to 60 MPH in a bit over 5 seconds.

It snowed the day our BMW tester arrived and we looked forward to putting it through its paces in typical slippery New England weather. However, the tires were not up to the task. Our inspection of the Pirelli P Zero tires leads us to believe they were not winter or all-season rated. On any sort of snow or ice, they had no grip and stopping distances were almost scary. According to the BMW configurator, the 2018 BMW 640i GT xDrive M Sport comes with all-season tires, but they sure didn't look or act the part. As a result, we parked this all-wheel drive vehicle for the majority of the test period. Why BMW would put these tires on a vehicle with AWD is a complete mystery to us. The Pirelli brand is one we are fond of and the Scorpions on most AWD vehicles we test are excellent in snow and on ice. Given that these are run-flat P-Zeros, opting for swapping on and off a set of winter tires is not an easy undertaking.

2018 BMW 640i GT xDrive M Sport - Infotainment
The sound quality and image quality of the infotainment system in the 2018 BMW 640i GT xDrive M Sport is outstanding. The iDrive 6.0 system has updated voice recognition and gesture controls. This system will please those who are willing to invest a bit of time learning it and who plan to put to use the many modern features. The audio menus are a bit unconventional and non-intuitive, but given time and study we are confident they would have worked well for us. Like many luxury vehicles, the BMW 640i GT uses a rotary mouse controller to navigate the infotainment system. We prefer a simple, modern touchscreen system within reach. The mouse takes up valuable real estate on the console and once your settings are made, the steering wheel and voice controls handle almost every task.

2018 BMW 640i GT xDrive M Sport - Conclusion
The 640i GT is a unique vehicle that we fell in love with over the test week. The deep and tall cargo area was put to full use on more than one occasion, and just makes more sense than a conventional sedan. The butter-smooth ride over potholes and frost heaves needs to be felt to be believed. Our only advice about this fine vehicle to anyone considering using in a cold climate is to ensure that a winter tire and wheel package is part of the deal.