dwbf11

Not a typo! It is, in fact, 2023 and here we are with 2019 vehicles still active in the fleet. The times are a changin', as Bob Dylan once sang. I debated writing this one up at all, because the truth is this is probably not going to be a common finding in the fleet. But, since at least 3 other people had posted seeing it in our Cars @ LAX thread, and had my notes anyways, I figured why not.

I found this 2019(!) BMW 440i Gran Coupe on the Executive Selection at LAX airport. This particular unit had dealer plate frames and 32K miles on the clock. My suspicion is that this car was a retail/lease vehicle that someone turned in and was bought at the used car auctions by EHI. Kind of a strange choice for the fleet but I'm not complaining and I could even follow "parking rules" at work.

This 440i was classified as LTAR, or Luxury Elite. I’m not sure why this wouldn’t be a GXAR (Premium Elite) like the Audi A4 that I also recently reviewed, the Volvo S60, and the Acura TLX. This particular unit was a 440i M-Sport.

Painted a lovely (swirled!) Black Sapphire Metallic over Cognac Dakota leather, this particular 440i was a rear-wheel-drive model. Notably it included the "M-Sport" package (+$3400), which includes the M-Sport (sportier) suspension, Shadowline (black) exterior trim, special interior wood (anthracite fineline), M Steering wheel, active blind spot detection, seat heating, the more aggressive body kit, and some other smaller features. As historical pricing is rather hard to come by, best guess is that this would have had an MSRP of roughly $54,400.

This car did have a nice amount of features including a semi-reconfigurable digital gauge display, a heads-up display, memory settings for the driver's seat, blind-spot monitoring, navigation, front and rear parking sensors and cameras, keyless entry with push-button start, CarPlay/Android Auto, large central display, LED headlamps and tail lamps, multi-way powered front seats with adjustable bottom bolsters, a split-folding rear seat, and more.

The 320-hp turbocharged inline 6 is classic BMW - smooth, effortless power that just keeps going. Absolutely loved the driving experience and especially as compared with the recent A4 45TFSI, there really was not too much competition. I'm not sure if this car had a tank of premium or not, but my guess is it didn't, and it still felt great. The M-Sport suspension was a bit rough and you definitely felt the imperfections of Southern California's highways as you drove along, although that could also be that it had 4 different run-flat tires mounted. I averaged 22 MPG with a 50/50 highway/city split.

I had no issue with visibility. The 440i has the large hatchback so rearview visibility was uncompromised. I could sit behind myself and had plenty of room even with both front seats adjusted rearwards quite a bit. I thought the front seats were firm but comfortable. Trunk space was cavernous and includes a standard privacy screen, and to this end, a great choice for the fleet as it could easily swallow plenty of baggage.

Being a 2019 the infotainment system was not cutting edge, but perfectly adequate especially with CarPlay. The screen could be controlled using the iDrive controller or by touch. This car had active SXM, which was a nice perk. The Harmon/Kardon stereo was also quite good.

Really enjoyed this 440i and while I don't expect to find another one in the fleet anytime soon, it was a nice surprise!

noah

Thanks; what an unusual rental!

qs933

It might have been like the former service loaner 2020 X3 that I had a few months ago at HNL. I’m guessing either EHI bought it from the dealership after its initial rotation, or the dealership might have been doing their service loaners through Enterprise (i.e. Enterprise Fleet Management) and after awhile, they retired it from the service loaner fleet and sent it to the EHI rental fleet.

Same thing with the Genesis G70 and Acura TLX rentals that I had that were definitely not your typical rental fleet samples (tinted windows, all weather mats, etc.). With many of these luxury manufacturers having to offer service loaners as a basic owner expectation, I can see how outsourcing it to Enterprise to manage (albeit with your own specified vehicles) is a cost effective way to do it.

huskyflyer

Yeah EHI in my city works with a BMW dealer for service cars and these same service cars are also rented out to normal retail customers -- it appears to be a floating fleet where no specific BMW is assigned as a service car and they are interchanged and float around the EHI fleet. It seems like they get them brand new from the dealer , but I believe they also buy left over stock on whatever didn't sell the previous year. Based on the insurance slips inside the car, EHI is the owner and I believe it is the exact same insurance plan as any other EHI cars in the fleet.. I heard they used to partner with Audi and Mercedes too and hence why they were common in the fleet but not anymore. Their partnership with Audi included providing Audi service cars to Porsche customers. These fleet cars have the dealer's car plate frames on them though (but not always)

The BMWs that are from the dealers are not really well equipped though as they seem to not really have any options included in them. It could be that because EHI is such a huge customer, the BMW dealer ordered a bunch of BMWs for them as if it was a fleet order.

Auto Enthusiast

Maybe not truly float. You probably won't see them released for a one-way out of the region.

qs933

My guess would be that pre-pandemic, there really wasn't very much inter-mixing of the Enterprise Fleet Management customers' fleets and the EHI rental fleet. With the supply chain problem and lack of inventory, all the past rules were thrown out the window and they just move vehicles where then need them to be, including pressing retired service loaners into the rental fleet or floating them around.

dwbf11

This wasn't a service loaner; it was definitely an individual's personal vehicle that was purchased at an auction.

xienon

I actually rented one of these last year but without the MSport package. Also 2019 MY. Until now, that was the only 440i Gran Coupe I've ever seen in the fleet. Also strangely classified as an LTAR.

The last gen 4-series is on my personal top 10 list of best looking cars ever, the proportions are just perfect.

m907

While I appreciate BMW's timeless style and how they manage to keep the same basic design looking modern after decades, they have gone downhill lately, IMO. They have run out of ideas so they're overdoing it.

Now, if you want to talk about perfect proportions, I give you the 2010-2014 Mustang.