Lets talk about the M340i with xdrive

[Waffles_s4]

It has a Stock reported 4.1 to 4.0s 0-60 mph w/ xdrive, and sub-4.0 seconds with the RWD.

Pretty amazing giving it weights a bit less than the stock B8/B8.5 S4, and it would take the S4 at least a Stage 1 + good cooling (HX for the SC) to even get those numbers.

It also has the nice exterior looks, very good and modern interior (which I prefer to the B9 interiors on the S4s).

It even beats the B9 S4 stock to stock, so whats not to like?

[bakedziti]

Is BMW still rocking leatherette?
I haven’t driven a xdrive car in a while, so how’s the system in present day? It used to seem quite limited from my recollection.

[Solarsuplex]

I heard they wont sell you just the emblem to put on your own car. I'll never buy a bmw because of it

[fstr n u]

waffles, numbers are deceptive...altitude, temp, track conditions, running launch, etc. If you are focused on 0-60, buy a Porsche 911 Turbo or Nissan GT-R. A "tick" here or there means nothing. Buy the car you want to based on the factors you seek as desirable. I loved my old BMW M3 E46 6MT....no new BMW touches it in any regard except for output, which doesn't mean much. A Mazda Miata is bonkers fun....Honda S2000 same thing. Mean output doesn't net joy. 99% of the automatic cars/SUV's i've driven net zero joy...none whatsoever (i'm being dramatic...all cars built with passion have some element of fun)

I happen to be one of a dying breed who appreciate manual transmissions and full control of the vehicles i drive. Computers and driver assist packages irk me so darn bad it's nuts. I understand in our current automotive climate people no longer understand basic vehicle physics/dynamics and are reliant on these driver assist programs....but it marks a sad day for die hard automotive enthusiasts.

The BMW 340i, M3/M4/M5 are brilliant cars in their own right...an Audi RS7 or Porsche Panamera GTS offers more driving dynamics/feel and fun. Again all of this is subjective....but BMW has lost their way. They will find it again....it just may take a couple years.

[fastboatster]

As I expected, this started to turn into "let's shittalk the m340i with xdrive" very quickly)
Just like the OP, this is a car I'm interested in as well and could see myself in 3 or 4 years down the road when awesome BMW depreciation kicks in. Maybe earlier if I get my shift together and start working on my career. I saw a lot of rave reviews about m340i and how BMW got rid of the vagueness and softness of the f series chassis again. Would appreciate constructive discussion here and hear the impressions of people who drove it.

[fastboatster]

waffles, numbers are deceptive...altitude, temp, track conditions, running launch, etc. If you are focused on 0-60, buy a Porsche 911 Turbo or Nissan GT-R. A "tick" here or there means nothing. Buy the car you want to based on the factors you seek as desirable. I loved my old BMW M3 E46 6MT....no new BMW touches it in any regard except for output, which doesn't mean much. A Mazda Miata is bonkers fun....Honda S2000 same thing. Mean output doesn't net joy. 99% of the automatic cars/SUV's i've driven net zero joy...none whatsoever (i'm being dramatic...all cars built with passion have some element of fun)

I happen to be one of a dying breed who appreciate manual transmissions and full control of the vehicles i drive. Computers and driver assist packages irk me so darn bad it's nuts. I understand in our current automotive climate people no longer understand basic vehicle physics/dynamics and are reliant on these driver assist programs....but it marks a sad day for die hard automotive enthusiasts.

The BMW 340i, M3/M4/M5 are brilliant cars in their own right...an Audi RS7 or Porsche Panamera GTS offers more driving dynamics/feel and fun. Again all of this is subjective....but BMW has lost their way. They will find it again....it just may take a couple years.

Love your comparison of 340i with rs7 and some porsche. The new 340is are advertised for low-50k on one of my local dealers lots, not sure I can say the same about the rs7. And they might have just returned to form with the g20 3 series chassis. But I guess OP just needs to have a test drive

[bakedziti]

Given the responses thus far, I’d say this is a bit dramatic.

As I expected, this started to turn into "let's shittalk the m340i with xdrive" very quickly)

Especially when the last sentence of OP was this:

It even beats the B9 S4 stock to stock, so whats not to like?

I can agree that some of the alternatives brought into the discussion don’t fit, but there’s been zero “shittalking”; simply members responding to the question presented by OP.

Personally, I still have my questions above that were my reasoning for avoiding BMW in the past.

[Waffles_s4]

waffles, numbers are deceptive...altitude, temp, track conditions, running launch, etc. If you are focused on 0-60, buy a Porsche 911 Turbo or Nissan GT-R. A "tick" here or there means nothing. Buy the car you want to based on the factors you seek as desirable. I loved my old BMW M3 E46 6MT....no new BMW touches it in any regard except for output, which doesn't mean much. A Mazda Miata is bonkers fun....Honda S2000 same thing. Mean output doesn't net joy. 99% of the automatic cars/SUV's i've driven net zero joy...none whatsoever (i'm being dramatic...all cars built with passion have some element of fun)

I happen to be one of a dying breed who appreciate manual transmissions and full control of the vehicles i drive. Computers and driver assist packages irk me so darn bad it's nuts. I understand in our current automotive climate people no longer understand basic vehicle physics/dynamics and are reliant on these driver assist programs....but it marks a sad day for die hard automotive enthusiasts.

The BMW 340i, M3/M4/M5 are brilliant cars in their own right...an Audi RS7 or Porsche Panamera GTS offers more driving dynamics/feel and fun. Again all of this is subjective....but BMW has lost their way. They will find it again....it just may take a couple years.

It's actual 0-60 dray times from owners. The m340i is not the same class as the Rs7 and porsche.

Am comparing it to the B9 s4 and it I think it beats it in every way.

Cars today are trying to be multiple things at once : fun to drive, can seat a family on a trip, fast on straights and a little involving on turns, while being winter machines. They also have to be easy to drive by women. To satisfy all these needs u have no choice but to add tons of electronics, driving modes, and so on. Not everyone want 3-4 vehicles to do different things.

[BDP]

If I was going to move into a new BMW it would be a used M550i. Personally, I'd take a used CP F80 over a m340i and buy myself a beater to drive in the winter.

[XxSullyxX123]

I heard they wont sell you just the emblem to put on your own car. I'll never buy a bmw because of it

i see what you did there

[fastboatster]

Given the responses thus far, I’d say this is a bit dramatic.



Especially when the last sentence of OP was this:



I can agree that some of the alternatives brought into the discussion don’t fit, but there’s been zero “shittalking”; simply members responding to the question presented by OP.

Personally, I still have my questions above that were my reasoning for avoiding BMW in the past.

I was typing my post after the first 3 posts which seemed to be concerned about the leatherette and all. This discussion didn’t devolve into the shittalk, that’s correct

[Allan691]

..so whats not to like?

The interior?

[Waffles_s4]

The interior?

Way better put together and organized than the B9, where stuff is all over the place, and with no logical symmetry if u know what I mean. The screen is part of the dash instead of "on" the dash, and the placement of buttons is more logical and easier to use.

The B9 interior feels like 3 people who disagree with each other put it together without consulting each other. It doesnot flow well not follow a pattern. The b8 interior is obviously older and a less high tech, but at least its a lot more logical and symmetrical than the B9.

[Midnight_Rider]

BMW's tend to ride harsher. Sister had a 435 M package, and I drove M3/M4/M5 and they're all just too harsh and weird. Worst part is their shifter. I hate them a lot. Coming from Evo and S2k, that's the part that I can't get over, on how sharp those two cars shift.

I hate the ZF 8 speed too. Fast, but no soul.

But BMW's are just weird. I think their leathers are weird, and their traction system is odd too.

I think Audi does a better job on daily driver. I'm old, so I'd like to not feel every bump in the road like I did when I was younger.

[Allan691]

Way better put together and organized than the B9, where stuff is all over the place, and with no logical symmetry if u know what I mean. The screen is part of the dash instead of "on" the dash, and the placement of buttons is more logical and easier to use.

The B9 interior feels like 3 people who disagree with each other put it together without consulting each other. It doesnot flow well not follow a pattern. The b8 interior is obviously older and a less high tech, but at least its a lot more logical and symmetrical than the B9.

Gotta agree with you there; not a fan at all of modern Audi interiors. But I was not really considering the B9.. Just BMW interiors in general.

[19birel]

The X-Drive in the M340i is much improved from the previous iterations, it'll let you have some fun without sending all the power to the front an being a buzzkill like it used to be. Not sure how it handles crazy high hp though, rwd might still be the play in that regard. Stock for stock the M340i feels much faster than the S4, and there is a lot of development for the motor on the tuning front because it's just a slightly juiced up version of the Supra motor. I would also say the BMW is more fun to drive than the S4.

That said the S4 is still a great car, the ride is a little more supple than M340i and it feels a bit more relaxed. You can't go wrong with either car, drive them both and see what you think.

Personally I think I would be inclined to buy the BMW, but the S4 is still a properly good car so it would be a tough choice.

[Waffles_s4]

Well honestly speaking, I would never look into a bmw if the B9 s4 was not a mess of an interior, and am not a fan of the ZF8. That tranny like many said has no soul, and its jerky on my q5, am not a fan.

The m340i is significantly faster than both the b8 and B9 s4 stock.

[Dr GP]

the 440i x drive can be purchased with a 6MT! One of the few German luxo- performance cars with AWD and MT still available.

[Waffles_s4]

Not a fan of MT for many reasons, but I understand those who enjoy and love driving a MT. Sadly, in 10 years, u would hardly even have a tranny with all those electric cars lol

Its gonna be a total silence of acceleration, handling like in void space. Going to the race track would be like watching a move in mute. Great.

[fastboatster]

Yeah, except that the manufacturers are already thinking of using 2 or 3 speed transmissions to improve the EV range. In theory, 2MT EV is possible but all that torque will kill the clutch very quickly. Btw, Honda had a manual hybrid civic in the early 2000s, I kind of want it)

[TC_S4]

I owned two BMWs in the past, 325i & 335Xdrive. Both were brand new and keeped for 3 years. They're fun car to drive but reliabilities was a nightmare. I been so many times at the dealer, they should give me a VIP membership. Anyway, hope the new models are more reliable, I gave up long ago this brand.

[Can_I_Haz?]

I have had many BMWs and I heavily modded them. I just want to call out the fact that BMW lately has had less than stellar quality concerns and most importantly they nickle and dime you for every feature you want. Example my ~30k e92 ended up ~40k optioned. I would check OTD fully optioned prices. Also because of what I mentioned earlier, please do you homework on maintenance and quality issues if you're buying, they maybe still have stellar maintenance coverage including all your oil changes and even brake pads which makes them ideal for leasing. Ironically Audi had quality issues and BMWs were solid 15 years ago.

[oaybar007]

I feel the b8 interior will continue to age well. I had two b9 loaners this past Fall and while nice, it just wasn't for me. I couldn't wait to jump back in my S4. The main issue, and very serious on this, was that my gigantic coffee would not fit in the cup holders (height-wise). Not cool. Not cool!

[Allan691]

I feel the b8 interior will continue to age well.

Agree.. except for my leather.. which has stopped aging well, and begun to look like Mick Jagger.

[tiger5555]

Not sure if the OP was looking at the revised exterior (I think 2019) but not a fan of the new kidney grill style.

[Waffles_s4]

Agree.. except for my leather.. which has stopped aging well, and begun to look like Mick Jagger.

Lol.

BMW is taking reliability a lot more seriously guys, google and learn for yourselves.

At the same time the B9 s4 is far from bullet proof, people are having quality issues and drivetrain issues. Interior squeaks, gearbox errors. Will see how placing the turbo on top of the engine fairs long-term. It didnot work well with the M5 in the past

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=792973

[Waffles_s4]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fp_j3-2LGc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1hbsk7_Ihk

[fstr n u]

I don't want anyone thinking we are trash talking BMW's....i love German cars and specified in my post above that my E46 M3 6MT was one of my favorite cars ever. The 3/4 series produced since are not built with the same passion for the driver. BMW and automotive journalists have all commented on the same and you can feel it in their cars. The Audi cars are fairly rock solid, i've had a few....BMW's of the same generation cannot say the same thing. I work on cars myself and have friends who wrench on Mercedes, BMW, Audi, GM/Ford and Dodge cars...our BMW garage locally is much busier dealing with warranty claims than the Audi is....

Either way, drive the cars you're interested in, and buy the one that appeals to you the most. If you have warranty, then enjoy whichever car you desire. Post warranty, i'd be leaning towards the Audi. just my 2 cents. I've owned almost 30 cars in my lifetime and am slowly figuring out what it is i want most in a car.

[Can_I_Haz?]

BMW 2 series is the new 3 series of you loved the e46, it's a far better comparison.

[fastboatster]

I don't want anyone thinking we are trash talking BMW's....i love German cars and specified in my post above that my E46 M3 6MT was one of my favorite cars ever. The 3/4 series produced since are not built with the same passion for the driver. BMW and automotive journalists have all commented on the same and you can feel it in their cars. The Audi cars are fairly rock solid, i've had a few....BMW's of the same generation cannot say the same thing. I work on cars myself and have friends who wrench on Mercedes, BMW, Audi, GM/Ford and Dodge cars...our BMW garage locally is much busier dealing with warranty claims than the Audi is....

Either way, drive the cars you're interested in, and buy the one that appeals to you the most. If you have warranty, then enjoy whichever car you desire. Post warranty, i'd be leaning towards the Audi. just my 2 cents. I've owned almost 30 cars in my lifetime and am slowly figuring out what it is i want most in a car.

I'm going to say that given your baseline (e46 m3), you'll invariably find all the subsequent cars, especially non-M to be less entertaining. Many believe e46 m3 is the best M3 ever built. So yes, not a good base line.
I also don't think that e46 was the last good 3 series. I'm , for one, having a ball driving my n51 powered e90. Puts a bigger smile on my face than the s4. And the f30 chassis with m sport suspension is also fun.
As for the reliability, perhaps Audi's tend to have failures right past the warranty? And/or Audi and VW are very good at turning people away with warranty claims. Nobody can seriously talk how reliabile Audi's are given widely known oil consumption problems in their tfsi engines or timing chain/tensioner failures. Lastly, can you really call the S4/S5 dsg a good enginering piece if basically half of the b8/b8.5 model years were prone to problems with it?
Don't get me wrong, the s4 has its positives such as better comfort, luxury, maybe better looks (not so sure) and has enough of the go, and everybody looks at me like I'm some kind of up and coming young programmer when i step out of it, but I'm keeping mine only because I just spent some coin fixing it's dsg and want to get some use out this money.

[fstr n u]

Fastboaster:
1. BMW's have produced many non-M car greats...i just happened to be lucky to stumble across mine and appreciate what it was.
2. I don't know anyone...literally anyone boasting about the N51 engine powered E90 BMW. Be proud you are 1 of 7.7 billion (that's rare)
3. Without hard data this is hard to show of the car folk i know (and they are 10's of thousands many) the Audi's from 2006+ are holding up significantly better than the BMW counterparts (and Mercedes on this note). Volkswagen (though part of the same parent company) has definitely wronged the public and denied warranty claims that should've been honored (you are correct there).
4. I never said the B8 dsg was engineered well. I unlike most people have 2 feet (left and right), and i prefer to use my left foot on a clutch and right on accelerator pedal/brake. 5. The Audi DSG transmission and mechtronic brain is garbage...and i'll never own one.
6. The BMW x-drive system (unlike Audi awd systems which can vary) are garbage though. BMW also uses very unreliable ignition and intake parts which fail prematurely. Audi doesn't suffer from these same issues. Audi suffered in their initial round of S4/S5's with cooling/thermostats, etc. That's been rectified unlike BMW's continuance on using the same tech that has plagued their cars with issues going back to 2009 and earlier.

Either way, each to their own. Those that know cars know better. I won't offer my final verdict....it is implied.
PS I receive no offerings/fees from Audi/VW/Seat, etc. I work in health care and happen to have a love for automobiles and enjoy most things German. BMW will find their way...and when they do, one will grace my garage again. If i had the money, i'd have a BMW 850 V12 sitting in my garage as a thing of beauty.

Ryan

[fastboatster]

Fastboaster:
2. I don't know anyone...literally anyone boasting about the N51 engine powered E90 BMW. Be proud you are 1 of 7.7 billion (that's rare)
Ryan

I don't think I'm that rare, a lot of people actually like 6 cylinder naturally aspirated e90 bmws (n51 = SULEV n52 variant). I'm not boasting about the car itself (it's not an M3 or even 335i), it might not be the most fun car ever, but I'm rather very happy how much fun it provides for the little money it costs (5-6k max only if it has a 6 mt). I like that it likes to rev and kind of wants you to rev it. A worthy successor to e46 chassis.
P.S. some parts of my response were not really directed at you, I wholeheartedly agree that dsg is garbage. I do hope that there will be another BMW you'll like in the future. And if not, there are other brands, too.

[Dr GP]

BMW 2 series is the new 3 series of you loved the e46, it's a far better comparison.

I'm kinda intrigued by the M235i x drive Gran Coupe with 301 HP. Too bad it is a 4 cylinder rather than the 335 hp V6 in the M 340i x drive coupe

[Waffles_s4]

Audis improved reliability from 2015 models years and up, specially on the 2.0T engines.

The 3.0T platform in general is solid, but lets not forget all the issues with DSG, PCV, carbon secondary ports, cats burning, chain tensioners, and so on. EACH of these cost at least $1000 in repairs, up to 2-3K is not uncommon.

The ZF might be more reliable than the DSG, but its def not as fun. Audi should have used the Porsche's PDK.

I think BMW is doing since 2018 what Audi did in 2015+ try to increase reliability and appeal, because they realize that even when people lease cars, they dont wanna spend 4 weeks a year in the shop.

The S4's 333 or 354 hp is nowadays lacking in power compared to its competitors, stock to stock. The new b9 s4 is meh at best, and it has its own issues for sure. AMG has its own tranny issues as well right now

[Waffles_s4]

Test drove the m340i. What a car. Makes the b8.5 feel like a car from the 80s, and the B9s4 a messy interior with a lot more to desire.

Engine is superb, car pulls really hard, exhaust and tranny are something else...

Probably my next car.

[BlackSVT]

take this for what it's worth -
I had a Sunset Orange M340i as a loaner while my M2c was in for maintenance. I also daily a Stage2+ 3.0T Q5 (aka S4 wannabe-Heavy).
I absolutely love the M2c. The Q5 will smoke both the M2 and M340i in a straight line, but that's the extent of its performance.

As far as the M340i - it's definitely quick. Surprisingly so for the dumpy looks of the thing. With XDrive and the quick-shifting ZF8 in Sport+ it's about as simple as the Q5 to rip off 4 sec 0-60s and Rental-car laughs. But after that, I started looking around the overdone video-game dash, wondering where they hid any amount of steering feel, hating the too-big heft, and gacking at the pure ugliness of the car in what might otherwise be a decent color on an M2/M3. It just felt antiseptic and disconnected coming from the M2. No soul, fake AF exhaust pops on overrun... I can't say it's not a nice enough sport sedan on paper given a lot of the competition, but I couldn't wait to give it back in exchange for either of my cars.

In fairness, I think I'm just not a BMW guy because it's the 3rd loaner I've had since going to the dark side, and the M2 remains as the only BMW I get out of anxiously awaiting the next time I drive it.

[AngelR]

In fairness, I think I'm just not a BMW guy because it's the 3rd loaner I've had since going to the dark side, and the M2 remains as the only BMW I get out of anxiously awaiting the next time I drive it.

Not surprised at this. The M2 is the closest in their current line up to the beloved cars BMW used to offer, the E36, E46 era cars, full of frenetic energy and tons of road feel. It's the only thing they offer that I could imagine sharing the garage with my 07 M coupe at the moment.

[Waffles_s4]

take this for what it's worth -
I had a Sunset Orange M340i as a loaner while my M2c was in for maintenance. I also daily a Stage2+ 3.0T Q5 (aka S4 wannabe-Heavy).
I absolutely love the M2c. The Q5 will smoke both the M2 and M340i in a straight line, but that's the extent of its performance.

As far as the M340i - it's definitely quick. Surprisingly so for the dumpy looks of the thing. With XDrive and the quick-shifting ZF8 in Sport+ it's about as simple as the Q5 to rip off 4 sec 0-60s and Rental-car laughs. But after that, I started looking around the overdone video-game dash, wondering where they hid any amount of steering feel, hating the too-big heft, and gacking at the pure ugliness of the car in what might otherwise be a decent color on an M2/M3. It just felt antiseptic and disconnected coming from the M2. No soul, fake AF exhaust pops on overrun... I can't say it's not a nice enough sport sedan on paper given a lot of the competition, but I couldn't wait to give it back in exchange for either of my cars.

In fairness, I think I'm just not a BMW guy because it's the 3rd loaner I've had since going to the dark side, and the M2 remains as the only BMW I get out of anxiously awaiting the next time I drive it.

Stage 2+ vs a stock M340i: Not a fair comparison by any stretch. The stage 2+ is rated what, 480hp? Stock M340I is rated 382hp. The stock M340i will smoke a stock B8.5 and a stock B9 S4 out of the water. You cannot compare a stage 2+ which wont last as long as a stock M340i, sorry, but thats true (burned cats, leaking SC, and the list goes on and on).

M2 is not a family sedan. Think of it like the RS3: small interior, meant more for the performance oriented daily driver. so its not fair to compare it to a M340i or Q5. Q5, besides the engine being powerful, has nothing to do with performance driving, curves, handling, etc, its an SUV.

The dash is a matter of taste, I like it, and I like how you can customize it. Same concept with the exhaust pops.

[jsh139]

I test drove a 340ix when I was looking to get out of my S4. It was ok. Didn't really wow me. I'm happy to hear that the M340ix at least has some more character to it.

[BlackSVT]

Stage 2+ vs a stock M340i: Not a fair comparison by any stretch. The stage 2+ is rated what, 480hp? Stock M340I is rated 382hp. The stock M340i will smoke a stock B8.5 and a stock B9 S4 out of the water. You cannot compare a stage 2+ which wont last as long as a stock M340i, sorry, but thats true (burned cats, leaking SC, and the list goes on and on).

M2 is not a family sedan. Think of it like the RS3: small interior, meant more for the performance oriented daily driver. so its not fair to compare it to a M340i or Q5. Q5, besides the engine being powerful, has nothing to do with performance driving, curves, handling, etc, its an SUV.

The dash is a matter of taste, I like it, and I like how you can customize it. Same concept with the exhaust pops.

Like I said, take it for what it's worth. As in: here are the cars I drive daily and my background. I don't particularly favor either manufacturer. Take into account when you read below and ignore if it doesn't jive with info you're looking for.

I was thoroughly excited when I found out the 340 was going to be my loaner. I was ultimately bummed though. Much like I am with most Audi stuff of late. Although the SQ8 has some promise to replace my Q5.
Also wasn't insinuating the Q5 was a "better" car or even implying a comparison. Was more saying it doesn't have much performance going for it other than straight line which is pretty stout for a shit-transporter/all-weather/random 1/4 miler. BTW it's at 110k miles, Stage 1 since 25k and 2+ since just before 50k so I'm not sure I agree about not lasting long.

Of course all 3 cars are all over the map and not direct competitors for some. I'm typically just looking for my next fun to drive thing so I don't usually bin things into specific classes.
Is the M340i a nice car? Absolutely! It's just not my thing despite desperately wanting to see something out there by BMW, Audi, anyone, that is a nice stock platform on which to build. It sounds like you like it for your use which is perfect!