[Mkj0811]

I was reading through these pages and I just wanted to add in here.. As a 430i owner, everything is dependent on what you want. Stats wise, the 440i is faster than the 430i, that’s just reality. The M4 smokes both, that’s just facts and there will most likely be a car faster than yours on the road. At the end of the day, what you choose to get is based on what you like, what you need daily, what you can afford etc. some people like having the extra power on hand, some love the power but can only afford the 430i. Neither one of these cars is less than the other and just cause I chose a 430i doesn’t mean I’m any less of a bmw driver than the guy in the 440i or M4. The fact that we all can afford BMWs here is amazing on its own, many people don’t have that luxury.. I came from a Chevy Cruze, lol the 430i was the perfect upgrade and I am on a single persons income. I was able to add in all the features I wanted without putting myself in extreme debt. For me, I wanted the ultimate driving machine and I got that in the 430i. I enjoyed my Chevy Cruze even with its measly 138hp lol because I love the car itself and I love driving and now I’m absolutely in love with my 430i. The 440i is amazing, though I haven’t driven it myself (too scared I’ll fall in love tbh and make a poor financial decision lol) but we’re all BMW drivers at the end of the day here. We all chose our cars cause we love them and we love driving them. We should all just be responsible drivers on the road regardless of power. I’ll always have a smile on my face when I drive my car, and I don’t think I’m a big car person but I love seeing other BMWs on the road too.

Just get what you like and what makes you happy, everyone else’s opinions on your car and your choice truly are irrelevant and assuming that someone is irresponsible because they have a nicer or faster car is not fair either.

[toddwalton]

Originally Posted by Mkj0811

I was reading through these pages and I just wanted to add in here.. As a 430i owner, everything is dependent on what you want. Neither one of these cars is less than the other and just cause I chose a 430i doesn’t mean I’m any less of a bmw driver than the guy in the 440i or M4. The fact that we all can afford BMWs here is amazing on its own, many people don’t have that luxury..

Well said.

[madpistol]

Originally Posted by toddwalton

At its core, the question of 40i vs. 30i boils down to how irresponsible a BMW owner wants to be. It has nothing to do with performance, it has nothing to do with money, it has everything to do with some immature individuals turning suburban streets into a videogame. And I'm not for that, sorry. I've got kids walking to school out there. Go to a track, fine. But on my streets? Slow down. Thanks.

So I'm an immature individual turning the suburbs into a video game? Huh... Your mentality is utterly insane, especially since I'm a mid/late 30's adult, and the only place where I test the speed of my car is on open highways away from pedestrians and traffic. More often than not, if I'm in traffic or on the highway, I will set my Driving Assistant Pro partial self-driving system (something that your car does not have, and thus you have no experience with), and let it drive for me... because I like the luxury aspect of my car.

If that's truly how you feel, maybe it's time to step away from this group. Not all of us are "immature individuals" as you so eloquently put it. If you think 40i owners are bad, feel free to take a trip over to the M3/M4 forums. Those guys are on another level.

[cyam]

If you have to ask this question then get the 30. End of story.

I have never bought any car and said, "oh yeah this is plenty fast enough", never. That includes brand new 911 turbos ET al.

[leasehackr]

Great thread!

My 21-year-old son has an M440i xDrive Gran Coupe on order, but I’m considering switching it to a 430i xDrive GC. He’s got a full-time job and can cover the payments, so affordability isn’t the issue.

My concern is more about the use case: it’ll be his daily driver for work in the PNW. Does he really need an M Performance car for his first ride? Is there any practical reason for an M-car in everyday driving?

Maybe I’m biased because of the lease payments. The difference is about $10k, which adds roughly $300 per month to the lease. But does the M badge, B46 vs B58 and extra performance justify the M440i for a 21-year-old? and there is drama already as you can imagine when talked about switching the order..lol

Here are the builds for reference:

M440i xDrive Gran Coupe - $69,925
https://www.bmwusa.com/build-your-ow...shdt5u/summary


430i xDrive Gran Coupe - $60,475
https://www.bmwusa.com/build-your-ow...s1i3bj/summary

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by leasehackr

Great thread!

My 21-year-old son has an M440i xDrive Gran Coupe on order, but I’m considering switching it to a 430i xDrive GC. He’s got a full-time job and can cover the payments, so affordability isn’t the issue.

My concern is more about the use case: it’ll be his daily driver for work in the PNW. Does he really need an M Performance car for his first ride? Is there any practical reason for an M-car in everyday driving?

Maybe I’m biased because of the lease payments. The difference is about $10k, which adds roughly $300 per month to the lease. But does the M badge and extra performance justify the M440i for a 21-year-old?

Here are the builds for reference:

M440i xDrive Gran Coupe - $69,925
https://www.bmwusa.com/build-your-ow...shdt5u/summary


430i xDrive Gran Coupe - $60,475
https://www.bmwusa.com/build-your-ow...s1i3bj/summary

He will enjoy either. As far as practical reasons for the M440 - if he’s on the interstate or highway a lot, then the M440 will have more power for on ramps and passing other vehicles. Obviously that can be dangerous if you’re irresponsible. But if you’re responsible, I think it’s actually safer to have the power in case you need it. You know your kid, so better for you to judge.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by NGT2

Obviously that can be dangerous if you’re irresponsible. But if you’re responsible, I think it’s actually safer to have the power in case you need it. You know your kid, so better for you to judge.

Within my circle of contacts, the universal approach is to get 7-second cars for the new/young drivers, since these drivers usually are not experienced enough to control speeds.

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

Within my circle of contacts, the universal approach is to get 7-second cars for the new/young drivers, since these drivers usually are not experienced enough to control speeds.

Agreed. At 21, I assume the driver in question has some experience. I’ve had 330’s as loaners and even with the 4 cyl engine, I can easily see a teenager getting into some trouble in that car. Fun car to throw around and put your foot into.

[5ilver-5amurai]

Originally Posted by leasehackr

Great thread!

My 21-year-old son has an M440i xDrive Gran Coupe on order, but I’m considering switching it to a 430i xDrive GC. He’s got a full-time job and can cover the payments, so affordability isn’t the issue.

My concern is more about the use case: it’ll be his daily driver for work in the PNW. Does he really need an M Performance car for his first ride? Is there any practical reason for an M-car in everyday driving?

Maybe I’m biased because of the lease payments. The difference is about $10k, which adds roughly $300 per month to the lease. But does the M badge, B46 vs B58 and extra performance justify the M440i for a 21-year-old? and there is drama already as you can imagine when talked about switching the order..lol

Here are the builds for reference:

M440i xDrive Gran Coupe - $69,925
https://www.bmwusa.com/build-your-ow...shdt5u/summary


430i xDrive Gran Coupe - $60,475
https://www.bmwusa.com/build-your-ow...s1i3bj/summary

Man - this is a tough one. Truth be told, to the younger generation there is a huge difference between a 430i and an M440i. We may realize that the practical difference in normal driving situations isn't big, but bragging rights amongst the lads is hard to quantify. Plus the M comes as a badge of honor these days, especially given that these cars are now getting purchased by younger and younger buyers because of their social media clout.

Personally speaking, I wouldn't have trusted a 21 year old with anything north of 300 HP, but since you've already showed him that you were receptive to it, I would try to make him very very responsibly drive the M440i so he's not resentful. Good luck!

[leasehackr]

Originally Posted by 5ilver-5amurai

Man - this is a tough one. Truth be told, to the younger generation there is a huge difference between a 430i and an M440i. We may realize that the practical difference in normal driving situations isn't big, but bragging rights amongst the lads is hard to quantify. Plus the M comes as a badge of honor these days, especially given that these cars are now getting purchased by younger and younger buyers because of their social media clout.

Personally speaking, I wouldn't have trusted a 21 year old with anything north of 300 HP, but since you've already showed him that you were receptive to it, I would try to make him very very responsibly drive the M440i so he's not resentful. Good luck!

I have to admit, it was my inner child that pushed for the M440i. Originally, he was set on the i4 or a standard 4 Series coupe, but I said no GC looks good. Then I kept upgrading it myself to the M... LOL.

He’s actually very sensible—he’s a full-time s/w engr, much more focused on his career than anything social. In fact, the only social platforms he’s on are Reddit and Discord, mainly for gaming.

My main concern is his safety with that much power under the hood.

and Now M badge may be the prestige thing.

[komoornik]

A 3 series in Europe can be a 318i - 2.0L 150 BHP.

And that's probably a max I would go as a first car

[MM70]

Originally Posted by leasehackr

I have to admit, it was my inner child that pushed for the M440i. Originally, he was set on the i4 or a standard 4 Series coupe, but I said no GC looks good. Then I kept upgrading it myself to the M... LOL.

He’s actually very sensible—he’s a full-time s/w engr, much more focused on his career than anything social. In fact, the only social platforms he’s on are Reddit and Discord, mainly for gaming.

My main concern is his safety with that much power under the hood.

and Now M badge may be the prestige thing.

You can buy the M badges and add then to the 430

[Montaver]

Originally Posted by leasehackr

I have to admit, it was my inner child that pushed for the M440i. Originally, he was set on the i4 or a standard 4 Series coupe, but I said no GC looks good. Then I kept upgrading it myself to the M... LOL.

He’s actually very sensible—he’s a full-time s/w engr, much more focused on his career than anything social. In fact, the only social platforms he’s on are Reddit and Discord, mainly for gaming.

My main concern is his safety with that much power under the hood.

and Now M badge may be the prestige thing.

Have owned a G20 with both engines, you can get into trouble very easily in either car. Safety is about the driver, not the engine. More power actually gives you more options to get out of trouble, merging on short entry ramps for example. An m440 at 70k is much better value than a 430 at 60k imo.

[toddwalton]

Originally Posted by leasehackr

I have to admit, it was my inner child that pushed for the M440i. Originally, he was set on the i4 or a standard 4 Series coupe, but I said no GC looks good. Then I kept upgrading it myself to the M... LOL.

He’s actually very sensible—he’s a full-time s/w engr, much more focused on his career than anything social. In fact, the only social platforms he’s on are Reddit and Discord, mainly for gaming.

My main concern is his safety with that much power under the hood.

and Now M badge may be the prestige thing.

Whoever is going to be paying the monthly insurance premium is the one who needs to make this decision as these cars are not in the same ballpark when it comes to coverage.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by Montaver

Have owned a G20 with both engines, you can get into trouble very easily in either car. Safety is about the driver, not the engine. More power actually gives you more options to get out of trouble, merging on short entry ramps for example. An m440 at 70k is much better value than a 430 at 60k imo.

My thinking is that less power allows the inexperienced driver to learn how to anticipate before getting into those tight spots.

As far as short entry ramps, like 110 south around South Pasadena, I would say a 7 to 8-second car works just fine, as long as the inexperienced drivers learn to wait patiently.

And I have witnessed experienced drivers with high-power cars recklessly entering the same short entry ramps to merge and ending up in crashes.

So the cool-headed drivers usually prevail regardless of high power or not.

[Montaver]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

My thinking is that less power allows the inexperienced driver to learn how to anticipate before getting into those tight spots.

As far as short entry ramps, like 110 south around South Pasadena, I would say a 7 to 8-second car works just fine, as long as the inexperienced drivers learn to wait patiently.

And I have witnessed experienced drivers with high-power cars recklessly entering the same short entry ramps to merge and ending up in crashes.

So the cool-headed drivers usually prevail regardless of high power or not.

All other things being equal - more power is better as it gives you more options.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by leasehackr

He’s actually very sensible—he’s a full-time s/w engr, much more focused on his career than anything social. In fact, the only social platforms he’s on are Reddit and Discord, mainly for gaming.

My main concern is his safety with that much power under the hood.

You may ask your son what he really likes, e.g. many 20-something engineers around here are perfectly fine taking shuttles to work and public transportations to socialize. For those with cars, many go for Model 3(esp. those who still qualify for $7500 fed credit), and Civic/Corolla because their friends drive those too.

[MBM340]

In my mid 50s what would I give my 21 year old self? Tough call. My last two cars were a 330i and now an M340i. Both are very nice cars, but the M340 is no joke if you don't respect it.
As many have said if he is mature enough to handle it then the M is awesome, but spending a great deal of time with the exotic community I have seen many nice cars wadded up like trash driven by people who had no business being behind the wheel.
Only you know him. Keep him safe.

[leasehackr]

Update:


I took him to test drive both the 430i xDrive and the M440i.

The 430i test drive was pretty short since the sales advisor rode with us and just had us make a few basic turns—didn’t even take us on the freeway. It was during Friday rush hour, so I didn’t get to test drive it myself, only he did.

Today, we went to a different BMW center where I usually take my BMW's for service. I know these guys and they gave us an M440i with a full tank to drive on our own. We both took turns driving it on the freeway and local roads, testing all the modes—Sport, Sport+, Comfort, Eco, etc. I have to admit, I really like the way the M440i drives.

If I were giving my 21-year-old self the option, I’d probably pick the M Performance over the 430i too!

Ran some lease numbers, and it comes in the high $800s. He said he’ll gladly pay it... haha.

And of course, I’m covering the insurance.

[leasehackr]

Still not touching my order...keeping it as-is

[MM70]

Originally Posted by leasehackr

Still not touching my order...keeping it as-is

Did you add in Adaptive M suspension as an option?

https://www.bmw-m.com/en/topics/maga...-fahrwerk.html

[leasehackr]

Originally Posted by MM70

Did you add in Adaptive M suspension as an option?

https://www.bmw-m.com/en/topics/maga...-fahrwerk.html

Yes, I added it. below is my build.

All of my X5 and 530i-Msport has/had 2VF. Never going to order BMW without 2VF.


also, I was checking today the M440i I drove, it didn't have 2VF-Adaptive M.