[RPM1123]

Originally Posted by MT4life

I don't what it costs to lease an M550 but if it's close to 340 you might as well get the biggest fastest in a straight line pig money can buy

I just specced an M550xi to be roughly equivalent to my $70k M340i (driving assistance plus, heated seats, premium package) and it came to ~79k. Even assuming a moderate 4% discount the payment is only $100 more than what my M340i payments will be. My M340i has $1.5k worth of carbon fiber bits on it though, take those off and the difference gets slightly larger.

My brain hurts now. This doesn't make sense. I know the M550xi will get a price bump with the coming LCI, but the price disparity between a 5 series with a V8 and a 3 series with an I6 should be a lot larger and now has me questioning my decision.

[hans007]

Originally Posted by Smooth 330i

as far as I've read 330 has an analog dash option with the proper rpm layout and also pure exhaust design vs finishers

the m3 will have weight saving tech hence why they will charge more but yeah overall it seems as if it will be heavier than f80 but probably lighter than 340

Right, the 330i, you have the option of not taking the nav system, which lets you not have live cockpit pro. Its still digital though, just the dials look like analog ones (and well you also wouldn't have a nav system which kinda sucks). I agree the exhaust finishers on the m340i are terrible.

BMW seems like they are straight getting lazy and doesn't care anymore since they know people will buy the M cars anyway regardless of weight. the x3 m weighs quite a bit more than the X3 m40i (like 250lbs). I'd guess they are phoning it in, while focusing on electric stuff given, the huge investment needed (and its not like they are tesla where the investment community will let them light VC money on fire, and lose money year after year to do r&d)

I bet maybe if we're lucky BMW lets you not option a moonroof on the m3 and get a carbon roof or maybe just a roof with no moonroof. But i'd guess with the bigger brakes, heftier exhaust, more turbos etc it'll probably be basically still be the same weight or more than the m340i.

[Fuller]

Originally Posted by anotheran

I didn't get a chance to compare the 340i weights but this is what i've been trying to tell everyone. you won't realize that 121lbs weight savings unless you strip the car for racing.

it's a big car that really challenges the definition of sports sedan

The definition of a "sports sedan" is subjective though. I for one don't think the regular 3 series, or any of its competitors, are what I would call sports sedans.

In my opinion, a sports car is a car that sacrifices utility and comfort to provide compelling driving experience and performance. Obvious examples are corvette, multiple Porsche models, Miata etc. These examples offer varying performance metrics, and occupy different price brackets, but what they all have in common is a focus on driving to the detriment of everyday utility, efficiency, and, usually, comfort.

To me, a sports sedan is a sedan, or similarly sized coupe, that also makes sacrifices to the attributes that consumers value in everyday cars - like utility, comfort, efficiency etc - in order to provide an elevated level of performance in the form of acceleration, handling etc. By this definition, I'd call the m3, in its current and past guise, a good examples of a sports sedan. The performance is limited within the constraints of the sedan design, so it won't match a purist sports car on every metric, but some utility and comfort is retained by virtue of these attributes being inherent to a sedan.

The 3 series (sport trim or not) isn't really a sports sedan, rather it's a "sporty" sedan. It can be spec'd to offer a "sporty" drive while not giving up much, if anything, in the way of comfort, utility efficiency and what not. Over the course of its design iterations, the 3 series has fluctuated within the spectrum of performance and style, but at its core it's always been a balanced, do-it-all car, not a performance focused sports sedan or sports car.

[BigSky702]

Originally Posted by RPM1123

I just specced an M550xi to be roughly equivalent to my $70k M340i (driving assistance plus, heated seats, premium package) and it came to ~79k. Even assuming a moderate 4% discount the payment is only $100 more than what my M340i payments will be. My M340i has $1.5k worth of carbon fiber bits on it though, take those off and the difference gets slightly larger.

My brain hurts now. This doesn't make sense. I know the M550xi will get a price bump with the coming LCI, but the price disparity between a 5 series with a V8 and a 3 series with an I6 should be a lot larger and now has me questioning my decision.

Yup! I haven’t checked, but I think there may be incentives on the 2019 models plus loyalty credit!

Is it worth it to start this process over again! And wait 2+ months!?!

Yeah it’s a “pig”, but 500 HP and more leg space for me!!
But no laser lights! ��

[RPM33]

Originally Posted by RPM1123

Anyone notice how the M340i has silently gotten a lot heavier? bmwusa.com specs say the M340xi curb weight is 3968lbs. BMW seems to be bragging about the new CLAR architecture reducing weight in press releases, but in the end they still went up.

Some stats. F30 curb weights from edmunds.com, G20 curb weights from bmwusa.com. All automatic weights.

• F30 330i: 3541 lbs
  G20 330i: 3589 lbs (+41lbs)

• F30 330xi: 3706 lbs
  G20 330xi: 3772 lbs (+66lbs)

• F30 340i: 3695 lbs
  G20 M340i: 3849 lbs (+154lbs)

• F30 340xi: 3820 lbs
  G20 M340xi: 3968 lbs (+148lbs)

What do you expect the next M3 Competition to weigh?

[Tyresian]

Originally Posted by anotheran

Also, C&D review units (closer to reality and loaded for reviews):
2019 330i xDrive: 3709lbs
2016 328i xDrive: 3700lbs (fully loaded)

GEEZ!

And to think my 2015 335xi was around 3739lbs and that was a bit heavy for me. Guess that's why I'm in a 2 series now. Gotta say I loved the Alfa Romeo Giulia when I test drove it. Just a reliability and local service center / sales group issue that prevented me from going that route. BMW Dealership has been good to me.

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...e-test-review/

[RPM1123]

Originally Posted by RPM33

What do you expect the next M3 Competition to weigh?

I have no idea. Just reporting existing specs. I'd like to think there would be some additional weight saving measures.

[Ilyam5]

Originally Posted by RPM1123

I just specced an M550xi to be roughly equivalent to my $70k M340i (driving assistance plus, heated seats, premium package) and it came to ~79k. Even assuming a moderate 4% discount the payment is only $100 more than what my M340i payments will be. My M340i has $1.5k worth of carbon fiber bits on it though, take those off and the difference gets slightly larger.

My brain hurts now. This doesn't make sense. I know the M550xi will get a price bump with the coming LCI, but the price disparity between a 5 series with a V8 and a 3 series with an I6 should be a lot larger and now has me questioning my decision.

I had the whole thread about it Search it

In August new 2020 m550 will get 523hp engine from 850. Power is great and the torque is intoxicating. M550 smokes everything on the road short of m5
But after driving them head to head - id stick with m340. It is a more nimble tossable car. G20 chassis is magic. I even enjoyed tossing aroind 330 m sport before m340 arrived. Car drifts around corners, listems to inputs much better vs m550

It will loose in acceleration . M340 needs to wind up to pull. 550 is a train. That v8 is great. But the car is numb at slower speeds. 550 wakes up after 80 mph and at 100 plus feels pretty good
M340 is much more enjoyable at slower speeds
M340 is a substitude for m3 untill it comes out a year from now - now there is nothing better. You can track m340 with those big brakes oil cooler and limited slip. 550 will suffer at the track

[ChrisK]

Originally Posted by MT4life

So larger and heavier and no MT. BMW has spoken

Reminds me of the direction Mercedes took back in the day.

[Ilyam5]

Originally Posted by RPM1123

I just specced an M550xi to be roughly equivalent to my $70k M340i (driving assistance plus, heated seats, premium package) and it came to ~79k.

I found the thread

https://g20.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1576803

Funny to read some comments from January.
340 will never lease for 800-900 - guess what - it does.
It will never cost 70 K - guess what - it does

Current M550 can be found for similar leases so comparison is still very much alive

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by RPM1123

Anyone notice how the M340i has silently gotten a lot heavier? bmwusa.com specs say the M340xi curb weight is 3968lbs. BMW seems to be bragging about the new CLAR architecture reducing weight in press releases, but in the end they still went up.
Some stats. F30 curb weights from edmunds.com, G20 curb weights from bmwusa.com. All automatic weights.

• F30 330i: 3541 lbs
  G20 330i: 3589 lbs (+41lbs)

• F30 330xi: 3706 lbs
  G20 330xi: 3772 lbs (+66lbs)

• F30 340i: 3695 lbs
  G20 M340i: 3849 lbs (+154lbs)

• F30 340xi: 3820 lbs
  G20 M340xi: 3968 lbs (+148lbs)

BMW could plan to inflate the tires with helium and all's gonna be A-OK.

[BigSky702]

Originally Posted by Ilyam5

I had the whole thread about it Search it

In August new 2020 m550 will get 523hp engine from 850. Power is great and the torque is intoxicating. M550 smokes everything on the road short of m5
But after driving them head to head - id stick with m340. It is a more nimble tossable car. G20 chassis is magic. I even enjoyed tossing aroind 330 m sport before m340 arrived. Car drifts around corners, listems to inputs much better vs m550

It will loose in acceleration . M340 needs to wind up to pull. 550 is a train. That v8 is great. But the car is numb at slower speeds. 550 wakes up after 80 mph and at 100 plus feels pretty good
M340 is much more enjoyable at slower speeds
M340 is a substitude for m3 untill it comes out a year from now - now there is nothing better. You can track m340 with those big brakes oil cooler and limited slip. 550 will suffer at the track

Does the M340 handle well at highway speeds (80+ for me ) ??
Sometimes I like to cruise at 100mph ( in Mexico of course)

My point of reference is the M4, which pulls very strongly at higher speeds, but is numb and fatiguing at lower daily driving duties,
guess I’m looking for a jack of all trades. Maybe a DINAN tune will improve the top end in the M340?

[Ilyam5]

Originally Posted by BigSky702

Does the M340 handle well at highway speeds (80+ for me ) ??
Sometimes I like to cruise at 100mph ( in Mexico of course)

My point of reference is the M4, which pulls very strongly at higher speeds, but is numb and fatiguing at lower daily driving duties,
guess I’m looking for a jack of all trades. Maybe a DINAN tune will improve the top end in the M340?

I think all BMWs handle high speeds pretty well. So there is no issues with M340 at triple digit speeds.
It will loose 80-120-155 run to M4. 0-60 is pretty close.

If you look at HP and torque graphs of M4 - BMW did it on purpose - limited the initial torque and Hp so you can put the power down.
But around town and in regular US setting it makes it hard to utilize that. One has to rev that engine to 4K to get it going.
Where initial torque of 550 V8 makes it very easy to jump off line and to fill gaps in traffic at 1.5K rpm. M340 is in between.

To bring this thread to its original point - M340 does not feel heavy at all. It feels nimble and fast, easy to drift and toss into corners.
Where M550 feels heavy and cumbersome on tight roads, M340 is more at home there. It is also easier to drive in traffic and slow situations vs M4. Automatic gear box and Drive assist pro help a lot.

[BigSky702]

Originally Posted by Ilyam5

I think all BMWs handle high speeds pretty well. So there is no issues with M340 at triple digit speeds.
It will loose 80-120-155 run to M4. 0-60 is pretty close.

If you look at HP and torque graphs of M4 - BMW did it on purpose - limited the initial torque and Hp so you can put the power down.
But around town and in regular US setting it makes it hard to utilize that. One has to rev that engine to 4K to get it going.
Where initial torque of 550 V8 makes it very easy to jump off line and to fill gaps in traffic at 1.5K rpm. M340 is in between.

To bring this thread to its original point - M340 does not feel heavy at all. It feels nimble and fast, easy to drift and toss into corners.
Where M550 feels heavy and cumbersome on tight roads, M340 is more at home there. It is also easier to drive in traffic and slow situations vs M4. Automatic gear box and Drive assist pro help a lot.

Got it!

Just finished an impromptu race with old school 335ix (in Mexico of course ) first time experiencing sport+, well everything was in sport+ and the power/exhaust was VERY intoxicating .... that’s my yard stick to measure against. If the M340 can to get 85% of the M feeling, I’ll be content for a couple of years.

[RPiM5]

Wow, thanks for posting OP!

This is unbelievable. First they tell us there's no more manuals. Now they're not telling us, the M340i went up 150lbs from the last 340i?? At 3,9xxlbs, the 3-Series now heavier than both the E39 and E60 5-Series!! With a manual transmission, a lighter weight, and RWD, the F30 340i seems like the more sporty car to me.

I think this may just be a sign of the times. Younger buyers don't want the Ultimate Driving Machine anymore. They want the Ultimate Technology Machine now. And all this new tech adds weight!

Now I can only speculate what the next M3 is going weigh. BMW's are getting fat. Even the new Z4 is heavy for what it is. If this is the trend, I won't be buying a new BMW for a long time, if ever.

[MT4life]

Originally Posted by RPiM5

Wow, thanks for posting OP!

This is unbelievable. First they tell us there's no more manuals. Now they're not telling us, the M340i went up 150lbs from the last 340i?? At 3,9xxlbs, the 3-Series now heavier than both the E39 and E60 5-Series!! With a manual transmission, a lighter weight, and RWD, the F30 340i seems like the more sporty car to me.

I think this may just be a sign of the times. Younger buyers don't want the Ultimate Driving Machine anymore. They want the Ultimate Technology Machine now. And all this new tech adds weight!

Now I can only speculate what the next M3 is going weigh. BMW's are getting fat. Even the new Z4 is heavy for what it is. If this is the trend, I won't be buying a new BMW for a long time, if ever.

The problem is what will you be buying? If you rule out used and need 4 doors

[xlover]

Originally Posted by RPiM5

Wow, thanks for posting OP!

This is unbelievable. First they tell us there's no more manuals. Now they're not telling us, the M340i went up 150lbs from the last 340i?? At 3,9xxlbs, the 3-Series now heavier than both the E39 and E60 5-Series!! With a manual transmission, a lighter weight, and RWD, the F30 340i seems like the more sporty car to me.

I think this may just be a sign of the times. Younger buyers don't want the Ultimate Driving Machine anymore. They want the Ultimate Technology Machine now. And all this new tech adds weight!

Now I can only speculate what the next M3 is going weigh. BMW's are getting fat. Even the new Z4 is heavy for what it is. If this is the trend, I won't be buying a new BMW for a long time, if ever.

if weight gain from safety requirements and tech are a deal breaker for you then you might not be buying any new car ever again. Even the new 911 gained weight... not much the manus can do about it. Now its just about how well they design suspensions to manage all the weight...

[Cortexiphan]

Originally Posted by RPiM5

If this is the trend, I won't be buying a new BMW for a long time, if ever.

So you're gonna buy lighter cars? Like what?
Which car is lighter than G20 3 series in its class? Which car is lighter than G30 5 series in its class? Which car is lighter than M3 in its class?

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by Cortexiphan

So you're gonna buy lighter cars? Like what?
Which car is lighter than G20 3 series in its class? Which car is lighter than G30 5 series in its class? Which car is lighter than M3 in its class?

Little bit of a moving target. The 3er has become increasingly larger, while I have not. So I bought a lighter, smaller car that's still available with a manual. The horror is that it's fwd.

The upside is that a GTI is $20k cheaper than a 330i, so with the money saved, my 550/575 manual fund has been getting much better contributions.

[MT4life]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Little bit of a moving target. The 3er has become increasingly larger, while I have not. So I bought a lighter, smaller car that's still available with a manual. The horror is that it's fwd.

The upside is that a GTI is $20k cheaper than a 330i, so with the money saved, my 550/575 manual fund has been getting much better contributions.

I think BMW needs to bring 1-er 4 door sedan (not m140i hatch) RWD based on 2 series with B58 and 6MT - I'd buy that!

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by MT4life

I think BMW needs to bring 1-er 4 door sedan (not m140i hatch) RWD based on 2 series with B58 and 6MT - I'd buy that!

I'd have bought any number of manual, six cylinder 1er hatches if they'd just been available. I don't actually need the space of the GTI, the smaller M140i would have been great for my needs.

[BigSky702]

Mercedes c43 is 3979lbs... at least the m340 is 11lbs lighter