[Eclimax13]

I've been shopping for a coupe and can't decide between the 6 and 4. I've driven two 430i coupes and an M440i gran coupe and M440i convertible. Having trouble getting a hold of an M440i coupe to compare. While my car is in service, Bmw gave me a 430i coupe as a loaner and I'm having a blast in it. I know what the b58 can do as I have it in another vehicle but I'm having trouble justifying it in this one as the 4 cylinder has plenty of getup and the fun factor is there. Plus I'm getting over 40mpg doing 80mph. Don't want to make a mistake so I'm wondering if anyone else chose the 430i over the M440i coupe.

[LostInSpace]

You would save 12 grand or whatever.

Here's the thing though. If you're already thinking about making a mistake, that could be a bad sign.

[wrickem]

Most of the time, I lease my BMWs and money isn’t an issue. I tested both when I got this one but liked the cleaner less aggressive lines in the base 430 (sport).

I’ve only had 3 BMWs that I liked so much that I bought them after the lease was up, and this was one of them. I’d have ordered the same exact car again.

When I get in the 430 after driving our other cars with MUCH more hp, there’s never a time I still don’t enjoy it and wish I got the 440 instead.

But, like the poster above me said, if you have to ask… go for the M440

[toddwalton]

I did. I looked long and hard at both the 430 and 440 and went with the 430.

BMW has done such an amazing job of it with these engines that the delta between the 30i and 40i is so small that the step up is just not worth it anymore, especially if you live in the US with our overcrowded and unmaintained roads, but that's another story for another day.

Bottom line is you can get unbelievable performance, mileage, and fun factor with the 430i and not miss out on anything, that's how I felt and still feel today. My G26 brings smiles every time I put it into Sport and tap the accelerator.

[Dan B]

I am 100% biased towards power. I would rather have it and not use it vs. not having it and missing it.

I traded in a STi for my car and loved the STi but always wanted more power. My prior 2 fun cars were both high HP V8s and I really missed that power.

[Mason Hatcher]

I had a 230i and was very happy with it. Then I went to a class at the Performance Center where we drove the M240i and M340i. The delta in performance is huge. Two months later I traded for an M340i.

120 hp is a HUGE difference.

[zoso4534]

Originally Posted by Eclimax13

I've been shopping for a coupe and can't decide between the 6 and 4. I've driven two 430i coupes and an M440i gran coupe and M440i convertible. Having trouble getting a hold of an M440i coupe to compare. While my car is in service, Bmw gave me a 430i coupe as a loaner and I'm having a blast in it. I know what the b58 can do as I have it in another vehicle but I'm having trouble justifying it in this one as the 4 cylinder has plenty of getup and the fun factor is there. Plus I'm getting over 40mpg doing 80mph. Don't want to make a mistake so I'm wondering if anyone else chose the 430i over the M440i coupe.

I can tell you I'm plenty happy with the B48. I don't know if I believe it, but I've done long road trips at 70mph and the car reported 48mpg. In sport mode, the B48 is plenty powerful and pulls like my former Audi V8. I think it's a shame that we could get an I6 in the past with the E90 and now we have to pay more to get one.

[Cammy440iGC]

I went G26 M440i XDrive and this car is insanely good. Great on gas mileage too because you can pop it into EcoPro...which still has good performance. But you can pop it into Sport Plus when that Mustang 5.0 or S4 or C43 pulls alongside.

Plus...how long will these great B58s be around....probably not as long as the 4 cylinders. Get the 6 while you still can. You wont have any second guesses.

[madpistol]

B58 in my M440i GC has spoiled me irreversibly. However, the 430i still has an amazing engine, so if you don’t need/want the power, the 430i is an excellent car.

[Montaver]

Having owned a 330i and now an m340i, there is a significant difference in power particularly over about 3.5k RPM. If you think you want the 40 but you buy the 30, that thought won't go away. Both are great cars.

[Dan B]

Originally Posted by toddwalton

I did. I looked long and hard at both the 430 and 440 and went with the 430.

BMW has done such an amazing job of it with these engines that the delta between the 30i and 40i is so small that the step up is just not worth it anymore, especially if you live in the US with our overcrowded and unmaintained roads, but that's another story for another day.

Bottom line is you can get unbelievable performance, mileage, and fun factor with the 430i and not miss out on anything, that's how I felt and still feel today. My G26 brings smiles every time I put it into Sport and tap the accelerator.

The delta is not small.

I could only quickly find 2021 specs but they should still be relevant.

1.4 second difference 0-60
4.6 seconds for 0-100
1.4 seconds 30-50
1.6 seconds 50-70

If I recall you live in Manhattan. That is somewhat of an anomaly.
There are plenty of nice roads where I can take advantage of the B58.

[NHung513]

Most Kia’s are faster than the 430 and 330. 50k 4 cylinder.

[blue_seather]

I used to drive a Skoda Superb with a 272 hp EA888 Gen 3 Audi 4-cyl engine. In my opinion, it is a much more nimble car than the 430i, provided it's actually around 300 hp on the wheels, really, and it weighs just 1.6 tons for a 4.86 meter long vehicle with the interior space of a BMW 7 series, which is pretty impressive. It is also a lot cheaper than a 330i/430i spec for spec.

The M440i is a vehicle in another league that's worth every penny and has barely any competition. I'm not saying the 430i is a bad car, just that it has plenty of competition that offers more for less money. You're based in the US, so you won't have Skoda, but you have VW Arteon which is essentially the same car, and you also have access to other well-priced 4cyl/cheaper sedans that we in Europe don't.

[madpistol]

Originally Posted by NHung513

Most Kia’s are faster than the 430 and 330. 50k 4 cylinder.

That’s a lie. There’s a few Kia models with specific motors that are faster, but not many. A BMW is a complete package, not just a motor. I’ve had people ask me why I would buy a BMW when I can pay half as much and get the same feature content in a Honda Civic. One drive or ride in the car, and they always understand why… and they want a BMW. The fact that you’re comparing a Kia to a BMW is a joke.

[jxz01]

Originally Posted by Eclimax13

I've been shopping for a coupe and can't decide between the 6 and 4. I've driven two 430i coupes and an M440i gran coupe and M440i convertible. Having trouble getting a hold of an M440i coupe to compare. While my car is in service, Bmw gave me a 430i coupe as a loaner and I'm having a blast in it. I know what the b58 can do as I have it in another vehicle but I'm having trouble justifying it in this one as the 4 cylinder has plenty of getup and the fun factor is there. Plus I'm getting over 40mpg doing 80mph. Don't want to make a mistake so I'm wondering if anyone else chose the 430i over the M440i coupe.

I drive a m340, and i did not regret my purchase. The b58 never gave me any issues. Really not much I can complain about the car except for the stupid sunroof rattle

[toddwalton]

Originally Posted by Dan B

The delta is not small.

I could only quickly find 2021 specs but they should still be relevant.

1.4 second difference 0-60
4.6 seconds for 0-100
1.4 seconds 30-50
1.6 seconds 50-70

If I recall you live in Manhattan. That is somewhat of an anomaly.
There are plenty of nice roads where I can take advantage of the B58.

No doubt, but you also said this:

Originally Posted by Dan B

Excluding road trips on boring highways, 80% comfort, 20% sport+.

From early Nov to Late Feb/early March, I average a 300 mile round-trip drive, 3 times a week. For those drives 90% eco, 5% comfort, 5% sport+.

I'm no mathematician, but if you're spending 85% of your drive time in Comfort or Eco it kind of proves my point that in real world everyday conditions, the delta of usefulness between the 40i and 30i is not significant.

Yes, I understand that during the 15% of your time that you're not in Comfort or Eco you can put your foot down and make it to Home Depot 1.4 seconds faster than I can, but come now, that is hardly useful. It's a very expensive option that most don't need. Those who track their cars or use the autobahn, different story.

Here in my region I see several M440i's and M330i's per week and we're all going exactly 22 MPH in traffic. And when on the highway, I've yet to have an M440i blow past my 430i, cut me off, etc. same for other performance cars on the road. People don't push these things to the 90th percentile, so we're all the same really. I think these engine wars are a thing of the past. A 1980's relic that might have made some sense then and make no sense now. You get a trunk badge that tells BMW people that you spent more than I did. That's a win. That's the win that most who own them are looking for.

[Montaver]

Originally Posted by toddwalton

No doubt, but you also said this:



I'm no mathematician, but if you're spending 85% of your drive time in Comfort or Eco it kind of proves my point that in real world everyday conditions, the delta of usefulness between the 40i and 30i is not significant.

Yes, I understand that during the 15% of your time that you're not in Comfort or Eco you can put your foot down and make it to Home Depot 1.4 seconds faster than I can, but come now, that is hardly useful. It's a very expensive option that most don't need. Those who track their cars or use the autobahn, different story.

Here in my region I see several M440i's and M330i's per week and we're all going exactly 22 MPH in traffic. And when on the highway, I've yet to have an M440i blow past my 430i, cut me off, etc. same for other performance cars on the road. People don't push these things to the 90th percentile, so we're all the same really. I think these engine wars are a thing of the past. A 1980's relic that might have made some sense then and make no sense now. You get a trunk badge that tells BMW people that you spent more than I did. That's a win. That's the win that most who own them are looking for.

To take your position to its logical conclusion, no one needs anything fast or characterful at all and we should all be driving 200hp CVT 4 cylinder bread bins. Your exactly the type of buyer for an electric car, happy to lap up a homogenized appliance that performs identically to everything else and the only difference is how many screens it has and what the badge on the back is.

[toddwalton]

Originally Posted by Montaver

To take your position to its logical conclusion, no one needs anything fast or characterful at all and we should all be driving 200hp CVT 4 cylinder bread bins. Your exactly the type of buyer for an electric car, happy to lap up a homogenized appliance that performs identically to everything else and the only difference is how many screens it has and what the badge on the back is.

I see how you can characterize it that way, but no. What I'm saying is that ICE vehicles have been pushed to the performance limit to the point where the performance doesn't matter anymore.

When practically every luxury car on the road can outperform a prior gen BMW M3, it's not about horsepower wars anymore. It's about design, style, color, comfort, technology, ride quality, cabin silence, audio clarity, NAV UI, voice commands, screen configurations, etc.

And that's not a bad thing at all- unless your endgame is to make public roads into an irresponsible personal raceway.

[Montaver]

Originally Posted by toddwalton

I see how you can characterize it that way, but no. What I'm saying is that ICE vehicles have been pushed to the performance limit to the point where the performance doesn't matter anymore.

When practically every luxury car on the road can outperform a prior gen BMW M3, it's not about horsepower wars anymore. It's about design, style, color, comfort, technology, ride quality, cabin silence, audio clarity, NAV UI, voice commands, screen configurations, etc.

And that's not a bad thing at all- unless your endgame is to make public roads into an irresponsible personal raceway.

If performance didn't matter, no one would be buying the faster versions and manufacturers wouldn't be building them. Your argument is engine performance is irrelevant, which for your standard soccer mom driving around in her X5 it probably doesn't matter apart from the engine feels responsive and has a nice growl. This is an enthusiast forum where people very much care about performance. You know which format of car reviews get the most views on Youtube? Drag races. All the other stuff is standard across every 3 series. Mercedes put a 4 cylinder in their C63 - look how that worked out.

[blue_seather]

Originally Posted by toddwalton

it's not about horsepower wars anymore

It is, though. It would take a lot of distopian restrictions to make it ever not be about it.

When I'm overtaking someone or merging into the highway, or even a high speed city boulevard, for that matter, 250 vs 380 horsepower means a great deal to me. If I had the means for an M3, I wouldn't turn down 510 horsepower either.

"You don't need a fast car" - that's one topic, and that statement is true. 100 hp is sufficient for everyone to drive within the bounds of the legal limits.

"You don't want a fast car" - now that statement is a nonsense. If you yourself do not then you're either content with less than others or are coping with your decision in some form. As for the rest of us - there are a lot of enthusiasts who would appreciate every single added horsepower per ton on their vehicle with no upper limit, and EVEN for city driving, let alone outside of it.

In my country, for example, 93 mph is a perfectly legal speed on most of the highways, with people regularly pushing their cars to 125 mph and above. There are city roads with a 50 mph speed limit but most folk drive at 56 mph as a difference of 6 mph or below incurs no fine. Still, most people don't care for that either, drive with Waze on and regularly hit 60-70 mph during their daily driving on these city boulevards. And when you merge into one of those, the 0-60 time definitely matters and is felt, yet again - on a daily basis. And I don't even live in Germany where they have unrestricted autobahn sections.

So here's that - there's a lot of reason to pick an M440i over a 430i. Also, my 35k Skoda was snappier than the 430i. Not saying it's slow but it's nothing special for today's standards. If I had the choice between a 330i and the Skoda (VW Arteon, practically) 272 hp again, I would take the Skoda every time. It offers a lot more for the money. Now, the M440i I chose specifically for the engine. The fact that the car is absolutely cool as a whole package is an added bonus. But hell, I wouldn't give all this money for this car if it didn't have the B58 inside. It would just not be worth it compared to the competition for me.

[zlatko]

Agree with what blue_seather just wrote, with one small add-on(which he implied indirectly in "430i vs Superb") - weight also does matter! A LOT! And here is the fine balance between 30i and 40i: which one feels better to YOU?

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by zlatko

Agree with what blue_seather just wrote, with one small add-on(which he implied indirectly in "430i vs Superb") - weight also does matter! A LOT! And here is the fine balance between 30i and 40i: which one feels better to YOU?

Yes, weight does matter a lot, especially at tight cloverleafs and connectors around my locales. The 330i is not perfect 50/50, but around 300lb lighter than M340i, and that shows at those corners.