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2019+ BMW 3 AND 4-SERIES FORUMS (G2x Generation) General G20 Sedan / G22 Coupe / G26 Gran Coupe Discussions Drove an M340i at BMW M Town Tour last night

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      06-20-2019, 09:44 AM   #1
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Drove an M340i at BMW M Town Tour last night

So I finally got to drive the new M340i last night and I thought I would share my takeaways on it. So let's get right to it, shall we??

Pros:
- The steering is a little better than my F30. It's weird, but it is more direct and has better turn in, however, it feels more artificial than my F30's rack. My F30's feels better, but does not react as quick as the G30.

- The new iDrive display is nice and big. I really like how it works and is a vast improvement over the F30.

- The digital dash is pretty cool, but there is just WAY too much going on in there. It's a lot to take in, and I'm not sure I love how the tach works in reverse.

- The exhaust sounds good good in sport mode. It's a little quieter than my MPPSK, but not by much. Some nice burbles and pops.

- Power delivery is good and more linear than my F30. I would say it is a little faster, but not by much. I think the extra horses make it smoother, but the car also feels heavier so I'm not sure.

- The car is much quieter than my F30 which is a really good thing.

Cons:
- The interior is cheap, cheap, cheap....I was very disappointed in the hard plastic used. It feels even cheaper than my F30 which I didn't think is possible. I hate the way the dash slopes down. Not a good look.

- The car is just too big. It feels like a 5 series. It is no longer a smaller car that is fun to throw around. The F30 was already getting too big and they just made it bigger.

- The wheels look too small for the car. Even though they are 19's, with how big the wheel arches are, they look like 17's on it. It might look good on 20's but who knows?

- I'm just not a fan of the overall look of the car. I'm sure it will grow on me, but it's going to take some time.

- The M badge should not be on this car. I'm not sure what DNA it gets from any M car but it should definitely just be a 340i.

To sum things up, is it a better car than the F30? Of course it is, and it should be. It's not enough for me to want to get rid of my 340i, but maybe enough for others. The car is too big and no longer feels like a 3 series. I love all the technology, but it feels overdone. I'm probably missing a lot, so feel free to ask any questions.

On a side note, there was time to drive another BMW after my M340i drive and I knew they had an M2 competition, so I asked if I could take it for a spin. Unfortunately, some jackass had totaled it 2 hours before I got there, hitting a tree while going around a corner.

Last edited by MmmmmM2; 06-20-2019 at 01:54 PM.. Reason: Added another pro
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      06-20-2019, 10:13 AM   #2
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Can you drive the car by yourself at M town or a BMW guy will ride along?
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      06-20-2019, 10:28 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cosmo_Kramer View Post
Can you drive the car by yourself at M town or a BMW guy will ride along?
You get to drive it all by yourself. They put the route you take in the navigation and you just follow it.

Not sure why this thread would be deleted. I wasn't really bashing the car OR praising it. Just sharing my 2 cents.
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      06-20-2019, 10:32 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by F30ZHP View Post
You get to drive it all by yourself. They put the route you take in the navigation and you just follow it.

Not sure why this thread would be deleted. I wasn't really bashing the car OR praising it. Just sharing my 2 cents.
Awesome! Thanks mine is coming up in early August.
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      06-20-2019, 11:11 AM   #5
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Yeah I would disagree with a lot of this but good to hear multiple impressions. Interesting that F30 owners don't like the G20 but F30 haters (me included) generally do like it. Different preferences I guess.
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      06-20-2019, 11:24 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Transfer View Post
Yeah I would disagree with a lot of this but good to hear multiple impressions. Interesting that F30 owners don't like the G20 but F30 haters (me included) generally do like it. Different preferences I guess.
To each their own. I have both an F30 and G20. I generally agree with what the OP said but I feel like the cabin in the G20 is waaaay better in quality.
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      06-20-2019, 11:29 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jmpascual View Post
To each their own. I have both an F30 and G20. I generally agree with what the OP said but I feel like the cabin in the G20 is waaaay better in quality.
And most of the cabin IS far superior to the F30. It's just the quality of the plastics that are a turn off.
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      06-20-2019, 11:34 AM   #8
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I'm surprised by your comments regarding the interior, as it's in direct contrast with the majority of new owners and reviews.
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      06-20-2019, 12:37 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pauleebe View Post
I'm surprised by your comments regarding the interior, as it's in direct contrast with the majority of new owners and reviews.
Well I guess I was expecting a more upscale interior that would compete with Audi and Benz, but this ain't it.
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      06-20-2019, 12:50 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by F30ZHP View Post
Well I guess I was expecting a more upscale interior that would compete with Audi and Benz, but this ain't it.
I agree with you on this one. I think build quality is better than the F30, but the materials used are still lackluster in general. The plastic around the HVAC controls, door controls/sill, and the big empty space beneath the iDrive controller does not look good and will not age well.
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      06-20-2019, 02:01 PM   #11
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I agree that I think the interior of the Audi is better but I do think the M340 interior is better than the MB. Also, with regards to the digital dash, to me the Audi is way better and will age better. The BMW dash is nice but a little cheesy/cheap looking and may not age well. The tetragon trim on the M340 I test drove made the interior look really cheap. I'm also with you on the size of the car, it feels bigger and heavier than the other cars in its class.

All in all, I still really like the M340 best of the cars I compared it to and hopefully mine will be here in a couple weeks.
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      06-20-2019, 02:39 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Patgilm View Post
I agree that I think the interior of the Audi is better but I do think the M340 interior is better than the MB. Also, with regards to the digital dash, to me the Audi is way better and will age better. The BMW dash is nice but a little cheesy/cheap looking and may not age well. The tetragon trim on the M340 I test drove made the interior look really cheap. I'm also with you on the size of the car, it feels bigger and heavier than the other cars in its class.

All in all, I still really like the M340 best of the cars I compared it to and hopefully mine will be here in a couple weeks.
I think that was the trim on the car I test drove. Didn't like it. I should have taken pictures.
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      06-20-2019, 02:39 PM   #13
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I agree with everything said here. The car to me is not a significant leap forward and for the areas that are far better there are too many things I find a huge step backwards -

The live cockpit

The cheap shifter

The hideous grille

The increased size without any more interior space

I can't live with any of these so I will pass.
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      06-20-2019, 02:53 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by F30ZHP View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patgilm View Post
I agree that I think the interior of the Audi is better but I do think the M340 interior is better than the MB. Also, with regards to the digital dash, to me the Audi is way better and will age better. The BMW dash is nice but a little cheesy/cheap looking and may not age well. The tetragon trim on the M340 I test drove made the interior look really cheap. I'm also with you on the size of the car, it feels bigger and heavier than the other cars in its class.

All in all, I still really like the M340 best of the cars I compared it to and hopefully mine will be here in a couple weeks.
I think that was the trim on the car I test drove. Didn't like it. I should have taken pictures.
Yes, in my opinion tetragon trim is the cheapest looking of all the finishes. I got the oak trim in mine, and i feel it gives it a classier look than the tetragon.
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      06-20-2019, 03:01 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by F30ZHP View Post
Well I guess I was expecting a more upscale interior that would compete with Audi and Benz, but this ain't it.
I am not sure what you are comparing the G20 to... S Class? The G20 interior is way better than a current C Class.
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      06-20-2019, 03:07 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Prissy View Post
I am not sure what you are comparing the G20 to... S Class? The G20 interior is way better than a current C Class.
I wouldn't say it is better than the C Class at all. The C Class is a bit better IMO.
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      06-20-2019, 05:16 PM   #17
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I'm surprised no one has mentioned the jackass who wrecked the M2 Competition that I wanted to drive. I was upset!!
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      06-20-2019, 05:21 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by geddylee View Post
I agree with everything said here. The car to me is not a significant leap forward and for the areas that are far better there are too many things I find a huge step backwards -

The live cockpit

The cheap shifter

The hideous grille

The increased size without any more interior space

I can't live with any of these so I will pass.
Really? I feel it makes the F3x horribly outdated. To each their own I guess.

Quote:
Originally Posted by F30ZHP View Post
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the jackass who wrecked the M2 Competition that I wanted to drive. I was upset!!
I think the M2C doesn't require supervision for the drive... guessing the turned off DSC and went crazy on it.
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      06-20-2019, 05:26 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by F30ZHP View Post
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the jackass who wrecked the M2 Competition that I wanted to drive. I was upset!!
So these cars don't belong to the dealer but BMW corporate?
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      06-20-2019, 05:45 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cosmo_Kramer View Post
So these cars don't belong to the dealer but BMW corporate?
Correct. One of the guys running the event stated that BMW would have to pay for the totaled car. They all had New Jersey plates on them.
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      06-20-2019, 08:50 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mcjohnsonsg View Post
Yes, in my opinion tetragon trim is the cheapest looking of all the finishes. I got the oak trim in mine, and i feel it gives it a classier look than the tetragon.
I got the oak as well but even that trim doesn’t look all that good.
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      06-20-2019, 09:01 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Patgilm View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcjohnsonsg View Post
Yes, in my opinion tetragon trim is the cheapest looking of all the finishes. I got the oak trim in mine, and i feel it gives it a classier look than the tetragon.
I got the oak as well but even that trim doesn’t look all that good.
Definitely a long way from perfect but I came from an M235i, which had a fairly low-rent interior and trim, so I'm probably easy to please!
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