[zeyad.habeeb]

Hello all,

I'm in the market for leasing the new 3 series.

I love the 330 and the M340i but wondering if the price difference worth it?

I had the 435i and thinking to get the new M340i but now I'm thinking to get the 330i with BM3 stage one and Might do exhaust upgrade also and save the money.

Will it be better than the 435i?

The 330i felt quicker than the 435i to me but when we raced the 435i won!

I'm looking for a comfortable car, nice exhaust sound (especially with Upshift) and, fast as the 435i.

What do you all think??
Thanks!!

[VipinLJ]

M340i. Simple.

A stage 1 330i might be as fast as a 435i. The M340i is much faster. I drove an F30 340i, M340i and my stock 330i back to back and couldn’t notice a huge difference around town, even under WOT, between the 340i and 330i. BUT the M340i was noticeably faster than both cars. Only reason I didn’t get one was because, if I had, it probably would’ve been impounded by now.

[possible335i2008]

Yeah M340, if you want faster buy a car that's as fast as you want and enjoy the warranty, tunes/pb's are fun but in the end are a pretty big risk financially.

[NewM3driver]

Get the M340 without a doubt.

[Nashville]

I went with the 330i and spec'd it out as much as i could. It's got plenty of power (let's be realistic) and it looks amazing! Plus you get way better fuel economy.

I think when people get the M340i they *think* they're going to be racing around town a lot more than they actually do.

Just my .02

[Burrcold]

M340i

[Darvishy]

M340i for sure, 6 cylinders vs 4, def worth it.

[hans007]

if you add all the stuff the m340i has to the 330i, such as the track handling package to get the brakes and diff and m sport and nav and sensatec dash which is all standard on the m340i, the price difference is I think about $6k. So $6k for an inline-6. bm3 stage 1 is another $600 and it won't be close to the power or sound / feel the same at all.

Just get the 6..... It sounds way better, it is beyond smooth.

[sikotic]

If you're looking for nice exhaust sound then the M340I is the only option in my opinion. I get tons of compliments on the sound alone.

[BBH]

Really depends on your user requirements and budget.

Unlimited budget or have excess cash to spend? Favour performance and a straight line acceleration over anything else? Want to out-accelerate some AMG or RS douchebags who thinks their car is better than BMW? M340i no doubt.

Want to have a better fuel economy? Thinking more of cost-benefits and long term financial stability? A reasonably fast mid-size sedan that's not a rocket ship but more than enough to have fun while still having the BMW brand prestige? Then the 330i.

Personally I have the 330i. I think the 330i is in the sweet zone and believe it's the best compromise for everything.

Besides, if you get the M340i now, don't you think you'll have a buyer's remorse once the new M3 is out? Assuming that you want the fastest cars only?

[MineralM]

Originally Posted by Nashville

I went with the 330i and spec'd it out as much as i could. It's got plenty of power (let's be realistic) and it looks amazing! Plus you get way better fuel economy.

I think when people get the M340i they *think* they're going to be racing around town a lot more than they actually do.

Just my .02

Race around town everyday

[dchar]

Originally Posted by BBH

Besides, if you get the M340i now, don't you think you'll have a buyer's remorse once the new M3 is out? Assuming that you want the fastest cars only?

Doubt anyone with an M340i would have buyers remorse once they see the hideous 4-series grille that will be grafted on the M3 🤮

[VipinLJ]

Originally Posted by BBH

Really depends on your user requirements and budget.

Unlimited budget or have excess cash to spend? Favour performance and a straight line acceleration over anything else? Want to out-accelerate some AMG or RS douchebags who thinks their car is better than BMW? M340i no doubt.

Want to have a better fuel economy? Thinking more of cost-benefits and long term financial stability? A reasonably fast mid-size sedan that's not a rocket ship but more than enough to have fun while still having the BMW brand prestige? Then the 330i.

Personally I have the 330i. I think the 330i is in the sweet zone and believe it's the best compromise for everything.

Besides, if you get the M340i now, don't you think you'll have a buyer's remorse once the new M3 is out? Assuming that you want the fastest cars only?

Sensible, valid points.

[possible335i2008]

Originally Posted by BBH

Really depends on your user requirements and budget.

Unlimited budget or have excess cash to spend? Favour performance and a straight line acceleration over anything else? Want to out-accelerate some AMG or RS douchebags who thinks their car is better than BMW? M340i no doubt.

Want to have a better fuel economy? Thinking more of cost-benefits and long term financial stability? A reasonably fast mid-size sedan that's not a rocket ship but more than enough to have fun while still having the BMW brand prestige? Then the 330i.

Personally I have the 330i. I think the 330i is in the sweet zone and believe it's the best compromise for everything.

Besides, if you get the M340i now, don't you think you'll have a buyer's remorse once the new M3 is out? Assuming that you want the fastest cars only?

Why does everyone compare the m340 vs the m3? The m340i is a quick car and the best of the "consumer 3 series" period, a lot of people may not like the suspension of a m car, everyone has priorities or wants.

The question is what car is better modded 330i or a stock m340, hands down the m340 is the better pick. The 330i is a great car but the op seemed to be concerned with speed, so with that as the main concern then yeah the 330i will never be the m340 in that department.

[Gdiddy23]

I had an F30 335 and the M340 blows it away in terms of speed and quickness

[BBH]

Originally Posted by possible335i2008

Why does everyone compare the m340 vs the m3? The m340i is a quick car and the best of the "consumer 3 series" period, a lot of people may not like the suspension of a m car, everyone has priorities or wants.

The question is what car is better modded 330i or a stock m340, hands down the m340 is the better pick. The 330i is a great car but the op seemed to be concerned with speed, so with that as the main concern then yeah the 330i will never be the m340 in that department.

Because they both are marketed towards performance enthusiasts like yourself?

If you have basic reading skills, OP has made some mentions of saving up money, therefor costs may also be a consideration. I only gave my $0.02 about what OP should choose depending on his requirements. No need to get too emotional.

[TheRetroGuy]

Originally Posted by hans007

if you add all the stuff the m340i has to the 330i, such as the track handling package to get the brakes and diff and m sport and nav and sensatec dash which is all standard on the m340i, the price difference is I think about $6k. So $6k for an inline-6. bm3 stage 1 is another $600 and it won't be close to the power or sound / feel the same at all.

Just get the 6..... It sounds way better, it is beyond smooth.

My 330i xDrive mSport has every available option except the ones I intentionally didn't want (laser headlights and gesture control). At the time I bought, price difference in a similar M340 would have been about $9k, but I'm not sure if that's changed. I totally made the right choice for me, because I will rarely be able to take advantage of the power the 4 cylinder engine has, anything more would have been waste. Gas mileage is stunningly good on the 4cyl. If engine sound was high on the priority list, I would have just gone with the M340.

[possible335i2008]

Originally Posted by BBH

Because they both are marketed towards performance enthusiasts like yourself?

If you have basic reading skills, OP has made some mentions of saving up money, therefor costs may also be a consideration. I only gave my $0.02 about what OP should choose depending on his requirements. No need to get too emotional.

How about you review your comment especially the jab at m340 owners. His said a tuned 330i or m340, to me a lot of what the op wants is power of which the 330i lacks compared to the m340 period. If he wants to save money then yes the 330i.

[BBH]

Originally Posted by possible335i2008

How about you review your comment especially the jab at m340 owners. His said a tuned 330i or m340, to me a lot of what the op wants is power of which the 330i lacks compared to the m340 period. If he wants to save money then yes the 330i.

I wasn't jabbing at M340i owners. Look at my first comment and you can literally see that I'm praising the M340i as a fast beast. The only concern is OP MIGHT have a buyers remorse once he gets the M340i and then the G80 M3 comes out (again if he's strictly concerned about performance only).

OP wants a fast car no doubt, but he is asking if the cost differences between the 2 cars is justifiable baed on the given performances and if he chooses the modded 330i with BM3, can it be faster than a 435i? I didn't mod my 330i with anything so I can't say much about it.

[Firaxis]

Originally Posted by VipinLJ

M340i. Simple.

A stage 1 330i might be as fast as a 435i. The M340i is much faster. I drove an F30 340i, M340i and my stock 330i back to back and couldnÂ’t notice a huge difference around town, even under WOT, between the 340i and 330i. BUT the M340i was noticeably faster than both cars. Only reason I didnÂ’t get one was because, if I had, it probably wouldÂ’ve been impounded by now.

How strange.! My travels produced a different experience.. The M340i was quicker for sure but felt just felt like a crazy car gone a bit more insane, all three felt and were considerably faster than a 330i. It didn't even feel subjective in any way shape or form.

Although I did notice something about the NA vs. Euro spec, ours aren't as highly rated so including weight etc. it makes sense regarding the M340i at least.

M340I EURO spec:
Weight 1645kg
Performance 369bhp @ 5500rpm, 369lb ft, 4.4sec 0-62mph, 155mph
Power to weight: 224 BHP Per Tonne

340I EURO spec:

Weight 1540kg
Performance 326bhp @ 5,500rpm, 332lb, 4.8sec 0-62mph, 155mph
Power to weight: 211 BHP Per Tonne

The US gets 382hp?!...

[chowser51]

yes we get the 382hp version. i'm in an f33 430 b46 with bms stage 1 - 93 and my next car will be the m340. test drove a few and it's just better.

[Punkwrock]

I have a 2020 330i with Bootmod3 stage 1. I really wanted the M340i, but at 13k more than what my 330i was, it jumped the payment too much for me right now. my goal is to be able to trade up in a few years. the m340i is wayyy faster stock than my tuned 330i.