[socialpro1]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

After going through several BMWs in mid-late 2000s, I have been a happy Audi driver for the last decade.

The last BMW I owned was a 2008 e92 335i - and even thought it was a great car, it was plagued with issues. IN 24 months of ownership It's been in the shop 12 times one way or another.

Fast forward to today - I've stuck to Audis for my daily drivers and been a happy customer of a 2013 S4, 2014 A6, 2016 RS7 and currently a 2019 SQ5. Recently I decided to look around the BMW pool again - and test drove the m340i. I'm looking to replace the SQ5 and get back to a sedan for a year or two - and we already have the current S4 in the family (wifes car).

The M340i was a great drive overall - but now I have a few questions lingering in the back of my mind before I pull the trigger.

1. I drove the fixed suspension car and definitely would like the one with adaptive suspension. Looking at current dealers inventory across the country - it is VERY hard to find one specd with it, especially with some of the other options I would want. I'm surprised more cars do not come optioned with that, as more S4s then not have that, in one of the packages, available on dealer lot cars.

2. Can someone point me in the right direction of how to go about adding the 'M performance' exterior kit that was on the tester that I drove? Very small chance that I will find the SPEC I want, to already have that on there. Probably only a half dozen or so cars I saw in the US have that on there currently (autotrader.com)

I believe the car absolutely needs that - and makes a world of a difference having a few carbon fiber add ons to make complete the front and back of this car. I know that what I see on the dealer cars are 'port installed' options - does anybody know what that package costs being port installed, vs going and putting this together after?

3. I'm looking to buy this car outright, as I typically switch out my dailies anywhere from a few months to 1-2 years. I don't want to be stuck with a lease , etc. What kind of a discount can I currently expect? The majority of the dealer lot cars had MSRPs in the LOW 60s, and the dealer HINTED at giving me $10K off. I see USED examples currently in the low 50s ballpark as well - does this sound correct to you? Gonna pick up a brand new one then if they are close to same price.

4. I've seen mixed reviews on this - but how is this car as a road tripper / highway cruiser? Majority of my time is spent on the freeway and I want to make sure it is not tiring, stable, quiet and a good work horse on the interstate. I do take 5-6 road trips a year as well.

5. Considering I live in Phoenix (AZ) - I'm looking at the RWD model. Anybody get the RWD and regret it? This car will almost never see snow. Maybe occasional monsoon rain out here.

6. Are these things still plagued with problems? The past decade of audi ownership has given me STELLAR reliability with all the audis I owned. I don't want to be a slave to the dealer, and be constantly annoyed with minor issues popping up on my daily driver.

7. One of my favorite/best daily drivers I've owned is the B8.5 2013 S4. Anybody here had one of those in the past and can compare it to the m340i? The ironic part is after looking it up - both of these cars are dead on with exterior dimensions - which I'd say was probably the sweet spot where I would like a sport sedan to be at.

8. If there are any members thinking of parting with theirs and you have the adaptive suspension, please PM me.

I'm sure I will have additional questions pop up as I make my decision but I did get excited for a BMW sports sedan after driving this latest iteration.

Attaching the link to the car with the M Performance Kit I have referenced. This includes front lip/splitter, M side decal and Carbon rear spoiler. Where can I source all of these parts and what will it cost me?

https://www.bmwnorthscottsdale.com/i...5u7c08lfh62346

[Gdiddy23]

The B58 engine is very reliable and my M340i is the perfect daily option. I didn't opt for adaptive M but I could see why some would def want it.

This thing is going to blow your old S4 away in the performance category and have loved the upgrade so far from my previous F30 335i.

Considering this is a BMW forum, you will probably have very 1 sided opinions but I'm sure there's somebody out there who's more well versed than I am when it comes to comparing against Audi's. Welcome to the dark side

[wtwo3]

Typically in modern day cars the mechanical components aren't the unreliable bits, it's the electronics.

The G05, when it first came out in late 2018/early 2019, had a ton of problems, but they were primarily software related. BMW did well to iron out all those problems by mid-late 2019. The 3 series uses the same basic technology. So I can say both my G05 and G20 have been totally problem free.

[socialpro1]

Thanks for some of the replies - hopefully majority of issues including electrical are resolved on this model.

Does anyone have an idea of the effort and cost involved in doing the OEM m performance kit installed on the BMWs I looked at? This includes front lip/side blades, rear trunk spoiler, side skirts and M performance side sticker.

[Transfer]

I have a 2018 B9 SQ5 coming off lease and have had an M340i xDrive since August. I also owned a 2013 SQ5 but that is the extent of my Audi ownership. I've owned 2 M3s, the original M235i, and just recently picked up an X3M. The M340i is ridiculously good. It is incredibly fast and remarkably flexible for any sport sedan and the typical purchase price of $50-60k is a bargain for what it can do. Here are my thoughts on your questions:

1) I would not buy this car without adaptive suspension. I test drove fixed suspension and it was fine but I like the option to soften or firm the handling. I would say fixed suspension sits at sport or *slightly* more stiff than sport but certainly less than sport+. Comfort is definitely more comfortable but overall it is still tuned to be responsive. If you have the SQ5 air suspension, it can't compete with that level of comfort but it is still good.

2) Not sure what this is, can't help too much but getbmwparts.com is a good resource for this kind of thing.

3) I got 8% off before incentives in a difficult market near launch of the car. I would think 10% before incentives should not be a problem now. Any more is usually rare but there are outliers. Some markets are quite difficult.

4) I find it quite comfortable at all times but some complain of seats being stiff, too much lumbar support (even when deflated). Highway driving is very stable and 100 mph feels like nothing. If you have terribly grooved/troughed interstate like I do on my commute, it will move about a little bit due to responsive handling. If you need trunk space, absolutely do not get it with a spare tire as this eats up a large portion of trunk. However, to get non-runflat PS4S I'm not sure there is a way around the spare.

5) I'm in a wet climate so xDrive for me but it comes with a rear LSD so that's fantastic for OEM RWD. I suppose you'll drop 100-150 lbs not going with xDrive.

6) My only complaint has been with wireless carplay connectivity. It can be really problematic, especially if you share the car with another person/phone. My wife and I swap back and forth and it has been really frustrating. Ours also has some rear door seal or rear windshield creak that is present but not enough to bother me (and I go a little nuts over creaks). Otherwise it seems rock solid construction. Too early to say about reliability but I have absolutely hammered on this car and haven't been able to hurt it.

7) I test drove B8.5 S4 and as said, owned B8.5 SQ5. I would say the M340i feels larger on the inside than the B8.5 S4, especially rear passenger space. Nothing about the size detracts from the driving experience IMO. Compared to the supercharged V6, the M340i feels 100 hp/tq faster. It's kind of insane and no way is it only 382 hp to crank. Throttle response is similar (very good) and turbo lag is negligible. Transmission speed is equal to DSG although shifting algorithms are light-years better and it is smoother.

Hope that helps and bottom line I really can't recommend this car enough. With my good experiences with past gen BMWs and now the stellar M340i and X3M, I've lost any interest in Audi.

[socialpro1]

Originally Posted by Transfer

I have a 2018 B9 SQ5 coming off lease and have had an M340i xDrive since August. I also owned a 2013 SQ5 but that is the extent of my Audi ownership. I've owned 2 M3s, the original M235i, and just recently picked up an X3M. The M340i is ridiculously good. It is incredibly fast and remarkably flexible for any sport sedan and the typical purchase price of $50-60k is a bargain for what it can do. Here are my thoughts on your questions:

1) I would not buy this car without adaptive suspension. I test drove fixed suspension and it was fine but I like the option to soften or firm the handling. I would say fixed suspension sits at sport or *slightly* more stiff than sport but certainly less than sport+. Comfort is definitely more comfortable but overall it is still tuned to be responsive. If you have the SQ5 air suspension, it can't compete with that level of comfort but it is still good.

2) Not sure what this is, can't help too much but getbmwparts.com is a good resource for this kind of thing.

3) I got 8% off before incentives in a difficult market near launch of the car. I would think 10% before incentives should not be a problem now. Any more is usually rare but there are outliers. Some markets are quite difficult.

4) I find it quite comfortable at all times but some complain of seats being stiff, too much lumbar support (even when deflated). Highway driving is very stable and 100 mph feels like nothing. If you have terribly grooved/troughed interstate like I do on my commute, it will move about a little bit due to responsive handling. If you need trunk space, absolutely do not get it with a spare tire as this eats up a large portion of trunk. However, to get non-runflat PS4S I'm not sure there is a way around the spare.

5) I'm in a wet climate so xDrive for me but it comes with a rear LSD so that's fantastic for OEM RWD. I suppose you'll drop 100-150 lbs not going with xDrive.

6) My only complaint has been with wireless carplay connectivity. It can be really problematic, especially if you share the car with another person/phone. My wife and I swap back and forth and it has been really frustrating. Ours also has some rear door seal or rear windshield creak that is present but not enough to bother me (and I go a little nuts over creaks). Otherwise it seems rock solid construction. Too early to say about reliability but I have absolutely hammered on this car and haven't been able to hurt it.

7) I test drove B8.5 S4 and as said, owned B8.5 SQ5. I would say the M340i feels larger on the inside than the B8.5 S4, especially rear passenger space. Nothing about the size detracts from the driving experience IMO. Compared to the supercharged V6, the M340i feels 100 hp/tq faster. It's kind of insane and no way is it only 382 hp to crank. Throttle response is similar (very good) and turbo lag is negligible. Transmission speed is equal to DSG although shifting algorithms are light-years better and it is smoother.

Hope that helps and bottom line I really can't recommend this car enough. With my good experiences with past gen BMWs and now the stellar M340i and X3M, I've lost any interest in Audi.

Sweet write up. You've addressed many of my points. All the sport sedans from audi/bmw/merc are great just a matter of the pros/cons of each one and def no wrong choices.

I hear a lot of thumbs up and pros for the adaptive suspension, but very surprised in how little of cars have it. Almost no cons to me in going that route, especially for $700.

[Burrcold]

As you can see from my signature I've had my fare share of B9 Audis. The M340i blows them out of the water as far as performance (engine, transmission, ride, handling, basically everything). I still liked the look of my S5 Sportback a little more but looks are subjective. Adaptive suspension was an absolute must for me as well, and I couldn't be happier that I went this route. Seemed strange to me that none of the dealer M340i's had adaptive...so I ended up ordering one (which is what I wanted to do anyways).

[socialpro1]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

As you can see from my signature I've had my fare share of B9 Audis. The M340i blows them out of the water as far as performance (engine, transmission, ride, handling, basically everything). I still liked the look of my S5 Sportback a little more but looks are subjective. Adaptive suspension was an absolute must for me as well, and I couldn't be happier that I went this route. Seemed strange to me that none of the dealer M340i's had adaptive...so I ended up ordering one (which is what I wanted to do anyways).

Yep - its like searching for a needle in a haystack with dealer cars on finding adaptive suspension.

I think the B9 platform is great - but with wifes S4 going on 3 years and my 2019 SQ5 - I want to switch it up for something different. Briefly considered getting into the RS5 SB - but looking for a different platform this time around.

I haven't driven the C43/63 but generally have not been a fan of Mercs or the brand, and from all I've seen and read, the M340 is the better daily between the two.

One of the biggest differences between the 340i and the B9 S4/S5/SQ5 platform is how immediate the torque comes on in the BMW, and the lack of dead pedal feel from a stop. That's been driving me nuts on the B9 cars. The sound/exhaust tuning on the B9 cars is not great either.

My previous B8.5 S4 (2013 with the supercharged engine + stronic transmission) was perfect in that regard.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by socialpro1

Yep - its like searching for a needle in a haystack with dealer cars on finding adaptive suspension.

I think the B9 platform is great - but with wifes S4 going on 3 years and my 2019 SQ5 - I want to switch it up for something different. Briefly considered getting into the RS5 SB - but looking for a different platform this time around.

I haven't driven the C43/63 but generally have not been a fan of Mercs or the brand, and from all I've seen and read, the M340 is the better daily between the two.

One of the biggest differences between the 340i and the B9 S4/S5/SQ5 platform is how immediate the torque comes on in the BMW, and the lack of dead pedal feel from a stop. That's been driving me nuts on the B9 cars. The sound/exhaust tuning on the B9 cars is not great either.

My previous B8.5 S4 (2013 with the supercharged engine + stronic transmission) was perfect in that regard.

Yup the transmission lag off throttle is what killed any notion of me getting another B9 S4/S5 Audi (after my S5 Sportback was totaled). I test drove the M340i and could not believe how immediate the throttle response was and how smooth the transmission and engine is by comparison. The S4/S5 are not bad cars by any means, they are very nice for the class. I just think BMW nailed it with this car, and so everything (including the C43 in my opinion) doesn't even come close.

I as well toyed with the idea of an RS5 but I would have to get the updated B9.5 and to be honest I feel like dropping that much money isn't justified compared to the performance of the M340i. They are within a few tenths of a second 0 to 60, and the M340i handles very nicely. The RS5 suffers from the throttle lag issue as well, just not as bad though.

[socialpro1]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

Yup the transmission lag off throttle is what killed any notion of me getting another B9 S4/S5 Audi (after my S5 Sportback was totaled). I test drove the M340i and could not believe how immediate the throttle response was and how smooth the transmission and engine is by comparison. The S4/S5 are not bad cars by any means, they are very nice for the class. I just think BMW nailed it with this car, and so everything (including the C43 in my opinion) doesn't even come close.

I as well toyed with the idea of an RS5 but I would have to get the updated B9.5 and to be honest I feel like dropping that much money isn't justified compared to the performance of the M340i. They are within a few tenths of a second 0 to 60, and the M340i handles very nicely. The RS5 suffers from the throttle lag issue as well, just not as bad though.

Yes - RS5 is improved a bit in that regard (lag and response), but between basically having the same B9 interior as the other cars I own, and (what I feel like) is a tighter cabin, and a higher price - the 340 seems to offer a lot comparatively.

I don't need back seats (yet) as its just me in car 90% of the time - but back seat room didn't seem too bad in the 340 either.

Other pluses noticed in the 340 - the dash screen looks incredible, and not as out of place as the B9 cars. And I love that BMW still has the scroll wheel, whereas audi got rid of it moving forward on the B9.5 cars. Bad move on Audis part, as I got accustomed to not touching the screen when scrolling through stations/options etc.

[Gdiddy23]

Reading this makes me regret not getting mine w adaptive suspension... still a great vehicle regardless

[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by Gdiddy23

Reading this makes me regret not getting mine w adaptive suspension... still a great vehicle regardless

Same here. I made a couple mistakes when ordering - not getting the adaptive suspension and not getting a staggered wheel setup.

[socialpro1]

Originally Posted by wtwo3

Same here. I made a couple mistakes when ordering - not getting the adaptive suspension and not getting a staggered wheel setup.

Whats the staggered wheel setup option? I like the 19s offered on these cars - are some staggered and some not?

[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by socialpro1

Whats the staggered wheel setup option? I like the 19s offered on these cars - are some staggered and some not?

That's correct, some are staggered and some aren't.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the all-seasons tires come in a box setup, while the performance tires come staggered.

I made the mistake of ordering it with the all-seasons, not knowing they would be in a box setup.

If you're ordering, I would make sure to look very closely at the ordering guide to make sure you're getting the staggered setup (assuming that's what you want), as the online configurator does not specify. If you're purchasing from inventory, make sure you look over the spec sheet in detail.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by wtwo3

That's correct, some are staggered and some aren't.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the all-seasons tires come in a box setup, while the performance tires come staggered.

I made the mistake of ordering it with the all-seasons, not knowing they would be in a box setup.

If you're ordering, I would make sure to look very closely at the ordering guide to make sure you're getting the staggered setup (assuming that's what you want), as the online configurator does not specify. If you're purchasing from inventory, make sure you look over the spec sheet in detail.

Exactly. If you go the all season tires or runflat tire route, you get a 225 square set up (terribly under tired for this car in my opinion). If you choose the Pilot Sport 4S tires, you get a staggered 225 front / 255 rear set up. Looks better and performs better.

Also...and not to keep adding on options for you lol...but you may want to look into the cooling and track package as it's not expensive but gives you an oil cooler up front and larger caliper bodies up front and larger brake rotors.

[socialpro1]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

Exactly. If you go the all season tires or runflat tire route, you get a 225 square set up (terribly under tired for this car in my opinion). If you choose the Pilot Sport 4S tires, you get a staggered 225 front / 255 rear set up. Looks better and performs better.

Also...and not to keep adding on options for you lol...but you may want to look into the cooling and track package as it's not expensive but gives you an oil cooler up front and larger caliper bodies up front and larger brake rotors.

Any key differences between using the S4/5 and 340 as a daily - especially on the freeway? On longer trips etc?

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by socialpro1

Any key differences between using the S4/5 and 340 as a daily - especially on the freeway? On longer trips etc?

I find the M340i (with adaptive suspension) to be more comfortable compared to both my S4 and S5 (the S5 had adaptive suspension) on longer trips. They are both stable cars at highway speeds. The M340i is smoother in traffic and if get the stop and go adaptive cruise, it's also much better than the S4/S5 was. The only thing I can think of that the M340i doesn't do as well is fuel economy...it can be just as efficient but I find myself having more fun and using more gas in the M340i

[zamboni]

You need to test drive the car all the reviews were subjective, you'll be the one who drive the car and would be the one who's making the final call.

[mathys]

When are you thinking of buying? There are still some "first year" issues left and right reported on the forum. Another 6 months should definitely help in that department.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by mathys

When are you thinking of buying? There are still some "first year" issues left and right reported on the forum. Another 6 months should definitely help in that department.

Actually not that many at all (few lingering ones but every model year will have some). The majority of the issues have been software related and updates have solved a lot of them.

[socialpro1]

Originally Posted by zamboni

You need to test drive the car all the reviews were subjective, you'll be the one who drive the car and would be the one who's making the final call.

I had a brief test drive at the BMW dealer. I was actually able to locate one on TURO to rent one for 24 hours this weekend to evaluate the car on all my normal routes. Both cars I believe have the fixed suspension.

Originally Posted by mathys

When are you thinking of buying? There are still some "first year" issues left and right reported on the forum. Another 6 months should definitely help in that department.

Plan on buying in next few weeks. Browsing the forums there seem to be a few things popping up on these cars here and there but nothing major.

[Gdiddy23]

Originally Posted by socialpro1

I had a brief test drive at the BMW dealer. I was actually able to locate one on TURO to rent one for 24 hours this weekend to evaluate the car on all my normal routes. Both cars I believe have the fixed suspension.

Plan on buying in next few weeks. Browsing the forums there seem to be a few things popping up on these cars here and there but nothing major.

Most reviews on here on the M340i are overwhelmingly positive and I'm yet to see anybody actually say they regretted buying it. I don't think you'll be let down at all, especially if coming from Audi