[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by Alex_bm

+1

C43 understeers big time. M340I is so much more balanced.
Thomas doesn't like how over-boosted the steering feels on M340i, which I completely agree with. However in my opinion C43 isn't much better in that category.

Yeah both cars have their flaws. The Bimmer's steering is its main flaw, and the weighting feels too artificial. However the C43 feels just as numb and artificially heavy.

[535i MSport]

Originally Posted by GranitM5

They need to stop calling the C43 amg lol. It has nothing in common with the AMG's.

Hmmm, it's as much an AMG as the M340i is an M. I know, 2 wrongs don't make a right. 😉

[535i MSport]

Originally Posted by -EndOfAnEra-

Awesome, thanks for sharing VipinLJ! That M340i, I vaguely remember that launch model, interior looks much better than my initial impressions. Here's our post for it:

https://g20.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1697272

The speed over the C43 is pretty amazing but it brings to mind the various threads about the early cars being tuned with more power from factory. Was that ever debunked? And does anyone know if Mercedes actually measures HP from crank or from wheels? (I'm pretty sure we all know where BMW does it... )

And to add something to the mix.

The latest M340i's are mild hybrids, so that might change their character just a little.

[535i MSport]

Originally Posted by G21-M340i

Never understood NA approach to model years. Our way makes much more sense.

C43 makes a really good noise. Considered a C43 Estate but put off by the 4WD crabbing issues. It's also getting a bit long in the tooth.

There's always the full fat C63S estate.

[EXE46]

Originally Posted by 535i MSport

Hmmm, it's as much an AMG as the M340i is an M. I know, 2 wrongs don't make a right. 😉

To add, nobody gets confused with either of these cars and their respective purposes unless one is misinformed. Neither are real M or real AMG and neither are pretending to be or could convince any sane human that they are.

[GranitM5]

Originally Posted by 535i MSport

Hmmm, it's as much an AMG as the M340i is an M. I know, 2 wrongs don't make a right. 😉

I agree neither should have the badge. I was only saying the M340i is at least fast and feels like a sports car.

[535i MSport]

Originally Posted by GranitM5

I agree neither should have the badge. I was only saying the M340i is at least fast and feels like a sports car.

The M340i is a great car to be fair.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by spuntyb

Not at all surprising. Without my tune, I'd get pulled on by some of these M340s out there in the wild. Brilliant car for BMW!

Ummmm really?!? I've never been pulled on by an M340 in the wild.

[EXE46]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Ummmm really?!? I've never been pulled on by an M340 in the wild.

Hmm, you wonder bud? I hesitated the other day to avoid you pulling me over for reckless driving lol. I was right at your front left door about to walk you. Anyhow, true story, this happened to me last year lol here in Sofla, wasn't M3 though lol and I wasn't racing either, just flogging it...

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by EXE46

Hmm, you wonder bud? I hesitated the other day to avoid you pulling me over for reckless driving lol. I was right at your front left door about to walk you. Anyhow, true story, this happened to me last year lol here in Sofla, wasn't M3 though lol and I wasn't racing either, just flogging it...

Haha! I got a chuckle out of that.

[///M TOWN]

Originally Posted by GranitM5

They need to stop calling the C43 amg lol. It has nothing in common with the AMG's.

The same can be said about the quasi m models that are absolutely diluting BMW ///M

-Id personally take the m340i out of the three

[TorontoGambler]

Originally Posted by EXE46

Burrcold you sure change cars quickly man, congrats.


PS. I may get the G80 next lol ( Jstein55 don't judge me), it has grown on me. However, I still have until summer 2022 before the need will arise for the next ride so might change my mind by then.

Before you make that decision sit or better yet test drive a used one. I drove a dealer car that was only a year old... quickly scratched off my list. It showed its age, and lack of a quality build. Perhaps it was a lemon, but it was disappointing to the point that my wife even said “you’re considering this over the bmw?”

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by GranitM5

I never mentioned 0-60. I meant overall faster. Not just from 0. From any speed.

People on the forums tend to jump to conclusions and reference 0-60 or straight line performance even when the person they are responding to and/or quoting never explicitly stated anything about 0-60.

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by EXE46

( Jstein55 don't judge me)

Haha, I won't judge you for switching to the dark side, hell I probably won't even know about it since I'm banned from the G8X forums!

In my quest for looking at G8X alternatives I will be looking at an even more controversial car than the G80, the Giulia, reliability be damned!

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

People on the forums tend to jump to conclusions and reference 0-60 or straight line performance even when the person they are responding to and/or quoting never explicitly stated anything about 0-60.

The original post was explicitly referring only to speed. Nothing about driver's engagement, handling, feeling etc, only how fast a car was. My point about 0-60 is pretty much a reference that speed is not everything, no jumping to conclusions here. Doesn't matter if its 0-60 or 13-30, or any number, the original post was only concerned with speed being the number one determinant.

[Casone238]

I don't mind that these cars have the M or AMG badge on them. The M & AMG division were involved in tuning and the development of the car. It's more then then M styled or AMG body kit and they feel and drive different then the 330 or c300. Everyone understands it's a M/AMG lite. I had a C43 for a little over 3+ years and now having my M340 for a month and recently starting pushing the car I would say the driving feel throttle response and spirited driving through back roads the M340 is the superior car. Steering feel is a down fall but it doesn't understeer like the C43 does and steering input feels more accurate and easier to point the car then the C43. I truly feel these guys just like the C43 for the exhaust pops... they just need to drive a M340 with the MPE

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by jstein55

The original post was explicitly referring only to speed. Nothing about driver's engagement, handling, feeling etc, only how fast a car was. My point about 0-60 is pretty much a reference that speed is not everything, no jumping to conclusions here. Doesn't matter if its 0-60 or 13-30, or any number, the original post was only concerned with speed being the number one determinant.

The thing about driver engagement, steering feel, etc. is there is no consensus as it's all preferential. What feels good to one person may feel differently to another person. We end up chasing our tails thread after thread.

[MaverickM]

Originally Posted by Casone238

I don't mind that these cars have the M or AMG badge on them. The M & AMG division were involved in tuning and the development of the car. It's more then then M styled or AMG body kit and they feel and drive different then the 330 or c300. Everyone understands it's a M/AMG lite. I had a C43 for a little over 3+ years and now having my M340 for a month and recently starting pushing the car I would say the driving feel throttle response and spirited driving through back roads the M340 is the superior car. Steering feel is a down fall but it doesn't understeer like the C43 does and steering input feels more accurate and easier to point the car then the C43. I truly feel these guys just like the C43 for the exhaust pops... they just need to drive a M340 with the MPE

100% agree w u. M340 deserves its m badge with the power and drive it gives you. It's not a "true" M but a light version. Regardless of the badge and hate it gets from the m purists it's still an insanely fast and impressive ride!

[VipinLJ]

My seat time in all the three cars (M340i/AMG C43/S4) are a bit limited compared to those here that own/owned them. What I state below is purely my opinion and it is in no way right or wrong.

The video did surprise me a little bit, like I mentioned a few pages before. Not because the M340i came out tops (that was a given). The real surprise was the S4 easily keeping up with the C43. That was totally unexpected (and probably better discussed in it's respective forum).
Going by the numbers on paper, I expected the C43 to give the M340i a run for it's money. BMW just showed us all who the boss is. The M340i is a fantastic car and there's no doubt about that. Between the three, I'd pick the M340i. BUT. I understand why Thomas and James say they'd probably choose the C43. I drove it right after I drove an S4 a few years ago and I was floored by it (this was before the G20 was even launched). The C43 felt brutal. Raw. The S4 was sporty (Slightly sporty like James said in the video) but the C43 was next level. In race mode, it felt much faster than the S4 did. It banged out gear shifts with a punch in my gut (that I liked). It brought out the hooligan in me. The exhaust note was brilliant. Build quality of the Merc was meh. Brand new car and it already had rattles. The Audi was solid (I had the plebian A4 B9 and it was one solid car).
Fast forward a couple of years and they launched the M340i. Now I am not someone who is a badge snob (neither brand nor sub-division (or whatever M/AMG/S is called)). So I don't care that BMW puts an M in front of 340i or Merc puts an AMG before C43 (though an M330i or AMG C300 will be a different story). I also don't track my cars. 75% of my drives are in the city and the rest are on the highway or back roads that are so straight that boring is an understatement. None of my cars have been to a racetrack or drag strip (like a lot of people who buy these cars and unlike hardcore petrol heads who track them). For me, what matters is 0-60/0-80/40-100 and how the car sounds and makes you feel on boring roads. The only time I need "handling" is when I take an exit or enter a highway enthusiastically. I've done that in all three cars and it was the M340i closely followed by the C43 for me (as far as handling is concerned). The C43 had the best exhaust note and sounded real nice (I believe it had a sport exhaust whereas the M340i I drove didn't have the MPE).
All these cars will make minced meat out of 97% of the cars seen on the highway. The difference is that the M340i and even the S4 do it like gentlemen. The C43 was brazen. How I see it is. The S4 is a man in a nice suit. The M340i is a man in a nice sports jacket. The C43 is a guy in flashy street wear (if all of that makes sense).

Coming back to the TH video. They're entitled to their opinion. They did say the M340i was a beast. They did say they'd take the C43 over it though. Nothing wrong with that. I got what I wanted from that video (which was to see by how much the M340i beats the S4). I've been waiting for that video for a long time and I'm glad TH was the first to come out with it. Makes me like the channel even more now.

Another thing I noticed is how an F80 M3 vs G20 M340i comparison almost always creeps in. No one is denying that the M3 is/was a brilliant car (I say was because I hope the G80 is better!). No one is denying that it handles better than the M340i (like it should). The point is. A lot of owners daily their cars. I've driven an M3 for like maybe 10 miles at most. It was stiff (IL roads are horrible). The car was a beast but I would not daily one considering where I live. I'd take the M340i over an M3 any day. But that is probably just me. On the track, it might be a totally different story.

Why this long post? I'm not sure. Just thought I'd share my $0.02 since I just spent some time going through all the posts in this thread.

[RacletteMan]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

I did

I got an RS5 Sportback...opportunity came up for a car that I've wanted since they came out.

I would really appreciate your feedback on the RS5 and what you like/dislike about it after the M340i. I am considering both cars. I would particularly hear about how solid the interior feels, as rattles and buzzes are deal killers for me and the reason why I am hesitant about the X4M and C63S.
Thanks a lot

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Ummmm really?!? I've never been pulled on by an M340 in the wild.

Nor have I

[Luminor513]

M340i is a beast. No comparison here. BMW Dominates. Would like to see M340i vs RS5.