340i msport touring - suspension choices.......

340i msport touring - suspension choices.......

Author
Discussion

Mistrale

Original Poster:

195 posts

143 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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Hi all, I think this has probably been asked a hundred times already......

I currently drive a 125i SE on run flat tyres - very civilised and I love it. Want the same quality and balance between ride and handling in my next car.

I am looking at getting a 340i touring and am trying to decide on suspension options. My driving is mainly motorway, with 20-30 mins of twisty fun at the end (or beginning depending which way....)

How do people find the standard m-sport suspension? Is I worth deleting it and going for non-m sport so the ride is not too harsh, or is it really worth the £842 (before discount!) for adaptive suspension?

Would love to hear from folks who have made these decisions!!!!

va1o

16,032 posts

207 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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I would probably go for the adaptive suspension. I've got it on my M135i and love it, the car is super comfortable for day to day driving but can really firm up when you want to push on.

Nick_C

108 posts

183 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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I have the adaptive in my f30 340i and find it really good. Comfort on the run flat 19s is better than my e90 msport on 18s, with a nice increase in stiffness when switching to sport.

Nick

Mistrale

Original Poster:

195 posts

143 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
quotequote all
Just re checked - actually £515.....

Some of the reviews say comfort is too floaty, sport is too hard.

Need to find a dealer to compare I guess!

Any other must haves? Got comfort pack and black panel display, plus tow bar so far!

ladderino

727 posts

139 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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HK stereo

va1o

16,032 posts

207 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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ladderino said:
HK stereo
Yep another vote for HK, along with the obligatory Pro Nav

Mike335i

5,004 posts

102 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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Pro nav, HK and heated seats (if not standard). Maybe folding mirrors and xenon / led headlights

paulwirral

3,132 posts

135 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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Adaptive all day long , it was the first box I ticked 14 months ago .

MattOz

3,911 posts

264 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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Have had both adaptive and non-adaptive M Sport suspension on 2 F31's. One 335i (normal M Sport) and one a loan 340i with adaptive that I did 1000 miles in. I'd save the money and just have normal M Sport suspension. The car rides very nicely on it and better than the adaptive in comfort mode. I found Sport and Sport+ on the adaptive car to be quite jiggly and unsettling.

However, I understand that this is against the grain as most F3* owners rave about adaptive fo some reason.

VerySideways

10,238 posts

272 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
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I guess it depends on where you live but adaptive was an absolute must for me.
I wanted the HK and the 19's so the "Plus" pack made sense, and the adaptives on the 19's work great. Test drove a 3 Luxury on 19's without adaptive and the 340 on adaptive rides better than that did in comfort, and feels tighter on sport - best of both worlds.
£500 when you're dropping £35k+ is almost insignificant, and whilst it may or may not increase the secondhand value when you eventually come to sell i'm certain it'll make it easier to sell, and you'll have gotten the use out of it in the meantime. No brainer for me.

GTEYE

2,096 posts

210 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
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MattOz said:
Have had both adaptive and non-adaptive M Sport suspension on 2 F31's. One 335i (normal M Sport) and one a loan 340i with adaptive that I did 1000 miles in. I'd save the money and just have normal M Sport suspension. The car rides very nicely on it and better than the adaptive in comfort mode. I found Sport and Sport+ on the adaptive car to be quite jiggly and unsettling.

However, I understand that this is against the grain as most F3* owners rave about adaptive fo some reason.
+1 Standard suspension on 19s is absolutely fine as long as you avoid X Drive.

Save your money IMHO

CSLchappie

436 posts

204 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
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I'd try and get a decent test drive with both options to see what you prefer. I've recently bought an F31 340i after the best part of 8 years in an E60 & 61 M5. My car has the standard suspension and Goodyear Eagle F1 RFTs' and the ride is the most disappointing aspect of the car, its my own fault as I didn't test drive / research enough before buying, had I done I think I would have seriously considered other options such as a C class estate or maybe even an F11.

I tend to use eco mode for most of my daily commute as its variable speed limits with fair bit of inner city, the ride is acceptable for this on good surfaces, mix in some rough / badly resurfaced B road and the ride is not so good. When I use Sport mode and go for a drive down some of my favourite roads I find the car is no way near capable of achieving both the speed and suppleness of ride that I could in the E60, the steering in the F31 is lighter and feels more disconnected but the worse than that is the near-constant bobbling about on rough surfaces that gives no confidence at all when pressing on.

Don't get me wrong, I do like the car on the whole, but in my spec it just feels compromised and I expect the RFTs' play a large part in that.

Mistrale said:
Hi all, I think this has probably been asked a hundred times already......

I currently drive a 125i SE on run flat tyres - very civilised and I love it. Want the same quality and balance between ride and handling in my next car.

I am looking at getting a 340i touring and am trying to decide on suspension options. My driving is mainly motorway, with 20-30 mins of twisty fun at the end (or beginning depending which way....)

How do people find the standard m-sport suspension? Is I worth deleting it and going for non-m sport so the ride is not too harsh, or is it really worth the £842 (before discount!) for adaptive suspension?

Would love to hear from folks who have made these decisions!!!!

ds666

2,633 posts

179 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
[quote=paulwirral]Adaptive all day long ,

Surely not - they are only required when it is dark ?

ds666

2,633 posts

179 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all


I tend to use eco mode for most of my daily commute as its variable speed limits with fair bit of inner city, the ride is acceptable for this on good surfaces, mix in some rough / badly resurfaced B road and the ride is not so good. When I use Sport mode and go for a drive down some of my favourite roads I find the car is no way near capable of achieving both the speed and suppleness of ride that I could in the E60, the steering in the F31 is lighter and feels more disconnected but the worse than that is the near-constant bobbling about on rough surfaces that gives no confidence at all when pressing on.


Do you mean Eco mode ? I don't think that has any effect on the adaptive suspension - it only changes between comfort and sport ?

worsy

5,804 posts

175 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
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You need HUD too, brilliant. Don't forget speed limit display.

I had a 340i on 20s with M Sport suspension and my M3 is less crashy on 20s. Make of that what you will.

VerySideways

10,238 posts

272 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
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ds666]aulwirral said:
Adaptive all day long ,

Surely not - they are only required when it is dark ?
laugh

rs990

130 posts

125 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
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worsy said:
I had a 340i on 20s with M Sport suspension and my M3 is less crashy on 20s. Make of that what you will.
That could be the run flats on the 340i compared to the performance tyres on the M3. When I went from standard suspension 16" runflats on a 320d to 18" M-Sport Pilot Super Sports on an M135i the ride became considerably better.

ROLFSSEN

96 posts

140 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
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CSLchappie said:
I tend to use eco mode for most of my daily commute as its variable speed limits with fair bit of inner city, the ride is acceptable for this on good surfaces, mix in some rough / badly resurfaced B road and the ride is not so good. When I use Sport mode and go for a drive down some of my favourite roads I find the car is no way near capable of achieving both the speed and suppleness of ride that I could in the E60, the steering in the F31 is lighter and feels more disconnected but the worse than that is the near-constant bobbling about on rough surfaces that gives no confidence at all when pressing on.
This quote sums up my car - an F30 Alpina D3 with adaptive.

Steering - don't know what it's doing - but I can live with that.

Suspension - on the only place you can really get motoring these days - B-roads - the suspension, even in comfort, is way too stiff. The car's all over the place, traction light blinking all the time. It's the rear of the car that's particularly hard. It's nowhere near as fast/confident as my previous 535Ds (E60) on this type of road.

I'm glad somebody else agrees with me! - Thank you.

(Apart from that, the car's great - don't know what I'd get instead!)

Tim

worsy

5,804 posts

175 months

Wednesday 1st March 2017
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rs990 said:
worsy said:
I had a 340i on 20s with M Sport suspension and my M3 is less crashy on 20s. Make of that what you will.
That could be the run flats on the 340i compared to the performance tyres on the M3. When I went from standard suspension 16" runflats on a 320d to 18" M-Sport Pilot Super Sports on an M135i the ride became considerably better.
Ah, yes I had RFs on the 340. They were like rubber bands, dreading when I had to replace them (only had the car a year).

5678

6,146 posts

227 months

Friday 3rd March 2017
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Mistrale said:
Just re checked - actually £515.....

Some of the reviews say comfort is too floaty, sport is too hard.

Need to find a dealer to compare I guess!

Any other must haves? Got comfort pack and black panel display, plus tow bar so far!
I have adaptive on my M135i, you're pretty much right there. Too wallowy on comfort, too firm for everyday in sport but it's fine if you're feeling enthusiastic. I'd settle for something in between and wouldn't spec it again.