Friday 17th July 2015

BMW 340i: Driven

3 Series subtly updated with new kit, more tech and a 340i sub-M flagship - how good is it?

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My heart sank. Already, I was dubious. But as the road became twistier, it became clear. BMW has ruined the surprisingly fine electric power steering of the F30 3 Series.

Those rear lights are now LEDs

So I did a most un-BMW-like thing and ignored it. As you can tell from the images, this is the most subtle of facelifts for the compact exec that, pre-Jaguar XE, used to lead the class. Testing this was all about sweating the details, like discovering the ride is now less irritated by pimply surfaces despite stiffening the handling, or that the interior appears better quality and less plasticky without apparently changing one little bit (when BMW boasts about a sliding cover for the cupholder, you know it's about subtleties).

If you're scratching your head, here are the PH pointers: the headlights are new, with more distinctive LED running lights and a full LED option (the 'eyes' are further apart, too). The bumper is more sculptural, the air intakes wider. There are rear LED lights, and engine-specific exhaust shapes, from 75mm single tailpipe on repmobiles to dual 80mm pipes on the 340i. New colours and wheels feature outside, more chrome bits and piano black inside.

318i x 2 = 340i, OK?

Hardly radical. Unlike the all-new, all-turbo engine range, which now stretches from a three-cylinder 1.5-litre 318i to the hot 3.0-litre turbo 340i that replaces the 335i and, with 326hp, vies with an E46 M3 for overall power. For all its lack of BMW tradition, the 340i branding sounds pretty cool too, no? It's easy to ignore the steering when you've an engine this good.

Part of BMW's new modular EfficientDynamics family, each cylinder is 500cc so it really is twice a 318i. The 2,998cc motor combines 326hp between 5,500-6,500rpm and 332lb ft between 1,380-5,000rpm for 0-62mph in 5.1secs with the choice eight-speed auto. This is further improved from an already high benchmark and is a tenth faster than the self-blipping six-speed manual, which carries a significant mpg/CO2 penalty too. See below for the numbers. Even more non-turbo in feel than the M3, lag is minimal, torque delivery is beautifully linear and you can drive it on the throttle with more control than any forced induction BMW to date. With so much power and low-down grunt, it's very effective and sounds suitably straight six-ey at higher revs as well.

It's important to use such effervescence, because at first, the enhanced new 3 is almost too good for its own good. Unlike the more obvious enthusiasm of the new XE, the new car's improved ride, even better-controlled dynamics and 10mm lower ride height give it sophistication that borders on aloof.

Business as usual here, just a bit more so

Like, say, an E60 M5, you don't realise quite how good it is until you start hoofing it. Only then will the beautifully precise and clean turn-in and sense of roadster-like rear-led chassis control be revealed, its wonderful balance and adjustability be engaged with. The new car's sophistication is absolute, particularly on the choice Adaptive M suspension and optional new Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber, but digging down reveals the charisma that we know and love from a 3 Series.

But for the horrible steering. It's sticky straight ahead, snatchy in response, seems to magnetically 'freeze' in corners and lacks any of the finesse I recall from the first-gen F30 3 Series. Praise be then - it's the optional Variable Sport Steering, and should be avoided at all costs. No wonder it's only £290, because it's awful. Put it instead towards £570 of blue-calipered and powerful M Sport brakes and cross fingers that the standard cars are as good as they used to be (and a touch less aloof in everyday driving than this tech-laden range-topper) when they arrive in the UK from September. If they are, Jaguar may just have to relinquish that class-leading status.

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BMW 340i (2015)
Engine: 2,998cc straight-six turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual/8-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 326@5,500-6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 332@1,380-5,000rpm
0-62mph: 5.2sec (5.1)
Top speed: 155mph
Weight: 1,605kg (EU, including 75kg driver)
MPG: 36.7 (41.5, NEDC combined)
CO2: 179g/km (159g/km)
Price: £38,125

(Figures in brackets for automatic)

[rassi]

340? So will they rename the M135/235 and 535 to x40 too?

[Atmospheric]

BMW have lost it with the 3 series for me.

All the other competitors would be considered first.

[rallycross]

They have lost the plot with model numbers.

[williamp]

The best 340 since...

[mpx14]

I don't care what's it called as long as it's a good car. The changes to the suspension do sound nice and I imagine necessary to compete with the Jag. It's a pity that these days there is so much difference in the way a model drives based on the optional extras. If they make so much difference they should not be optional.

[Luca Brasi]

So this no longer has an N55?

[Blackbird425]

Beautiful motor with a great engine. Not sure how anyone can say BWW have lost it with the 3 Series. Is the XE really that good? Journalists always seem to treat Jags with kid gloves to me - they always strike me as under engineered and slightly nasty inside.

[Nors]

So, one of the things the 3 series is applauded for (it's steering feel) has got worse (option or not) with this facelift, but according to PH it doesn't matter because the engine is so good?

If it was an Audi, regardless of how good the engine was, all we'd hear is how poor the steering was!

Edited by Nors on Friday 17th July 08:56

Edited by Nors on Friday 17th July 08:56

[SidewaysSi]

Blackbird425 said:

Beautiful motor with a great engine. Not sure how anyone can say BWW have lost it with the 3 Series. Is the XE really that good? Journalists always seem to treat Jags with kid gloves to me - they always strike me as under engineered and slightly nasty inside.

Really? I think the opposite.

[IanJ9375]

Pretty much the advice I got when speccing the pre-LCI 330D - avoid the Variable Steering Option!

The M-Sport+ version of this with the brake upgrade will be a decent drive, ignore the numbering conventions they've been wrong since @1990 on the 3 Series and you can always pull the badge off and keep it in the man drawer lol

[RobM77]

No surprises there with the steering then! Any steering I've ever tried that's "variable" in some way has been utterly dreadful. It's not even an option on modern Porsches, you have to have it (ETA: I realise Porsche's system is mechanical, but it's still awful).

The rest of the car sounds good though, I think it'll be a good thing for BMW to have some competition from Jaguar. I echo the poster above's concerns though - I've not driven a Jaguar, but I have noticed a probable bias from the UK motoring press. I couldn't say that definitively until I've driven one though.

Are BMW still offering this six cylinder engine without turbos on it?

Edited by RobM77 on Friday 17th July 09:22

[xRIEx]

Blackbird425 said:

Beautiful motor with a great engine.

The motor has an engine? Seems like unnecessary duplication to me.

[Cotic]

Can we have a test of a boggo standard bovril 320d then, without adaptive suspension or steering? As these seem to be the ones that people actually buy (looking at the classifieds at least), then I would find it very interesting if it would compete with, say, even a Hyundai i40 as opposed to a Jag XE. I find it frustrating that you seem to have to throw at least £2000 at these cars to match the lowliest of the actual cars sent out to test. I know BMW aren't the only ones to option up test cars, but they're by far the worst.

[kambites]

Blackbird425 said:

Beautiful motor with a great engine. Not sure how anyone can say BWW have lost it with the 3 Series. Is the XE really that good? Journalists always seem to treat Jags with kid gloves to me - they always strike me as under engineered and slightly nasty inside.

I think "under-engineered" could be applied to all modern European cars in this sector. They make the bits you can touch and see very nice but the actual engineering integrity in the bits which you can't is average at best.

[kambites]

Is the "variable steering" option variable assistance or variable ratio? The former is often quite acceptable, the latter tends to be vile.

Either way, it's nice to have the choice of not having it.

[Court_S]

I'm just pleased to see a six pot petrol back in a BMW to be honest. I douby we'll see many on the road though.

I quite like the F30 - I had a 330d x Drive for a few days a courtesy car and as a daily driver I thought it was pretty damn good. The M Sport plus pack does seem worthwile with the better brakes etc. The list price was mental though for a 3 series.

[aeropilot]

rassi said:

340? So will they rename the M135/235 and 535 to x40 too?

Eventually, yes, when they get the B58 engine as well.

[aeropilot]

Luca Brasi said:

So this no longer has an N55?

Correct. It's the new B58.

[Dion20vt]

£38k for a non M BMW??? Am I the only one thinking this will depreciate badly?

If I had £38k to splash on a fast practical car, I'd go for one of these: http://selekt.volvocars.co.uk/en/used-cars/Volvo/V...

And before the pedantic patrol start the argument old Vs new... it's hardly a greek relic is it!

[Blackbird425]

xRIEx said:

The motor has an engine? Seems like unnecessary duplication to me.

Seems like an unnecessary post to me.