RE: BMW M240i: Driven

[daemon]

Nickbrapp said:

It looks EXACTLY the same as a m sport 220i. So why have they just stuck a M badge in front of it on this but not a 3 series?

If it's supposed to be a halfway house between m sport and M cars like the Audi S range or the AMG43 then why isn't the 3 series badged as a m340i under the m3 and the 540i badged as a m340i, is it because the 40 engine is only available in a m sport type line on the 1&2 but can be had in any trim line on a 3/5

No it doesnt look EXACTLY the same. Even off the top of my head the Mx40i cars get bigger alloys as standard, bigger air intakes on the front, different style of alloy as standard, blue calipers, silver mirror cappings, different exhausts (one each side as opposed to two over to the left), different rear diffuser and a rear boot spoiler.

So, its not just simply a "drop in a different engine" that you get with the M Sport variants.

There are other (and i think more significant) differences mechanically (different suspension?) and trim differences inside, but i'm sure you're just as capable of googling those as i am

My gut feeling is we'll see an M340i and M440i at some point.

EDIT: Theres one in the pipeline....

http://www.bmwblog.com/tag/bmw-m340i/

Edited by daemon on Monday 14th August 14:03

[Funk]

MrOrange said:

£1,300 in seat options alone

It's quite remarkable that a £36k car doesn't even come with basics such as lumbar support.

With the current trend to make 'everything optional' it will make buying used in future much harder unless full and detailed (unique) spec lists follow cars around. It will also make finding one with the options you want even harder.

I liked the way Ford did the Focus ST when it launched; ST-1, ST-2 and ST-3 and £1,000 difference between each model. Simple. There were no other endless reams of options which added 25% to the base price. You can go and look at an ST-3 and know exactly what it has on it.

[rodgertdodger]

I own an M140i, I resisted the temptation to tick any other options than Sapphire Black paint and the driver comfort pack.

I love how stealthy they are, no one has a clue what is behind them until you put the right foot down. Ive had a 49" tv in the back, king size headboard and 2 racing bikes (not all at the same time)

On a long run its mid to high 30s if you can resist the right pedal. I genuinely have a dilemma as to what i buy next. 340bhp is tough to find without significantly more money and its a rear well drive 6 cyclinder, a dying breed.....

Seriously struggling to think of anything that comes close and i paid just over £26k for mine

Edited by rodgertdodger on Monday 14th August 14:33

[HighwayStar]

esuuv said:

I did 15k over 18 months in a pretty well specced 235 - they are nice enough places to sit - the engine and the gearbox (the zf 8 speed) are fantastic.

But the steering is woeful - its also a pretty heavy car, take a big traffic island at speed and it just leans over on its offside front wheel - giving you little feedback. Its also bouncy / uncontrolled on a typical b road - I had a 2.7 Cayman before which had less power and a slightly German prison feel to the interior but was a way nicer thing to drive.

Seriously... A Porsche Cayman handles better/nicer to drive than a what is basically a tallish 4 seat saloon! I'm shocked

[telecat]

Agree on the spec problems second hand. The one I am getting has pretty much every option ticked but most seem to be missing Cruise control for example. A 235i I tested had a sunroof, (very 90's ) and the electric memory seats but missed cruise.

[Slurms]

Test drove one of these recently, just couldn't get past how the steering felt, really poor compared to others.

Cabin is a nice place to be and the engine is just great.

[Roma101]

We picked up my wife's LCI 2 M140i at the weekend. Obviously still running it in, but overall I am impressed. It seems like it will be a good all round car. We originally spec'd a 125i for her, but then thought it is not much more to stretch to a 40i and we will probably never see its like again.

We got approx. £5k discount from a main dealer.

As others have said, I think BMW are going to milk the M Performance range from now on. There is a EU and US only M550i and there will be a G20 M340i and G22(?) M440i. There will no doubt be a M Performance model for the next 1er and 2er. I think it is a good move as there is definitely a group of people who want 6 cylinder BMWs with a slightly sporty bent but don't want to or can't stretch to the full M cars. I am one of them so am hoping that the G20 M340i comes to the UK.

Oh, and you can configure the driving dynamics so that you get comfort suspension with sport drivetrain / steering (or vice versa) or have everything in sport. You can only do this if you have adaptive dampers though. I acknowledge that this is limited to only the two parameters (suspension and drivetrain / steering) and not as customisable as other cars, incl. the Ms).

[Olivera]

Looks a great car, particularly in the rental (PCP) sector.

[RobM77]

HighwayStar said:

esuuv said:

I did 15k over 18 months in a pretty well specced 235 - they are nice enough places to sit - the engine and the gearbox (the zf 8 speed) are fantastic.

But the steering is woeful - its also a pretty heavy car, take a big traffic island at speed and it just leans over on its offside front wheel - giving you little feedback. Its also bouncy / uncontrolled on a typical b road - I had a 2.7 Cayman before which had less power and a slightly German prison feel to the interior but was a way nicer thing to drive.

Seriously... A Porsche Cayman handles better/nicer to drive than a what is basically a tallish 4 seat saloon! I'm shocked

One reason the Cayman drives better is precisely because it's a two seater and they can give it a low mid-mounted engine without worrying about space for rear occupants.

However, I did say 'one reason' because I think esuuv makes a valid point - there are things about the Porsche that make it better that aren't linked to it being a two seater. The gearchange and clutch for example are miles ahead on the Porsche, or the steering feel (if we can forget about Porsche's awful variable ratio system).

BMW make fine cars, but since the E46 they seem to have struggled with a few basic and rather simple things; their combination of laggy DBW throttles and CDV make their manual petrol cars a pretty jerky experience (thank god the latest ZF auto is so good!), and since the dawn of ePAS, their steering feel has reduced markedly, particularly for the larger tyred models. I still think the best BMWs tend to be the more humble models on smaller wheels and tyres or at the other end the thoroughly re-engineered M models. I've yet to drive a modern era performance non-M BMW that flows very well in driving terms anywhere near as well as a Porsche does, and I think esuuv's point is that it doesn't have to be that way.

[JackReacher]

Ive read some very good reviews of the Birds m235i suspension and LSD package, which apparently addresses the weakness of the standard suspension. Trouble is most of those reviews read more like an advert. Any real world experiences?

[RobM77]

JackReacher said:

Ive read some very good reviews of the Birds m235i suspension and LSD package, which apparently addresses the weakness of the standard suspension. Trouble is most of those reviews read more like an advert. Any real world experiences?

I have Birds springs, dampers and ARBs on my E90 3 series and am very pleased indeed. I had them fitted a couple of months ago. The balance of springs to dampers is extremely good, the overall stiffness spot on and the ARBs in particular have a huge and very noticeable effect in the corners. I don't have the LSD because it's only a 320d ED My only criticism now concerns the geo, which I think would benefit from a bit of tweaking to make the most of the new found cornering grip and composure. A friend has a 135i Coupé with the kit and is also very pleased.

[MustardCutter]

RobM77 said:

..their combination of laggy DBW throttles and CDV make their manual petrol cars a pretty jerky experience ...

I don't think they fitted a CDV to the Mx35i or Mx40i. My manual M135i has no issue with jerkiness. The throttle responds quickly to my input, too, except in 'eco pro' mode which might as well be called 'a make my fast car cr@p' button! The steering is completely devoid of any feel and it does feel heavy in the corners, though. In 1 series form it's difficult be beat for a daily drive / family car, but in 2 series guise without the practicality it's not a car I would chose.

Edited by MustardCutter on Monday 14th August 17:16

[RobM77]

MustardCutter said:

RobM77 said:

..their combination of laggy DBW throttles and CDV make their manual petrol cars a pretty jerky experience ...

I don't think they fitted a CDV to the Mx35i or Mx40i. My manual M135i has no issue with jerkiness. The throttle responds quickly to my input, too, except in 'eco pro' model lol.

I did nearly add that I have limited experience of the very latest models. I've driven the old 135i coupé, but not the newer engine M135i onwards. That's good news if they've finally sorted this, because it plagued all BMW's petrol models, and was actually the reason I switched to diesel. Sure, I now have a hideous turbo lag if I'm caught off boost, but you can drive the car to maintain boost without an issue if you do the right things, and it's really only a problem if you've come to a halt for a period of time and then pull away (i.e. rarely in corners, where it matters), whereas that dam DBW lag was always there. Couple that with the CDV and it made for a horrible experience.

[Limpet]

rodgertdodger said:

I own an M140i, I resisted the temptation to tick any other options than Sapphire Black paint and the driver comfort pack.

I love how stealthy they are, no one has a clue what is behind them until you put the right foot down. Ive had a 49" tv in the back, king size headboard and 2 racing bikes (not all at the same time)

On a long run its mid to high 30s if you can resist the right pedal. I genuinely have a dilemma as to what i buy next. 340bhp is tough to find without significantly more money and its a rear well drive 6 cyclinder, a dying breed.....

Seriously struggling to think of anything that comes close and i paid just over £26k for mine

Agree with all of the above. Superb all-rounder that is a joy to use daily. I've had mine for 5 months, and I still love driving it. Yes, the performance is the party piece (it has never failed to provoke a reaction from a passenger), yet I love the way it's subtle to look at, comfy and refined inside, and can demolish long journeys completely effortlessly. The combination of sensible and unhinged is very cleverly done, and very well judged for a daily driver. I still find it amazing that you can spend £26k on an innocuous looking, 5 seat hatchback with the straight line performance of a 991 Carrera.

My only grizzle is that it needs a bigger fuel tank. Although the fuel consumption is staggeringly good for the performance on tap, it drinks like you would expect it to when you're using the power, and 52 litres is a bit tight in these situations.

[HeMightBeBanned]

I'm saddened by the reports of lifeless / gloopy steering. There's lots that I like about the 240i (size, price, performance - it's like a fast 3-series of old) but I value steering feel more than most other attributes.

[limpsfield]

I don't know if the steering is that bad. I think it gets over-firm in sport mode. My other car is a boxster so difficult to make a direct comparison.

[Yipper]

It's a good-looking car. But the handling is terrible in the wet, and the social stigma of not being able to afford an M2 is quite high, which make it a tough sell.

[limpsfield]

Yipper said:

and the social stigma of not being able to afford an M2 is quite high, which make it a tough sell.

What a load of st!

And those poor m2 driver who can't afford an M3.

And those poor M3 drivers who can't afford whatever the next Mthing is.

You post some crazy stuff on here.

[va1o]

telecat said:

The one I am getting has pretty much every option ticked but most seem to be missing Cruise control for example.

Sounds same as mine! I haven't missed cruise control even though the Golf it replaced had Adaptive Cruise. They come with a speed limiter function as standard which is quite useful for motorway driving. And if you want to retrofit it you just need to buy the buttons for the steering wheel then have it coded in.

[AOK]

va1o said:

Sounds same as mine! I haven't missed cruise control even though the Golf it replaced had Adaptive Cruise. They come with a speed limiter function as standard which is quite useful for motorway driving. And if you want to retrofit it you just need to buy the buttons for the steering wheel then have it coded in.

Having looked into it for a client a few months ago, I think there are people out there who are even able to code the cruise function into the LIM button (without the other buttons). Its a bit of a walk-around, but saves having to buy all the hardware and having it fitted.