RE: BMW 340i Touring (F31): PH Carpool

[chris333]

Lovely car. Just swapped my 435i for an Audi S4, which is noticeably more burbly. Seems like BMW realised the 35i engine was a tad too refined and the 40i is much more like it.

The pro-nav routing comment made me smile as I thought the same when on holiday in Cornwall last year.



(although to be fair in this case, there didn't seem to be a better alternative!)

[chandrew]

I have a European-spec 340i xDrive touring with the MSSPK and it is suitably swift when I need it to be but economical when I don’t. Agree re the 19” tyres - my 17” winters and noticeably better. It’s decent on snow but with too much understeer for my liking. My old Subaru Forester was better when traction is low.

Here in Switzerland we can’t get a 3 series with RWD above a 320 apart from the M3.

[Helicopter123]

Love the 3 series (former 330d owner) but the interior is woeful for a car at £30k never mind £46k.

5 series so much nicer to be in.

[Roma101]

Got the same car (but on 18"s and with the MPPSK).

Been thinking what to replace it with, but really can't think of anything that is as practical, quick, affordable and desirable. So might just keep it until the next gen. M340i/d comes out.

Two changes you need to make though - fit Michelin PS4s and the MPPSK. Both improve the basic car noticeably. Sport + with the MPPSK is quite ridiculous for such a car

[8-P]

2 miles a day to the station. How much damage will that do to the engine?

Serious question, my commute is the same length and this car along with an RS4 avant is right on my list, but Im worried such a short commute with no chance of the engine warming up will kill it.

[Atlas 12v]

I have had an F31 340i since Apr16 similar time to the OP.

Surprised no one else who has one has mentioned the woeful electric steering, seems ok day to day until you drive something else with hydraulic steering.
E90, 46 and 36 have far nicer steering.

[gazzathehutt]

moffat said:

Great car and great engine.

I've got a 440i with the BMW MPPSK (M Performance Power and Sound Kit) and it's epic, easily the best modification you can make on a 40i car huge value for money. What else can you buy that offers a full valved sports exhaust system and a remap all with warranty for £1800?!!!

Moffat - I have a 440i M Sport which could do with some extra power and sound. Do you know if the MPPSK is retro-fittable?

[BFleming]

The mention of the previous 320d x-drive makes me chuckle. At the end of the day it's 'just' a 320d with 4wd, yet people expect superior performance, handling & braking. Some astute marketing bks by BMW, which Mercedes have now copied. There is little need for a four wheel drive anything in this country 99.9% of the time.

[2 GKC]

"unless you are a BM geek and clock the twin exhausts it could be a 320d... "


Surely only a BM geek would know what a 320d is too? I don't get all this sleeper stuff - I find it hard to believe anyone would look at that car and be surprised it's rather rapid. Lovely car though

[va1o]

I like these. I never really got the 335d thing as at one point they seemed pretty hyped up on here, but I definitely see the attraction of a 340i having owned an M135i up until recently. Got to make the most of straight 6 petrol RWD cars as they’re a dying breed

Also agree Pro Nav can sometimes give some random routes, but it gave me the opportunity for this last year on an early morning run to Goodwood!

Edited by va1o on Monday 26th February 21:48

[aaron_2000]

I enjoy seeing people hit the brakes thinking it's a police car

[Limpet]

Lovely car. The B58 is one of the all round most impressive engines around at the minute IMHO, and the F31 Touring is such a handsome beast.

[QuattroDave]

Seriously considering changing my wifes old 330d touring for a 340i touring or if discounts start ramping up on them the x3 m40i.

I have an M140i already and the B58 engine is so good I'd happily have two cars with the same engine, it offers such a range of capabilities, frugal and quiet when you need, loud & very fast when you want!

A question you're not supposed to ask on here - what is your average mpg so far, esp with that small (walkable) commute! After 14,000 miles mines averaged 34mpg which for what it can do speed and sound wise I'm more than happy with .

[aaron_2000]

QuattroDave said:

Seriously considering changing my wifes old 330d touring for a 340i touring or if discounts start ramping up on them the x3 m40i.

I have an M140i already and the B58 engine is so good I'd happily have two cars with the same engine, it offers such a range of capabilities, frugal and quiet when you need, loud & very fast when you want!

A question you're not supposed to ask on here - what is your average mpg so far, esp with that small (walkable) commute! After 14,000 miles mines averaged 34mpg which for what it can do speed and sound wise I'm more than happy with .

There's always good deals on them if you ask at the dealer, ours averages mid 30's, never seen 40, highest was 38mpg.

[QuattroDave]

aaron_2000 said:

There's always good deals on them if you ask at the dealer, ours averages mid 30's, never seen 40, highest was 38mpg.

Thanks Aaron,

I know the 340i can get about 20% off and I got 22% off my M140 but the X3 you'd struggle with more than say 7-8% at the mo which makes it considerably more then a similarly specced 340i touring.

As for highest mpg from this engine I got a frankly amazing 47.1mpg (computer) on my 14 mile commute to work once and regularly see north of 43. Even when I'm pushing on it struggles to do much less than 28ish on a run and rarely below 20 around town.

[mat205125]

QuattroDave said:

aaron_2000 said:

There's always good deals on them if you ask at the dealer, ours averages mid 30's, never seen 40, highest was 38mpg.

Thanks Aaron,

I know the 340i can get about 20% off and I got 22% off my M140 but the X3 you'd struggle with more than say 7-8% at the mo which makes it considerably more then a similarly specced 340i touring.

As for highest mpg from this engine I got a frankly amazing 47.1mpg (computer) on my 14 mile commute to work once and regularly see north of 43. Even when I'm pushing on it struggles to do much less than 28ish on a run and rarely below 20 around town.

Must admit to being tempted to turn to the dark side, and think about financing a new / lease car.

Something like the 340 estate would be ideal if the above mpg looks achievable.

Can anyone reassure me that these can have a tow bar, and have a rough idea of the towing weight? Too many "sport" models these days seem to be losing their towing capabilities for one reason or another.

[Limpet]

QuattroDave said:

As for highest mpg from this engine I got a frankly amazing 47.1mpg (computer) on my 14 mile commute to work once and regularly see north of 43. Even when I'm pushing on it struggles to do much less than 28ish on a run and rarely below 20 around town.

Impressive. I have never got anything like 47.1. I do a fairly frequent 100 mile run from home to Bristol down the M4 , and if I use ECO PRO mode and stick to the speed limits, I can see somewhere around 42-43 average for the trip. Leaving it in Comfort and keeping up with the traffic, it's more like 35. The car is averaging 28.9 on the computer from new, and has 12,500 miles on the clock now.

The computer is very accurate. For the first 3,000 miles or so, I tracked the real mpg, but the difference between my calculated average and the car's average over those 3,000 miles was only 0.4 mpg (or 1.4 %), so I stopped bothering.

By way of comparison, I had a mk1 2.0 Focus to tide me over when the BMW was on order, and the BMW is actually fractionally more economical. When you consider the performance difference (gulf) and the fact the M140i is nearly 250kg heavier, it's very impressive.

[xr2i]

mat205125 said:

Must admit to being tempted to turn to the dark side, and think about financing a new / lease car.

Something like the 340 estate would be ideal if the above mpg looks achievable.

Can anyone reassure me that these can have a tow bar, and have a rough idea of the towing weight? Too many "sport" models these days seem to be losing their towing capabilities for one reason or another.

Hi, sure ,I have a factory fitted towbar on my 340i estate.
Not sure about the towing weight though.

Cheers

[jezza_123]

I had a 320d and now have a 330e. Both have been a massive disappointment for me as drivers cars. Your comments on the steering and tyres are absolutely spot on and something which I think is going to turn a lot of people off BMW's unless they sort things out. I'm certainly not going to have another one for a while. Recent test drive of a new 5 series m sport confirmed they are the same.

[airsport1]

mat205125 said:

QuattroDave said:

aaron_2000 said:

There's always good deals on them if you ask at the dealer, ours averages mid 30's, never seen 40, highest was 38mpg.

Thanks Aaron,

I know the 340i can get about 20% off and I got 22% off my M140 but the X3 you'd struggle with more than say 7-8% at the mo which makes it considerably more then a similarly specced 340i touring.

As for highest mpg from this engine I got a frankly amazing 47.1mpg (computer) on my 14 mile commute to work once and regularly see north of 43. Even when I'm pushing on it struggles to do much less than 28ish on a run and rarely below 20 around town.

Must admit to being tempted to turn to the dark side, and think about financing a new / lease car.

Something like the 340 estate would be ideal if the above mpg looks achievable.

Can anyone reassure me that these can have a tow bar, and have a rough idea of the towing weight? Too many "sport" models these days seem to be losing their towing capabilities for one reason or another.

Check the brokers, nearer to 24% available last summer with a few options. Finance levels low and good contributions too.

On the fuel front I tend to get 35+ on my rural commute but average drops to 31 as soon as I find some space to stretch its legs.

The OEM retractable tow bar a great option but definitely check the spec if you want to pull something big.