RE: BMW M340i xDrive: PH Trade-Off

RE: BMW M340i xDrive: PH Trade-Off

Sunday 16th December 2018

BMW M340i xDrive: PH Trade-Off

Until a new M3, the M340i is the quickest 3 Series. Happily, it's very good - but is there something better still for half price?



A six-cylinder BMW 3 Series. It's a wonderful thing; as beautiful and perfect as a perfectly-cooked steak, or a cloudless summer day. And yet it is, as we all know, a breed that's on the wane; one that the bane of downsizing has decimated.

Happily, though, the six-pot Three isn't dead just yet. It might live on only in the M Performance version of the latest model - the M340i - but oh, what a thing it is. "The M340i just lobs up and smashes home every one of the standard car's absolutely plain dynamic advantages," said Matt Saunders while road testing the M340i last week (well, not literally, but you get the gist). And even being four-wheel-drive is no impediment, it seems. "Deactivate the car's DSC and you'll find you can gas it up into a slide at will," says Matt, "and also keep it sliding with power and a bit of corrective lock dialed in, which is something most four-wheel drive performance cars decline to allow."


Jolly good stuff. But there's one catch: the M340i will cost you a not-inconsiderable £47,000, or thereabouts - prices haven't yet been confirmed. Surely we can find something that does the job just as well for our trade-off budget of half that cost?

First thoughts turn to the Audi S3 Saloon. On paper, it's a direct match for the M340i: a suave executive car with added chutzpah, four-wheel drive, a sub-5 0-62mph time, a swanky interior and the right badge. This one looks the part, too, with its black paint, privacy glass and red leather flashes. It's loaded with options, only four years old and has done a relatively reasonable 40,000 miles. For the price, this feels like quite a lot of car, then, but the trouble is that the comparison with the M340i only really works on paper. The S3's fast, composed and stable, but it doesn't really involve you in the process like the M340i does - what's more, the one thing that's stand-out about the BMW - the steering - is the S3's biggest weakness.


How about this Mitsubishi Evo X FQ-360, then? Again, a blisteringly quick four-wheel-drive super saloon, except this one was a great car in its own time and remains so today. It's even faster than the M340i in a straight line and could probably show it a clean set of heels in the corners too; what's more, with just 25k on the clock, it's barely been used, and at £21,900 you'll have some spare change from our budget. Trouble is, really, that interior: nobody in the market for a BMW is going to downgrade to the sort of plastics you'll find in the Mitsubishi, and especially not at this price. And can you really see the Evo looking at home on the golf course? Hmm.

Time, then, to pay a bit of attention to the elephant in the room. We try to stay away from recommending older versions of the same car in Trade Off, because it rather defeats the object. After all, you know you can get an older version of the same thing for half the cash.

But as BMW is so keen to point out, the M340i is technically not an M car. Yet for £23,500,  you can get yourself exactly that, a full-fat M3 - and, frankly, that's about as good an alternative to the M340i as you're ever going to get.


Of course, we're talking about an E90 here, so you will have to settle for one of the last-but-one generation. This one, for example, can be had for just within our budget - well, £50 over, but then the M340i's price is not yet confirmed, and any PHer worth their salt should be able to haggle that off in any case.

It isn't four-wheel drive, so you won't get the all-weather usability of the M340i, but just look at what you get instead. The headline news is not just a fabled BMW straight-six, but one of the most iconic V8s in recent memory; a glorious life-affirming banshee of a thing that sears its way into your soul when you're extracting every last rev but, amazingly, can equally don a pair of slippers and pussyfoot around when you aren't feeling like playing.


The same can be said of the chassis, with adaptive dampers which offer you the choice between cruisey comfort and hard-edged track focus. In the latter mode, this M3's crisp agility and balance are renowned - even if its steering isn't quite as laden with feel as its predecessor's, it's more than a match for the M340i's. And with the traction control turned off, of course, the M3's notoriously capable of creating lurid amounts of tyre smoke.

You won't even have to compromise on practicality, as the example we've found is a saloon, with four doors and seating for five. Running cost are a bugbear, mind you, with maintenance and repair costs significantly higher, and 23mpg to the M340i's 37.7. But then again, you're saving so much by buying the older car that you can probably afford a few extra trips to the petrol station and a couple of big bills.


It is, when you stop to think about it, to be celebrated that today's semi-skimmed M340i is capable of doing everything the full-fat M3 was just a few short years ago, with better fuel economy, improved refinement and markedly better safety standards added into the bargain.

But it is also to be celebrated that you can now buy a bona fide M car with one of the most fabulous V8s ever produced for half the cost of its softer, more sanitised modern alternative. And it's that particular celebration we'd rather be a part of. Wouldn't you?


SPECIFICATION - BMW M340i XDRIVE

Engine: 2,998cc straight-six, twin-turbo
Transmission: 8-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 370@N/A rpm
Torque (lb ft): 369@N/A rpm
0-62mph: 4.4sec
Top speed: 155mph (limited)
MPG: 37.7
CO2: 172g/km
Price: circa-£47,000 (tbc)

SPECIFICATION - BMW M3 (E90)

Engine: 3,999cc V8
Transmission: 7-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 420@8,300rpm
Torque (lb ft): 295@3,900rpm
0-62mph: 4.9sec
Top speed: 155mph (limited)
MPG: 22.8
CO2: 295g/km
Price: £23,557

Author
Discussion

the_hood

Original Poster:

769 posts

193 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
There was a time on PH when comparing new with used was frowned upon, now it's a feature!

manracer

1,544 posts

96 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
Where do you draw the line though?

F80 M3 for £33k?

samoht

5,632 posts

145 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all

The Audi RS4 (B7 or B8) would seem to be the obvious candidate for a premium sports saloon that has 4WD but isn't boring, surely?


Driver101

14,376 posts

120 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
The thought of buying a car from Evans Halshaw is too much. They do seem to stock all the poorest condition of cars and have terrible reviews.

They don't often have that level of detail in their adverts. Normally it's as vague as possible.

I'm also no sure I would want to buy a BMW with a registration plate that starts Y. Too many of them would have been press cars, hire cars or even track day experience cars.

ZX10R NIN

27,490 posts

124 months

J4CKO

41,279 posts

199 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
ZX10R NIN said:
That makes much more sense as a comparison.

I cant see them selling that many of these, rarely see a 340i now, they are great but overkill and expensive to run compared to the lesser models for most people, the comparable 320D from this range now has knocking on for 200 bhp.

50 grand on a 3 series is a pretty hard sell, especially when it will only do 20 odd mpg in most usage.

Couple of years down the line though, find one and do a few choice mods, 450 bhp 4wd super saloon.

Am guessing that the next M3/4 will also be 4wd, Audi has lost its USP with BMW and Mercedes adopting 4wd.

Driver101

14,376 posts

120 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
J4CKO said:
That makes much more sense as a comparison.

I cant see them selling that many of these, rarely see a 340i now, they are great but overkill and expensive to run compared to the lesser models for most people, the comparable 320D from this range now has knocking on for 200 bhp.

50 grand on a 3 series is a pretty hard sell, especially when it will only do 20 odd mpg in most usage.

Couple of years down the line though, find one and do a few choice mods, 450 bhp 4wd super saloon.

Am guessing that the next M3/4 will also be 4wd, Audi has lost its USP with BMW and Mercedes adopting 4wd.
It'll do a lot more than 20mpg. The combined economy figure is 37mpg.

I'd expect the average to be around 30mpg for normal users and a few more for people doing longer runs.

Not doubt like most BMW there will be huge discounts along soon enough.

aaron_2000

5,407 posts

82 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
Driver101 said:
I'm also no sure I would want to buy a BMW with a registration plate that starts Y. Too many of them would have been press cars, hire cars or even track day experience cars.
Or even... registered in Yorkshire

12TS

1,806 posts

209 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
Never going to be £47k though. More like £35k new in a year or so one BMW start discounting it.

Pistonheader101

2,206 posts

106 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
12TS said:
Never going to be £47k though. More like £35k new in a year or so one BMW start discounting it.
No doubt it will float down to 20-25k for a one year old one with all good options ticked. That’s when I’ll bite.

JimbobVFR

2,679 posts

143 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
Driver101 said:
I'm also no sure I would want to buy a BMW with a registration plate that starts Y. Too many of them would have been press cars, hire cars or even track day experience cars.
There's at least 2 BMWs with Y plates on my street, it's just the code for Yorkshire.

ZX10R NIN

27,490 posts

124 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
12TS said:
Never going to be £47k though. More like £35k new in a year or so one BMW start discounting it.
You do realise the 330i M Sport has a list price of 41k so there's no way these start at anything less than 47k.

J4CKO

41,279 posts

199 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
Driver101 said:
J4CKO said:
That makes much more sense as a comparison.

I cant see them selling that many of these, rarely see a 340i now, they are great but overkill and expensive to run compared to the lesser models for most people, the comparable 320D from this range now has knocking on for 200 bhp.

50 grand on a 3 series is a pretty hard sell, especially when it will only do 20 odd mpg in most usage.

Couple of years down the line though, find one and do a few choice mods, 450 bhp 4wd super saloon.

Am guessing that the next M3/4 will also be 4wd, Audi has lost its USP with BMW and Mercedes adopting 4wd.
It'll do a lot more than 20mpg. The combined economy figure is 37mpg.

I'd expect the average to be around 30mpg for normal users and a few more for people doing longer runs.

Not doubt like most BMW there will be huge discounts along soon enough.
I gets early twenties from an M135i, which is a seven mile each way commute, stop start with a bit of dual carriageway, on longer runs it can do 40 odd if you are careful, use the performance and/or do a similar commute 30 mpg would seem unlikely in a heavier car with 4WD, even allowing for the B58 being a bit more efficient. After all its a powerful six cylinder turbocharged car, I doubt I would get any better economy than I am seeing, even being careful I only see 24 mpg on my commute, entirely depends on usage and how heavy your right foot is, if you dont have a heavy right foot, buy a 320D.

Pica-Pica

13,617 posts

83 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
JimbobVFR said:
Driver101 said:
I'm also no sure I would want to buy a BMW with a registration plate that starts Y. Too many of them would have been press cars, hire cars or even track day experience cars.
There's at least 2 BMWs with Y plates on my street, it's just the code for Yorkshire.
No st, Sherlock!

Driver101

14,376 posts

120 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
J4CKO said:
Driver101 said:
J4CKO said:
That makes much more sense as a comparison.

I cant see them selling that many of these, rarely see a 340i now, they are great but overkill and expensive to run compared to the lesser models for most people, the comparable 320D from this range now has knocking on for 200 bhp.

50 grand on a 3 series is a pretty hard sell, especially when it will only do 20 odd mpg in most usage.

Couple of years down the line though, find one and do a few choice mods, 450 bhp 4wd super saloon.

Am guessing that the next M3/4 will also be 4wd, Audi has lost its USP with BMW and Mercedes adopting 4wd.
It'll do a lot more than 20mpg. The combined economy figure is 37mpg.

I'd expect the average to be around 30mpg for normal users and a few more for people doing longer runs.

Not doubt like most BMW there will be huge discounts along soon enough.
I gets early twenties from an M135i, which is a seven mile each way commute, stop start with a bit of dual carriageway, on longer runs it can do 40 odd if you are careful, use the performance and/or do a similar commute 30 mpg would seem unlikely in a heavier car with 4WD, even allowing for the B58 being a bit more efficient. After all its a powerful six cylinder turbocharged car, I doubt I would get any better economy than I am seeing, even being careful I only see 24 mpg on my commute, entirely depends on usage and how heavy your right foot is, if you dont have a heavy right foot, buy a 320D.
A lot of people are averaging around and sometimes over 30mpg in Mlites and the 340i. I don't think the BMW 4wd systems are that bad for economy.

That's is the thing with 3.0 petrol BMWs. They can produce good fuel numbers when required, but also good performance when on the push. There is also the fact the 6 cylinder engine is far more refined than the 4 cylinder diesel.

If you've got a heavy foot then most people realise their economy will take a hammering no matter what they drive. Take the diesels out of their comfort zone and their averages slump too.

J4CKO

41,279 posts

199 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
Pistonheader101 said:
12TS said:
Never going to be £47k though. More like £35k new in a year or so one BMW start discounting it.
No doubt it will float down to 20-25k for a one year old one with all good options ticked. That’s when I’ll bite.
20 to 25 for a one year old one, good luck with that, 2 year old current 340i's are still nearer 30, they will depreciate quite a bit but not quite that quickly.

12TS

1,806 posts

209 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
Hmmm. Paid £34k for my new 340 a couple of years ago. I’d be very happy with a trade bid of £25k now. Closer to £20k I reckon

Pistonheader101

2,206 posts

106 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
J4CKO said:
Pistonheader101 said:
12TS said:
Never going to be £47k though. More like £35k new in a year or so one BMW start discounting it.
No doubt it will float down to 20-25k for a one year old one with all good options ticked. That’s when I’ll bite.
20 to 25 for a one year old one, good luck with that, 2 year old current 340i's are still nearer 30, they will depreciate quite a bit but not quite that quickly.

J4CKO

41,279 posts

199 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
Pistonheader101 said:
J4CKO said:
Pistonheader101 said:
12TS said:
Never going to be £47k though. More like £35k new in a year or so one BMW start discounting it.
No doubt it will float down to 20-25k for a one year old one with all good options ticked. That’s when I’ll bite.
20 to 25 for a one year old one, good luck with that, 2 year old current 340i's are still nearer 30, they will depreciate quite a bit but not quite that quickly.
Cheaper than I thought then but I was nosing round the local BMW place where I got mine and they were nothing like that cheap !

Suspect though, a new model may take bit longer to depreciate like that, might be a little longer to drop to 20 to 25, those are still 25 plus.


ZX10R NIN

27,490 posts

124 months

Sunday 16th December 2018
quotequote all
Pistonheader101 said:
That drop has been helped by the new model, there's no talk of discounts just yet but a favourable contribution.