[Grant_7]

As per the title really, I'm test driving a 340i tomorrow.

Will report back with my thoughts

[NISFAN]

Looking forward to your review

[....,,,,..,,..]

Excellent, have a great test drive.

Not allowed any test drives yet lol.

It seems a cracking car though.

[pmheadwired]

Yes please feedback you opinion. I'm waiting for mine and never had a test drive. Did drive a 35i and loved it

[225]

Lots of feedback, pictures and if you can videos please!

[JustChris]

Auto or 6MT?

Yet to hear from anyone driving the 6MT, cracking car I'm sure.

I can't wait to hear tomorrow about the M2 reviews, I hope some are 6MT cars but all pictures I've seen thus far from Laguna Seca are DCT cars

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by Chris10Bimmers

Auto or 6MT?

Yet to hear from anyone driving the 6MT, cracking car I'm sure.

I can't wait to hear tomorrow about the M2 reviews, I hope some are 6MT cars but all pictures I've seen thus far from Laguna Seca are DCT cars

You don't think manual cars in the M car class are dead?

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

You don't think manual cars in the M car class are dead?

I hope not! I agree 100% that the DCT is faster...and now these days even more efficient too....and more convenient in traffic for M car Daily Driver duties.

but...

There's just something about a 2nd car luxury of a fast, highly inefficient, big petrol engine car with 3 pedals. Its, for me at least, still much much more enjoyable experience than the ruthlessly fast and efficient DCT.

Everyone is different but I hope M keeps them as an option, heck even offer a 911 like 7 speed MT for a DD car on the motorway for better efficiency. My left foot feels lost at times.

[gatsojon]

Originally Posted by Grant_7

As per the title really, I'm test driving a 340i tomorrow.

Will report back with my thoughts

I'll be very interested to get your thoughts. Enjoy the drive.

[KS_340i]

Originally Posted by pmheadwired

Yes please feedback you opinion. I'm waiting for mine and never had a test drive. Did drive a 35i and loved it

Same here. none in the country when I ordered mine.

[Rob 1267]

Originally Posted by KS_340i

Same here. none in the country when I ordered mine.

+1 to basing my purchase on 335i v 335d. Very optimistic that I've made the right call. Got my reg number today and sorted insurance etc. 15 days to pick and counting down!

[JNW1]

Originally Posted by Rob 1267

+1 to basing my purchase on 335i v 335d. Very optimistic that I've made the right call. Got my reg number today and sorted insurance etc. 15 days to pick and counting down!

I was pretty much flipping a coin between the 335i and 335d when I ordered my F31 back in 2014; no doubt whatsoever I'd go for the 340i if I was choosing again now, sure you've made the right call!

[sauluk]

What's the news then? Interested to hear your thoughts. I'm having a second extended test drive this weekend after a disappointing first run out

[Rob 1267]

Originally Posted by JNW1

I was pretty much flipping a coin between the 335i and 335d when I ordered my F31 back in 2014; no doubt whatsoever I'd go for the 340i if I was choosing again now, sure you've made the right call!

[Roberto71]

Will be very interested to hear this. The last petrol I had was the E46 M3 which I got rid of 8 years ago. I've really forgotten what petrol drives are like. Would definitely consider the 440i when it's time to change if the car lives up to it's billing.

[Grant_7]

Hi All,

Good test drive today. Almost 5 hours and 160 miles behind the wheel. Got some video footage too (to keep 225 happy ). Will get it written up either tonight or for tomorrow (it'll be a long review - I do like to waffle ).

However the engine. Oh the engine...

[rjberry]

Originally Posted by Grant_7

Hi All,

Good test drive today. Almost 5 hours and 160 miles behind the wheel. Got some video footage too (to keep 225 happy ). Will get it written up either tonight or for tomorrow (it'll be a long review - I do like to waffle ).

However the engine. Oh the engine...

That last part is all I needed to know

Although I'll still await the waffle and the video too of course!

[KS_340i]

Originally Posted by Grant_7

Hi All,

Good test drive today. Almost 5 hours and 160 miles behind the wheel. Got some video footage too (to keep 225 happy ). Will get it written up either tonight or for tomorrow (it'll be a long review - I do like to waffle ).

However the engine. Oh the engine...

Nice. Now get writing.

No seriously, get writing.

[225]

Originally Posted by Grant_7

Hi All,

Good test drive today. Almost 5 hours and 160 miles behind the wheel. Got some video footage too (to keep 225 happy ). Will get it written up either tonight or for tomorrow (it'll be a long review - I do like to waffle ).

However the engine. Oh the engine...

Fantastic!
Very much looking forward to it!

[Grant_7]

Right, grab a cuppa (or beer, it is the evening after all) and have a read. Video link at the bottom too

So my thoughts on the 340i.

Well today I tried a 340i saloon with the 8 speed auto for approx 4 and a half hours. In this time I drove around 160 miles on Motorways, rural A & B roads and also around town. It was a great all-round test of the car. I drove economically but also gave it a damn good thraping (I had some fantastic racing brake-style squeal at one point - they were getting nice and hot).

Spec-wise, the car had the following:
M Sport + pack
Media Pack Pro
Individual Leather
Elec folding mirrors
Adaptive suspension

Engine & Gearbox
Wow. What a superb combination. They’re both good - no, VERY good - in isolation, but as a combination they’re fantastic. I expected the engine to be good (I’ve had 5 BMWs previously, all straight sixes) and it really, really was. Utterly smooth from idle to the limiter (7000rpm soft-limiter) with serious torque from around 1700rpm. It’ll pull from idle, but really comes on-song around 1700rpm (see video below). And it keeps pulling harder and harder. I would say it feels like it starts to tail off over the last few hundred rpm, but the way it builds through the revs and really hauls with increased vigour over 5000rpm is really thrilling. And suffice to say it really is quick. My standard measure is the overtake test, and overtaking a line of cars means you’re really flying by the final car. Throttle response was good, although I felt like I caught it out a few times. However I was in comfort mode so don’t feel I can fully comment on this aspect. Suffice to say it wasn’t a stand out for being bad. I’ll cover the noise below.
The gearbox was a real WOW for me. Everyone says it’s good, but I was amazed by how good it was. Smooth, refined and as comfortable as the best autos when in comfort, but punching through the gears with a ‘brrrap’ from the exhaust and associated (engineered-in) kick on up-changes when in Sport+. It wasn’t quite as fast as a DSG (my Wife has a DSG Yeti) but I had absolutely zero complaints about the gearbox throughout the test. It was, basically, exceptional.

Economy
I don’t subscribe to the whole ‘if you can afford a £40k car, then you shouldn’t worry about economy’ way of thinking. I also don’t expect a 340i to be like a diesel supermini, but I would like something than can be economical when required. I don’t know what my average was for the whole day as I reset the trip a few times (part of my testing), however the previous average over 460 miles was 21.0mpg. Having driven the car for a day, the previous driver must have been caning it all the time!!! Certainly when using the power, low 20’s is the order of the day (I was seeing more like 18mpg, about the same time as the brakes starting protesting!). However on the Motorway the economy is exceptional. A 25 mile cruise back from the dealership at 80mph, with associated round town driving at either end saw 36mpg. Yes…36mpg!!! I did another ‘work’ journey which is 20% town and 80% dual carriageway: 33mpg….and then came back via the country lanes in Sport+ dropping this average to 27.5mpg. In summary I thought the economy is relation to the performance was excellent. Oh and I popped £20 of fuel in for the 160 miles I drove, and bloody put more back in than I’d used. Rookie mistake…DOH!!!

Ride & Handling
Ride is something that is very important to me. It’s one of the two reasons I’m looking at 18” wheels. The test car also had adaptive, which is something I’m looking to specify. It must be said that the ride quality (test car on 19”s) is good. Not amazing, but definitely better than I’d imagined and certainly acceptable for everyday use. There are times over high frequency inputs where the extra wheel weight and reduced absorption of a low-profile tyre could be felt, but in the main the adaptive dampers did a great job of providing a comfortable ride, while maintaining reasonable body control. They also really take the edge off the suspension inputs, very much felt when switching to Sport mode. That being said, Sport mode is far from harsh and does bring a very noticeable improvement in body control. Overall I think BMW have struck a very good balance, especially with the option of adaptive. I will 100% be specifying it.
As for handling, well it was okay. The steering is a bit pants (see below) and thus confidence in the front end needs to be built. Having that power and torque at the rear wheels means that balance can be brought during cornering, however there’s no denying the car feels heavy, especially at the front end. A sports car it most certainly is not. That being said, it can be hustled along nicely and not without enjoyment, so while it’s not a dazzling light of handling prowess, I would class it as competent.

Steering
Oh dear, I wasn’t very impressed with the steering. There is no feel whatsoever and the weighting is very light in comfort mode. Whilst I don’t mind light steering, it had a very springy nature that did not feel natural at all. I preferred the assistance in Sport, and the extra weighting strangly gave a more linear response. But still there was no real feel. Disappointing really, especially when I think back to my old E30 325i and how beautifully it telegraphed what the front wheels were feeling.

Brakes
I’ve got no idea on absolute repeatable stopping power, however what they did have was good feel and ease of modulation. It doesn’t sound much, but my current Merc has terrible modulation at the top of travel which makes it a pain when coming to a complete and accurate (positionally) stop. Mind you, even my Merc is better than the over-servoed switch that is VW group brakes!!! Overall I like them, however how they’d perform over a lap of the Nurburgring I do not know. Or care about.

Refinement
Few quality issues notwithstanding, the refinement with regards to tyre noise was good. However wind noise was not great, certainly a lot more noticeable than my Merc, and could well prove tiresome on a long journey. There’s not a lot more I can say than that.

Sound
Breaking down the sound into two components: engine noise and exhaust noise. So to the former; like all the best BMW engines the noise is omnipresent. You’re always aware that it’s humming away, although it is in no way intrusive. And when you really push on that turbine smooth hum turns to a snarling growl as the revs rise. It sounds fantastic, yet classy and expensive. Not a single complaint here!
However the exhaust; the problem is that it does sounds fantastic…from the outside! Inside the car with the windows up, you’ll be pushed to hear it at all. You can just about make out the burbles and ‘bwwwwaps’ in Sport +, but they’re very subtle. Even lowering the window, whilst being an improvement, doesn’t assault the ears as one [a hooligan] might hope. However from outside the car it sounds fantastic. So really I think the MPE is a must-have…not that I’ve tried it, however I do believe it could do with more exhaust noise.
One thing to add to the above is that I test drove the Saloon. Normally - and I’m hoping this is the case - Tourings have a little more exhaust noise due to the boot area being part of the cabin. Here’s hoping!

HK
The car had Karman Kardon which was just set to the straight-out-the-factory settings. Now maybe it was because I was bluetooth-streaming my music, but I didn’t think much of the quality. I would imagine that it needs a bit of tinkering with the settings (?) but considering it’s the top stereo option, I hope there’s improvement to be found. As a reference, it was no better than the completely standard system in my Merc. Lord knows that the standard BMW system must be like!?!

Quality
In general very good, but the doors did creak during body flex movements. Bearing in mind the car had circa 400 miles on the clock this wasn’t great. Is this a known issue and is there a fix?

Summary
So overall what did I think? The engine & gearbox really make the car, and the ride & handling balance is good and not a compromise. A few refinement and quality niggles aside, it really was a very good car, with a very special powertrain. Will I be ordering one….watch this space :-)

Oh, and I managed to put together a bit of a video. Not up to my usual standard, but I didn’t have the time to mount my GoPro and external mic. That’ll have to wait till when (& if) I get one myself...

[225]

Sir you have made me very happy! Especially the 30 to 80 vid nice bit of mid range oomph as expected!

Good man!!!

[RhysT1]

Great video, So much for the 1200 miles running in period with this car, Under 500 miles on the clock and it's being redlined multiple times