[gippy]

well, i still think its better than anything else for the money (i paid £26k), so no chance i'll be swapping it for anything any time soon. Plenty of pro's which outweigh the cons for the money so i'm not complaining

here she is...



just for a bit of context - i'm the 2nd owner, bought it from sytner leicester in May with 19k on the clock. Now approaching 25.5k after 7 months.

- brake squeal. Happens at slow speeds, at the rears, with gentle brake pressure applied - usually happens in stop-start traffic situations. Also happens when pulling away from parked - it always feels like the handbrake is slightly engaged and hasn't released fully. Really annoying, its very loud, and i dont know how to resolve it. It does have the M sport big brake upgrade on it.

took it to the dealer who said i needed my rear brakes 'cleaning out'.....or something...... said that it wasn't a concern and would not be causing any long term damage...and that since it was a wear+tear item, wouldn't be covered under warranty. They wanted something like £150 odd.
i said no thanks.......

- seatbelt squeal....thats right. seatbelt rubbing on the shiny plastic lining on the right shoulder of the seat. If theres nothing blaring through the radio, i can hear it squeaking away behind my ear. Can't think of a way to remedy this whilst keeping things looking neat and tidy.....

- the ride + handling. The body roll is composed enough, but for some reason pitch isn't - and i find it surprising how much the car 'dives' under braking. It's like it has stiff anti roll bars but soft dampers. It's skittish over bumps and crests, it constantly feels like the tyre contact patch isn't being fully maintained with the road surface.
I find the ride horribly crashy, and less composed than an FK2 civic type R i had for a year, surprisingly. Maybe its the runflat goodyears it's sat on....i just dont know. It does have the M sport suspension (passive).

- fuel consumption. i don't actually care much about it...i'll only be doing 8-10k miles/year, and my daily commute is only 4 miles each way. still, surprised that it only does 24-26mpg around town, and 28-30mpg motorway.
The FK2 had 306bhp, and managed 32-34mpg around town, 38-40mpg motorway.....
90% of the time it's in eco pro mode, and i do everything i can to maintain speed/coast - im' not one of these fools that see a red light in the distance and speed up . most of the time in town i'm in cruise at 30/40 and coast as often as possible. Surprised it's not as economical as i'd expect from a relatively newly designed engine.

- wish it had an M button........ for those rare and sweet moments i want to unleash the full power, which is about 10% of the time...i have to go through all this rigmarole 1. push lever left. 2. press mode button 3x to get to sport +. 3. flick left paddle to get to manual mode.
that's basically 5 things i have to do, for me to gain full control.

you could just say 'why not flick it up to sport mode and be done with it...'. Few reasons why:

i find in auto it holds onto the gears too long and doesn't simply utilise the low down torque. I never need to use the full rev range, and prefer to ride the torque and change up around 4-5krpm. So that requires manual mode to give me control.

and why sport +? because i find in sport mode the TC kicks in far too much - and you either be more delicate with the throttle to not induce the TC to kick in, but then you risk not giving it enough throttle and not making that quick getaway from a set of lights, for instance. Several times in sport mode i've 'bogged' down, stamping on the throttle to find the TC cutting power.

i think the TC programming just isn't clever enough - and this becomes really apparent in slippery or wet conditions. Really i think the car needs about 5-6 different ranges, then again i shouldn't be expecting race car levels of engine maps in a reasonably quick road car I just find its behaviour odd, in all the modes frankly. It's not much of a big deal - in anything other than dry conditions i don't dare use full throttle...anymore. 1 scary moment is enough for me

- no hooks in the boot or nets to hold shopping bags. bit annoying.

- steering response - isn't as sharp or precise as i personally want it to be. again, i enjoyed the direct sharp responses of the FK2.

- lack of mode flexibility - why can't i have Sport drivetrain + comfort steering?! EDIT:....you can....Ignore this one!

- kickdown is rubbish - another reason why i prefer manual mode - if i leave it in auto and use kickdown, the car always goes down 1 gear too much.....normally 2nd, if i'm doing around 50. Suddenly i'm pulling 6k rpm....this is particularly annoying on a motorway - coming to an end of a 50mph controlled zone, wanting to quickly accelerate back to motorway speeds and use all of the cars power and response for a few seconds of joy - if i rely on kickdown it will jump to 2nd, when really it should be 3rd. Even if i'm in manual mode, cruising at 50mph in 7th, and hold down the left paddle so it selects the lowest 'optimum' gear....it'll select 2nd. I then immediately flick back to 3rd (still quicker than manually going through the gears from 7th to 3rd).

Overall the car is awesome and i'm super happy - it's my pride and joy and i love it to bits. Just these few niggly bits which for me is a case of poor programming. In the summer i did a few 0-60mph runs to ensure everything was working properly....videoed it and timed them - i did 2 runs, both sub 5.0 seconds. Couldn't have been more happy!

Anyway, curious to know what other 440i owners think about their cars, and whether they considered any other models... i didn't even bother test driving anything from Merc or Audi. I've been brainwashed by BMW

[TiredGeek]

Oh dear, you're in trouble now, saying anything even slightly negative about the 40i is a no no, even if it is only your opinion. ROTFL

[MashinBenzin]

A very interesting review and I agree with your thoughts in kickdown - it simply does not need to drop as many gears as it often does.

Surprised by your motorway MPG. I get in the 40s easily. Also in the 20s around town - very dependent on how I drive, easy for that to be low or high 20s on exactly similar runs.

[ZeroFx]

I said there was nothing special about the 440i.

then came along the 440i brigade...

[Tengocity]

It's a great engine, but the F3x just isn't all that well set up as standard. It can handle brilliantly, but only if you're prepared to modify it a bit and get rid of the run flat tyres.

I did all that to my 335d and it was very competent, but I realised that my expectations were just not going to be met with anything less than an M car or an Alpina.

[pdk42]

I have an f31 335i and agree with much of what you say about the car's ride and handling. The ride is especially annoying at times, especially for rear passengers. My wife's Golf mk6 base model does a better job.

All in all though, I still can't think of another car I can afford that does what it does so I live with it.

[Jeff123]

The run flats will probably be causing the ride quality issues. That’s an easy fix when the bastards wear out.

[ZeroFx]

Originally Posted by Jeff123

The run flats will probably be causing the ride quality issues. That’s an easy fix when the bastards wear out.

its not.

normal tyres suck on cars set up for RTF. The whole toe in feels mushy.

The F series cars are just half decent cars for general premium ownership.

Stick a 40k+ net price tag on it and a 3.0 petrol engine in doesnt really change the fact its still the same car as a 420d.

[dopper99]

With regards kick down ...... cant you press your foot and stop just before you go into kick down? This will most likely give you the 4th to 3rd that you want.

Probably a case of training your right foot.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by ZeroFx

its not.

normal tyres suck on cars set up for RTF. The whole toe in feels mushy.

The F series cars are just half decent cars for general premium ownership.

Stick a 40k+ net price tag on it and a 3.0 petrol engine in doesnt really change the fact its still the same car as a 420d.

You're half right. It does sort the crashiness to a large extent, but the handling needs better damping and ideally firmer bushing, as per your comment regarding the excess toe. That's what Alpina sort on their cars... completely revised kinematics. Bushing and geometry.

Standard range BMWs are just mediocre in that regard and a 40i engine doesn't change it.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by gippy

- lack of mode flexibility - why can't i have Sport drivetrain + comfort steering?!
D

You can, at least in mine you can (March 2017 facelift). Press Sport, then when up on screen click configure Sport, and you can do exactly that there. Had mine set to that from day 1. It only works in Sport though, not Sport plus.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by ZeroFx

I said there was nothing special about the 440i.

then came along the 440i brigade...

Yawn, your choice is the best, the way you buy it is the best. WE KNOW.

[Firaxis]

Originally Posted by gippy

- brake squeal.

Had several cars do the same, usually worst in winter.. Changed the pads and cleaned it all out over the summer, issue resolved.

- seatbelt squeal..

That's just the mole people living inside your head.

- the ride + handling.

That's interesting, the M140i suspension very much felt like you're describing but the rest of the models I've tried so far felt absolutely fine. Handling hasn't been mind boggling on any BMW I've tried but they're direct enough IMO.

- fuel consumption.

Must admit I got 37MPG on average so that ain't great in comparison but still it's a 300+ HP car.. I got 26 MPG from my Focus ST, hmmm.!

- wish it had an M button........

Probably an engineer who used to work at SAAB trying to turn the car into a jet. They all seem to miss one vital thing....... It's a car.!!!

The rest..

I've yet to try a petrol auto where the kickdown was any good, Jag's / Bimmer's / Alfa's all the same. Got a diesel Jag as a loaner and guess what? Not an ounce of hesitation.!!! GRRR..!

[Pizzaeatingking]

Interesting review, as a 340i owner there's a few bits I agree with and a few I dont so much but it's good to hear reviews without rose tinted glasses.

Originally Posted by gippy

- brake squeal. Happens at slow speeds, at the rears, with gentle brake pressure applied - usually happens in stop-start traffic situations. Also happens when pulling away from parked - it always feels like the handbrake is slightly engaged and hasn't released fully. Really annoying, its very loud, and i dont know how to resolve it. It does have the M sport big brake upgrade on it.

I've had a tiny amount of this but I've also read about it a lot. Thankfully at the moment mines not bad enough to bother me.

Originally Posted by gippy

- seatbelt squeal....thats right. seatbelt rubbing on the shiny plastic lining on the right shoulder of the seat. If theres nothing blaring through the radio, i can hear it squeaking away behind my ear. Can't think of a way to remedy this whilst keeping things looking neat and tidy.....

Dont suffer from this either but my E90 does, very annoying!

Originally Posted by gippy

- the ride + handling. The body roll is composed enough, but for some reason pitch isn't - and i find it surprising how much the car 'dives' under braking. It's like it has stiff anti roll bars but soft dampers. It's skittish over bumps and crests, it constantly feels like the tyre contact patch isn't being fully maintained with the road surface.
I find the ride horribly crashy, and less composed than an FK2 civic type R i had for a year, surprisingly. Maybe its the runflat goodyears it's sat on....i just dont know. It does have the M sport suspension (passive).

Ride wise it feels 10x better than the E90 M Sport setup, I dont push mine a huge amount as the roads are too bloody busy but the few times I have pushed on it feels alright, nothing amazing but I knew when I went for the car the suspension would be nothing other than M Sport setup the same as the rest of the F30 range. My biggest issue with the handling is the dreadful Bridgestone RF tyres, the slightest suggestion of the road being remotely damp or cold and they just dont grip at all. They really are awful! Anything other than dry, relatively warm roads and there's no point putting your foot down.

Originally Posted by gippy

- fuel consumption. i don't actually care much about it...i'll only be doing 8-10k miles/year, and my daily commute is only 4 miles each way. still, surprised that it only does 24-26mpg around town, and 28-30mpg motorway.
The FK2 had 306bhp, and managed 32-34mpg around town, 38-40mpg motorway.....
90% of the time it's in eco pro mode, and i do everything i can to maintain speed/coast - im' not one of these fools that see a red light in the distance and speed up . most of the time in town i'm in cruise at 30/40 and coast as often as possible. Surprised it's not as economical as i'd expect from a relatively newly designed engine.

I'm the opposite tbh. I have an 8 mile commute and if I use comfort I can manage low 30s. On a run I can easily see 40+, thats with plenty of sport mode and traffic. If I really tried I reckon I could crack 45. Both figures impress me in general but give the performance available it's even more impressive.

Originally Posted by gippy

- wish it had an M button........ for those rare and sweet moments i want to unleash the full power, which is about 10% of the time...i have to go through all this rigmarole 1. push lever left. 2. press mode button 3x to get to sport +. 3. flick left paddle to get to manual mode.
that's basically 5 things i have to do, for me to gain full control.

you could just say 'why not flick it up to sport mode and be done with it...'. Few reasons why:

i find in auto it holds onto the gears too long and doesn't simply utilise the low down torque. I never need to use the full rev range, and prefer to ride the torque and change up around 4-5krpm. So that requires manual mode to give me control.

and why sport +? because i find in sport mode the TC kicks in far too much - and you either be more delicate with the throttle to not induce the TC to kick in, but then you risk not giving it enough throttle and not making that quick getaway from a set of lights, for instance. Several times in sport mode i've 'bogged' down, stamping on the throttle to find the TC cutting power.

i think the TC programming just isn't clever enough - and this becomes really apparent in slippery or wet conditions. Really i think the car needs about 5-6 different ranges, then again i shouldn't be expecting race car levels of engine maps in a reasonably quick road car I just find its behaviour odd, in all the modes frankly. It's not much of a big deal - in anything other than dry conditions i don't dare use full throttle...anymore. 1 scary moment is enough for me

I get this, it can be a bit of a faff. I tend to have mine in sport mode with the gear box in D, it doesnt hold the revs too high like that but is still decent enough that I can flick it into manual and have some fun.

I dont mind the TC so much because you have the various settings (sport+/traction mode/DSC OFF etc) but you can feel it kick in a lot in sport, I often have similar issues to you with the bogging down. Hopefully some decent tyres will help in that respect.

Originally Posted by gippy

- no hooks in the boot or nets to hold shopping bags. bit annoying.

Mine come with a boot net, first car I've had with it, game changer for me lol, finally I can hoon a bit on the way home from the shops without the stuff flying everywhere.

Originally Posted by gippy

- steering response - isn't as sharp or precise as i personally want it to be. again, i enjoyed the direct sharp responses of the FK2.

Yup, compared to everything that's not new the steering does feel pretty numb, my E90 has the perfect setup for feel for me, the F30 even with it set to heavy doesnt come close.

Originally Posted by gippy

- lack of mode flexibility - why can't i have Sport drivetrain + comfort steering?!

This is probably one of my biggest gripes. My mate has a Golf R and before that an S3, both cars offer an 'individual' setting for drive modes, he can have the steering/gearbox/exhaust/throttle all set to what he wants.

I'd LOVE to have heavy steering with lazy comfort gearbox but keep the valves open on the exhaust but I can't, unless I go DSC off but then you have zero aids.

I'm sure you know, but you can have sport + comfort steering if you set it up in the iDrive for sport to be 'drivetrain only' BUT then you have that setup every time unless you go back into the settings. Very frustrating.

Originally Posted by gippy

- kickdown is rubbish - another reason why i prefer manual mode - if i leave it in auto and use kickdown, the car always goes down 1 gear too much.....normally 2nd, if i'm doing around 50. Suddenly i'm pulling 6k rpm....this is particularly annoying on a motorway - coming to an end of a 50mph controlled zone, wanting to quickly accelerate back to motorway speeds and use all of the cars power and response for a few seconds of joy - if i rely on kickdown it will jump to 2nd, when really it should be 3rd. Even if i'm in manual mode, cruising at 50mph in 7th, and hold down the left paddle so it selects the lowest 'optimum' gear....it'll select 2nd. I then immediately flick back to 3rd (still quicker than manually going through the gears from 7th to 3rd).

Yeah I find this too, pain in the arse, if I want to put my foot down I'll always flick it into a gear with the paddles and change myself until I'm up to speed.

Originally Posted by gippy

Anyway, curious to know what other 440i owners think about their cars, and whether they considered any other models... i didn't even bother test driving anything from Merc or Audi. I've been brainwashed by BMW

I spent ages agonising over what car I wanted, I was close to a Golf R or M140i but felt like I wanted something a little more grown up. I looked at M3/S4s but I love the ZF box, especially in town driving which is what 90% of my mileage is. I also liked that the car looks like every other M Sport 3er so doesn't stand out too much, it gets much less attention that an M3. The icing on the cake was the price, same as you, for the money I felt it very good value, it meant I could buy new and chuck some options on.

The main thing I felt it was lacking was noise & drama, the MPPSK has sorted that out though, it sounds nice in comfort, few burbles and deeper but still subtle, sport mode it's quite ASBO, gives a bit more excitement to it, enjoyable but also nice to have the option at a flick of a switch.

Overall though I'm chuffed, 8 months in and there's nothing I'd change it for, very capable do everything car for me.

[aquazi]

Interestingly i found the kick down poor on the 440 i test drove - but not one the 435d... maybe its the extra torque in the diesel which removes the hesitation? Mind you... would rather have the 40i engine note over a better kick down experiance!

The no hooks in the boot is an easy fit.... probably a few £££ from tbe dealer.... my car has them - presume as part of the “comfort pack” they tend to get in tve way more than being used though!!

[Ss66]

B58+ZF8= happiness for me simple.

[blueislander]

Originally Posted by Ss66

B58+ZF8= happiness for me simple.

This. That engine and gearbox combo is utterly relentless.

I don't think the car has many issues but any that they do have are pretty much forgotten about once the straight six and ZF work in tandem.

I have pals with a Mustang & a manual Golf R and they were stunned by the speed it changes gear in paddleshift mode.

[dizzy619]

That's a long winded way of saying you bought the wrong car...

[Kendo67]

I spent many hours on the nightshift deliberating my next car , my criteria was :

6 - 12 months old, as i wanted a factory warranty.
Coupe , no need for a four door anymore plus they look nicer.
£20K + my £10K trade-in.
RWD
5s to 60 , ish.

640d, too big plus i didn`t want another diesel.

C / E AMG too expensive for one less than a year old.

S5 , didnt fancy a FWD or the complexities of the 4WD models.

Porsche , never really fancied one , plus too pricey.

370Z , good car by all accounts but a bit too "young" for a chap in their 50`s.

So , by default , the F32 was the one to go for and i have been happy with my first BMW ownership over the last six months , unfortunately my wallet has taken a battering with purchasing the MPPSK , spoilers , all the carbon / alcantara interior bits inc. steering wheel.

Compared to my last car , CLS 350 Grand Edition the F32 has inferior build quality but in every other aspect it leaves the W219 in the dark ages which is only to be expected due to their age difference.

The problem is what to buy next so i think i will keep the F32 and buy another toy , possibly a SWB Shogun for running around in.

My only criticism is that the front seat base is a little too narrow , more to do with my size than the seats dimensions.

Kenny

[Rhino at Work]

Originally Posted by Goneinsixtyseconds

You can, at least in mine you can (March 2017 facelift). Press Sport, then when up on screen click configure Sport, and you can do exactly that there. Had mine set to that from day 1. It only works in Sport though, not Sport plus.

I think you have to have adaptive to do this don't you? OP hasn't mentioned it so I assume he hasn't.

[TouringPleb]

Why would you buy a 440i and then drive 90% of the time in Eco Slow? Especially as you say economy doesn't really matter as you don't do many miles.

Each to their own but seems strange decision to me.

[goodbyalfa]

Originally Posted by aquazi

Interestingly i found the kick down poor on the 440 i test drove - but not one the 435d... maybe its the extra torque in the diesel which removes the hesitation? Mind you... would rather have the 40i engine note over a better kick down experiance!

The no hooks in the boot is an easy fit.... probably a few £££ from tbe dealer.... my car has them - presume as part of the “comfort pack” they tend to get in tve way more than being used though!!

Extended storage option I belive.
Had it in my f30, missing not having it on my f36.