This week we are reviewing the versatile BMW M340i xDrive. Our vehicle was assembled at the BMW factory in Munich, making it a true Made in Germany vehicle. You've massively chosen for us to review this vehicle. Our test car has an MSRP of $72200 CAD with a base price of $61850 CAD.
Fun Factor: 9
Can it Family: 8
Fuel-Friendly: 7
HWY-warrior: 9
Karaoke Friendly: 7
Baby-friendly: 7
City Cruising: 7
The BMW M340i must be one of the most versatile vehicles we've tested this year. It's not just a performance machine; it will also work great for your daily commute, daycare, groceries and other life essentials while looking gorgeous at special events. Depending on the mode you select, it either feels like a rocket ship or feel like a refined luxury sedan. The M340i is the sensible choice if you want to have fun with your vehicle without any of the drawbacks that come with a full-fledged Sports car. When we tested the M340i's acceleration, we were blown away with its performance. So much so that our Copilot almost got sick after launching the car several times. We had to repeat our test several times as we couldn't believe that BMW under reports its performance by so much! The 3.0 liter, straight-six, produces 382 hp and has a peak torque figure of 369 lb-ft. We were able to reach 100km/h from a still stand in an exhilarating 3.95 seconds without the use of launch control. The announced figure from BMW is 4.3 seconds to 100km/h, and yes, that's faster than the previous M3 generation that was able to get to 100km/h in 4.1 seconds. The M340i isn't a one-trick pony; it also handles like a charm around corners, you can pretty much push it around any curve, and it will turn in where you want it to go almost as if it was wizardry. It also helps that our test vehicle was wearing the excellent Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, giving it unprecedented traction without hurting the delight of driving in a relaxed atmosphere.
Most of the time, sports cars are not a reasonable choice for family use as they present several drawbacks; they may lack space for passengers or cargo. This isn't the case with the M340i; it has generous space in the trunk to bring a full-size stroller with you and still have space for more stuff, and if that wasn't enough, the trunk closes by itself with the push of a button when having your hands full. The front seats have excellent support and offer heated seats and a heated steering wheel. The leather used add to the comfort which we appreciate on long drives. The rear seats provide plenty of space for 2 adults; a 3rd one could squeeze between them. However, that spot should be reserved for kids; on the other hand, 3 kids will have enough space. The whole cabin feels very spacious thanks to the large sunroof.
How's the fuel consumption of the mighty BMW 340i? In the City, we averaged 12L per 100km, on the HWY 8.5L per 100km, and we averaged 10.2L per 100km over a distance of 500km. We conducted our test while temperatures oscillated between +17 to +29, and the test includes the use of air conditioning most of the time. The tires used for this test were the Micheline Pilot Sport 4S tires. BMW announces the following fuel consumption 11L per 100km in the City, 7.6L per 100km on the HWY and a combined result of 9.6L per 100km. We would like to add a small disclaimer regarding our fuel consumption, and the drivability of the M340i, our driving style was done in a spirited fashion. It may have caused our fuel consumption results to appear higher than our conventional test. The fuel we used in our test was 91 Octane fuel.
Is the BMW M340i a HWY warrior? The question doesn't even need asking, with any BMW product ending with the 40i inscription you can be sure performance and driving pleasure are on the table and that these performances can withstand Autobahn performance. We saw this on the M540i touring, X5 and the M240i we recently tested on the German autobahn, and both blew us away. The driving aids are similar to the BMW 330i we reviewed here. We found the driving assistance on the M340i has improved again, it's quite good and when stuck in slow traffic, it will allow you to have your hands off the wheel while it keeps following the traffic without your intervention as long as you are paying attention to the road. The navigation system in conjunction with the active cruise control engages the transmission to coast when traffic builds up to avoid unnecessary gear changes and lower fuel consumption.
Our M340i had the optional Harman Kardon surround sound system with 16 speakers and a digital seven-channel amplifier generating an output of 464 watts. The sound system satisfied our audiophile's ears and playback music in a balanced way. All music styles sounded good, and we were pleased with its performance. The iDrive 7 infotainment, with its massive 12.3-inch touchscreen, offered vibrant colour and was easy to use. The only thing we could fault was that when the sun shines in, it causes glare on the screen. The integration of iOS wirelessly is fantastic as it removes the need to have cables.
The BMW M340i offers the possibility to install 2 car seats. Getting car seats into the M340i is a lot easier compared to the previous generation. The door opens quite wide to get large car seats inside. The rear seats offer side bolstering that is ideal for adults; however, when you wish to install car seats, it might get in your way to reach the side ISOFIX ports on the sides. The ports themselves are hidden underneath plastic latches that can be flipped open and provide access to the ports directly without the need to be finicky. We find the system offered in this vehicle is one of the best; we wished that the ease of installation and accessibility would be found in all cars. Seating for a 3rd child is still possible in between both car seats. As for young children gaining access to the car, the door handle opens without too much effort, and they can enter the vehicle with ease.
The M340i is quite luxurious and has a presence on the street; with each 3 Series, the vehicles are getting bigger. You would expect it to be harder to drive around the City, however at lower speeds the car handles like a car that is a lot smaller than it's size. Parallel parking was easy, and the airy cabin provides good visibility around the car. The 360° camera gives a 3D Top View from the outside, and if you still need that additional help, the M340i can park itself; the features in our test work quite well during the day; at night, the mode would confuse parallel parking with perpendicular parking. We wished that the option between these 2 parking modes could be selected in a more straight forward way and that the option changed before engaging the parking process. What we really enjoyed using the BMW Connected app to find the vehicle in a crowded place either by showing you what's around the car or by having the horn of the car blast in the case you're out of range from your key-fob.
Why would we buy the BMW M340i xDrive or what we liked about it: Being a versatile vehicle sporty, luxurious and comfortable. Excellent acceleration, agile around corners. Overall we would recommend the M340i as a daily car, especially for those that have long commutes and are looking for something that is fun to drive.
Why we wouldn't buy the BMW M340i xDrive or what we didn't like about it: Performance comes with a price in the case of the M340i it's premium fuel consumption is the price and hybrid drive train for city driving would be welcome. No Android Auto at this time. A monthly subscription to have iOS on new models.
BMW Canada has lent us this vehicle for one week as a press vehicle, we have no affiliation with BMW Canada, and the above is a recollection of our personal opinion of the vehicle referred to above.
