[Heckmaster9]

TL;DR The back seats of the 340i seem extremely stiff to me and I want to know if anyone has had this problem/how they remedied it. Also, I want to get a manual transmission, but I've heard the tall gearing dulls the car compared to the short gearing of the ZF. Any MT owners who drove both care to chime in?

I'm in the market for a 340i XDrive. It would be my first BMW. I love the dynamic abilities of the car as well as the front seats, but the back seats are quite firm. They're far more firm than any other back seats I've sat in recently. A friend of mine also sat in the back and said "he felt like he was sitting on a park bench". I was looking at other cars while waiting for the sales guy and noticed that the the back seats of a new M3 I sat in seemed to have much more padding. One thing to mention is that the 340i seats were Dakota leather and the M3 seats were the cloth/leather mixture. If I didn't need AWD, I'd pinch a bit and just get a base M3.
Has anyone with an F30 had this problem with the rear seats, and if so, how have you dealt with it? Would a upholstery shop be able to add padding without messing up the contouring of the seats? Could I just get the M3 cloth seats in the 340i through the Individual program? This normally wouldn't be an issue, but I regularly carry people around in the back and I feel it would get uncomfortable back there after 15-30 minutes or so.
Also, to those who test drove both the ZF 8spd and the 6 MT, did you find the tall gearing of the MT to neuter the engine performance? I drove one with the ZF, and while it was the best auto tranny I've ever driven (close to the performance of the VW DSG), despite the responsive paddles, part of me was missing a clutch and shifter. I found a chart with gear ratios from the F30 335i when it was first released and did some calculations. It looks like 2nd goes up to 74MPH and 3rd is 105-110. It seems to me that the tall gearing would kill the rev-happy nature of the B58.

Sorry for the wall of text. I'm hoping someone can help!

[Bbb34]

Originally Posted by Heckmaster9

....despite the responsive paddles, part of me was missing a clutch and shifter....

I'm heavily biased towards manual, but if you missed it during test drive, chances are you'll miss it on the long run and be kicking yourself for compromising on what's expensive purchase. I haven't tried 340 with both manual and automatic, but have tried several others. You might not miss manual when accelerating as much, on downshifts though, it's just not quite the same. Best automatic transmission I have ever tried, I agree with you.


Good luck making your decision.

[insanecoder]

That IS an excellent AT unit
but if you like shifting fun and arent gettting stuck in city traffic (prob not muc in Utah) then go manual even if you cant shift faster than the AT its still more fun doin it yerself

[tturedraider]

hmmm....I spend a lot of time comparing back seats every year at the auto show and I haven't had your experience. In my opinion the F30 has the best back seat by far compared to the C Class, A4, ATS, or Jaguar XE. I like how you sit kind of deep in the seat with the folding rear seat backs, there is plenty of thigh support.

[Jaghave]

AT with XDRIVE gets the fastest 0-60 follow by AT with RWD
MT slower but if you enjoy shifting that won't matter

My back seats are fine on my 340i but I paid extra for the luxury seats which was bundle with the cold weather package.


Seats I have, if you have a similar one than I guess our level of comfort are different.

[Bbb34]

Oh and "tall gearing", not an issue, all you will need are 2nd, 3rd and 6th anyway, well mostly 3rd.

But seriously though, because of low end torque in these cars, it's a non issue.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by Jaghave

My back seats are fine on my 340i but I paid extra for the luxury seats which was bundle with the cold weather package.


Seats I have, if you have a similar one than I guess our level of comfort are different.

F30 rear seats are the same across the board, none have more padding than others.

[tuco44]

Absolutely no problem with rear seats, in fact, have had compliments from passengers in rear that they were very comfortable.

The 8sp AT is amazing, and I have had manuals recently for comparison.

[Jaghave]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

F30 rear seats are the same across the board, none have more padding than others.

Learn something new

[Heckmaster9]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

hmmm....I spend a lot of time comparing back seats every year at the auto show and I haven't had your experience. In my opinion the F30 has the best back seat by far compared to the C Class, A4, ATS, or Jaguar XE. I like how you sit kind of deep in the seat with the folding rear seat backs, there is plenty of thigh support.

Interesting. For me C class and A4 had much softer rear seats. Honestly, if the C450 had a manual option and more leg/head room in the back Id probably want to get that instead. The automatic in that car seemed to shoot itself in the foot anytime you start from a rolling stop.

Was material on the seats in the F30 you sat in Dakota, Sensatsc, or one of the Individual options? I starting to wonder if there was something wrong with the seats in the 340i I sat in.

[cmplaya]

i've heard the automatic shifting of the ZF dulls the car.....

[Jaghave]

Originally Posted by cmplaya

i've heard the automatic shifting of the ZF dulls the car.....

Perhaps but when I launch this car I can't help but smile.

[tuco44]

Originally Posted by cmplaya

i've heard the automatic shifting of the ZF dulls the car.....

Absolutely not in my opinion. It's very aggressive, when you want it to be.

[Heckmaster9]

Originally Posted by Bbb34

Oh and "tall gearing", not an issue, all you will need are 2nd, 3rd and 6th anyway, well mostly 3rd.

But seriously though, because of low end torque in these cars, it's a non issue.

I guess I'm just used to shorter gearing in my MT cars. The free revving nature and the feeling of speed in the 340i with the ZF was very satisfying, and it just seems like taller gearing might make the car feel quite a bit slower. I just wish there was a 340i with a stick in the area I could have a go in.

[Heckmaster9]

Originally Posted by cmplaya

i've heard the automatic shifting of the ZF dulls the car.....

Definitely not. The automatic is nearly as fast as some of the DCTs I've used and is very responsive.

[chiefneil]

I've never sat in the back seat but I've never had any complaints from my wife or daughter who are back there pretty regularly in both our 335i and X5.

If you're coming from an American or Japanese make, then be aware that BMW (and MB) make their seats pretty firm in comparison. I have sat in the back our X5 and the seats are definitely pretty firm but still comfortable. It's just a different feel compared to other brands, somewhat like an Aeron chair vs a padded executive chair.

The upside is that they hold up quite well over time. The seats in my '02 330i looked practically brand new after 12 years (not the driver's seat, but all the others). No sagging/wrinkling of the leather, and no squashing of the padding. Ditto our '02 X5, now that I think of it.

[KD07]

I have a 6 speed, and love it. I've never owned an automatic car, so I may have a slightly biased opinion, but I would not have bought the car if it was automatic. For what this car is made to do, it is best enjoyed while being driven with a manual. My ONLY complaint about the gearing is that I wish 6th gear was a bit taller and more of an overdrive ratio. It is too close to 5th gear in my opinion. However, it is nice to always be ready to lay down enough torque to surpass a car during a lane change, I would rather downshift to 5th while doing so then having 6th to up shift to and cruise at 80mph below 2.5k rpms. Instead, 6th gear is around 3k, maybe more while cruising at 80mph.

[Heckmaster9]

Originally Posted by KD07

Instead, 6th gear is around 3k, maybe more while cruising at 80mph.

What kind of fuel economy do you get? 80 is a common cruising speed in Utah, and I remember the auto turning at about 2.2k RPM in 8th at 80. I know it's not uncommon to get 26MPG in the autos.

[Heckmaster9]

Originally Posted by chiefneil

I've never sat in the back seat but I've never had any complaints from my wife or daughter who are back there pretty regularly in both our 335i and X5.

If you're coming from an American or Japanese make, then be aware that BMW (and MB) make their seats pretty firm in comparison. I have sat in the back our X5 and the seats are definitely pretty firm but still comfortable. It's just a different feel compared to other brands, somewhat like an Aeron chair vs a padded executive chair.

The upside is that they hold up quite well over time. The seats in my '02 330i looked practically brand new after 12 years (not the driver's seat, but all the others). No sagging/wrinkling of the leather, and no squashing of the padding. Ditto our '02 X5, now that I think of it.

The C450 C class rear seats I sat in were definitely softer and more comfortable than the 340i's. I would equate the C class seats to my 2011 Odyssey and my friends mk7 GTIs seats. I also felt that the M3 back seat I sat in at the dealer was about as comfortable as the C class seats. I have no doubt that the seats in the 340i would last a while. They're just noticeably more firm than any other seats I can remember sitting in, and they don't quite conform to your bottom as well, either.

Could an upholstery shop could add padding without ruining the seat?

[gcreese]

The standard seats are flat as a board. Try a model with the Sport seats; they cost extra, but will be more comfortable.

[Pauleebe]

Originally Posted by gcreese

The standard seats are flat as a board. Try a model with the Sport seats; they cost extra, but will be more comfortable.

Sport seats are now standard in the 3 series (unless maybe 320).

[Heckmaster9]

Originally Posted by gcreese

The standard seats are flat as a board. Try a model with the Sport seats; they cost extra, but will be more comfortable.

I was referring to the back seats being stiff. The front sport seats themselves are very comfortable.