340 xDrive

dkbldvl006 · 11-09-2016, 09:35 PM

I’ve had my new 340i xDrive for about 6 months. I figured it was about time I put down some initial thoughts and I just decided to start at the beginning. Thanks for reading!

Checking out the competition
My previous vehicle was a 2007 328i RWD 6MT. That car was my first new vehicle purchase and I did a custom order to get what I wanted (not too many RWD 6MT in Wisconsin). The only options were heated seats, black Dakota leather, and the adaptive xenons. The car was great – I had it for nearly 10 years and 90k miles and the only unplanned maintenance was a U-joint replacement about 6 years in.

I decided I was ready to move on to something a little newer with perhaps a bit more power. Despite the long run of success with the E90, I wasn’t totally sold on another BMW. I had a couple F30 loaners over the years (my wife’s X3 was unfortunately not as reliable as the 328) and I was generally unimpressed – the non-sport seats and unsettled suspension in the dealer 320s had soured my view on the current 3 Series.

I went into last winter’s Chicago auto show open to alternatives and tried to get seat time in as many competitors as possible in one place. I was really looking forward to checking out the Jaguar XE since the initial reviews were so positive. In person, I liked the front and rear styling but thought the side profile looked a bit dated. However, the interior was a big let-down. The show car had a completely black interior and the prodigious use of hard, black plastic was a turn-off.

I also had high hopes for the new A4. I liked the styling overall and the materials were nice but the full-width vents were a little weird. I had built the Audi interior up in my head quite a bit and it was fine, yet it wasn’t amazing. I suspect the virtual cockpit may have made a stronger impression but the car on the floor wouldn’t turn on so we couldn’t really evaluate that.

Finally, we sat in a 340 M Sport and it really felt like home. I suspect I subconsciously wanted another BMW all along and climbing into the Oyster sport seats put the heart before the rational mind and I knew what I was getting without even driving any of the others. The LCI updates were small but I felt they were impactful on the overall package.

Build decisions
Now that I knew what I wanted, it was time to go through about 200 builds on the configurator. Right away, xDrive and the 8AT were requirements. I enjoyed the manual, but a longer, more traffic-filled commute and the improved performance/fuel efficiency of the auto pushed me that direction. I had managed for many years with RWD and snow tires on the 328 but I would get stuck at stop lights on even minimal inclines (they refuse to salt the roads here, so they stay coated with 1-2” of packed snow), meaning xDrive was required.

The color was actually a pretty big factor – I had driven nothing but black cars for 15 years so I wanted something different. Nearly all of the cars here are either black, white, or gray, so I was leaning heavily toward the various blue options. I probably would have gone for Mediterranean Blue, but my wife had just gotten a blue Acura MDX and I thought the Med. Blue would be too close of a match. Given that I already knew I was getting xDrive, rendering the M Sport package essentially cosmetic, I decided to forego the EBII (and the package cost) and stick with Imperial Blue. I’ve been happy with that choice – I like the way it looks very dark in the shade but then brightens up in the sun. For the interior, Saddle Brown turned into an easy choice when it became available with the black lower dash on the LCI. I liked the look of the Oyster but the fact that the seats at the car show were half blue from everyone’s pants pushed me in a different direction.

The only other option I added to the base 340 was the cold weather package (not surprising in Wisconsin, I guess). I decided I didn’t need navigation – we had the MDX for road trips with the kid/dog/luggage. I thought long and hard about the track handling package but was seriously turned off by the inclusion of the orbit grey wheels, which I thought would look terrible with my Imperial Blue/Saddle Brown combo. I could have upgraded to the 19” wheels, but our roads here are essentially half crumbling rocks and I was worried about ride quality. I didn’t really feel like I needed the other option packages, so I decided to save some cash for other needs down the line.

Driving impressions
It took approximately 10 weeks from order to delivery for a German build. My initial driving impressions were consumed by two major thoughts:

The B58 engine is a monster. There’s incredible power everywhere in the range. Even when trying to observe a reasonable amount of restraint during the break-in period, I was never at a loss for power.
The ride was much harsher/more jittery than I expected. I expected the xDrive non-adaptive suspension to be soft based on all the comments elsewhere, but I think the combination of the the run-flats (which I had forgotten how much I hated) and the soft damping on our terrible roads made for an occasionally uncomfortable ride. I’m about ready to pull the plug on the run-flats and I’ll see how much of a difference that makes before I go too far down the road of wondering about spring/shock replacements.

I’ve had no issues with the car through the first 6 months and the build has been solid. I don’t feel any regret regarding skipping navigation, and the factory navigation retrofit for North America is now available if it becomes an issue at some point in the future. Similarly, I don’t really miss the back-up camera or PDC. I think those would be must-haves in an SUV but it’s not something I feel like I need at this point.

Perhaps the one option change I would make if I were to do it again would be to add the lighting package. I’ve been pretty disappointed in the standard LEDs. I adjusted them properly and they’re livable now but I can’t see nearly as well as I expected considering this is a brand new LED design. The non-adaptive Jewel-Eye LEDs in my wife’s MDX are far superior.

So after 6 months, I’m pretty happy with where I’m at. I may do some tinkering over the winter (almost certainly starting with new tires) but there’s not much I feel like I need to change to enjoy the car for a long time. The sound of the cold start is a great way to start the day and we’re barely out of the driveway before my son asks me to put it in Sport mode.

tcbrown76 · 11-10-2016, 01:33 AM

Solid write up. Beautiful car. Always glad to see another 340 owner love their choice. I know I do. Welcome to the club!

T4NZ4NIT3 335i · 11-10-2016, 10:19 AM

cant see pics

otay · 11-10-2016, 01:16 PM

Yah, no pics. Good write up tho.

I bet getting rid of the run flats cures the ride harshness. First thing I did.

Did you drive the XE? V6 RWD? Would be interested in any impressions. A4 just leaves me cold.

dkbldvl006 · 11-10-2016, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T4NZ4NIT3 335i

cant see pics

Thanks for the heads-up. Should be fixed now.

dkbldvl006 · 11-10-2016, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by otay

Yah, no pics. Good write up tho.

I bet getting rid of the run flats cures the ride harshness. First thing I did.

Did you drive the XE? V6 RWD? Would be interested in any impressions. A4 just leaves me cold.

I didn't end up driving the XE. The only Jaguar dealer within 100 miles is pretty small and they weren't going to have inventory available for a while. Since I was pretty set on the 340 and left disappointed by the XE's cabin, I decided to skip it. If I was in the market for an SUV, I'd definitely make sure to drive the F-Pace though.

Beek · 11-10-2016, 09:52 PM

Thanks for the review and a fine looking ride!

eluded · 11-10-2016, 10:08 PM

I lost you at 8AT

Bbb34 · 11-10-2016, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eluded

I lost you at 8AT

Wait what... you didn't stop at xDrive ?

Sorry OP, I'm glad you're happy with your choice and without regrets.

.
My advice, for whatever it's worth, life's too short to be riding on runflats.

skw · 11-11-2016, 01:57 AM

A short while ago I drove two 340xi cars back to back. 1st one was a 6mt w/ 19" runflats, the 2nd one was 8at w. 18" mpss non-runflat tires. Both were driven in sport mode and had track handling pkg w/ the adaptive suspension. So the only difference between the 2 were the transmissions and wheel/tire combination. The w/ the 18" mpss rode noticeably softer. You could feel it immediately. I like the look of the 19's but placed an order for one w/ 18's. Rwd & 6mt of course!

Beek · 11-12-2016, 01:21 PM

Not too cool.

New member comes on all happy and rightly proud of his new ride and you dudes want to threadjack his review into ANOTHER anti xDrive anti AT rant. We all know "real" BMW drivers get RWD manuals so really no need to go into it again here.

Sounds to me like the OP did what I did namely proper research and decision making based on what our needs are and with full knowledge of the compromises made. Personally if I want to feel like a Truck Driver again I'd get me a manual and if I wanted to go slower off the line it would be a manual. Just my two cents, now all you "real" BMW drivers can start flaming me.

Spied4US · 11-12-2016, 03:21 PM

dkbldv1006, you have a PM

Bbb34 · 11-12-2016, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beek

Not too cool.

New member comes on all happy and rightly proud of his new ride and you dudes want to threadjack his review into ANOTHER anti xDrive anti AT rant. We all know "real" BMW drivers get RWD manuals so really no need to go into it again here.

Sounds to me like the OP did what I did namely proper research and decision making based on what our needs are and with full knowledge of the compromises made. Personally if I want to feel like a Truck Driver again I'd get me a manual and if I wanted to go slower off the line it would be a manual. Just my two cents, now all you "real" BMW drivers can start flaming me.

OP and you are happy that's all it matters. Who cares about what transmission or drivetrain is in the car, especially in one someone else is paying for.

However, given it's public forum, you have to accept comment like "you lost me at 8AT" as valid opinion of a forum member - I for one thought it was pretty funny.

I didn't intend to flame OP, sorry if that's how you, or OP sees it.
I also do not intend to "flame" you for attempted shots in your last post

. Look, faster off the line does it for you, while I pretend there's something called "driving involvement", no reason why we all can't get along. I personally have never tried to convince anyone that my choice is better for them too.

Don't want to derail the thread any further, I already provided advice based on my experience with runflats.

Beek · 11-12-2016, 05:46 PM

Sorry, I probably over-reacted, just seemed like it cut off additional comments which in hind sight my comment didn't help to further. Dam sure agree with you about the runflats.

cmplaya · 11-13-2016, 08:28 AM

yea my LEDs are mad bright but seem to point too low to the ground or something

11-09-2016, 09:35 PM	#1
dkbldvl006 Experienced Lurker 32 Rep 42 Posts Drives: 2020 X3 30i Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Northern Colorado iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 BMW 340i xDrive [0.00]	340 xDrive - Build Decisions and First Impressions I’ve had my new 340i xDrive for about 6 months. I figured it was about time I put down some initial thoughts and I just decided to start at the beginning. Thanks for reading! Checking out the competition My previous vehicle was a 2007 328i RWD 6MT. That car was my first new vehicle purchase and I did a custom order to get what I wanted (not too many RWD 6MT in Wisconsin). The only options were heated seats, black Dakota leather, and the adaptive xenons. The car was great – I had it for nearly 10 years and 90k miles and the only unplanned maintenance was a U-joint replacement about 6 years in. I decided I was ready to move on to something a little newer with perhaps a bit more power. Despite the long run of success with the E90, I wasn’t totally sold on another BMW. I had a couple F30 loaners over the years (my wife’s X3 was unfortunately not as reliable as the 328) and I was generally unimpressed – the non-sport seats and unsettled suspension in the dealer 320s had soured my view on the current 3 Series. I went into last winter’s Chicago auto show open to alternatives and tried to get seat time in as many competitors as possible in one place. I was really looking forward to checking out the Jaguar XE since the initial reviews were so positive. In person, I liked the front and rear styling but thought the side profile looked a bit dated. However, the interior was a big let-down. The show car had a completely black interior and the prodigious use of hard, black plastic was a turn-off. I also had high hopes for the new A4. I liked the styling overall and the materials were nice but the full-width vents were a little weird. I had built the Audi interior up in my head quite a bit and it was fine, yet it wasn’t amazing. I suspect the virtual cockpit may have made a stronger impression but the car on the floor wouldn’t turn on so we couldn’t really evaluate that. Finally, we sat in a 340 M Sport and it really felt like home. I suspect I subconsciously wanted another BMW all along and climbing into the Oyster sport seats put the heart before the rational mind and I knew what I was getting without even driving any of the others. The LCI updates were small but I felt they were impactful on the overall package. Build decisions Now that I knew what I wanted, it was time to go through about 200 builds on the configurator. Right away, xDrive and the 8AT were requirements. I enjoyed the manual, but a longer, more traffic-filled commute and the improved performance/fuel efficiency of the auto pushed me that direction. I had managed for many years with RWD and snow tires on the 328 but I would get stuck at stop lights on even minimal inclines (they refuse to salt the roads here, so they stay coated with 1-2” of packed snow), meaning xDrive was required. The color was actually a pretty big factor – I had driven nothing but black cars for 15 years so I wanted something different. Nearly all of the cars here are either black, white, or gray, so I was leaning heavily toward the various blue options. I probably would have gone for Mediterranean Blue, but my wife had just gotten a blue Acura MDX and I thought the Med. Blue would be too close of a match. Given that I already knew I was getting xDrive, rendering the M Sport package essentially cosmetic, I decided to forego the EBII (and the package cost) and stick with Imperial Blue. I’ve been happy with that choice – I like the way it looks very dark in the shade but then brightens up in the sun. For the interior, Saddle Brown turned into an easy choice when it became available with the black lower dash on the LCI. I liked the look of the Oyster but the fact that the seats at the car show were half blue from everyone’s pants pushed me in a different direction. The only other option I added to the base 340 was the cold weather package (not surprising in Wisconsin, I guess). I decided I didn’t need navigation – we had the MDX for road trips with the kid/dog/luggage. I thought long and hard about the track handling package but was seriously turned off by the inclusion of the orbit grey wheels, which I thought would look terrible with my Imperial Blue/Saddle Brown combo. I could have upgraded to the 19” wheels, but our roads here are essentially half crumbling rocks and I was worried about ride quality. I didn’t really feel like I needed the other option packages, so I decided to save some cash for other needs down the line. Driving impressions It took approximately 10 weeks from order to delivery for a German build. My initial driving impressions were consumed by two major thoughts: The B58 engine is a monster. There’s incredible power everywhere in the range. Even when trying to observe a reasonable amount of restraint during the break-in period, I was never at a loss for power. The ride was much harsher/more jittery than I expected. I expected the xDrive non-adaptive suspension to be soft based on all the comments elsewhere, but I think the combination of the the run-flats (which I had forgotten how much I hated) and the soft damping on our terrible roads made for an occasionally uncomfortable ride. I’m about ready to pull the plug on the run-flats and I’ll see how much of a difference that makes before I go too far down the road of wondering about spring/shock replacements. I’ve had no issues with the car through the first 6 months and the build has been solid. I don’t feel any regret regarding skipping navigation, and the factory navigation retrofit for North America is now available if it becomes an issue at some point in the future. Similarly, I don’t really miss the back-up camera or PDC. I think those would be must-haves in an SUV but it’s not something I feel like I need at this point. Perhaps the one option change I would make if I were to do it again would be to add the lighting package. I’ve been pretty disappointed in the standard LEDs. I adjusted them properly and they’re livable now but I can’t see nearly as well as I expected considering this is a brand new LED design. The non-adaptive Jewel-Eye LEDs in my wife’s MDX are far superior. So after 6 months, I’m pretty happy with where I’m at. I may do some tinkering over the winter (almost certainly starting with new tires) but there’s not much I feel like I need to change to enjoy the car for a long time. The sound of the cold start is a great way to start the day and we’re barely out of the driveway before my son asks me to put it in Sport mode. __________________ Current: 2016 340i xDrive - Imperial Blue/Saddle Brown Previous: 2007 328i - Jet Black/Black Last edited by dkbldvl006; 11-10-2016 at 01:53 PM.. Reason: Fixing broken link
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11-10-2016, 01:33 AM	#2
tcbrown76 Private 42 Rep 77 Posts Drives: 2016 340i M sport Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Germany iTrader: (0)	Solid write up. Beautiful car. Always glad to see another 340 owner love their choice. I know I do. Welcome to the club! __________________ 2016 340i AW/SB RWD/MSport/THP/ColdWP/TechP/DriverAssistP/19" 442s
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11-10-2016, 10:19 AM	#3
T4NZ4NIT3 335i Second Lieutenant 90 Rep 205 Posts Drives: 2013 BMW 335i xdrive Sportline Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Canada iTrader: (0)	cant see pics
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11-10-2016, 01:16 PM	#4
otay Major 826 Rep 1,342 Posts Drives: 2015 335i Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Raleigh, NC iTrader: (0)	Yah, no pics. Good write up tho. I bet getting rid of the run flats cures the ride harshness. First thing I did. Did you drive the XE? V6 RWD? Would be interested in any impressions. A4 just leaves me cold.
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11-10-2016, 09:52 PM	#7
Beek Major 707 Rep 1,170 Posts Drives: Most folks crazy. Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: The Twin Cities iTrader: (0)	Thanks for the review and a fine looking ride! __________________ '16 340xi Mineral Grey/Black Leather, MPSS on 18" 398 Orbit Grey wheels, ZF 8HP50, MPPSK+CF Tips, ZTR, ZMP, ZTP, ZCW, ZDA, ZDB, Black Kidney Grilles. '09 Outback for a beater and grocery getter.
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11-10-2016, 10:08 PM	#8
eluded 2JZ-GTE 3032 Rep 3,992 Posts Drives: 340 6MT, 50e, others Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Sofia iTrader: (0)	I lost you at 8AT __________________ A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.
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11-11-2016, 01:57 AM	#10
skw Lieutenant 202 Rep 554 Posts Drives: M340i Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: MA iTrader: (0)	A short while ago I drove two 340xi cars back to back. 1st one was a 6mt w/ 19" runflats, the 2nd one was 8at w. 18" mpss non-runflat tires. Both were driven in sport mode and had track handling pkg w/ the adaptive suspension. So the only difference between the 2 were the transmissions and wheel/tire combination. The w/ the 18" mpss rode noticeably softer. You could feel it immediately. I like the look of the 19's but placed an order for one w/ 18's. Rwd & 6mt of course! __________________ Boston CCA 383036 '20 M340i '18 MB GLS550 '07 4Runner V8 Limited 4WD
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11-12-2016, 01:21 PM	#11
Beek Major 707 Rep 1,170 Posts Drives: Most folks crazy. Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: The Twin Cities iTrader: (0)	Not too cool. New member comes on all happy and rightly proud of his new ride and you dudes want to threadjack his review into ANOTHER anti xDrive anti AT rant. We all know "real" BMW drivers get RWD manuals so really no need to go into it again here. Sounds to me like the OP did what I did namely proper research and decision making based on what our needs are and with full knowledge of the compromises made. Personally if I want to feel like a Truck Driver again I'd get me a manual and if I wanted to go slower off the line it would be a manual. Just my two cents, now all you "real" BMW drivers can start flaming me. __________________ '16 340xi Mineral Grey/Black Leather, MPSS on 18" 398 Orbit Grey wheels, ZF 8HP50, MPPSK+CF Tips, ZTR, ZMP, ZTP, ZCW, ZDA, ZDB, Black Kidney Grilles. '09 Outback for a beater and grocery getter.
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11-12-2016, 03:21 PM	#12
Spied4US Private 20 Rep 88 Posts Drives: Cautiously Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Hither n' Yon iTrader: (0)	dkbldv1006, you have a PM
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11-12-2016, 05:46 PM	#14
Beek Major 707 Rep 1,170 Posts Drives: Most folks crazy. Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: The Twin Cities iTrader: (0)	Sorry, I probably over-reacted, just seemed like it cut off additional comments which in hind sight my comment didn't help to further. Dam sure agree with you about the runflats. __________________ '16 340xi Mineral Grey/Black Leather, MPSS on 18" 398 Orbit Grey wheels, ZF 8HP50, MPPSK+CF Tips, ZTR, ZMP, ZTP, ZCW, ZDA, ZDB, Black Kidney Grilles. '09 Outback for a beater and grocery getter.
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11-13-2016, 08:28 AM	#15
cmplaya Captain 212 Rep 774 Posts Drives: B58 Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: NYC / Instagram: @cmplaya/@nyc340i iTrader: (0)	yea my LEDs are mad bright but seem to point too low to the ground or something
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