[Calvin36]

Exactly right on all points. Same reason why I opted for my 335 vs a sedan M3. Although the V8 and the prestige would be nice.. the practicality of the F30 is undeniable.

[insanecoder]

Welcome to the club
the low and mid-range torque made me an instant fan awhile back as well
and the 340s a jack of all trades .. master of .. well actually many

..and bonus.. you get quality to boot (very little issues thus far)

[CJ421]

Great write-up!

Charles

[dab_of_oppo]

Originally Posted by insanecoder

Welcome to the club
the low and mid-range torque made me an instant fan awhile back as well
and the 340s a jack of all trades .. master of .. well actually many

..and bonus.. you get quality to boot (very little issues thus far)

Yea I'm feeling like I made the right choice here!

[dereksM3]

Originally Posted by dab_of_oppo

This. Its interesting what you say about the DCT. I was overall underwhelmed with the DCT in the M3 whereas when I test drove the Auto in the 340 I was expecting a slushy mess but was really pleasantly surprised. Even considered the auto for a hot moment.

I don't think I'd track the 340 at all. One day I hope to have the means to get a e92 M3 plaything :P

I should have also mentioned I had the Euro GTS tune on my E92 M3 so not exactly apples to oranges. The DCT was just more intuitive and ultimately up and downshifted noticeably faster. I could click the paddles three times and it immediately snapped from say 7th to 4th. Whereas in the 8AT I do that it goes 7 - 6 - 5, it's not an immediate downshift either. Now in everyday driving the 8AT doesn't have the noises or clunking the DCT did and doesn't suffer from the slight jerkiness at low RPM either. From a performance standpoint the DCT is better in every metric...but not by much. For everything the 8AT offers I can see why the DCT's are slowly being phased out. From simplicity sake the 8AT are generally more reliable and cheaper to maintain as well. Me personally...I would still rather have a DCT or PDK though.

OT: For reference sake I also have (had) a MK7 Golf R with a DSG. BMW's DCT or 8AT are both worlds ahead of the VW/Audi DSG. They have terrible programming, commonly get confused, and just don't react quick enough to inputs. For such a great car the Golf R/Audi S3 the DSG are just not programmed well enough. I have heard the aftermarket tunes alleviate most of this but the DSG's don't always have the best reliability track record so tuning can be an expensive endeavor. The M3 DCT was the first transmission where I didn't miss a manual.

[DocBlackhawk]

Just think. Ten years from now, the vanilla 3 series will offer a car that casually matches older M3s. Better yet, electric motors will make some incredible advances in speed.

[2000Z3M]

Originally Posted by DocBlackhawk

Just think. Ten years from now, the vanilla 3 series will offer a car that casually matches older M3s. Better yet, electric motors will make some incredible advances in speed.

my old 2000 M Roadster with the s52 is/was as fast as my 435i ZHP.

[Blubaron79]

I believe with the MPPSK the artificial sound is coded out.

[eluded]

Originally Posted by dab_of_oppo

2018 340i. Manual, MPPSK, RWD.

#SaveTheManuals

[dab_of_oppo]

Originally Posted by eluded

#SaveTheManuals

Doing my part!

[dab_of_oppo]

This thread is dead but in case somebody comes looking for information in the system later down the line:

Update:

After some more time and a couple of autocross events, I have to add that the suspension in the 340 is wayyy softer than the M3. Likewise for the brakes. Under higher force conditions you can really feel the limitations of the stock 340 brakes. I knew going in that the 340 would suffer in these areas and I'm fine with that.

To bring the 340 up to (e92) levels of handelling, you would definitely need a BBK and some sway bars. I wouldn't suggest changing out the stock adjustable dampers and the spring weight for the street is just right. For more track heavy use some harder springs would help too.

-K

[MUFCbmwbear]

I too have owned a e92 M3 and do find that the 340i is an ideal balance between M mayhem and everyday drivability.
6MT and rear drive! We are few

[Savageenterprise]

Originally Posted by dab_of_oppo

Doing my part!

Nice write up and me too.

[Humdizzle]

im actually moving back. the 335 just feels dead in the steering, no LSD, and just overall too refined and numb.

[Sea-Tac]

Thanks!!

[clubracer6]

Any updates OP? Loved this thread and trying to decide if I should buy a 340I M-Sport 6 speed + LSD or get a V8 M3 and a very used Tiguan or X3 as a DD.

Will maybe do 2 track days a year.

I know the E90 is more special, sounds amazing and will do much better with resale than the F30.

[dab_of_oppo]

Originally Posted by clubracer6

Any updates OP? Loved this thread and trying to decide if I should buy a 340I M-Sport 6 speed + LSD or get a V8 M3 and a very used Tiguan or X3 as a DD.

Will maybe do 2 track days a year.

I know the E90 is more special, sounds amazing and will do much better with resale than the F30.

I'm aware this is about a year late, but the car is now getting even better milage and I'm still very happy with it. Autocross has shut down near me so I havent had any more events. Its still fast when it needs to be and comfortable when I'm carrying coworkers to meetings etc. Its a great option for having one car to do it all (just probably not large circuit lapping with the stock brakes!)

Also still havent gotten the dif... had a kid instead so thats putting large expenses on ice.

[335e92tx]

Not bad review.


Just kinda dropped in here ( either gonna do a brake upgrade to the e92 n54 replace it..)

But with the mods in the sig.. The IS is pretty sweet.

Custom tune and LSD for the win

[Icarium81]

Awesome info and glad I read it. Was debating on still wanting a toy and buying an older m3, but if the current "regular" cars are on par with them, why bother.

[clubracer6]

Originally Posted by dab_of_oppo

I'm aware this is about a year late, but the car is now getting even better milage and I'm still very happy with it. Autocross has shut down near me so I havent had any more events. Its still fast when it needs to be and comfortable when I'm carrying coworkers to meetings etc. Its a great option for having one car to do it all (just probably not large circuit lapping with the stock brakes!)

Also still havent gotten the dif... had a kid instead so thats putting large expenses on ice.

Hey no worries about on the delay!

Funny enough, I ended up getting a 340i Msport 6 speed and had the dealer install the LSD before taking delivery. I liked it quite a bit, a nice place to be, mildly entertaining, but just no real connection. Ended up selling it and the guy that bought it happened to have a very high mileage E46 ZHP automatic that I took as partial trade. This car really reminded me of how great BMW's used to be. Even my wife, who is not a car person absolutely loved it. That prompted me to get an E39 M5 - another BMW great, but ended up selling that too as I still wanted something more nimble and sport car like. I am now in a 2010 E90 M3 6 speed and love it. It truly has a dual personality that fits my needs quite well. It is still not a sports car, but I think perhaps the closest you can get to one with 4 doors. I was going to sell it now to buy my old 911 back, but now buying another race car, so IF i sell it, it would be for a Cayenne with a Miata to go with it. I really believe the E90 M3 is one of the best sedans ever made. Yes, it lacks some of the super modern features of my F80 and F30, but my priorities are a bit different from others. I just need bluetooth for calls and a way to stream audio from my phone, the other stuff is just extra. If I decide I do need to keep a sedan or get one down the road, the E90 M3 will be it.