[michaelalex3]

As I look at 340i GTs out on the market, I've seen very few with the adaptive suspension. Does this option make that much of a difference? I'll be buying an m-sport car for sure, and I've seen some say that the non-adaptive suspension hits the sweet spot between the sport/comfort of the adaptive.

[smithbh]

Originally Posted by michaelalex3

As I look at 340i GTs out on the market, I've seen very few with the adaptive suspension. Does this option make that much of a difference? I'll be buying an m-sport car for sure, and I've seen some say that the non-adaptive suspension hits the sweet spot between the sport/comfort of the adaptive.

Originally Posted by michaelalex3

As I look at 340i GTs out on the market, I've seen very few with the adaptive suspension. Does this option make that much of a difference? I'll be buying an m-sport car for sure, and I've seen some say that the non-adaptive suspension hits the sweet spot between the sport/comfort of the adaptive.

I have a 328xi GT with M-sport and love the adaptive suspension. It is tight and responds well, and I find Sport mode w/ drivetrain only enabled to be less bouncy than Comfort mode when enabled (that may be hitting the sweet spot you are referring to). Personally, I almost exclusively drive in sport mode with both drivetrain and chassis enabled, as I prefer the extra control over a smooth ride. You will not be disappointed!

[Chief_Bimmer_Fan]

Originally Posted by michaelalex3

As I look at 340i GTs out on the market, I've seen very few with the adaptive suspension. Does this option make that much of a difference? I'll be buying an m-sport car for sure, and I've seen some say that the non-adaptive suspension hits the sweet spot between the sport/comfort of the adaptive.

I have a N26 F34 w/M-Sport.

The model has servo adaptive resistance in the steering design. Basically it's like a dampening system to over/under steer felt in the steering column. You feel the tightening/loosening resistance. It also has the independently activated drive train with ZF 8 transmission. Finally it has BMWs VANOS design and dual scroll turbo. This allows for Sport/Comfort/ECO modes (aka "adaptive suspension"). You feel the difference in the torque response/feel and overall BMW 'experience' in both the 328 and 335 models.

That is a 'tuning' algorithm of the hardware components that BMW sells to turn 'on' for the added cost. You can 'code' these cars with purchased apps and freeware to tweak tons of options.... including the 'Sport' mode.

I already had it, but you could buy the car and turn it on for free. The difference is in the trim characteristics. They throw in the button with the labels ECO/Comfort and/or "Sport" and the door trim that says M-Sport.

That's it.

What's a game changer and makes the F34 unique is the 5 series variant frame. The wheel base is actually a 5 series! They did that for the slope back design, but at the price level of a 3 series. It was in the 'cross over' from sedan to SUV design wars of the manufacturers that BMW targeted to get buyers into the luxury market. So you get the wheel base and interior capacity of a 5 series at the 3 series price level. The actual 5 series of the F34 is the 8 cylinder version if I recall correctly.

That added into the mix makes your question difficult to explain because it's a unique situation.

[jjmb]

So if I understand Chief Bimmer Man right, I can code my GT Sport (not MSport) to change the suspension operate in the same way as with the adaptive suspension?

[anielsen71]

Originally Posted by Chief_Bimmer_Fan

I have a N26 F34 w/M-Sport.

The model has servo adaptive resistance in the steering design. Basically it's like a dampening system to over/under steer felt in the steering column. You feel the tightening/loosening resistance. It also has the independently activated drive train with ZF 8 transmission. Finally it has BMWs VANOS design and dual scroll turbo. This allows for Sport/Comfort/ECO modes (aka "adaptive suspension"). You feel the difference in the torque response/feel and overall BMW 'experience' in both the 328 and 335 models.

That is a 'tuning' algorithm of the hardware components that BMW sells to turn 'on' for the added cost. You can 'code' these cars with purchased apps and freeware to tweak tons of options.... including the 'Sport' mode.

I already had it, but you could buy the car and turn it on for free. The difference is in the trim characteristics. They throw in the button with the labels ECO/Comfort and/or "Sport" and the door trim that says M-Sport.

That's it.

What's a game changer and makes the F34 unique is the 5 series variant frame. The wheel base is actually a 5 series! They did that for the slope back design, but at the price level of a 3 series. It was in the 'cross over' from sedan to SUV design wars of the manufacturers that BMW targeted to get buyers into the luxury market. So you get the wheel base and interior capacity of a 5 series at the 3 series price level. The actual 5 series of the F34 is the 8 cylinder version if I recall correctly.

That added into the mix makes your question difficult to explain because it's a unique situation.

What a brunch of mumble jumble!!!

Adaptive suspension is a complete different set of dampers that are stiffened with the use of the sport/comfort button.
If you don't have the adaptive dampers in the first place there's no way in h... you can code yourself to that option for free.
I have the adaptives in my F36 and I like the option to be able to stiffen the car up sometimes.
But 90% of the time I drive in comfort with the dampers in the softer setting. I am lowered on ACS springs. Might be that, that combination is a bit harsh in sport mode.

Is it a necessary option? Depends what you use your M car for. Daily commute: I would say no

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by Chief_Bimmer_Fan

What's a game changer and makes the F34 unique is the 5 series variant frame. The wheel base is actually a 5 series! They did that for the slope back design, but at the price level of a 3 series. It was in the 'cross over' from sedan to SUV design wars of the manufacturers that BMW targeted to get buyers into the luxury market. So you get the wheel base and interior capacity of a 5 series at the 3 series price level. The actual 5 series of the F34 is the 8 cylinder version if I recall correctly.

There are a couple of problems here. First, the F34 cannot share any 5 Series frame, as no BMW cars have a frame. Body-on-Frame architecture is found on trucks and large SUVs in some cases. All BMW cars are unitized construction and do not have a frame.

Second, the F34 is not a variant of anything related to the 5 Series. It is a unique body derived from the F35 platform, sharing the F35 lengthened wheelbase desired by the Chinese market. F34 and F35 are variants of the basic F30 3 Series sedan. As a result, it is similar in overall size to a 5 Series sedan, but it is not a 5 Series variant.