[nikhilarni]

This thread is the ownership experience of my 2021 BMW M340i

Likes

• Sports car level powerful engine (B-58 stunning)
• Handling is at a different level and feels tight and grips the road beautifully
• Classy interiors, very comfortable seats and low driving position
• iDrive 7.0 Infotainment ; Definitely one of the best that I experienced, based on TDs of various vehicles in this category
• Love the Active Cockpit Digital experience. It’s clear and bright
• Exhaust note just brings a smile to each time I accelerate!
• Love the park assist package

Dislikes

• Pricing is definitely on higher side of price spectrum; once you start adding options, it could easily reach 7-8 digit costs to base-cost (excluding taxes)
• Ride is on firmer side. It’s not as smooth and quiet as my outgoing Accord.
• Control stalks look inferior. My GLC feels more premium with respect to stalks
• Miss the illuminated BMW gear shift lever and is big miss by BMW
• Mileage takes a dive whenever you gun the engine or switch to sport or sport + mode.
• Surprised that it doesn’t have a sunglass holder near the IRVM
• No Electronic adjustable steering at this price point

[nikhilarni]

Background

Right from my childhood, I have always been in fascinated and in awe of BMWs. It was a bucket list item and finally after so many years of dreaming was finally able to achieve this goal.

Growing up in parts of West Africa and KSA, there was no dearth of these cars around. This grew from being a fascination to a desire and more like an ambition to own and drive one.

Cutting forward to about 11 years ago, while I was dating my now wife, we were sitting at a coffee shop on Marine Drive, and there was this dual-colored BMW parked beside my car. I was gawking at it, and she literally goes, “Work Hard Nikhil, I am sure you will get one!”. I remember that evening vividly. Its more like some memories form defining moments in one's life, isn't it!. And we finally got home the “Blauer Pfeil” on our 10th anniversary. It was a surprise for her, she had no clue I had got all the documentation and processing without even letting her get as much as a hint. Owning a BMW itself was a dream, With this being an M, is like the icing on the cake!

This one is dedicated to her, for standing by me, tolerating my antics & nonsense all these years

Decision Process: From Test Drive to bringing her home.

I was never seriously in the market for a second car. Around mid 2019, I was actually scouting for a BMW, was pretty clear that it should be a certified pre-owner X3. That was first time, I actually drove a BMW. I was a bit cautious before the test drive as this was about my dream and told myself, the only time I would drive one, is when I am capable of getting it home. That’s pretty much why I never bought any merchandise or anything with a BMW logo on it.

X3 test-drive went horrible. It was a bare bones X3 that left a horrible taste in my mouth as my Accord drove better apart from having more bells and whistles in it. Perhaps, it was a very badly maintained vehicle but, it was a bit of a disappointment. Another thing that SA explained to me about how BMWs, Mercedes’ etc. are they are all packaged. Everything is à la carte. The more options you select, the higher the cost of the vehicle. Most of CPOs are lease returned vehicles and some are nicely maintained but, many are not. We decided to check out the Mercedes Benz showroom across the street and found a beautiful certified CPO GLC300 that we got home. More on that, on a different thread.

Cutting forward to 2021.

Fellow BHP’ian Mobike008 aka Avinash whom I met for the first time during the Detroit Meet in December 2020 and in touch through a local mid-west BHP’ian Whatsapp group posted a review of his X3 M40i which I think was fabulously written and straight from the heart. After seeing that review, I started pinging him 1-1 asking all type of questions as it really tickled that BMW itch in me again. Since I already have an SUV (GLC300), I was rather keen on the M340i than the X3 M40i as it would be more than a worthy replacement to my 2016 Honda Accord.

After a few conversations with him, my mind was almost made up and this is how I got to buying my BMW M340i. Yes, not just a 3 series, but the M performance edition.

Putting a date wise sequence of events:

Feb 15: I was generally surfing around all forums and BMW websites to check out the options for the BMW M340i as this was really what I wanted to get as my next car. I created a build for the M340i and looked up the features and packages. Sent the build code to the dealership that I had gone earlier (back in 2019).

Feb 19: Went in for the TD. My wife had no clue that we were heading for the TD. Bill, the SA, was kind enough to wait beyond their hours for us. There was a new M340i (did I just say M340i ?) similar to the build specifications I had created. Boy! That engine sound, and acceleration blew my mind. I couldn’t stop grinning after the drive and immediately knew that my decision with the brand and the model was spot on. We did a quick loop during the test drive covering some 20+ miles and returned. Got all details from the dealership with regards to costing and paperwork and let the dealership to sleep on the decision.

Feb 20: Bill reached out to me and said they have a M340i Loaner which was slightly higher spec-ed, had about 4800 odd miles on it and in Portimao Blue. I told him- I would like to inspect the car and take a test drive of this loaner and see if that is something I really want or opt for a brand new car.

Feb 22: Bill got the car back from their loaner fleet and texted me that the vehicle was available for a TD. I went in to have a look. Again, Bill waited past their closing hours. This time I went alone and took a test drive of the loaner and it felt as good as new and test drive went as amazing as the first one. We discussed some numbers and other details and told him will think about it and let you know in a couple of days.

Next step was to immediately contact Avi and we discussed all aspects and he guided me on the commercials and some negotiation tips (Best to take such advice from sales guys….LOL!).

A big shout out to Mobike008 aka Avinash for his insights and guidance. Slept over the numbers.

Feb 23: Believe it or not, I called Bill, our call probably lasted about 2 minutes. I threw a number at him and he immediately gave a nod. Voila, we had a deal for ourselves!!

After getting the VIN details for insurance purpose, for some strange reason, I kept thinking this car ( like my GLC300) was made / assembled in Germany and was a tad disappointed to see it was made in Mexico. Probably misguided by one of those youtube reviews.

Feb 26: Went to the dealership one last time to finish up some initial paper work. She was detailed and given new shoes as well. Gave specifics on delivery request. This was the surprise part. Since my wife had no clue about this deal, I had requested that dealership deliver the car to my residence. Again, despite being his day off, Bill agreed to get the car in the morning on March 6. All documentation was a breeze and completed within a few minutes online.

Mar 06: Bill delivered the Car as planned.

Image below is a screenshot of my texts with Bill, with instructions of where to park, and where to come.



Delivery Experience

It was super tough for me to keep quiet about this surprise at home and was going through a turmoil internally! Bill, was in constant touch via text informing me when he would arrive. I sent him a google map image about the area I wanted him to wait and drive up when I signaled to him and then revved the engine a little. And, that nice guy did exactly that and I took my wife at the doorstep on some pretext and we were standing out and out of the corner of the eye, I see this blip of lovely blue coming our way. He did exactly as I request and started revving the engine as soon as he came closer to us. My wife was wide-eyed and totally taken aback.

It was pure bliss. Our 10th anniversary couldn’t have been any better.

We took some pictures, signed off final delivery document, got a little gift for Bill, as a token of my appreciation and just like that, Blauer Pfeil was ours.

I was so overwhelmed with emotions and adrenalin that I could barely drive. We took a 5-minute drive and returned back home. Well, dreams can’t get better than this !

This whole sequence was probably the best surprise I could give my lady!

[nikhilarni]

Driving Experience So Far

She’s definitely a head turner. You can see from the corner of the eye, that others notice the car. This is a high for a petrol-head.

It’s been about 3 weeks since I got her home and about 300 miles of driving. I must say, she’s loaded with features. The power and acceleration is mind blowing. My Accord was such a sedate car, is not an appropriate comparison but, this one is just a beast. You just don’t realize how fast it's going and how fast it accelerates. I am scared that I might get a speeding ticket without even realizing it .

Engine Performance

This is my first BMW and first time I’ve driven a car with so many horses (382 Horses to be precise) waiting to be unleashed. With summer around the corner, it’s just the perfect weather to get some rubber on the roads.

I just dig that amazing rumbling sound of the engine on a cold start. Just for kicks, I start the car using the remote start while standing outside near the exhaust. And, I am sure it will be a long time this immaturity in me to wear off as it’s that good.

Just the slightest tap to gas pedal, she leaps ahead as the acceleration is brutal and quite scary in the sports mode. I have been pretty much driving within city limits so far and using mostly the comfort mode, even this mode is enough to know there is something really special under that long hood. Ride is on the stiffer side, which translates to you experiencing more of the ups and downs on the road. I love the responsiveness of the steering and it gets stiff as you accelerate hard and can feel it being super responsive and one of the most important aspect to the overall driving experience.



I guess, the first pics we click of the engine bay at delivery is probably the only time it looks this clean.

Sharing some Videos on the Exhaust Note:

Comfort Mode aka Lets take a drive mode

https://youtu.be/hu2dYqjbkm0

Sport Mode aka Devil Mode

https://youtu.be/GzbKUItxTtw

Sport Plus Mode aka Beast Mode

https://youtu.be/8RpRuDEa8RI

[nikhilarni]

Transmission

Gearbox is also super-fast and is a major difference from my Accord and Mercedes as the changes happen quite rapidly and there is zero lag. Massive change from my Accord's CVT, which was my daily drive earlier on. As long as you are not gunning it or flooring it, the Accord had a pretty linear smooth acceleration. But if you wanted to jump ahead or that quick burst while joining the on-ramps etc, there was this notice-able lag ( Call it the rubber band effect of the CVTs ). The GLC's 9G-tronic is very well tuned for that plush driving experience no notice-able lag, whether you drive in eco, comfort, sport or sport plus modes. But this ZF stuff is a different level. You tap the accelerator, whether on stand still or in motion, and the power transmission is almost instantaneous. I actually looked up the specs and details of this ZF gearbox on youtube after getting her home. It is just so quick to. I will try out the Paddle shifters, probably under some guidance first.

Tyres

The M340i come standard with the 18" RFTs. I got the upgraded 19" All weather Pirelli RFTs. I was considering the performance ones, but was advised on this one. I haven't done a lot of comparison between the Performance ones and the All Weather. The all weather ones, I was told are a slightly harder compound with better grip in snow and winter conditions as compared to the pure performance ones. I was also told that the Performance ones tend to wear off quicker. Readers can comment on it. I don't know how true was that statement.



I am sure the Red colored calipers would have stood out. But I can live with this.





300 miles of driving experience is by no means a yard stick to write more on this section. I’ll update the thread after a few long drives.

Interior

The seating is on the lower side and takes some time to get used to. I will keep fidgeting around till with the adjustments till I get my sweet spot. I am still in the phase of getting my sweet spot. With so many parameters, like height, tilt and the side bolsters that can be adjusted, it takes a bit of driving to get into the perfect spot. All round visibility is great along with the cameras and sensors while parking and lane changing. I wish the steering adjustment was also electronic. My GLC has it, and at this price point, I feel this is missing in this car. So is the under thigh extension, which is manual. It should have been electronic.

The fabric feels premium. The M badging on the seats is discrete yet tastefully done. The heating is quick as is with the steering heating. Feels good to hold a nice warm steering on a cold winter day. This is probably the thickest steering I have ever held. The strip lighting around the interiors adds a classy touch, and those nifty little attention to detail like the lights turn red when the doors are open.

I just dig that M-Logo on the seats.


I am still in the phase of playing around with the settings and the voice commands. Music system which is Harman Kardon is brilliant. Having used to the Burmester in the GLC300, I feel Burmester is way better. But again, you'd buy this car for different reasons aka listen to the music of the engine note. The GLC is just Ssssssssshhhhhhhhh.

Overall visibility from the driver’s perspective is good.

iDrive v7 is very intuitive, clear and crisp. The voice commands are easily interpreted. The ergonomics are pretty spot on too. A hilarious little grouse I have is (on my sunglasses) on the Head’s up display (HUD) which disappears when I use my sun glasses, because they are polarized. It’s the same with the HUD on my GLC300. No Sunglass holder either. Really !

Images don't do justice to the clarity of the dash, but its pretty bright and clear in sunlight as well as at night.




And another day view of the entire dashboard.

[nikhilarni]

Exterior

I love the looks on this car, and the lines are very neatly drawn and looks great from all angles. The crease lines on the hood look sharp and give it a lot of character when viewed from the front three quarters. Even the tail lights have a nice little bulge to it which neatly integrates into the body. Earlier on, I wasn't a big fan of this Portimao Blue. But now, the more I see it, the more I like it. It sort of stands out too in the crowd. Thankfully, no Chrome.



The newly designed headlights are pretty catchy too. Though I miss the rounded Angel's or Devil's rings look. Those were like classic and synonymous with Bimmers back in the day. Thankfully, the grill isn't gaudy. This one has the adaptive LED lights and not the Laser ones.



Those Welcome lights /Carpet lighting is definitely a classy touch and feels like its welcoming its master to fire up the engine and just drive! It is pretty bright too along with the door handle lighting.



I would highly recommend getting the shadow package, which essentially is the black grill and rear-view mirrors. Its way classier than the odd colored dull bronze.

Fuel Average

Mileage shouldn’t be on your mind when getting this car from this segment. It’s pure thrill that your focus should be on. With just about 300 miles of driving, it isn’t enough experience to say anything with conviction but, figures I could see on the instrument cluster for ECO mode were around 28/30 mpg, which drops to 24/25mpg for Comfort mode, and nose dives when you hit the Sport or Sport + mode.

Truth be told, as Master Yoda would say, "If Mileage is a concern, not meant for you, this car is! "

[nikhilarni]

Bells and Whistles

I am still kicked about the parking assist for both parallel parking and reverse parking. Parallel parking isn’t my forte, so this one brings a smile to me.



Image with the P in the red box indicates, she's found a suitable spot to park. Just hit that P and , Boom! she takes over!



Here is a video link of the Reverse Parking. Equally impressive is the parallel parking.

https://youtu.be/aVszbtEATew

I got the convenience package with powered tailgate. It’s fun to kick under the rear bumper and watch the tailgate open. Easy and convenient with shopping bags and stuff.

iDrive7 with its voice controls that can control almost everything in the car is pretty nifty. Finally! Since everything is already electronically controlled, why not have them controlled via voice. Someone was listening. Google Based navigation is way more intuitive than the one on my GLC. The GLC needs the full address to be spoken. It's just easier to use the MBrace app for the Benz, where as this iDrive7 is more fun, easy to use and responsive.

Wireless Android Auto. Glad that there won't be wires running around. I like the clean look. Come to think of it, my usage of Android Auto was more for the maps ( since my 2016 Accord didn't have inbuilt navigation). Now with both cars having navigation, I really don't need android auto. I would like to get a pulse on what BHP'ians use android auto for. I feel it was a great technology that's quickly become redundant.


Closing Note

This is my first review on the forum and thanks for your patience to read through this long post. Big thank you to my wife who has stood by me and supported me all along and Mobike008 for all responding to all my silly questions and helping me take the decision.



Like I had mentioned earlier in the post, I was little-stitious about anything with the BMW branding, so after getting the Blauer Pfeil home, I had to get these Drift Cats. They are so cool.



Waiting for the next long drive and probably update this thread with additional details around the driving experience.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[a4_attitude]

Congratulations Buddy
what a perfect surprise plan and a detailed review
wish you happy safe miles ahead

[jeevadeepan]

Congrats on your M340i! That's a lovely BMW. Thanks for the crisp and detailed initial ownership review. Wish you many more happy fun filled miles!

[mobike008]

Hey Nikhil- For a first thread on the forum, your writing is quite good and you summed up the car pretty well

I can totally understand the excitement and now you must be agreeing with me that each time you are behind the wheel, it turns a grown man into a kid

That's an interesting post on parking assist, I haven't tried it yet and not sure how it will be useful as we have so much space for parking everywhere, god know when I will get an opportunity to use this feature (Maybe when I go to NYC or LA downtown). Since you already explored this feature, will learn from you when we meet on how this exactly works

And, no thanks as I was happy to help you take the right decision and glad everything turned out well and you are happy with your purchase.

Looking forward to seeing your BP in flesh next month either in Detroit or Pittsburgh. Till then keep updating this thread with tidbits and even the smallest of the details. Cheers !!

[vj123]

Congrats Nikhil on your new ride. Great summary of your vehicle and the events which lead to your purchase.

Its raining BMWs in the group and looking forward to the next meet.

[TrackDay]

Beautiful car and nice write up

Wishing you happy ownership and many miles of 'Sheer driving pleasure' !

If black was the predominant color on BMWs back in the 90's, seems like blue is the pick of current times to go with the brand.

[eyeman]

That car is a real stunner in that color. Loved your detailed writeup. Congratulations on making your dream come true. Enjoy the ride.

[nikhilarni]

Originally Posted by a4_attitude

Congratulations Buddy
what a perfect surprise plan and a detailed review
wish you happy safe miles ahead

Thank you, I am looking forward to some good summer driving around.

Originally Posted by jeevadeepan

Congrats on your M340i! That's a lovely BMW. Thanks for the crisp and detailed initial ownership review. Wish you many more happy fun filled miles!

Thank you Jeeva,
Cannot wait for the next meetup to happen.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Hey Nikhil- For a first thread on the forum, your writing is quite good and you summed up the car pretty well

I can totally understand the excitement and now you must be agreeing with me that each time you are behind the wheel, it turns a grown man into a kid

That's an interesting post on parking assist.

Looking forward to seeing your BP in flesh next month either in Detroit or Pittsburgh. Till then keep updating this thread with tidbits and even the smallest of the details. Cheers !!

Thanks Avi,
Thanks for all the help. This car definitely brings the kid out in me, everytime I am behind the wheel. Its thrilling. Cannot wait to see you all at the next meet.

Originally Posted by vj123

Congrats Nikhil on your new ride. Great summary of your vehicle and the events which lead to your purchase.

Its raining BMWs in the group and looking forward to the next meet.

Thanks Vibin,
It sure is raining Bimmers. Cannot wait to see you all at the next Detroit Meet. Lets plan that out soon as the weather is letting up now.

Originally Posted by TrackDay

Beautiful car and nice write up

Wishing you happy ownership and many miles of 'Sheer driving pleasure' !

If black was the predominant color on BMWs back in the 90's, seems like blue is the pick of current times to go with the brand.

Hi TrackDay,
Thank you. True, as a kid, I recall the darker shades and that dual tone ( blue-black ) tone which looks so classy. Now I guess its shifting to Blue and Blue tones.

Originally Posted by eyeman

That car is a real stunner in that color. Loved your detailed writeup. Congratulations on making your dream come true. Enjoy the ride.

Thank you Eveman,
True, this was a dream in the making for quite a while. At times, I still peep out of the window to take a glance at her.

[scatpack392]

Great Review Nikhil!! Can't wait to see this beast in real! Counting days to our meet!