BMW M340i vs 330i GL: Which would be the best car for my daily commutes

I will be driving the vehicle for 40 km in Pune traffic which is interesting at the best of times.

BHPian BeMyWings recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello Team BHP Members,

I’ve been a BMW fanboy ever since I sat in a 1990 530i, I couldn’t get over how beautiful the car looked in that shade of blue, the orange dials, the rims & tires. At the risk of this becoming an ASMR thread without the A, I will stop here.

Disclaimer: These are my opinions and as such can greatly vary from yours.

I’ve reached a stage in my life and career where I can afford the nicer things in life. I’m single, I don’t have any other commitments or loans. Money isn’t necessarily (I’m not a rich man, just someone who can afford a dream today) a constraint.

My journey started with dreaming of owning a 330i M-Sport in Portimao Blue. Well, the lockdown, our buying habits and BMWs strategy of killing the SWB put paid for that very quickly. When BMW decided to double down on its “chip shortage” approach for removing perfectly good features, it made to rethink my decision.

Why would I spend upwards of 68L on a “cut down and upsold” product which isn’t even intended for me? Isn’t it better to just spend the additional 17L and get the M340i?

My use case is it will primarily be my daily driver, with other occupants reserved for the odd road trip in Maharashtra and Goa.

I’m 90% sold on the M340i, here is my dilemma:

Do I have this all wrong and can it be used as a daily driver? – I will use the car for a 40km commute in Pune traffic, which is interesting at the best of times.

In summation, I don’t want to buy a car that I use every day to feel like “I wish I had gotten the 340i” or vice versa.

The heart says M340i and the head is pushing me towards the 330i GL.

Neither is good or bad, one’s Butter Chicken and the other Chicken Triple Schezwan Rice, I will leave you to guess which is which!

Thanks for your consideration and offering your suggestions.

Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:

The 330i is a great sedan, while the M340i is an awesome once-in-a-lifetime kind of family-friendly sedan. Since you can afford the price difference, go for the M340i only. The M340i will give you driving satisfaction, make you feel special, give you joy and make you laugh in a way that the 330i won't be able to.

Just be ready for a firm (but liveable) ride and low FE. It's a totally-friendly daily driver that can be used with the family too.

Here's what BHPian androdev had to say about the matter:

No contest, M340i. Such cars are offered so rarely and if your buying window coincides with such offerings you should pull the trigger.

Your use case of congested city traffic is a bummer though. 330iL is also not a good choice either. So if you are going down this route, you might as well get the M340i. Zero confusion in my mind between these two cars.

On the other hand, if it were between 530i and 340i, then I would pause, scratch my head, and buy the car with the first two digits of the model number closest to my age. If there is a tie, I would pick 530i. Love the 5 series.

Here's what BHPian d3mon had to say about the matter:

As good of a car the M340i is, its talents are completely wasted inside of the city. If you really are planning to buy a car for driving daily in traffic the M340i will not give you any more joy than its smaller engine counterpart. In fact, it will be more frustrating to drive because you will forever be waiting to be able to unleash the power, which you'll never be able to.

However, cars like the M340i can change your driving habits too - it can make you go on unplanned road trips and day trips at the drop of a hat as well - so as long as you have plans to keep sprinkling in those outstation trips frequently alongside your daily driving duties, by all means, go ahead and get the M340i. If not, look for more city-friendly options, or even consider a beater car for the city, while keeping the M340i solely for outstation drives.

Here's what BHPian vb-san had to say about the matter:

The opening line is enough to justify the 340i; the GL is a compromise in comparison.

Short answer – Yes!

As a daily driver, it is a comfortable car (even for the rear seat occupants). And on occasions where you want some thrills, the transformation is instant.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.