New BMW M340i or used M3 / M4 for daily driving & occasional long trips

The plan is to sell the Kia Sonet & replace it with a sports sedan that will accompany our Jeep Meridian in the garage.

BHPian Speedster@911 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am on the lookout for a German powerhouse and build the ultimate 2 Car Garage.

Current Garage

• Jeep Meridian 4x2 Limited AT - Used for both city and highway driving
• Kia Sonet GTX+ 7 DCT - Strictly for city driving

The Kia was bought in March 2022 and the Jeep is rather new and was purchased in August 2022. The Meridian has been a delight to drive and has proved itself as exceptional in every field be it comfort, features, high-speed stability especially when compared to the Fortuner. The only downside about this car is the lack of power and low GC but considering that it was bought with the sole purpose of being a reliable family car, it does the job pretty well.

The Kia on the other hand with its 1.0L turbo petrol engine delivers immense power but lacks comfort. The suspension is too stiff to drive in the city and the weak brakes do not give any confidence to take it on a long drive.

Now the plan is to sell the Sonet and replace it with a sports sedan which will be used as a daily driver and occasional long drives.

Must Haves:

• 350+ BHP
• 3L engine
• 4 seater

My Choices:

• BMW M340i - The car has everything that a car enthusiast wants. Great looks, powerful engine, room for customization. My brother is quite sold on getting this car as he is getting a good finance plan as well. I am not very keen on the looks of the facelifted M340i and I liked the previous one better but I highly doubt that you can find one in the used car market.
• Used BMW M2/M3/M4 - I think that a used M3/M4 makes sense as you get more power and it is more fun to drive (Because full RWD whereas M340i is AWD)
• Any other used 350+bhp car - Not older than 2017

Questions:

• What do you guys think will be the best option out of the above 3?
• Which is a better option financially, a used or a new luxury car?
• Where can I find used luxury cars at the best prices?

Here's what BHPian 316kmph had to say about the matter:

• Based on your current garage, I am assuming this is your first high-power car. Given that, I will stick to AWD and cars that can be used every other day. Option 1, new M340i - brilliant bang for the buck. Option 2, slightly used Audi S5, you can find a few for 40-50 lakhs - stylish car, that can be used daily.
• Financially speaking, a slightly used say, a 2-odd-year-old, lovingly used luxury car is ideal. But this is a loaded sentence, read carefully. You need to know how the car was used or abused - a close friend, relative, colleague or neighbour’s car might make sense. For all other purposes, a new car is probably better.

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

Pick up the upcoming M340i Shadow Edition with the additional 360 camera, upgraded brakes etc, and you're set I feel.

• If bored after that:
• Remap it or get a BMS JB4, Dinan type piggyback
• Upgrade to Pilot Super Sport tyres
• Get the M Performance Exhaust
• xxxx

Do test drive the X3M40i too - a more practical alternative to the low GC of the M340i, and more family-friendly with less stress on highway drives.

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

Is the stiff suspension on the Sonet an excuse to get a sports sedan or is it a real pain point? If it is too stiff, please drive all the cars you've shortlisted carefully - sport sedans are known to be stiffer than regular cars out there.

Here's what BHPian mgastor2022grey had to say about the matter:

There's quite a difference between an M340i and M3. But I would not like to highlight that. I would like to highlight the joy of getting a new car vs pre-owned.

It is based on the mindset, whether you want an old car or a new one. Definitely, the older one will be a good deal, but you will always consider it old, not brand new. Whereas, a new car is to your liking.

So I'd suggest you to go for the M340i, it's definitely a good car.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.