340i Loaner

[rdoctor]

2 Days with a 340i M-Sport loaner, super short review: I haven't driven a brand new BMW since 2016 when a buddy of mine let me drive his new Yaz Marina M3. It was nice but....meh... and just haven't been inspired to drive anything else in almost 5 years. Anyway...I took my car in to the dealer this week to get the blower wiring recall done (the only time I ever go there) and they said it would take a day to get it done. They gave me a loaner to drive for what ended up being two days. It was a 2018 340i with the M Sport package and it was surprisingly good for what it was. This is certainly not a replacement for an M3... but as a daily I could easily drive this car. Very smooth, pretty quick, and it had one of the better sound systems I've heard in a stock BMW (HK Surround). It had the run flat tires which wasn't ideal but it handled pretty well in Sport and Sport+ mode despite the squirmy tires. Within moments of getting in the car I put it in Sport+ which transformed the car. The 8-speed trans shifted quickly in auto and manual, the torque was intoxicating, and it made those cute burbling noises that everybody is so crazy about. There was a little turbo lag initially but not too bad. The interior was very nice looking, the HUD was cool, and overall it was a really comfortable car to drive.

My only complaint other than the run flats was the steering. I don't really know how to describe it so I'll use the word numb and just weird. In Sport and Sport+ it was just the same but with a heavier feel. The sticker price was just over $56K.

If you're in need of a very capable daily with 4 doors this is one to consider.
I could see the 340i M-Sport lowered a bit with nicer wheels and better offsets, MS4 tires, an intake and a tune and it would be a very sweet sleeper.

Epilogue: When the recall work was done I got back into my car and upon cold start I felt like I was in a real track prepped race car compared to the 340i. The exhaust, the engine noises, the steering, and the handling of course felt super raw compared to the plush 340i. My car also felt really small! I was happy to be home