[harismne]

In a few months Im gonna be buying one of these, mainly to be my daily.

How are these cars as daily? I will be trying to keep it as long as I can.
I idle cars a lot because ill be inside with the heat or AC on depending on the weather.
Live in NY some roads are horrible any issues with the wheels? Any type to avoid?
Which one should I be looking at? M340 or 330? Any opinions are appreciated.

Thank you for the time.

[M2CSDaily]

M340i is amazing. Daily drove one for 4 years, loved it. Very fast, great engine, and amazing gas mileage. The ride was fairly stiff (basic suspension), which was my only complaint.

[BMWbiker]

If potholes are a concern, definitely don’t go for the largest diameter wheels. Or, use the stock rims for winter tires, and use the larger one for summer, when we hope most of the potholes will be filled in.

I bent a rim after one week of ownership of my previous car, a ‘15 328xi MSport wagon. It had 18” rims.

[harismne]

Originally Posted by M2CSDaily

M340i is amazing. Daily drove one for 4 years, loved it. Very fast, great engine, and amazing gas mileage. The ride was fairly stiff (basic suspension), which was my only complaint.

I appreciate your input man, in the 4 years did you have any issues? Do you recommend buying a new one or used? Any overheating problems sitting in hot weather with AC on?

[harismne]

Originally Posted by BMWbiker

If potholes are a concern, definitely don’t go for the largest diameter wheels. Or, use the stock rims for winter tires, and use the larger one for summer, when we hope most of the potholes will be filled in.

I bent a rim after one week of ownership of my previous car, a ‘15 328xi MSport wagon. It had 18” rims.

I'll keep that in mind, Thank you!!

[BMWbiker]

Originally Posted by harismne

I'll keep that in mind, Thank you!!

You’re welcome!

I haven’t owned the exact cars that you’re looking at. But here are a few more random thoughts.

My wagon had a previous version of the 330xi’s 4 cylinder engine. It was zippy. It got good gas mileage. It was fairly smooth. It gave me no trouble. I would still be driving it today, were it not for the fact that the car was totaled by a pothole from hell last month at about 125,000 miles.

I now own an X3 M40i. It has the same basic straight-6 engine as the M340. I’m still breaking it in, so I haven’t come close to full throttle yet, but I can already tell that it is powerful. It is also smoother than the wagon’s engine. The bigger engine is reputed to get almost as good gas mileage, but it will be less. BMW says that the M340 XDrive will do 0-60 MPH in something like 4.1 seconds. Most of the famous muscle cars of the ‘60s could not manage that, even with gigantic fire-breathing engines that got 10 MPG on the highway. You can do so with smoothness and comfort, and get 30 MPG on the highway.

Back to tires and wheels, plus suspension. Check out what is available for both cars. If you buy off the lot, you’ll want to choose less aggressive wheels. If you order it, do so with the smaller rims. The standard 18” fitment is better for potholes than 19”, all else equal. You could inquire if it’s possible to fit 17” rims. (I don’t know offhand.)

Consider suspension choices. The 330 probably has softer suspension than the M340. Adaptive will probably be softer in the comfort setting than the standard MSport suspension.

Consider brake choices. Upgraded brakes may require larger rims. I’m not sure if that’s the case, but you can research it.

See what works best for you at your price point, comfort vs. sport level, etc.

Happy shopping!

[M3SQRD]

We picked up a ‘20 g20 330ix (track handling package) in March 2020. It’s a great car and is perfect for daily driving duty. Gas mileage is great compared to our ‘18 F22 M240ix. The B46 is a wonderful engine for an I4 but there’s no comparison between it and the B58. B46’s only advantage is better fuel mileage. The B58 is smoother and the power advantage makes merging/passing so much easier. However, if we had a chance to buy a 330ix or M340ix, we’d still buy the 330ix because it’s a great daily driver and we have other cars that are faster/quicker. Without the other cars, we’d definitely get the M340ix.

[snareman]

You might get some better specific answers posting this in the X3 forum.

[cozye]

I’ve had both. 340i is a nicer car in every way. Get rid of the run flats and get the smaller rims. 330 is a nice car too, but the only reason to get one over the 340 is to save a bit of money if thats important to you

[M3SQRD]

Originally Posted by snareman

You might get some better specific answers posting this in the X3 forum.

Why would the OP get better answers by posting in the X3 forum? Did you mean the g20 3 series forum?

[snareman]

Originally Posted by M3SQRD

Why would the OP get better answers by posting in the X3 forum? Did you mean the g20 3 series forum?

Oops, sorry. Brain fart there. Yes, that. 🙂

[M2CSDaily]

Originally Posted by harismne

I appreciate your input man, in the 4 years did you have any issues? Do you recommend buying a new one or used? Any overheating problems sitting in hot weather with AC on?

Zero issues, completely problem free. Even tracked it a couple times

[Entropy89]

I live in NY and daily my M340i xdrive for over two years now and love it. It still puts a grin on my face every time I drive it. The B58 is excellent and more power than you’ll ever need for a daily… and the LSD make handling the twisties good fun. I had an F30 330i before for 4 years and it was a good car but I wanted the B58. The G20 just feels more solid overall, I wish steering had more feedback but thats BMW since 2012.

My only gripe with my car now is that I don’t have adaptive suspension (wasn’t available cause of covid shortages). The ride is a bit harsh at times, especially on the stock RFTs and 19 inch rims. I have heard a lot of people say that adaptive doesn’t do much in these cars, but I’ve also heard people say the opposite…regardless everyone does say to ditch the RFTs immediately.