BMW and M Power Owners

I'm still in two minds with which way to go on changing my car but fairly certain it will be a BMW.

Currently driving a 2012 Focus ST Estate and have narrowed my choice down to either:

- a 340i Touring
- a 530i Touring

Both very different cars and very different engines. In 3 months of looking, AUC 340i's seem to have increased in price by around £3-£4k which puts them close to the price of a 530i.

I know the 340i is end of life vs the new generation 5 series. The 5 series will also be far more comfortable and luxurious however I don't do a lot of motorway miles and want something engaging to drive that also fits the "family" bill. I've only got one child (and a dog) so the 3-er is big enough but it doesn't tick the luxury box. The lure of that 6 cylinder engine is a massive plus point for the 3 series though and the fact that it's not like piloting a cruise liner.

The difficulty is getting test drives of either of these. I've driven a 440i so I know I like the 6 cylinder engine but every dealership I speak to immediately highlights the fact that the cars I'm interested in are rare. Is it worth sacrificing the 6 cylinder engine for the added comfort and luxury (and current generation) of the 5 series? A 540i is defintely out of budget, before anyone asks!
 
batfink said:
I'm still in two minds with which way to go on changing my car but fairly certain it will be a BMW.

Currently driving a 2012 Focus ST Estate and have narrowed my choice down to either:

- a 340i Touring
- a 530i Touring

Both very different cars and very different engines. In 3 months of looking, AUC 340i's seem to have increased in price by around £3-£4k which puts them close to the price of a 530i.

I know the 340i is end of life vs the new generation 5 series. The 5 series will also be far more comfortable and luxurious however I don't do a lot of motorway miles and want something engaging to drive that also fits the "family" bill. I've only got one child (and a dog) so the 3-er is big enough but it doesn't tick the luxury box. The lure of that 6 cylinder engine is a massive plus point for the 3 series though and the fact that it's not like piloting a cruise liner.

The difficulty is getting test drives of either of these. I've driven a 440i so I know I like the 6 cylinder engine but every dealership I speak to immediately highlights the fact that the cars I'm interested in are rare. Is it worth sacrificing the 6 cylinder engine for the added comfort and luxury (and current generation) of the 5 series? A 540i is defintely out of budget, before anyone asks!
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I was in exactly the same boat not to long ago. Was coming from a 135i and needed something bigger.

I test drove a 340i and 530d. The 340i was a great car to drive, the engine is a peach and the auto box was faultless. I just couldn't get my head around how the interior is pretty much the same as I had in my 135i. Dropping all that cash on a car which felt exact the same to sit in was just never going to happen.

The dealership had a 540i in san marino blue, with white leather and a stunning real wood dash in the showroom, the thing look amazing but I just couldn't get the numbers to work for me. I ended up taking the 530d out for a test drive to see if I liked the platform. Whilst the interior is clearly a step up from the 3 series, and is a lovely place to be if its specced out right, there was no getting away with the fact it felt a big car. Awesome motorway cruiser, but it just wasn't the type of drive i was after. Maybe in a few more years.

If the 340i had the 540i interior I would have bought it there and then. As it panned out I ended up with an Audi S5 sportback.
 
If you want something a bit more engaging to drive then your only option is the 340i

The 5 series is ok... but it’s a wafty cruiser and does not offer the same level of driver involvement as the 3.

I also don’t like the 4-pot engines...

The 3 will be comfortable, but the 5 will win there and the interior is nicer. I don’t think it’s as massive as some people try to make it sound though.
 
Have you looked at a B9 S4 wagon? The interior is considerably better than a 3 series BUT I don't know what values are like compared to 340i's
 
Shivy011 said:
Have you looked at a B9 S4 wagon? The interior is considerably better than a 3 series BUT I don't know what values are like compared to 340i's
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Yes, but they are pushing the budget even further and close to 540i territory. I need to draw the line somewhere. Alternative is that I just keep the ST for another 6-12months when some of these cars will have come down in price (AUC models) but where's the fun in that!

crinkleshoes said:
If you want something a bit more engaging to drive then your only option is the 340i

The 5 series is ok... but it’s a wafty cruiser and does not offer the same level of driver involvement as the 3.

I also don’t like the 4-pot engines...

The 3 will be comfortable, but the 5 will win there and the interior is nicer. I don’t think it’s as massive as some people try to make it sound though.
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I think that is exactly where my head is at. £30k+ for what is an end of life 3 series feels like a lot of money. I'm not willing to spend £40k+ so waiting for the new M340i (which could be 12 months away) is not an option either. It will be 2 years before they hit AUC at an acceptable price point.
 
batfink said:
Yes, but they are pushing the budget even further and close to 540i territory. I need to draw the line somewhere. Alternative is that I just keep the ST for another 6-12months when some of these cars will have come down in price (AUC models) but where's the fun in that!



I think that is exactly where my head is at. £30k+ for what is an end of life 3 series feels like a lot of money. I'm not willing to spend £40k+ so waiting for the new M340i (which could be 12 months away) is not an option either. It will be 2 years before they hit AUC at an acceptable price point.
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I don't expect there will be a vast difference in the new model... look at the latest 5 series, the changes are minimal from the previous gen.

Shivy011 said:
I'll be honest... none of these cars mentioned will probably be as fun as your ST!
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Strange comment... the 340i is a much better drivers car than a Focus...
 
crinkleshoes said:
I don't expect there will be a vast difference in the new model... look at the latest 5 series, the changes are minimal from the previous gen.



Strange comment... the 340i is a much better drivers car than a Focus...
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Than a focus yes.. Not than a focus St. The ST is developed to be a well setup car with suspension components, steering etc to regard it as such. The 340i whilst yes is a good driving car for the class is at the end of the day a 3 series with a big engine. It's not a baby M3
 
Shivy011 said:
Than a focus yes.. Not than a focus St. The ST is developed to be a well setup car with suspension components, steering etc to regard it as such. The 340i whilst yes is a good driving car for the class is at the end of the day a 3 series with a big engine. It's not a baby M3
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Focus ST is still a Focus and still FWD

[TW]Fox said:
And a Focus ST is a Focus with a... 2 litre engine?
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And least we agree on that :D :D :D
 
batfink said:
But one that handles and drives really well for FWD family car! Would stepping up to the G31 give me the same/better driving experience (comfort aside - the ST isn't what I would call 'luxurious'!)?
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No, I don't think so - the 5 series is a bit too big and boaty.

For it's size, it's a great car with some reasonable feedback.

But for the enjoyable side, the smaller 3 series is better.
 
I think the 5 is the way to go. That small % less engagement is more than outweighed by a vastly superior ride 90% of the time and also a MUCH newer car. I love my 330e but if a 530e was in the running I wouldn't think twice.
 
Chris1712 said:
I think the 5 is the way to go. That small % less engagement is more than outweighed by a vastly superior ride 90% of the time and also a MUCH newer car. I love my 330e but if a 530e was in the running I wouldn't think twice.
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Definitely mixed opinions looking at the variety of comments so far!

If it was 340i vs 540i then it would be a no-brainer. 340i vs 530i though is a different (and closer run) battle.
 
batfink said:
That's the problem I'm having. Both are rare cars with those engines (or so i keep being told by local dealers) so both are difficult to get hold of for test drives.
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Try with a different engine then, at least you get a feeling for how they drive... only you'd be getting one with better engine/spec.
 
crinkleshoes said:
Focus ST is still a Focus and still FWD



And least we agree on that :D :D :D
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It's completely different dynamically to a normal focus, suspension is different, steering rack is different, gearbox is different, brakes are different, some interior parts are different. Much like a 3 series vs M3 or 5 series vs M5. They differ so much from each other it is nearly wrong to call an M3 a 3 series based car
 
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