[MikeyC01]

I just picked up my new 340xi at the beginning of the month and so I wanted to say "hi."

I am absolutely loving this car so far, but I do have a few minor complaints about the completely un-tinted windows, the less than great HVAC system, and having to press the start/stop button twice to completely turn off the car. Even though I live in an area where BMWs, MB's, Porsches, and other luxury cars are common place I've noticed a lot of people checking out my car. It's absolutely a blast to drive as well and it's hard to keep it out of sport mode. :thumbup:

Here's what I got:

2016 BMW 340i with x-drive
Black Sapphire Metallic w/ Coral Red interior
-Cold Weather Package
- Driver Assistance Package
- Driver Assistance Plus Package
-Lighting Package
-M Sport Package
-Technology Package
-Adaptive Suspension

Total MSRP - $61,095
Sale price - $51,858
MF - 0.00138
State sales tax - 6.25%
Down payment - $2,000

Lease payment - $526.17 ($495.22 + $30.95 taxes)

 

[tympj]

I have a 328i instead but I turn off the engine with one push on start/stop and then use
the key fob to lock the car from the outside which shuts everything else off.

Enjoy your 340i and I hope you use Waze for the cops around our area.

 

[MikeyC01]

I have a 328i instead but I turn off the engine with one push on start/stop and then use
the key fob to lock the car from the outside which shuts everything else off.

Enjoy your 340i and I hope you use Waze for the cops around our area.

I usually turn off the car and then lock it as well but when I put tge car in the garage at home I like to leave it unlocked. So I have to double press then. I've driven a lot of cars with keyless ignition and this is the only one I've seen with this feature. I think it's nice that the accessories stay on when you shut down the engine but it would make much more sense if they then turnedoff when you open the driver side door as I've seen in some other cars in the past.

Definitely keeping my eyes on Waze. Despite only having about 20 more HP than the Infiniti G35x I traded in, this car is significantly faster than my old one.

 

[Matthew424]

I am neurotic so I turn off the car, and lock the car even though it is also garage kept. this shuts down the bluetooth and other devices. you're right the AC isn't all that great. i found that with the installation of the Dinan intercooler, the system is car feels cooler. not sure if this is psychosomatic, but it feels colder even under heavy driving.

i use Wazes everyday, and am very pleased!

p.s. good lease deal!!

 

[pprior]

The double push to shut off and double pull to open the door are definitely a bit strange (at least was to me). you get used to it. Great car - enjoy.

(love waze as well - except everyone who obsessively notes cars by the side of the road....don't really care to hear about those every few miles)

 

[Matthew424]

The double push to shut off and double pull to open the door are definitely a bit strange (at least was to me). you get used to it. Great car - enjoy.

(love waze as well - except everyone who obsessively notes cars by the side of the road....don't really care to hear about those every few miles)

i think you can shutoff those alerts in settings.

i think the double open door is a safety feature. never underestimate people's stupidity, so if you somehow accidentally pull the door latch when you're on the highway, the door doesn't suddenly swing open.

 

[jjrandorin]

I usually turn off the car and then lock it as well but when I put tge car in the garage at home I like to leave it unlocked. So I have to double press then. I've driven a lot of cars with keyless ignition and this is the only one I've seen with this feature. I think it's nice that the accessories stay on when you shut down the engine but it would make much more sense if they then turnedoff when you open the driver side door as I've seen in some other cars in the past.

Definitely keeping my eyes on Waze. Despite only having about 20 more HP than the Infiniti G35x I traded in, this car is significantly faster than my old one.

Congratulations!

On the "lock vs unlock your car in the garage" thing, here is some food for thought....

Unless your commute is a decently long one, you will want to lock your car in the garage, because a BMW takes about 8-10 minutes to actually fully power off, if you dont lock it. This is so that you can "hop in and go" as the car assumes you are running a quick errand if you dont lock it.

Thats 10 minutes of battery drain, and if your commute is short, you will not ever charge your battery fully, causing you to need a new battery a lot sooner than you expect. BMWs use a specific type of battery called AGM, which is much more expensive than many other cars. Expect a battery at the dealer to cost 300 ish, along with a programming fee to register the battery. This can be done on your own, if you have the means to keep power to the car while changing your battery, and the software to register your battery.... but its not just pop out and in like other cars.

Locking your car will make the car shut off right then (well within a minute or less, rather than the 8-10 minutes it normally takes).

I learned all this the hard way on my first BMW in 2008. We lock the car in the garage now, and also have a Battery charger that can specifically work with AGM type batteries.

 

[MikeyC01]

p.s. good lease deal!!

Thanks! The day before the last day of the month I had two dealers fighting like cats & dogs to earn my business. I couldn't believe they let the car go for this little amount of money.

The double push to shut off and double pull to open the door are definitely a bit strange (at least was to me). you get used to it. Great car - enjoy.

Hmmm . . . haven't noticed a double pull to open the doors. However, I turned off the feature that locks the doors once the car gets rolling. I just don't need to roll around with my doors locked (I live in a VERY safe area) and having the doors locked was actually a bit of a pain.

On the "lock vs unlock your car in the garage" thing, here is some food for thought....

Unless your commute is a decently long one, you will want to lock your car in the garage, because a BMW takes about 8-10 minutes to actually fully power off, if you dont lock it. This is so that you can "hop in and go" as the car assumes you are running a quick errand if you dont lock it.

Thats 10 minutes of battery drain, and if your commute is short, you will not ever charge your battery fully, causing you to need a new battery a lot sooner than you expect. BMWs use a specific type of battery called AGM, which is much more expensive than many other cars. Expect a battery at the dealer to cost 300 ish, along with a programming fee to register the battery. This can be done on your own, if you have the means to keep power to the car while changing your battery, and the software to register your battery.... but its not just pop out and in like other cars.

Locking your car will make the car shut off right then (well within a minute or less, rather than the 8-10 minutes it normally takes).

I learned all this the hard way on my first BMW in 2008. We lock the car in the garage now, and also have a Battery charger that can specifically work with AGM type batteries.

Very interesting! I'm leasing the car and it's unlikely I'll buy it off lease. Do you think it would shorten the life of the battery to less than 3 years. Also, wouldn't the maintenance program cover this? The way the dealer described it was that it covers everything but the tires.

 

[tturedraider]

I just picked up my new 340xi at the beginning of the month and so I wanted to say "hi."

I am absolutely loving this car so far, but I do have a few minor complaints about the completely un-tinted windows, the less than great HVAC system, and having to press the start/stop button twice to completely turn off the car. Even though I live in an area where BMWs, MB's, Porsches, and other luxury cars are common place I've noticed a lot of people checking out my car. It's absolutely a blast to drive as well and it's hard to keep it out of sport mode. :thumbup:

Here's what I got:

2016 BMW 340i with x-drive
Black Sapphire Metallic w/ Coral Red interior
-Cold Weather Package
- Driver Assistance Package
- Driver Assistance Plus Package
-Lighting Package
-M Sport Package
-Technology Package
-Adaptive Suspension

Total MSRP - $61,095
Sale price - $51,858
MF - 0.00138
State sales tax - 6.25%
Down payment - $2,000

Lease payment - $526.17 ($495.22 + $30.95 taxes)

Congrats. That's a pretty huge discount for a brand spankin' new car. Was it a loaner or demo of some kind? It's the internet, pics or it didn't happen.

 

[Estoril Blues]

Great deal you got there! Congratulations!

 

[MikeyC01]

Congrats. That's a pretty huge discount for a brand spankin' new car. Was it a loaner or demo of some kind? It's the internet, pics or it didn't happen.

Brand new. I was pretty blown away myself. I almost agreed at a price thousands higher on an earlier day but had to leave the dealership before I could finish negotiating due to a scheduling conflict. It really worked out for the best.

Car is pretty dirty right now but I'll snap a photo after I wash it later this week. :thumbup:

 

[MikeyC01]

FYI, 500 miles on the clock and my car is in the shop. Nothing huge, but the driver's seat was making an incredibly annoying squeaking and popping noise. The service dept is replacing the lower seat assembly to try to solve the issue.

On a side note, they gave me a 535 for a loaner and this car is NO fun to drive. The cabin is definitely wider than my car but not significantly longer. I was very surprised by that.

 

[WilliCO]

On a side note, they gave me a 535 for a loaner and this car is NO fun to drive. The cabin is definitely wider than my car but not significantly longer. I was very surprised by that.

Yep, they totally missed on the "sport" part of "Sport sedan" on the F10 5 series car. 3 years ago I traded in a perfectly good RWD sport package E60 5 series on a 2013 535, and I knew I'd made a mistake the next day. It's very nice, but no fun at all. That car finally goes back in 4 weeks.

On the two button push thing - if you drive a car that uses a push button start, how else would you accomplish the "accessory" mode where everything in the car has power but the engine is not running?

Congratulations on your 340!

 

[taylerdo]

E60

... 3 years ago I traded in a perfectly good RWD sport package E60 5 series on a 2013 535, and I knew I'd made a mistake the next day ...

Kind of like this one ?

http://www.tomkinsonbmw.com/used/BMW/2009-BMW-5+Series-e00443210a0e0adf001605deabda9438.htm

Just curious.

Don

 

[WilliCO]

Kind of like this one ?

http://www.tomkinsonbmw.com/used/BMW/2009-BMW-5+Series-e00443210a0e0adf001605deabda9438.htm

Just curious.

Don

Something like that. Mine was a little older and was the rear-wheel-drive V8 model. It was a runner, though.

In the right set of circumstances I might actually consider a 2010, which was the final year for the E60. Great chassis.

 

[MikeyC01]

Yep, they totally missed on the "sport" part of "Sport sedan" on the F10 5 series car. 3 years ago I traded in a perfectly good RWD sport package E60 5 series on a 2013 535, and I knew I'd made a mistake the next day. It's very nice, but no fun at all. That car finally goes back in 4 weeks.

I just wasn't impressed at all. The only things that seemed significantly bigger with the 5 was the trunk and the nose of the car. The material quality in the cabin was a bit nicer, but I wasn't blown away. The idrive in the car looked like an older version of the software. It was completely uninspiring to drive and the suspension was very cushy. Reminded me more of a Cadillac than a BMW. The one thing I was jealous of was that the A/C worked MUCH better in this car than mine.

On the two button push thing - if you drive a car that uses a push button start, how else would you accomplish the "accessory" mode where everything in the car has power but the engine is not running?

Other push button cars I've driven you just hit the start/stop button and everything turns off. If you just want the accessories on, when the car is off you hit the start/stop button without putting your foot on the brake.

 

[xtougher]

FYI, 500 miles on the clock and my car is in the shop. Nothing huge, but the driver's seat was making an incredibly annoying squeaking and popping noise. The service dept is replacing the lower seat assembly to try to solve the issue.

On a side note, they gave me a 535 for a loaner and this car is NO fun to drive. The cabin is definitely wider than my car but not significantly longer. I was very surprised by that.

It is definitely interesting to hear thoughts on that, especially driving them back to back like that. There were some people in my family who were wondering why I didn't go for a 535 for the same or less than what I paid for my 340. They are in the 7 > 5 > 3 method of thinking.

I couldn't get them to understand that it's a totally different car.

PS ~ still waiting for pics!

 

[Hookster57]

You can easily code the car to turn off everything with one pull of the door handle.

 

[WilliCO]

I just wasn't impressed at all. The only things that seemed significantly bigger with the 5 was the trunk and the nose of the car. The material quality in the cabin was a bit nicer, but I wasn't blown away. The idrive in the car looked like an older version of the software. It was completely uninspiring to drive and the suspension was very cushy. Reminded me more of a Cadillac than a BMW. The one thing I was jealous of was that the A/C worked MUCH better in this car than mine.

My wife calls my 535 a "McMansion" car. It doesn't distinguish itself apart from appearance. The lines are sexy enough (it's an MSport) but it doesn't drive like it looks. The interior is elegant, but so is the interior of every other car at that price point. It has good technology; so does every other car at that price point and quite a bit lower.

It looks nice, but has no personality. Like that girl you lusted after for 2 years in high school, finally got her out on a date, and figured out she has nothing to say and kisses like a lizard.

On the other hand, my 2005 545 created no confusion as to what it was about from the second you started it up. It was a bit of an ugly duckling, but it shrank around you and seemed to telepathically know where you wanted it to go. It did not have a mish-mashy "maybe I'm this or maybe I'm that" suspension. It was the girl that maybe never became the homecoming queen, but when you got her alone, well...

Anyhow, this is about your car, not mine. I wonder if there's something wrong with your AC system; I've never heard that complaint before.

 

[MikeyC01]

It is definitely interesting to hear thoughts on that, especially driving them back to back like that. There were some people in my family who were wondering why I didn't go for a 535 for the same or less than what I paid for my 340. They are in the 7 > 5 > 3 method of thinking.

I couldn't get them to understand that it's a totally different car.

That's a good way of putting it. They really are quite different (3, 5, & 7). It's not like one is necessarily an upgrade from another although there are clearly features offered on the 7 that you won't find on the 3. The three cars just seem to serve three different purposes almost.

PS ~ still waiting for pics!

Car is still at the dealer this morning, but I'm hoping to give it a rinseless wash tonight in the garage and so maybe some pics for you tomorrow.

You can easily code the car to turn off everything with one pull of the door handle.

Would that be a problem if the car is leased? Is there a resource you can point me to? I'm unfamiliar with how to code a car.

My wife calls my 535 a "McMansion" car. It doesn't distinguish itself apart from appearance. The lines are sexy enough (it's an MSport) but it doesn't drive like it looks. The interior is elegant, but so is the interior of every other car at that price point. It has good technology; so does every other car at that price point and quite a bit lower.

It looks nice, but has no personality. Like that girl you lusted after for 2 years in high school, finally got her out on a date, and figured out she has nothing to say and kisses like a lizard.

On the other hand, my 2005 545 created no confusion as to what it was about from the second you started it up. It was a bit of an ugly duckling, but it shrank around you and seemed to telepathically know where you wanted it to go. It did not have a mish-mashy "maybe I'm this or maybe I'm that" suspension. It was the girl that maybe never became the homecoming queen, but when you got her alone, well...

Anyhow, this is about your car, not mine. I wonder if there's something wrong with your AC system; I've never heard that complaint before.

Exactly! I'm on day two of driving the 535 now and it's just unremarkable. Feels much more like driving an MB or a Lexus. Not very sporty at all. When I compared the 340 against the A4 and the C-class there was a distinct difference. Not so much with the 5 and it's competitors. I wonder if the 550 distinguishes itself more?

The A/C in my 340 is not so great. It doesn't blow as cold as my G's A/C and it seems to sometimes pick odd vents to blow the air out of. It seems quite fond at times of the upper dash vents when I could really use air blowing directly at me. Once the car is cooled down it's fine but I might have to look into getting window tint. There's just way more heat coming in through the windows than with my G.