If you want a BMW 3-Series that offers good performance but don’t quite have the money for an M3, the M340i is a great option, and CarWow recently had the opportunity to test it out.
One of the biggest advantages the M340i offers over the M3 is that it can be purchased in Touring form, as tested here. Not only does the current BMW 3-Series Touring look superb but it is also generously sized.
Power is provided by a 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six with 369 hp and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque. When mated to the 9-speed Steptronic automatic transmission and xDrive all-wheel drive system, the M340i can hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in a very respectable 4.4 seconds and continue through to a 155 mph (250 km/h) top speed.
Read Also: BMW M340i Touring And Sedan Are Fast, Refined And Good-Looking
The example tested by CarWow really looks the part thanks to the grey exterior paint, black wheels and blue brake calipers. Inside, things are even more striking thanks to a mixture of leather finished in black and bright orange.
Not everything is perfect, however. One oddity about the M340i Touring tested is that you can tap your Android smartphone on the door handle to unlock it but, bizarrely, the car doesn’t have Android Auto, just Apple CarPlay – but you can’t use your Apple device to unlock it. Another small annoyance is that adjustable lumbar support doesn’t come as standard but is an optional extra. Surely these little things don’t detract from the fact that this is the best 3-Series variant you can get right now, do they?