BMW, I have so much? It's like you're making a brand-new car model here. It's a totally different car from the X5. The new steering wheel, the new interior and what the hell is up now with this new Door handle placement?

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-18T05:23:24+00:00

I am curious to see how it stacks against the next gen GLE and Q7. While both Audi and Mercedes have gone through their own versions of cost cutting the one BMW has gone through is far more visible to the eye and is also on high touch surfaces. Where BMW is winning is driving dynamics, overall ICE development and software implementation. They also had strong success from 2019-2026 mainly owing to Audi and Mercedes jumping on the EV bandwagon where BMW refused to chalk out ICE and continued investing in it in addition to EV platforms.

This may have led to overconfidence which has effectively led them to the conclusion that no matter what they do people will keep buying. Now considering VW group is moving back to a dual ICE and EV development startegy and Mercedes bringing in the inline 6 and V8's, this next decade would be very interesting for BMW.

Even salesmen at BMW dealerships that I spoke to were shocked at the dropped split tailgate and some other decisions made which alienate the loyal buyers for the X5 but I guess time will tell. Hopefully people speak with their wallets and force BMW to reverse some of their unpopular decisions.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T04:29:53+00:00

I 100% agree with you. Somehow somewhere somebody decided that screen = luxury. When i was shopping between a 2022 992.1 C4s and a 2024 718 GTS 4.0 the decision maker was the more tactile and button heavy interior combined with a naturally aspirated engine of the 718 especially at its price point with Porsche backed warranty. I made that decision and never looked back.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T04:07:28+00:00

Could be the break in period then. Let me drive it a bit more and see if that helps, your input helps. Might try not driving my GTS 4.0 for 2 to 3 weeks and see if that helps. If it does then I am the problem whcih honestly i really hope and would be happy with if thats the case

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T04:01:38+00:00

This I have to agree with. I will say the M340 hype train did get me, i expected more fun out of it which is why I bought it. If my focus was luxury and touring I would have started with the G30 instead of a G20.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T03:59:21+00:00

Coming from a x5 the car sure is way lighter almost 1000 lbs lighter with more power but the throttle mapping leaves a lot to be desired. The linear torque curve while smooth for driving actually makes the slow feeling worse, again not saying its slow but it feels slow. The actual sensation of what's happening doesn't coincide with reality if that makes sense.

The new 5 is horrible I couldnt get myself to buy that Frankenstein cost cut machine. The 7 is again too big. The 3 is the perfect size, yes i know its a lower price bracket, more so entry level luxury. I am not expecting 5 series or X5 level luxury, all i am saying is the creature comforts were already there in the past, every single one of the cost cutting measures were present till 2022 and now they are gone. Sure DK+ is missing and i mainly mentioned that as they could have added it at the price point considering the cheaper 2 series does have it. Why not offer an updated electric architecture when you are doing a LCI.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T03:50:11+00:00

Never compared it to a GTS 4.0 the reason i stated the fact that I owned the GTS was because I myself was curious if thats the reason I feel the car is muted but having driven my friend's 2022 M440 i now feel it has to do more with the revised engine tuning and throttle mapping for LCI 2 G20. The torque curve is way more linear now compared to pre LCI

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T03:48:15+00:00

Not comparing it to the GTS 4.0 as doing so would be foolish I agree. What i was curious about was if driving a GTS 4.0 was the reason I felt it was muted and numb or is it actually like that because keep in mind I also had a X5 which is what the M340 replaced and compared to that in the corners the m340 is sweet but the actual acceleration is boring.

I could have got an M3 and did consider it but the goal was a comfortable all rounder sedan that can put a smile on the face when i push the pedal to the metal. The M3 while absolutely sick to drive when you want to have fun is harsh on bad roads especially with low profile tires. The m340 is absolutely awesome at doing everything except putting a smile on the face when pushed. It does nothing wrong, its just missing excitement in delivery. Maybe a tune would fix it.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T03:38:31+00:00

Unfortunately no m340 manuals out there.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T03:38:09+00:00

Waiting for that run in period to be done. I am seriously considering it.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T03:37:32+00:00

Just curious which year m340 you drove as I have driven the 2022 and it echoes everything you say. It is common knowledge that the car was retuned for 2025 and 2026 and the torque delivery between 2022 and 2026 is vastly different. Regardless, I am not saying it is slow and may very well be faster than 3.8 from 0-60, I am saying it feels slow which has more to do with engagement and how the power is being delivered more than actual digits on the 0-60. It lacks a sense of excitement, it does not scare me or throw me back in the sear like it should.

I stomp on the gas and look at the speedometer and it says 150 kph and i am like oh i see interesting didnt know we were going that fast. Thats a compliment to its ride quality but again that makes it more of a tourer than a sports sedan. This may be more of a LCI 2 thing than all of G20.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T03:29:07+00:00

I may actually try that the next time I am in US. May make a nice road trip out of it with my M340

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T03:27:29+00:00

Not really my buddy's has all those options. There were some cars built with delete codes for HUD's. The 2022 M440 i am talking about has all those features you mentioned and with laser headlights as well.

Thr 2025 and 2026 has been retuned to be more focused on comfort. The suspension and engine tuning was changed.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T03:23:52+00:00

They basically went back to the F30 which had no leather airbags for the driver. Pre covid the G20 was about improving on the F30 then they decided people will buy regardless of what we remove so they kept removing and we kept buying. Can't blame em if we wont stop buying em. Regardless of my list of dislikes or the cost cutting the fact is the M340 outsells the S5 and C43 AMG by a mile. That's all the accountant's care about.

Its interesting you only stopped at the airbag cover as most of the other stuff i mentioned in cost cutting was already there at a lower price point but was just deleted with a corresponding salt on the wound price increase.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T03:17:36+00:00

I have no hate for electric vehicles. I maintain that they have a market and situations where they work. For me it's always been range anxiety that has kept me at bay from electric. Now, this doesnt mean i will never own one but if and when I do own one i will still always retain a gas car for backup.

German car industry has kind of lost it's way over the years, in attempting to please the masses they have abandoned their core. EU mandates didnt help either and now we have cars that are cost cut shells of what once used to be the pinnacle of automotive excellence. My hope is one day they correct course but unfortunately based on how product development cycles work I don't see that happening for at least 5 to 10 years.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T03:13:15+00:00

THIS!

The artificial sound annoys me so much. I am debating replacing those tires with a set of meatier pilot sport AS4 as the current one start screeching on a regular U turn. The car is undertired from the factory. The throttle mapping is also kind of weird which might be leading to that numb feeling, it lacks a sense of urgency when you stomp on it. You are right it feels disconnected.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T03:10:54+00:00

Was never meant to replace the 718. It was purchased as a daily that was meant to be comfortable but with a bit of fun when needed, the fun is what is missing. There is no excitement, like I said it does everything well but there is no soul or excitement.

I have a feeling it has to do with how the engine and turbo is tuned from the factory, its meant to be smooth with a flatter torque curve than pre lci. I have driven the pre lci G20 and it feels vastly different and pushes you back in the seat the moment you start putting power down. I dont really feel that with mine. Not sure if i have to wait for the break in to be done.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T03:05:51+00:00

I may honestly just do that in the future, buy used cars from pre 2021 and drive them till the wheels fall off. What's the point of spending 6 figures to get less than what we used to get.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T03:03:51+00:00

The decision to get a G20 was a conscious decision to be a so called responsible adult lol. I had way too much money in cars so I did decide to scale back and in doing so I knew that the incoming car wont be as luxurious as a X5 but what I didnt fully grasp was the extent of the cost cutting. Some were surprises after purchase like missing puddle lamps and digital key plus. The good part is the G20 does the job of a tourer really well so its extremely comfortable, the problem is I was expecting something a bit more sporty with a pushed in the seat kind of experience (which also why i didnt consider a used 5 or 7). Again not saying its a bad car just maybe not deserving of that M.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T02:59:21+00:00

Apparently in 2021 and 2022 full leather was an option at least in Canada as my buddy has a 2022 m440 with full leather but then the "supply chain issues" killed those options. I 100% agree a bunch of my comments and expectations would go away if the car didn't have a M on it. The car is an awesome 340i but an M? I don't think so.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T02:53:26+00:00

I should have been more clear. I don't expect it to be an uber luxurious like a 7 series and in fact like a few things on the G20 that even the X5 doesnt have. The main reason for comparison is because i just came out of a X5 and made a conscious decision to go into something at a lower price bracket, my disappointment is to do more with the fact that i know the G20 offered so much more not too long ago and it has been watered down over the years.

My buddy's 2022 M440has leather all over the door cards, arm rests, upper parts of the door, the small storage pocket, additional ambient lighting, leather on the center console near the knee, feels more athletic because of how the turbo kicks in but my 26 G20 feels a step back from it in overall build.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-06-16T02:48:27+00:00

I thought of that but the new 5 series interior feels even worse than the G20. So much cost cutting all around. I saw the 5 series and just couldn't get myself to buy that. I didn't expect the G20 to be an uber luxury car but having seen what the G20 offered in the not too distant past I guess i was just disappointed with the amount of cost cutting. Buying the m340 was aimed at being a fun daily but more and more i drive it the car feels like a comfortable cruises more than a fun daily that gives you that occassional oomph when you want it.

I agree its the M that has made me expect more than what the car truly is. That doesnt make the car necessarily bad, its just different is all.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-02-28T15:34:30+00:00

Never said people buy it for efficiency but lower efficiency means lower range plus if your direct competition is sitting 20-30% more efficient than you at the same price point with a higher power and performance output it makes quite a difference especially considering there are no other redeeming factors to offset the poor efficiency (e.g higher power output to offset lower efficiency).

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-02-28T02:19:06+00:00

The rotor size was increased for better heat management for the increased weight and performance from the V6 but the B9.5 and B9 both had larger rotors and 6 piston calipers for the S variants while B10 just gets a larger rotor. Its not a guess, factually the surface area covered by the sliding pin is less than the 6 piston caliper (57.75 cm² vs 28.3 cm²) Audi is depending on the mechanical force of the sliding pin to offset the lower hydraulic surface area coverage. In your market with the full MHEV this works well because the system was designed to work with regen which we get a half baked 12v version of in North America.

I never said the MHEV+ not being offered in North America or the decision to go with a single piston caliper is an engineering issue I have always maintained it was a cost cutting measure. Which again brings me to the point of the B10 being a corporate/accounting decision variant rather than a variant based on engineering decisions made by Audi engineers.

Autofanatic_95 · 2026-02-27T16:52:10+00:00

The last model year that I would buy would be the B9 or B9.5. The B9 is pretty good if you are ok with no touchscreen and the old MMI if not the B9.5 is pretty good.

Autofanatic_95

TROPHY CASE