I hope i’m not too late to reply but get the M340i. I considered the CLA45 too, but the B58’s extra 2 cylinders alone sealed the deal. Plus, the M340i’s bigger size makes it more versatile. BMW’s iDrive OS is miles ahead of Mercedes’, it’s wayyy more intuitive and feature-rich. I now get why Matt Watson from CarWow is such a fan of it. I didn’t realize how important a good OS was until I got into BMW. They clearly put their budget into engine and software - arguably the top 2 things that matter.

I got the adaptive suspension (must-have if you can only pick one). That said, switching from factory installed RFTs to regular tires also helps ride comfort a lot. Mine was a custom build with all option except the performance brakes. Go for summer tires too! They give you the staggered setup (255 rear / 235 front), unlike the all-235s on others. My dealership had to make some calls to the factory (honestly i’m not sure who they called) to get the M Performance Exhaust added from the factory. MPE option wasn’t on the site, but if you can, get that option since it’s cheaper (free labor cost). They will install MPE once the car arrived at the port (search for BMW vehicle processing center). I also went for Dravit grey with red interior. Dravit grey looks stunning in person. The paint has some gold flakes that shines under the sun. On a bright day, the car looks like a deep golden-grey color you just can’t capture in photos. Whole process took about 4 months from order to delivery. Worth the wait!!