[Aldor27]

I should be in the market within the next month to purchase a replacement for my current 228i. I am having trouble deciding between getting a 340i or a 435i Gran Coupe. I come from driving saabs, subbies and e92 335i (I love boost lol). I originally got the 228i as a replacement for my totaled 335i a year ago. I began to have buyer remorse about 3 months in to ownership and have paid off my 228i. I like how small and how well the f22 drives but it has become a pain when I have to drive family around so four doors is a must. Its really coming down to whether I want to deal with n55 issues (rod bearings & leaks) and its 400ish power cap in the form of the 435i gran coupe or take the 340i with low low miles and having the power cap of like 450-500ish. The perfect compromise would be getting a 440i Gran Coupe but sadly that is out of my price range. My budget is 29k pre taxes. The B58 has only been out for almost 4 years and the n55 has had a run until 2016?

Both cars look good and sound killer with catless downpipes and MPEs.
Can anyone sway me into a direction?

[DL335D]

I was in the exact same situation. I went with the grand coupe. It has a huge trunk/hatch and it looks so much better. I actually prefer it's looks over my F80. I feel that it will age more gracefully too.

The 340 definitely felt quicker and sounded slightly better, but for a few tenths to 60. It wasn't worth it to me. 5 seconds to 60 is plenty fast enough.

It I had to do it over again I would have went with a 2015 640. Even better looking, way better interior and much quieter cabin.

Here is some eye candy for you...

[sinopath]

Not sure if back seat comfort concerns you. But I tried and I cannot sit straight in the back seat of a 4 GC, my head would have to tilt 30 degree to the side if my hip touches the back rest, or I have to arch my back with my head straight up. Some 3 series also come with back window sun shades which are cool.

[GenXer]

I love my F36 430i GC and it's just a RWD 4 cylinder. It's still 0-60 MPH in 5.6 seconds.
That's only 0.8 seconds slower than a 6 cyliner 440i GC (According to BMW)

If you have adults less than 5'9" in the back you should be fine.

It's a lot sleeker looking than an F30 too in my opinion

With the introduction of the new G26 GC you will start to some crazy bargains.

[jmack]

As much as I love my GC bodystyle and liftback, I'd still take the 340 to get the B58.

[440xiGCMSport2]

I love how my 440 handles/drives compared to the 340. It just sits a little lower and the car feels more solid. That said the b58 motor is way better than the 335 motor due to the lack of turbo lag. I had initially ordered the 435 but BMW screwed up the order and I was able to get the 440 instead.
I would just wait a little until you save a little more to get the 440.

[440xiGCMSport2]

Originally Posted by DL335D

I was in the exact same situation. I went with the grand coupe. It has a huge trunk/hatch and it looks so much better. I actually prefer it's looks over my F80. I feel that it will age more gracefully too.

The 340 definitely felt quicker and sounded slightly better, but for a few tenths to 60. It wasn't worth it to me. 5 seconds to 60 is plenty fast enough.

It I had to do it over again I would have went with a 2015 640. Even better looking, way better interior and much quieter cabin.

Here is some eye candy for you...

have you driven a 640? that thing is sluggish. it is also much less agile. Apples and oranges.

[danperson1]

The gran coupe looks great and the hatch is cool.

However the door openings in the back are narrow, it has 33.7 inches of legroom vs the sedan's 35.1 which can be the difference between your knees rubbing against the seat in front of you and sitting comfortably.

Also the gran coupe has slightly less headroom.

Between more backseat space (considering you mentioned space for family), and the various improvements of the 340i (engine, suspension, steering) I would say go 340i.


This guy does an in depth comparison which may help you as well

[Randy Johnson]

I know this is an old thread but wanted to comment that the 4 series M-Sport front bumper looks sooooooo much better than the 3 series bumper.

This guy does an in depth comparison which may help you as well

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[QuikSilver_]

Putting my 2 cents in! Style-wise, I definitely prefer the look of the F36 over the F30. I love that it has the coupe-like silhouette, hence the name. I also like the shape of the front bumper (m sport or not) and the kidney grilles more. The hatchback is incredibly useful as well. Fold the seats down and remove the rear shelf and you can put soo much stuff back there - for a car of its size.

The only complaint I would probably have is with the rear seats. It's pretty tight back there. Sitting behind where I would have my driver seat positioned, I was cramped, and I'm only 5'10. Luckily I don't really use my backseats to carry people around (not live ones anyway ), so it's not that big of a deal.