There’s a mystique about the name BMW 3 Series that has stood the test of time for more than 40 years. You say 3 Series and people are immediately interested in what you have to say and will likely have stories of their own. The 3 has, however, lost a bit of its childish soul through the decades. Like most adults, it grew up, aged gracefully, and matured — maybe a little too much so. It doesn’t quite have the spirited personality it once had.
Don’t get me wrong, the M340i is a great car. It drives beautifully, steering is precise and I thought there was enough feedback in the wheel to keep things engaging. Once you hit the sport-mode button, the car wakes up and gladly lets the 3.0L, inline-six engine sing an aria of pops and crackles verging on obnoxiousness.
The eight-speed automatic transmission was designed to be as non-invasive as possible and doesn’t get in the way of the driving experience — not too much at least. That’s the beauty of BMW, despite all the comfort and luxury, it’s still trying very hard to make its cars drivers’ cars. Plus, by wringing 382 horsepower and 369 lb.-ft. of torque out of the engine, BMW is trying to make you forget that the M340i isn’t actually an M. It’s just meant to look like one.
Speak of the Devil, the M Sport package adds such features as the M badging, of course, as well as a trim-specific exhaust, sport differential, Steptronic Sport transmission, suspension, brakes, steering, and 19-inch wheels. It’s like taking a sip out of the M cup — you only get a taste of the iconic performance brand.
The cabin is simple yet elegant and the dashboard looks quite bare compared to others. The navigation on the central console is one of the simplest and most efficient iterations of the concept I’ve seen so far — take notes, Lexus. As we’ve come to expect from premium sedans, the M340i is loaded — and I mean loaded — with technologies and systems of all sorts. I confirm that turn signals are one of them in case you ever wondered about their availability in BMWs.
Among other things, the M340i features BMW’s iDrive 7.0 technology which bundles up a wide selection of systems and driver assists. The list includes remote engine start, backup assist, gesture controls, and the Extended Traffic Jam Assistant.
Extended Traffic Jam Assistant loosely translates to mild autonomous capability in high-volume traffic situations. Since I have to deal with some of the worst traffic in Canada on the regular, it didn’t take long before I got to try the technology for myself. All I had to do was set the cruise control speed at 60 km/h and the car did its thing. Combining the efforts of a number of the car's active safety features, the technology offers what BMW refers to as level 3 autonomous capability. In the first few minutes, it was hard to trust the car to react in time to the flow of traffic but it did. It was both weird and wonderful.
You are, however, required to keep your hands on the wheel and remain an active player, even if the car is doing its thing. There’s no taking a snooze or watching Netflix on your phone in the meantime. The system is only meant to relieve some of that stopping-and going strain — it’s not meant to give you a break from driving.
If you are looking at the M340i as a luxury sedan, the model will likely check all the boxes on your list. If you are looking at the M340i to quench a thirst for nostalgia, that's where you might be a bit disappointed. You need to consider the 2020 BMW 3 Series for what it is today and not what it was 40 years ago.
The specs
Model: 2020 BMW M340i xDrive
Engine: 3.0L, turbocharged I-6, 382 horsepower, 369 lb.-ft. of torque
Transmission: eight-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
NRCan rating (L/100km city/highway): 11.4 / 8.3
Length: 4,718 mm
Width: 2,068 mm
Wheelbase: 2,851 mm
Weight: 1,800 kg
Price: base, $61,850 as tested, $72,200 including freight
Competition: Audi A4, Jaguar XE, Genesis G70, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Infiniti Q50, Lexus IS, Volvo S60, Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Standard equipment: Automatic Start/Stop function, Multi-Function Steering Wheel with Cruise Control, Leather Sport Steering Wheel, Rear View Camera, Glass Sunroof, Automatic Climate Control, Dynamic Cruise Control, Auto-Dimming Exterior Mirrors, Electric Heated Front Seat with Driver Memory, Park Distance Control, front and rear, Cross Traffic Alert, Collision Warning w/ City Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Collision Prevention
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