[COM40]

Originally Posted by deathmetal666

The suspension in the m40i in comfort with the 19”
wheels is smooth as butter. Not harsh at all.

The m40i still has good throttle response and torque when driving in comfort.
The 30i engine in comfort mode has ton of throttle lag and transmission lag and lacks power.

I prefer to drive in comfort mode.

Doesn't portland and the PNW have relatively good roads though? I.e. less frost heave than you get in colder states.

On smooth pavement the M40i has a perfect ride. But it will bounce you around on rougher stuff for sure. Even with 19s you feel most bumps in the road, which is good for driving enjoyment but bad for comfort. I suspect most people who think the ride quality is too firm live in areas with correspondingly poor roads.

[mcdanielvzw]

Originally Posted by Gr8ZongB58

Are you going to spend money down the line for performance parts? Aesthetics? To make it look cooler, go faster, feel sportier, sound like a beast? Look back at it while walking away knowing you have a potential 500hp grocery getter.. The m40i with the glorious b58 would be the best pick for your inner enthusiast!

If not and you just want a daily just to daily from point a to b with maybe a few tasteful aesthetic mods..don't care about looking back at your car after you walk away, drive through a slap wash cause it's just a car...then the 30i is right for you!

You're already forming regret by choosing between the two and asking a forum or else you would've already purchased a 30i and it's sitting in your driveway with no questions asked.

😁😉

Instead of, "if you have to ask you don't need to know" - If you have to ask, M40i 😁😁

[Fahren German]

Originally Posted by Leem40i

He did, and this is the appropriate response. Drive one then you'll know. As far as the ride being harsh I believe you're thinking about the M, not the M40i. We find the M40i has a very pleasant ride on long trips without being overly soft. Make sure you get the variable suspension.

I’m correctly referencing reviewers and owners who said that the M40I has a harsh ride. I already understand that the X3M will shake the fillings out of your skull as a daily

[Rottweiler]

Originally Posted by Fahren German

I’m correctly referencing reviewers and owners who said that the M40I has a harsh ride. I already understand that the X3M will shake the fillings out of your skull as a daily

“harsh” is an extremely subjective term

I definitely would not classify it as harsh, even with my M40i lowered on HR springs and driven only in sport mode

[BEAR-AvHistory-2]

Same old, same old, idea shows up in most all car sites. Thing is if someone you don't know needs to talk you into a M40 you don't really need or want one.

Should be a seamless gotta have it decision with no outside influence.

[Al Dente]

Might do what I did and see what's available in your area on Turo. Rented an X30i for a weekend and was sold after the first couple of miles.

I've got an E36 M3 so no need for another 'fun' car.

[spangle1980]

F*ck it - YOLO. Cut the deliberation ... M40i all the way.

One could regard harsh ride in sport, but I actually find sport hardness good. The Comfort mode in suspension is great.

Just spin a coin with a double heads, heads for M40i, tails for the 30i.

GO ON, you know you deserve the better vehicle.

[Oldgixxer]

Originally Posted by Fahren German

I already understand that the X3M will shake the fillings out of your skull as a daily

False

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by spangle1980

GO ON, you know you deserve the better vehicle.

There is no such objective thing as “better”. There is only what you personally prefer.

[COM40]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

There is no such objective thing as “better”. There is only what you personally prefer.

Well just like 3 > 2, the M40i is objectively faster. I don't many people will say faster = worse, so by that logic is it better?

And on the flip side, since the M40i is more expensive and heavier, you could also say it's worse.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by COM40

Well just like 3 > 2, the M40i is objectively faster. I don't many people will say faster = worse, so by that logic is it better?

And on the flip side, since the M40i is more expensive and heavier, you could also say it's worse.

The premise of an objective "better" or "worse" is false. Faster is just faster. People then overlay their personal subjective evaluations to make their own assessment, but that doesn't make their personal feeling objectively factual. Some will like faster more, some may feel it is irrelevant, others may feel it is not worth the tradeoffs of price, maintenance, too startling or hard to control (I've heard this in focus group research) or other factors. But, ultimately, these are individual subjective preferences. "I like it better" can be true. "It is better" cannot. Whether it's a majority or minority opinion is not controlling.

[BMWbiker]

Originally Posted by Fahren German

I’m correctly referencing reviewers and owners who said that the M40I has a harsh ride. I already understand that the X3M will shake the fillings out of your skull as a daily

My M40i’s ride is not as cushy as the Buick SUV that I rented earlier this year. Then again, the Buick would yaw when going over bumps while driving in a straight line. The BMW doesn’t, needless to say.

My M40i’s ride is much cushier than the M non-adaptive suspension in my former car, the ‘15 328i wagon. The 328i was harsh at times. The M40i is taut but not harsh.

If you want less harsh, choose 19” rims, probably with non-RFT.

I assume you checked out previous threads on this topic.

Happy shopping!

[Rottweiler]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

The premise of an objective "better" or "worse" is false. Faster is just faster. People then overlay their personal subjective evaluations to make their own assessment, but that doesn't make their personal feeling objectively factual. Some will like faster more, some may feel it is irrelevant, others may feel it is not worth the tradeoffs of price, maintenance, too startling or hard to control (I've heard this in focus group research) or other factors. But, ultimately, these are individual subjective preferences. "I like it better" can be true. "It is better" cannot. Whether it's a majority or minority opinion is not controlling.

David Foster Wallace used to write like this. He was in my opinion a brilliant author

e.g. the short story Mister Squishy in his collection “Oblivion”

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by Rottweiler

David Foster Wallace used to write like this. He was in my opinion a brilliant author

e.g. the short story Mister Squishy in his collection “Oblivion”

Thank you, sir.

[SpencerPJ]

I bought my wife the 30i, that's all she wanted. For me, I find it on the slow side, my F150 truck seems much quicker. If it was to be my daily driver, 40i all the way. For my need of speed, I prefer 2 wheels on the twisties and in the hills.

[bocabimmer]

Originally Posted by SpencerPJ

I bought my wife the 30i, that's all she wanted. For me, I find it on the slow side, my F150 truck seems much quicker. If it was to be my daily driver, 40i all the way. For my need of speed, I prefer 2 wheels on the twisties and in the hills.

Funny. My wife just got the Expedition with the 3.5 V6 Ecoboost. After a few weeks driving it, she hopped back into my car (which she used to say was quick enough) and now she is feeling a slight, erm, lack of power. We still wouldn’t have spent the additional 8 grand for the extra hp, but I did give her the evil eye for finally admitting what I knew all along.

[SpencerPJ]

Originally Posted by bocabimmer

Funny. My wife just got the Expedition with the 3.5 V6 Ecoboost. After a few weeks driving it, she hopped back into my car (which she used to say was quick enough) and now she is feeling a slight, erm, lack of power. We still wouldn’t have spent the additional 8 grand for the extra hp, but I did give her the evil eye for finally admitting what I knew all along.

My 2020 F150, 0-60mph is 5.6 seconds
Her 2023 X3 30i, 0-60mph is 6.0 seconds
Now a 2023 X3 40i, 0-60mph is 4.1 seconds

I envy hearing the guys talk about their 40i, that's impressive. Then again, it's my wife's car mostly, lol.

[Fahren German]

I have returned from the land of the singly available test-driven M40i, and have great news! *The ride quality is indeed smooth!
(*when driven on perfect pavement, under ideal conditions, with two adults of roughly equal weights sitting in the front-seats, who both strongly want to believe that the M40i drives smoothly)

I kid, I kid…

My drive consisted of a 20~ mile loop that featured highways, twisty but smooth backroads, and some city roads of disrepair(TM). The types of road imperfections encountered were:
- small potholes and pavement irregularities
- medium potholes, expansion joints that were mostly smooth and close together
- large potholes, very irregular patches, wide & lopsided expansion joints, railroad tracks
- moderate hills, 1/4” mile turns with uneven pavement and/or hills in the turn

The M40i with 19’s and all-seasons was up first, driven mostly in comfort mode. The CA knew I was focused on ride quality (hence the varied nature of the loop). On well maintained roadways, the M40i rode firm but smooth and began to lull one into thinking that the ride quality criticisms were overblown. Once on less than pristine pavement, however, things changed. With medium-level road imperfections, vibrations were evident and the ride took on a busy feel - particularly when the road wasn’t perfectly flat. Large potholes, poorly maintained expansion joints, very irregular surfaces, and railroad tracks were prominently felt… sometimes viscerally so. I can understand why some describe that level of ride quality as harsh. I switched between comfort & sport & back a few times in order to gauge how much the adaptive dampers could improve things. On rough roads, not that much.

If I had to describe the ride quality of the M40i, I’d call it: temperamental. It wants to be driven hard on smooth pavement - and there, it thrills with superb power and a near magnetic lock to the road. The further outside that zone you take it, the more upset it gets. And the M40i will let you know, in no uncertain terms, when it’s upset.


Next, a 30i with 19’s and all-seasons on the exact same route. The base suspension is tuned soft, and it seemed determined to demonstrate that regardless of what I drove it across. Small and medium road issues were virtually unnoticeable, while the most aggressive hazards (expansion joints, railroad tracks, etc) felt like rolling over mildly lumpy speed bumps. This is one of the few vehicles I’ve driven where run flats are indistinguishable from NRF’s. It wasn’t all rainbows and puppies though. A mild floating sensation dampens the connection between the the driver and the road. When taking corners aggressively, there’s some body lean and a less-than firmly planted feel. Occasionally the suspension lends itself to mild porpoising (think driving over frost heaves). Interestingly, the steering limits emerge far earlier than the suspension compromises. The brakes felt adequate, but only just. Adding the dynamic handling package would be interesting; good luck finding that.

If I had to describe the ride quality of the 30i, I’d call it: smooth and composed. It is a quintessential cruiser that drives more sporty than you think, before kindly asking you to calm down. Those looking for a true enthusiast vehicle will be frustrated here.


As an aside, and because I found it hilarious, here’s how my CA reacted to the road conditions:
M40i on smooth roads: “see, I told you it’s smooth”
M40i on moderate roads: “well, I drive a truck - so this is smooth to me”
M40i on poor roads: stares straight ahead, doesn’t say a word…

Strangely, my CA stopped commenting on ride quality during the 30i test drive. As we were finishing up, I drove over a small speed bump that had broken up, an imperfection that caused the M40i to jolt us around. When I took the 30i over it, I turned to my CA and said: “we barely felt that”, to which they grudgingly acknowledged: “I see what you mean”


So, what did we learn?
1. The M40i drives smoothly… if driven on smooth surfaces
2. The 30i drives smoothly on just about anything
3. There is a significant difference in ride quality between the 30i and m40i
4. If you want to continuously harvest dopamine, the m40i it is
5. If you want a solid all-rounder that can still make you smile, the 30i is there for you

If I could only have one vehicle, it’d be the M40i hands down. That said, I already have a fun car. My intent was to find a daily that’ll handle long-distances and varying road conditions without beating me up or adding fatigue. If that vehicle has a sporty nature, all the better.

The 30i is the right choice here. Now, about that Dynamic Handling Package…

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by Fahren German

The 30i is the right choice here. Now, about that Dynamic Handling Package…

Good for you for doing all this comparison and analysis and finding what suits you best.

Order soon. The Dynamic Handling Package on my 30i is a major part of what I enjoy about this car. It makes it an "M30i" with the engine mapping, variable sport steering, and MSport brakes all in one package. When the mood suits you, you can always go back to full comfort for all settings. My passengers and I agree that the 19" Dueler RFTs are not noticeable as RFTs...surprisingly smooth. I swap Sport/Comfort back and forth depending on who are my passengers. On a choice of Sport or Sport Plus, it turns the 30i into feeling more like a "gymnast" while the M40i is more of a football "lineman".

[Gr8ZongB58]

Originally Posted by Fahren German

I have returned from the land of the singly available test-driven M40i, and have great news! *The ride quality is indeed smooth!
(*when driven on perfect pavement, under ideal conditions, with two adults of roughly equal weights sitting in the front-seats, who both strongly want to believe that the M40i drives smoothly)

I kid, I kid…

My drive consisted of a 20~ mile loop that featured highways, twisty but smooth backroads, and some city roads of disrepair(TM). The types of road imperfections encountered were:
- small potholes and pavement irregularities
- medium potholes, expansion joints that were mostly smooth and close together
- large potholes, very irregular patches, wide & lopsided expansion joints, railroad tracks
- moderate hills, 1/4” mile turns with uneven pavement and/or hills in the turn

The M40i with 19’s and all-seasons was up first, driven mostly in comfort mode. The CA knew I was focused on ride quality (hence the varied nature of the loop). On well maintained roadways, the M40i rode firm but smooth and began to lull one into thinking that the ride quality criticisms were overblown. Once on less than pristine pavement, however, things changed. With medium-level road imperfections, vibrations were evident and the ride took on a busy feel - particularly when the road wasn’t perfectly flat. Large potholes, poorly maintained expansion joints, very irregular surfaces, and railroad tracks were prominently felt… sometimes viscerally so. I can understand why some describe that level of ride quality as harsh. I switched [...]

Man..I feel exhausted reading your story. You should get the m40i and describe every performance part you put on to us 😆

All jokes aside, enjoy your new 30i!

[ContactPatch]

One thing no one has mentioned on here about the M40i is how lite it feels while driving. Not sure how BMW accomplished this, but the car seems to float on air, at times it feels weightless combined with effortless acceleration, the combination is pure genius. It always makes for a satisfying drive and promotes a smile while doing so. It's an underrated, remarkable piece of BMW excellence. (You can tell, I love this vehicle).

[Fahren German]

Originally Posted by ContactPatch

One thing no one has mentioned … M40i effortless acceleration

I said those words to the CA during the test drive, clearly lots of headroom on the M40i. Comparatively, I think I said “as long as you don’t listen to the 4-cylinder, it’s pretty good”