I Prefer the M Sport Steering Wheel - 2016 BMW 340i xDrive Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

I Prefer the M Sport Steering Wheel - 2016 BMW 340i xDrive Long-Term Road Test

Our 2016 BMW 340i is the first BMW I've driven that has the standard steering wheel instead of the M Sport one. The normal wheel doesn't feel as good.

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banhugh

Damn, if you add the M sport package to your existing configuration you exceed $60k. For a 3 series! That is not even an M car! Why not skip all that options and get the M3?

longtimelurker

"Our goal with the 340i was to get the most luxurious version of the 3 Series that we could. Unfortunately, that meant leaving the box for the M Sport package unchecked and its excellent steering wheel absent."

Wait...why? What other options does getting that package preclude you from getting?

darthbimmer

@longtimelurker-- I don't think they're saying that having the M Sport steering wheel makes other options unavailable, I believe they're saying that given the choice of vehicles available, the most luxurious one happened not to have that sporty option. Remember, Edmunds has this vehicle as a press loaner from BMW. They had to pick from whatever was in the pool.

vvk

Yes, M Sport package is a must. But not because of the steering wheel, although it does make a difference. The biggest reason to get M Sport package in any BMW is because of the amazing manual shifter. It is MUCH better than the regular one. Shorter throws, better feel and smoother gear changes. I once had two identical 3ers, one M Sport and the other Sport. There was a huge difference in my perception of the two cars. The M Sport was so much more pleasant to drive due to its fantastic shifter. My current BMWs are all M Sport for this reason.

People who drive the automatic would never know, of course.

roadburner

The ETK does not show any M Sport specific shift linkage parts- are you sure you aren't referring to the BMW Performance SSK? Also, how does the shifter handle HPDEs?

black07gti

The standard BMW wheel doesn't even feel like real leather. You can get much better wheels in much less expensive cars. For me, if the wheel feels cheap, it totally diminishes the overall experience, especially at this price.

longtimelurker

darthbimmer said:

@longtimelurker-- I don't think they're saying that having the M Sport steering wheel makes other options unavailable, I believe they're saying that given the choice of vehicles available, the most luxurious one happened not to have that sporty option. Remember, Edmunds has this vehicle as a press loaner from BMW. They had to pick from whatever was in the pool.

You're probably right. They did get the popular "Get Off My Lawn" package, so there's that.

agentorange

longtimelurker said:

You're probably right. They did get the popular "Get Off My Lawn" package, so there's that.

Spot on. I know this will cause grinding teeth, but I suspect Edmunds are testing a car much nearer the spec of most actual buyers rather than the dreamers posting here.

DLu

The M Sport wheel made a big difference for me. The steering wheel and instrument cluster are right in front of my face when I drive. Exterior styling doesn't matter as much. IMO a good steering wheel is a "must have." The manual gearing is too darn tall, makes the engine feel just a tad lazy. Previously the Mazda RX-8 R3 was my first and only manual car. That car had a very sharp clutch engagement and close gearing, which now I realize is not that common (at the level of the RX-8), even for sporty cars. If the BMW's manual is on par with the "average" sports sedan, then I don't really care for manual transmissions for my future cars. The Mazda's was fun. This one? Much less so.