A Very Potent 320 Horsepower - 2016 BMW 340i xDrive Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

A Very Potent 320 Horsepower - 2016 BMW 340i xDrive Long-Term Road Test

The 2016 BMW 340i is rated at 320 horsepower. But based on our testing, it's probably making a lot more. It leaves other small luxury sedans in the dust.

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longtimelurker

Unless I am mistaken, don't turbocharged cars simply do what naturally-aspirated cars do - when they reach the end of their powerband, don't they just upshift to get back into their powerband and continue accelerating, regardless of whether or not they're at the end of the quarter-mile?

I understand what you're trying to say, but...

I think your current 0-60 one-hit-wonder is the naturally-aspirated Miata, which uses RWD, a limited-slip diff and a large-displacement engine for its weight for great dig out of the blocks, to post a good 0-60 and a respectable quarter-mile time, but a lackluster trap speed and nobody home going into triple digits. Hey - maybe it needs a turbo...

And yes, BMW and all German mfgs underrate their engines.

markinnaples_

12.7 in the quarter from a garden variety 3 series is ridiculous. That is a time that most vaunted muscle cars from the golden era would never be able to remotely touch. Bravo to BMW for this achievement. Now, I wonder how much it would make if it was strapped to a dyno.

thepuff

Sounds about right. My 235M convertible consistently pulls 4.8s 0-60 and 12.8 1/4's and that is at 6,000 feet ASL.

SadButTrue

longtimelurker said:

Unless I am mistaken, don't turbocharged cars simply do what naturally-aspirated cars do - when they reach the end of their powerband, don't they just upshift to get back into their powerband and continue accelerating, regardless of whether or not they're at the end of the quarter-mile?

Automatic short-shifting does happen sometimes, to some extent, but putting the shift point at 5,500 rpm with a 7k redline would be extreme. I can't think of a car off the top of my head that does something like that. I believe the 340 upshifts at or right next to redline when you floor it; we probably would have noted short-shifting in the track notes if it was occurring. I'll have the car out on the road all next week, will try to report back.

-JS

longtimelurker

SadButTrue said:

longtimelurker said:

Unless I am mistaken, don't turbocharged cars simply do what naturally-aspirated cars do - when they reach the end of their powerband, don't they just upshift to get back into their powerband and continue accelerating, regardless of whether or not they're at the end of the quarter-mile?

Automatic short-shifting does happen sometimes, to some extent, but putting the shift point at 5,500 rpm with a 7k redline would be extreme. I can't think of a car off the top of my head that does something like that. I believe the 340 upshifts at or right next to redline when you floor it; we probably would have noted short-shifting in the track notes if it was occurring. I'll have the car out on the road all next week, will try to report back.

-JS

What I was saying was that "Many other turbocharged test cars have produced quick launches to 60 mph but lost steam at the quarter-mile mark" is kind of meaningless...the car doesn't know it's at a quarter-mile mark...it may be at redline at the quarter, or it may have upshifted 150 yards before going through the traps and be just starting to pull in the higher gear...right?

More and more, modern turbo engines, through either variable impeller or variable inlet technology, don't hit some kind of an rpm/overspeed wall like they used to like in an old Mazdaspeed3. Look at this:

http://www.n54tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35355

Your BMW is making 320 whp at 5200 rpm, 332 whp at 5400...gradually tapering down to 320 whp at 6800. So it's making within 3.5% of peak power over the last 1600 rpm of the dyno run. These engines now have a power hump rather than a power peak.

And yes, that is 332 wheel horsepower on a chassis dyno from an engine rated at 320 crank horsepower.

The Japanese don't do this...a new IS350, rated at 306 hp, makes 272 at the wheels. Yes, the BMW costs more...

kirkhilles1

I don't mean to be harsh, but nowadays that's about what you'd expect for a $60,000 vehicle. I mean, your Civic Touring will hit 0-60 in 6.7 seconds and costs less than half, so I'd be expecting some impressive performance figures especially also considering the fairly weak 26 MPG. Don't get me wrong, it sounds like a nice car, but I'd still have a hard time justifying it.

anythngbutgm

Great job BMW, now put this setup into your wagon please.

roadburner

I can't wait to see how the B58 performs in the M240i. My M235i is legitimately quick but an extra 15 hp and 39 lb-ft of twist should be extremely entertaining.

desmolicious

To put it in perspective, this blows away the 400hp S62 BMW M5

http://www.edmunds.com/bmw/m5/2000/road-test/

Which cost a lot more money, inflation adjusted, than this lowly 340i

mercedesfan

@desmolicious,

Indeed, but the E39 M5 remains a vastly superior driver's car to the F30 340i. It's never been that hard to make a fast car, it is extremely difficult to make a tactile and delicate driver's car. BMW has sold itself out and now just makes fast cars while ignoring what originally made them great in the first place. Fortunately, it appears that Jaguar is picking up the slack.

desmolicious

@mercedesfan

It's time for Edmunds to step up and do a comparison test between the S62 BMW M5 and a manual transmission sport pckg 340i
A bone for the enthusiasts here...

DLu

kirkhilles1 said:

I don't mean to be harsh, but nowadays that's about what you'd expect for a $60,000 vehicle. I mean, your Civic Touring will hit 0-60 in 6.7 seconds and costs less than half, so I'd be expecting some impressive performance figures especially also considering the fairly weak 26 MPG. Don't get me wrong, it sounds like a nice car, but I'd still have a hard time justifying it.

That's the thing with frivolous cars -- it's the law of diminishing returns. You can't somehow put two Civics together and double the attributes!!! They will still hit 60 in 6.7 sec! Well, I guess you get to give your friend a Civic to play with simultaneously ... Modifying a Civic may make it go just as fast for slightly less money, but there are other attributes to consider too.

In terms of the mpg, I challenge you to find a car this fast, this size, that can get into the mid-20s in combined driving.

roadburner

I have a hard time justifying any new car that can't lay down an ET in the high twelves...