BMW 340i review notes: back in the saddle

[Suarez™]

We covered the fundamental goodness of the new(ish) 340i package a few months back when we first got a crack at the refined, reworked, recalibrated former 335i. I spent a weekend in the car then and was ready to sign on the hypothetical dotted line (with my equally hypothetical money). Funny thing about being a car reviewer, though, is how weather, lunar phases and competitive vehicles can change one's opinion about the same basic car in the months between drives.

So, did that happen here, considering I was positively effusive about the 340i the last time I drove it? No … with two exceptions, one of which will only apply to about nine drivers, the other more significant.

First, let's talk rev matching; for those unfamiliar with the process, it's the act of blipping the throttle to bring engine rpm up during a downshift to match engine speed/wheel speed/transmission speed as closely as possible. Traditionally, it's been done with the left foot operating the clutch and the right foot working both the brake and accelerator in an awkward dance known as "heel and toe" (for what should be obvious reasons).

Now I'll be the first to admit my heel/toe skills are still a work in progress, and BMW was kind enough to set up the pedals perfectly for practicing the maneuver ... problem is, they then integrated automatic rev matching on downshifts with their six-speed manual. The car does all the hard work for you, ensuring you'll appear to be a more skillful driver rather than forcing you to learn to actually be a more skillful driver. If it can be shut off, I can't figure out how (though I've heard rumors that, buried in menus in sport-plus mode, the option exists). Either way, please PLEASE give me an easy-to-access button to switch off rev matching so I can improve as a driver when I have time to practice.

See what I mean about a niche complaint? Eight of you are nodding your heads and cursing Munich ... the rest of you weren't even aware the 3-series offered a manual transmission.

The other exception to my unbridled 340i enthusiasm came in the form of an Audi S4 that wandered through our parking garage back in April. The Audi wasn't necessarily better than the 340i, but it was just as much fun to drive, sounded even better and rang in several grand less in MSRP.

Of course, the simple fact the non-M3-series is an even competitor for the S4/5 shows how the six-cylinder 3 has, electron-like, jumped to a slightly higher energy level than its 328 brethren. The 340 almost deserves the moniker "M340i."

Does it all justify the price tag? That's for each buyer to decide, but the 340i has made me look forward to seeing a 3-Series again, something that hasn't been the case the past few years.