I don’t really disagree with anything else you’ve said. However, driving in S mode all the time around town or in traffic is not very comfortable to me. It’s jerky and too sensitive to throttle input. Not good in stop and go traffic.
I don’t think it’s acceptable to have to drive a luxury sports sedan in S mode all the time for proper throttle response.
Even after all the positives you have rightly mentioned about the Audi, this is a deal breaker for me. Audi can and should do better in the fundamentals.
I went with the PS4’s as well… good to hear about great grip in the rain. Now I just have to figure out a winter setup; have to be mindful of that here in the NE😒
Disagree on build quality, same for C43, Audi can be optioned with a better looking interior but solidity of materials the BMW wins period. M340I is significantly faster than the S5, it’s the better driver’s car and fastest of the competition regardless if we are talking about C43/S5/Genesis 3.3T you name it. No need to bring up M3/M4 because that’s another level above these cars. F80/F82 is faster than the G20 at high speed and is much better handling car which is expected. If you had mentioned the RS5 vs M340i then sure the Audi wins there. However against the M3/M4 RS5 loses again if we are talking raw performance.
It’s better to just say you’re not a sedan guy, you prefer coupes and hence why you’d buy the weird looking G22 over a G20. Also, nobody buys an M3/M4 for comfort, some people have now ditched them for M340’s for that single factor. Comfort is a personal thing but nothing about the M340I is uncomfortable, it’s one of the most distinguishable metrics versus a real M car. So if you think an M340i isn’t comfortable, then high performance cars like the ones you listed wouldn’t be for you.
II wish the M340i was more hard edge, to me it’s soft in comfort and only gets hard-core in sport plus but again BMW designed it this way so as not to encroach on the M3’s territory. Upcoming G80/G82 should be more comfortable than the F series M cars but even then I expect them to not be as comfortable as the G20/G22’s.
As someone who has been in dozens of S5s and M340s, I can tell you that the S5 not only has nicer materials, but better quality too. The M340 is not bad by any means, but I have heard more rattling and squeaking in various G20s compared to the B9.
And I think you are missing the crux of my argument. I am saying I would buy the S5 over the M340 because of the purpose of this type of vehicle. If I wanted a true performance 4 door car, I would get a M3 or RS 5. However as a daily car, the S5 does it for me. Granted I do prefer the coupe-like shape over the traditional sedan style, but when it comes to sitting in rush hour traffic, driving 10+ hours, back roads, or snowy weather, I would much rather be in the S5. Only place where the M340 is better would be on an autocross course/track and that leads me back to getting an F8x, GT4, etc.
Do you have anything done(mods) to your M340i to spice things up a bit?
I really wanted a G80, but couldn’t stomach paying near MSRP for one. I figure the M340i with the standard limited slip dif + Dinan Springs + MPE + Tune should hold me over until the G80 prices come down.
No mods other than tints and the swap to Michelins summer tires. Thing is, at least for me, modding cars is a costly zero sum game since I have been down that rabbit hole before back in the E46 era. Countless mods exist for the car but if I was to do any it would be a tune but then this car is already fast enough for the streets and fast enough to put you in jail lol. I would rather save that money for a G80C which is the most plausible upgrade for me next summer when my current lease ends.
Don’t worry about G80 lease prices now, once all the hype dies down the prices should drop significantly. Right now they’re leasing for M5 money because it’s a new release.
I hear ya man - I told myself I wouldn’t go too crazy with mods this time around, but I just can’t help myself lol. That said, Im only planning to do a few mods this time around, springs/spacers and tune. The LSD is standard as you know and I optioned out the MPE (port install).
Truth is, the wife talked me out of the G80, but once my M340i lease is up, it’s G80 next (god willing).
That’s the plan, better lease prices next year, also they may even give better prices on the option packages. Look at the G20, when the car debuted in 2019, we didn’t have the shadow line package while Canada did. BMW added it for the second MY for USA cars. They also added drive recorder which my car didn’t have. Same for red calipers which wasn’t available for 2020MY M340I. As they say, good things come to those with patience. G80 should be the last ICE M3, we must get our crummy hands on one lol and be a part of this historic moment.
(god willing).