[mrugu]

Folks

I am in a bit of a dilemma and looking for advice.

I have a 3.5 year old 330i GT MSport. Been dabbling if I should get a new car since I generally love to change out every 3-4 years (I find it to be a sweet spot for resale as well).

Now the dilemma -

Option 1: Get a GLA 35 AMG
Option 2: Get a M340i
Option 3: The current car is still driving great. I love it barring the suspension and the sound system. Great mix of practicality and power. Ever reliable 2L Petrol.

Pros and Cons

GLA 35

1. Better interiors. More sleek and modern.
2. Better sound system than even the Harman Kardon
3. More room and more practical for longer drives and trips (I take 2-3 road trips a year easily)
4. Decent drive - much better than a typical Merc but not upto the dynamics of a BMW
5. The exhaust note is insane. Period. Fell in love with it!

340i

1. Haven't test driven since no TD cars available. But I don't need to since I am a BMW owner for 6 years now and know exactly what I get
2. Interiors are relatively more traditional
3. HK audio in the car is not great - I have seen/heard the same system in the 5 series and its underwhelming
4. Less practical for longer trips/outings.
5. BMW again will feel the same is what a friend who has driven both Merc/BMW told me. He feels Merc will make me feel like a different car versus 340i will be the same car with an upgraded engine
6. The 3L petrol with ZF8 is probably the best out there in India. Period. Dont need any convincing there. But a part of me wonders how much I can really push it.

I am eligible and can get both cars with a BH registration which makes the price differential more like 10-12L between the two cars.

What does the group recommend?

[magnus3737]

Hi. I just got the GLA35. It’s a lovely mix of practicality and driving pleasure, especially in our road conditions. Sound system is amazing, though I did fiddle with the equaliser a bit to suit my taste.

[Axe77]

I haven’t seen the GLA first hand recently but my impression was that its a smaller car than the 3 GT on both internal space as well as boot space. Wouldn’t the 3 GT in fact be more practical for long touring? Does the GLA come with a space saver or just a tyre repair kit. That’s another factor I’d keep in mind if the car is meant for long touring duties.

My sense is that both the above options will not match up to the 3GT on space and practicality but both of course will be NICER cars to drive for sure. If the (presumably lesser) internal space is not a deal breaker for you AND you’re hankering for a more powerful car, of course, you could consider either. I’d personally lean towards the 340i from that duo. Its a proper POWERFUL upgrade to your existing ride and dare I say in today’s prices, relatively a VFM pricing for a performance car of that calibre.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by mrugu

Option 1: Get a GLA 35 AMG
Option 2: Get a M340i
Option 3: The current car is still driving great. I love it barring the suspension and the sound system. Great mix of practicality and power. Ever reliable 2L Petrol.

What does the group recommend?

Option 1: Keep the current car. 3.5 years is still young for a BMW.
Option 2: If really need a change, get the 340i, the facelift has refreshed interiors.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by mrugu

I have a 3.5 year old 330i GT MSport.
Option 1: Get a GLA 35 AMG
Option 2: Get a M340i

You must have heard that most BMW owners don't like Mercedes It's for a reason and not because of any hatred

M340i are all sold out now, but the good thing is that LCI is coming very soon. It would help if you spoke to your dealer and could even drop an Email to BMW. If they are accepting advances, get in the queue else, wait until they open. It will be a very good upgrade for you this side of M4, which currently, even if you want to order, won't be available due to allocations and upcoming emission norms.

I dove a similar -A45AMG, which should be faster over the GLA and then a couple of days back, I tried the M340. 10 out of 10 times, any driver will pick that inline six over any of those 4-cylinder turbo-boosted Mercedes engines.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by mrugu

I have a 3.5 year old 330i GT MSport. Been dabbling if I should get a new car since I generally love to change out every 3-4 years

Please read these two articles of mine that will ensure you get your Ferrari or Porsche 911 sooner than planned

- Your 5-year old car (ARTICLE: YOUR 5 year old car : Keep, Upgrade or Swap?)

- Keeping expensive cars for longer (How a more expensive car can work out cheaper (if you hold onto it for longer))

[mrugu]

All -

Thank you for your advice. I have decided to go ahead with a M340i after all. Interestingly, I managed to land a car and will be getting it end of next week! Although I may have to delay delivery to end Nov or early Dec due to some personal constraints.

[HighRevving]

Originally Posted by mrugu

Folks

I am in a bit of a dilemma and looking for advice.

I have a 3.5 year old 330i GT MSport. Been dabbling if I should get a new car since I generally love to change out every 3-4 years (I find it to be a sweet spot for resale as well).

I wouldn’t spend say, 40-50 lakh to upgrade interior and audio. If performance and driving dynamics are what you’re looking for, get the 340i. For audio, you can listen to the 6-cylinder instead.

Otherwise, you can explore a lot of bolt-on speaker options for your car, I have heard about good speakers for around 1-2 lakh.

Mercedes cars to me (except AMG) have very linear power delivery and bland dynamics. I wouldn’t buy a Mercedes unless I was restoring a W123.

[magnus3737]

Before I booked the GLA35 , I did test drives of the 330Li and the X3 30i . The 340i i didn’t try as it was out of my budget.

While the 330Li was sharper and more fun the GLA35 wasn’t far behind. I found it better than the X3,ofcourse the output of the engine did make a big difference . The AMG steering is definitely more involving than the regular merc steering. These are my observations from limited test drives , so I am sure the the inputs of the senior members will be more valuable.The exhaust note while nice I am sure will be better on the 340i.

Finally I chose it for the AMG tuned engine ,interiors, Burmester sound system and the ground clearance compared to a sedan.

One drawback as per me is the spare tyre which is kept outside in the boot. It compromises the usable space in the boot.

I intend to do a proper review in the coming weeks.

[androdev]

I dove a similar -A45AMG, which should be faster over the GLA and then a couple of days back, I tried the M340. 10 out of 10 times, any driver will pick that inline six over any of those 4-cylinder turbo-boosted Mercedes engines.

Maybe you prefer a smooth sporty car vs a mental one. M340i and A45 AMG are not targeted at the same buyers - a different driver would have a complete opposite opinion about these two cars. If I had both cars in my garage, I would pick A45 every time unless I have cargo and people to lug around.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

You must have heard that most BMW owners don't like Mercedes It's for a reason and not because of any hatred

Ok, I'll bite :-) BMW M has become more of BMW Marketing with bunny face cars while AMG is bringing F1 engines to the road cars. I like both brands - but I don't remember anything awe inspiring from BMW off late.

Coming to the M340i - it's selling like hotcakes because our market loves a total package (Swift Dzire value proposition - all boxes must be checked). VW struggled to sell Polo GTi. I would also surely buy this car if it's my first BMW family car but there is a very little chance I would buy this as a replacement for a 330i. At least not before test driving few worthy options.

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

You must have heard that most BMW owners don't like Mercedes It's for a reason and not because of any hatred



I dove a similar -A45AMG, which should be faster over the GLA and then a couple of days back, I tried the M340. 10 out of 10 times, any driver will pick that inline six over any of those 4-cylinder turbo-boosted Mercedes engines.

I test drove both GLA 35 And M340i. M340i is the obvious better performer and even more fun to drive but as a package GLA35 is hard to beat. (The only car that comes close is actually Macan but even that is 30L extra and has lesser power). I prefer a BMW anyday but till the time they launch a X1 M35i (in the pipeline), GLA 35 is the most practical option. M340i is fun but you have to keep in mind the low GC while planning trips.

Originally Posted by mrugu

All -

Thank you for your advice. I have decided to go ahead with a M340i after all. Interestingly, I managed to land a car and will be getting it end of next week! Although I may have to delay delivery to end Nov or early Dec due to some personal constraints.

Congratulations!

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by androdev

Maybe you prefer a smooth sporty car vs a mental one.

Pushing up the RPMs to get juice from the engine, if you call it mental, then I have seen some youngsters doing much more on a Baleno and cutting me on my M5. I am sure you would have experienced similar mental Baleno's too

M340i and A45 AMG are not targeted at the same buyers - a different driver would have a completely opposite opinion about these two cars. If I had both cars in my garage, I would pick A45 every time unless I have cargo and people to lug around.

Coming to the M340i - it's selling like hotcakes because our market loves a total package (Swift Dzire value proposition - all boxes must be checked)..

I am looking for a single-seat car, but still, an A45 did not entice me. M340 has four doors, but this did not affect my purchase decision. Rather as a downer, I ignored it because it had four doors.

I will suggest you try both - A45 and M340 and then post your views. But if you have experienced both already, I will agree with your views about different opinions, but that has nothing to do with boot space on the M340 or the lack of AMG for most buyers.

Regarding M vs AMG, I think both brands have tried to milk the existing lineup of regular cars with little extras. But trust me when I say this, M340-in X-Drive is not successful just because it has a bigger boot space or better rear seats.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by mrugu

I have decided to go ahead with a M340i after all.

Congratulations. Can't possibly go wrong with the M340i. Did BMW buy your GT 330i as a swap or are you selling that privately?

[androdev]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Pushing up the RPMs to get juice from the engine, if you call it mental, then I have seen some youngsters doing much more on a Baleno and cutting me on my M5. I am sure you would have experienced similar mental Baleno's too

Great analogy and I must sheepishly admit I love cutting big cars with a Polo GT. I enjoy it a lot :-) Maybe that's where we differ. I absolutely love cars like Polo GTI, Golf GTI, A45, M1 etc. Real world fun these cars offer is immense (Just my preference).

I am looking for a single-seat car, but still, an A45 did not entice me. M340 has four doors, but this did not affect my purchase decision. Rather as a downer, I ignored it because it had four doors.

I will suggest you try both - A45 and M340 and then post your views. But if you have experienced both already, I will agree with your views about different opinions, but that has nothing to do with boot space on the M340 or the lack of AMG for most buyers.

I admit I have not driven A45 but one doesn't have to drive every car to understand the basic genres. Maybe my preferences are different.

1: 4 door sedan, ZF 8 gearbox, large engine
2: Hatchback, small petrol engine with crazy turbo boost, dual clutch

When people say "crossover drives like a sedan", "large car hides it's size", "torque convertor shifts like DCT", "drives like a mid-engined car", it means they picked a design that's sub-optimal in order to offer practicality and reliability and somehow trying get close to the benchmark. Credit to them, they often succeed but why bother when you can have the OG (original).

[NarediAni7518]

The M340i is a rarer breed, especially with that creamy and probably the best 3.0 petrol engine in the country. Enjoy the 6-cylinders before it disappears. Use “You Live Only Once” and go ahead purchase the M340i.