[skifaster]

I drove a 340i 6MT last night. This is the 4th time I've sampled one in the past year.
I have three admittedly mundane questions I'd be grateful if the forum would entertain:

1. Is there a mode where you can make custom settings of the things that vary between Sport, Comfort, etc modes? For example I prefer the steering feel and throttle response in Sport mode but the quieter exhaust in Comfort. Can that be rolled into some custom mode?

2. Can you program the car so that you never have to press the door-unlock button on the dash (or pull the door handle 2x) to get out? This is one of the few things I truly dislike about my wife's '07 X3.

3. As far as I can tell, the differences between the M-sport Design and Sport Design trims are purely cosmetic (wheels, body paneling, nicer steering wheel (and shift knob for the MT's)). Is that correct, or are there any functional differences? (Functional being, engine, suspension, exhaust, seats for example.)

Thanks!

Context: I bought a 2018 A4 in August. Since Jan (of '18) I had been on the fence between the 340 & A4. It's a longer story of why I was looking at the A4 instead of S4, but basically it was about MT availability. The A4 is very nice but I was just curious to re-sample the 340 after living with the A4 for 4 months. Something about it (probably the engine and trans!) still tugs at me...

[chowser51]

For #2 yes. I have mine set to unlock the doors when I turn the engine off. Then it’s just one pull to open the door. My cellphone holder blocks the unlock/lock button. I can’t remember if it was through idrive settings or if I used bimmercode.

[zamboni]

Go sample the M3 with 6MT and that would change your mind on the 340.

[_Tony_]

I did it through bimmercode.

Originally Posted by chowser51

For #2 yes. I have mine set to unlock the doors when I turn the engine off. Then it’s just one pull to open the door. My cellphone holder blocks the unlock/lock button. I can’t remember if it was through idrive settings or if I used binmercode.

[eluded]

No
Yes
Who cares?

[SunzOut]

For #3, The M Sport (non-xdrive) has different suspension. How much of that you can feel is a harder question.

Though you should be looking at the individual packages/option for each car your checking out. For example have any had the Adaptive suspension, which does make a big difference ?

Use something like https://www.mdecoder.com/ to look up the VIN of each car and compare the options.

[bimmer456]

For #1 I can set the sport mode to chassis for steering feel of sport but quieter exhaust of comfort. However this will be comfort throttle response. You can get better response with stick to the left but it will still be comfort throttle mapping. Otherwise you will have to code it somehow to keep valves closed in sport mode.

[Wires]

To answer your questions:

1) The sport throttle responses is part of the driveline settings (as the image above shows). If you'd like comfort sound, you can either unplug the ASD module in the trunk (what you are hearing is synthesised sound), or code it to have a lower volume. My car defaulted to "middle level" for the sound, I changed it to "low level" which makes it a lot more tolerable (less drone on the highway).

2) You can code this as well. I have mine automatically unlock when I turn off the engine (so no pressing the dash button, or the silly double pull of the handle).

3) M-sport adds the body kit (bumpers and side skirts), the ///M logos on the trim bits, etc. Not sure if it adds "launch control", but that can be coded in as well if missing from sport trim. There are no "real" performance differences between those two levels.

[bimmer456]

As for #2 it may have already been mentioned but I'm not sure if there is a way to turn off auto locking when you start moving or to have doors automatically unlock when you shift into park.

[IAmATeaf]

I didn’t think the 335i/340i had ASD?

[supermarket]

Originally Posted by skifaster

1. Is there a mode where you can make custom settings of the things that vary between Sport, Comfort, etc modes? For example I prefer the steering feel and throttle response in Sport mode but the quieter exhaust in Comfort. Can that be rolled into some custom mode?

You can only customize this a little, and not in exactly the way you want. Steering feel falls under chassis, but both throttle response and exhaust come under drivetrain.

3. As far as I can tell, the differences between the M-sport Design and Sport Design trims are purely cosmetic (wheels, body paneling, nicer steering wheel (and shift knob for the MT's)). Is that correct, or are there any functional differences? (Functional being, engine, suspension, exhaust, seats for example.)

You won’t find this on any spec sheets, but M Sport also comes with a beefier cooling system.

[bimmer456]

You need an M3 to custom configure the sport mode the way you want.

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by eluded

No
Yes
Who cares?

So you are suggesting that no one cares about the cosmetic differences of the M-Sport version? Because after 4 years here, I'm pretty sure that the complete opposite is true.

[skifaster]

Originally Posted by zamboni

Go sample the M3 with 6MT and that would change your mind on the 340.

Sure, an M3 will smoke a 340. And the 340 kind of smokes my A4. But a plebeian 320 with Xdrive and snow tires will smoke an M3 with any tires in a snowstorm, which matters to me.

Originally Posted by supermarket

You can only customize this a little, and not in exactly the way you want. Steering feel falls under chassis, but both throttle response and exhaust come under drivetrain.

You won’t find this on any spec sheets, but M Sport also comes with a beefier cooling system.

That's surprising!

Originally Posted by tex2670

So you are suggesting that no one cares about the cosmetic differences of the M-Sport version? Because after 4 years here, I'm pretty sure that the complete opposite is true.

Agreed. The more I looked at these cars over the months, the more strongly I preferred the M-sport's features, mainly the appearance of the front bumper, and appearance and feel of the steering wheel and MT shift knob. Minor things, but that's a buyer's entitlement I think.

So, thanks for all the replies! It's good know the door unlocking can be "fixed" and the drivetrain and chassis settings achieved, even if only by coding. I'll probably keep my A4 but this info is good to have if I do decide to switch, now or in 1-2 years if I spot an appealing 2018 CPO.

The perfect 340 for me would be a 6MT with Xdrive, red, sunset orange or silver, oyster seats (or cognac brown w/ red paint - ohhhh yes but my wife would never approve, she thinks the brown looks like poop LOL).

Cheers!

[Wires]

Originally Posted by IAmATeaf

I didn’t think the 335i/340i had ASD?

Yes it does. On the 340, it's hugely noticeable, and starts to wear on you a lot with highway drives.

If you have sport drive mode set to driveline, drive on the highway, and toggle the drive mode rocker from sport to comfort. Comfort will close the one exhaust tip, but it also disables the ASD. Huge different in "fake sound".

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by Wires

Yes it does. On the 340, it's hugely noticeable, and starts to wear on you a lot with highway drives.

If you have sport drive mode set to driveline, drive on the highway, and toggle the drive mode rocker from sport to comfort. Comfort will close the one exhaust tip, but it also disables the ASD. Huge different in "fake sound".

It's not that loud without mppsk, which disables ASD. I think it's louder from the outside so I'm not sure if op is asking about exterior or interior noise.