BMW has killed the M340i. Its 326kW replacement costs $9,900 more and lands in early 2027. Here's which one to buy.
By Varun Punyamurtula ·
The M350 beats the M340i where it counts: power, handling and tech, for a fair $9,900 more. Wait for it if you can. Only buy a runout M340i with a serious discount.
M350 xDrive from $128,900 plus on road costs (arrives early 2027). M340i xDrive from $119,000 plus on road costs (on sale now).
BMW just killed the M340i.
Since 2019 it has been the smartest buy in the 3 Series range: nearly M3 pace, none of the M3 fuss, and comfortable enough for the school run. Its replacement is the 2027 BMW M350 xDrive. It lands in Australia in early 2027 with more power, a sharper chassis and a cabin from the future, for $9,900 more.
So do you grab one of the last M340is, or wait?
The short answer: wait for the M350, unless a dealer gives you a serious runout deal on an M340i.
2027 BMW M350 xDrive
2026 BMW M340i xDrive
Look at that price per kilowatt line. The newer, faster car is actually the cheaper way to buy performance.
Park them side by side and it doesn't look like a facelift. It looks like a different company made it. The M350 wears BMW's new "Neue Klasse" face: slim, angular headlights, a low, wide grille and a clean, almost electric car shape. Underneath, it's still a heavily reworked version of the M340i's platform. It is about 5cm longer and a little wider, with the wheels pushed further out to the corners.
The M340i still looks sharp, especially in M Sport trim, but next to the new car its bigger grille and busier detailing suddenly look like the previous decade.
2027 BMW M350 xDrive
2026 BMW M340i xDrive
Walk around to the back and the gap is just as big. The M350 has slimmer, flatter tail lights and a cleaner, wider looking rear end, while the M340i keeps the familiar 3 Series shape that has been on our roads since 2019.
2027 BMW M350 xDrive
2026 BMW M340i xDrive
Straight on from behind, the M350 looks wider and more planted. The M340i still looks purposeful, but more conservative.
2027 BMW M350 xDrive
2026 BMW M340i xDrive
Winner: M350. It's the more modern, more distinctive car.
Both use BMW's much loved 3.0 litre straight six, but the M350 gets 41kW and 80Nm more. The clever part is how. Its 48 volt electric motor now sits inside the gearbox and fills the gap while the turbos spool up, so the small pause you feel in the M340i off the line is engineered out.
Early drives of prototype cars overseas describe an engine that feels sharper and grittier than before. That puts the M350 closer to an M3 than any previous six cylinder 3 Series. You'll feel the difference most when you overtake or merge onto the freeway, more than in a standing start.
2027 BMW M350 xDrive
2026 BMW M340i xDrive
Winner: M350
This is where the new car earns its money. BMW widened the tracks, stretched the wheelbase, added a front strut brace, and reworked the springs, dampers and anti-roll bars. Adaptive M suspension, a locking M Sport rear differential and variable sport steering are all standard.
Here's the detail that matters if you own an M340i now. BMW's engineers say they set the M350's targets straight from M340i owner surveys: more comfort, and steering that feels less nervous at speed. In other words, this car was built to fix the M340i's complaints. Early overseas drives report exactly that: crisp turn-in without the twitchiness, and a car that settles down when you're not pushing.
There's a party trick too. A Drift mode sends all the power to the rear wheels, but it arrives as a software update in July 2027, after the first cars are delivered. Don't buy the car for a feature you can't use on day one.
Winner: M350, by a distance
Step into the M350 and it's a different world. A panoramic display runs across the base of the windscreen, putting speed and navigation right in your eye line. A slim, freestanding touchscreen replaces the M340i's curved dual screen, and there are far fewer buttons.
2027 BMW M350 xDrive
2026 BMW M340i xDrive
Now look at the centre console. This is the change most people will miss until they live with it.
2027 BMW M350 xDrive
2026 BMW M340i xDrive
The M350 drops the rotary iDrive dial, the knob BMW drivers have used for 25 years to work the screen without looking. Almost everything now happens on the touchscreen or by voice. BMW says owners of its new cars don't miss the dial. Some M340i owners will. If you use the dial by feel at 110km/h, sit in an M350 before you sign.
The M340i's cabin is older but familiar and logical, and its buttons and dial still work brilliantly on the move.
Winner: M350 for tech and wow factor. M340i for ease of use.
The M350's longer body should free up a little more rear legroom, and its rear seats get sculpted, sports style outer seats. The M340i's rear bench is flatter and arguably easier for three across.
2027 BMW M350 xDrive
2026 BMW M340i xDrive
The M340i's boot is a known 480 litres, with folding rear seats for long loads. BMW hasn't published the M350's boot size yet. From the photos, the opening and floor look very similar, so don't expect a big difference either way.
2027 BMW M350 xDrive
2026 BMW M340i xDrive
Winner: Too close to call until BMW publishes the M350's figures
The M350 is heavier, but standard adaptive suspension gives it a wide range between soft and firm, and early drives praise its ride.
One catch for Australia: 20 inch wheels are standard, and those first drives were on smooth European roads. We want to try one on a broken country road before we call it.
Winner: Draw for now
The M340i's numbers are known: 8.0L/100km, a 59 litre tank and an 1,800kg braked towing limit. BMW hasn't published fuel or towing figures for the M350 yet. Both run on 98 RON premium and come with a five year, unlimited kilometre warranty.
Winner: M340i, for now, because its figures are confirmed
For the extra $9,900 you get 41kW more, a much better chassis, 20 inch wheels, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats and BMW's newest tech. That's fair money.
The twist: no one should pay full price for an M340i now that its replacement is confirmed. Dealers will want to clear 2026 stock before the M350 arrives. That's our expectation rather than a quoted offer, but it's how model changeovers usually go. If you can get an M340i well under list, the maths swings its way.
Winner: M350 at list price. M340i with a big discount.
If you can wait until early 2027, this is the one. It beats the M340i everywhere that matters to the people who buy this kind of car, and the price premium is fair. Get your name down early.
Our editor drives a 2025 M340i every day, so we know this car well. It's still a superb, fast, comfortable sedan with tech you already know how to use. Buy one if you need a car now, you love the iDrive dial, or a dealer takes a real chunk off. At the full $119,000, a few months before its replacement lands, it's a no go.
Our pick: wait for the M350. The M340i was the 3 Series sweet spot. The M350 takes that crown and moves it closer to an M3.
Yes. The M350 xDrive is the six cylinder flagship of the new 2027 3 Series sedan, and it takes over from the M340i xDrive in Australia.
The 2027 BMW M350 xDrive is $128,900 plus on road costs. That's $9,900 more than the 2026 M340i xDrive at $119,000.
Production starts in late 2026, and Australian deliveries are due in early 2027.
Yes. It has 326kW and 580Nm against the M340i's 285kW and 500Nm. BMW claims 0-100km/h in 4.1 seconds against 4.4 seconds.
It's a mild hybrid. A 48 volt electric motor helps the petrol engine, but it can't drive on electricity alone and you never plug it in.
No. The new 3 Series drops the rotary controller. You use the touchscreen, steering wheel buttons or voice instead.
Not quite. It's an M Performance model that sits below the M3, but it's the closest a six cylinder 3 Series has come to one.
Australian prices exclude on road costs and are correct at 3 October 2026. M350 deliveries start in early 2027, and we'll add our local road test when they do. All images: BMW Group, used for press purposes.
Tell us what you're after and we'll use our network to help you find the best deal anywhere in Australia.
List it on Drivers Insider in a few minutes and reach buyers right across Australia.
Sell your carTags: BMW, Comparisons, Performance, Sedans
Sources
The RAV4 is still our pick, but it's a new car with a higher price and no ANCAP rating yet. Here's how 2026 compares with 2025, plus the best small, mid size, seven seat and value SUVs.
The cheapest EV is now $19,990 drive away and EVs just outsold petrol for the first time. Here are our picks at every budget, real running costs and the tax changes coming in 2027.
For tradies, couriers, rideshare drivers and small business owners a car is a business asset. Here are the best picks by job type in 2026, with real running costs and the tax rules that matter.