Whoever 
2016 BMW 3 Series Sedan 340i xDrive 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)
Competing with pro review on 340ix
 I thought it might be useful for someone to get a more detailed review of this car based on personal experience of owning it and at the same time comparing it with other cars owed or tested. When somebody tells me 'I love my car, its great' it generally tells me very little. I heard that from the owners of KIA or Prius or Tahoe and other cars that I personally would try to avoid. They all have something good about them (if only the price) and are better than any car produced in India, for example, but that does not tell me exactly how these cars are  really better or worse than others. And that's the only thing that really matters, for me at least. So here it goes.I bought my new 340ix aboumonths ago and have about 1500miles on it now. Before that I owned for 3.5 years 335is coupe, before that Mercedes 320 Sport Edition and my wife owns (so me too to a degree) new Z4 35i and before that z4 35 sport and before that z3. Before getting into 340ix, while thinking of either re-leasing or replacing my 335is I tried BMW 435i, M325, 335i, M3, Mercedes c450amg, Audi4 and 5 and RS, Hyundai Genesis and that are all the cars (not to mention my experiences with rental Toyotas, VW, Chevrolet, Nissan and bunch of others) that I can compare. First, none of the tried cars were worth switching to from my 335is. With exception of M3. Which would go beyond what I was willing to pay. So finally arriving of the new 340ix did it. It matched engine power with 335is, it had x drive which I found attractive (335is was not fun driving around ski resorts), it had a couple of luxury items I'd like to have and it was a new car I could have for almost the same lease money. So what did I get? Considering I paid for M package, Track package, Park assist and ignored Navigation altogether. Actually, not one but four cars with very distinct personalities. Consequence of track and M packages that provide several different modes of driving which are really something very noticeable, not just on paper statements. On other cars I tried and on my wife's Z4 those are also present, nothing new, but while you can feel the difference on other cars I feel its rather much more dramatic on 340ix. So, starting with these modes:First, they indeed can be useful and I do switch between them in different conditions. Second, I cant say I'm particularly happy about them. I would be perfectly fine with one perfectly tuned suspension and steering. Which was the case in my 2012 335iS, frankly having the ideally  tuned suspension and steering, better than any other car I tried so far (better even than in M3 and maybe better than Porsche Boxter). I don't know how they managed that but they did with 335is - exceptionally smooth, absorbing all the major road imperfection and at the same time razor sharp with just heavy enough and firm steering to feel the road and keep things under absolute control. Simply a joy to drive. Why BMW would not just stick with it?? People just keep saying that new BMW cars generation lost this handling edge but BMW stubbornly ignores that. And these modes are:1. ECO Pro - it could be even Eco Pro Pro or super pro or whatever else BMW marketing call them there would still be nothing 'Pro' here. This mode turns your BMW into Toyota Primus. It reduces the engine response to the gas pedal and add a bunch of indicators on display to let you sort of play some computer game, giving some saved miles bonuses, plots and tips, etc. Warning if you press too hard on accelerator pedal or exceed some speed limits. I played around with it while breaking in the car but frankly I can't see what an idiot (pardon) would buy BMW to drive it in Eco mode. 2. Comfort mode - that mode is actually better than on 335 or Z4. It feels a little firmer and more steerable. But still not what I would consider providing a good BMW-like driving experience. It provides reasonable engine output (press the pedal and you really go) and its smooth but IMHO a little bobbing on bumps and the steering is just too overpowered and soft which makes you a little nervous on high speeds. I still use it in rush hour and maybe its OK to use on gravel roads or something. But its still nowhere close to the standard 335is experience, worse than Z4 comfort mode and I would even prefer Mercedes 320Sport driving to that. It reminds me Buick leSabre on steroids. The worst part of it - its a default mode. You cant change it. Why??? Both Audi and Mercedes let you choose whats default, its all software. Mercedes even let you customize the parameters of the mode to choose your preferences. Why am I forced to drive in comfort mode the car most would buy for sporty behavior? That's plain stupid. Its the same on Z4.  So if you bought the car not to show that you can buy luxury car but to indeed enjoy performance ride then you need not to forget to hit the mode button every time you start engine. That will give you a Sport mode. 3. Sport mode increases the responsiveness of the engine,