[VinceH]

Hi All,

After a bit of advice if I may please.

Looking at changing to a 3 Series soon and was just wondering on what’s peoples opinion on whether the newer model with the ‘one slab’ dash is worth the extra cost, or whether the slightly older one with the typical IDrive is actually a better option?

From what I’ve read, apart from the new dash, slight change to the front and new colours, there isn’t much else different between the two, or am I wrong?

TIA

[tturedraider]

‘22. I despise the iPad dashboard. And you lose physical HVAC controls.

[Westside Guy]

I would go for the 22 with iDrive7 and AC buttons.

How many miles do the 22 and 24 have and are they CPO’s?

[JABCAT]

You get more warranty & included maintenance with the '24. You get used to the large screen pretty quickly, then the previous screen looks small & out-dated. The auto climate control in iDrive 8/8.5 is annoying, but not so annoying I'd give up a longer warranty & free maintenance.

I had a '22 330e, and currently a '22 X3MC & '23 M2.

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by VinceH

Hi All,

After a bit of advice if I may please.

Looking at changing to a 3 Series soon and was just wondering on what’s peoples opinion on whether the newer model with the ‘one slab’ dash is worth the extra cost, or whether the slightly older one with the typical IDrive is actually a better option?

From what I’ve read, apart from the new dash, slight change to the front and new colours, there isn’t much else different between the two, or am I wrong?

TIA

Generally speaking newer is better.

Assuming the 2024 is a new car and not used you start ownership with a full warranty and free scheduled services for (IIRC) 3 years 36K miles.

A 2022 is used and that always adds uncertainty. Plus the warranty is partially used up.

Of course if both the 2022 and 2024 are used newer is better still applies.

As for the dash diffs...

I went from an older style dash -- in my 2022 230i -- to the new dash in my 2023 M2. While I liked the larger view I missed the lack of manual climate controls. But I adapted.

In Nov. 2024 I went from the new dash back to the older style when I traded in the M2 for a 2024 M8. I really like the older style of dash with the manual climate controls. The screen is smaller sure but well, I adopted to this.

Still my choice would be the 2024 over the 2022.

[BMWbiker]

Also consider how important telematics are to you.

I bought my CPO F31 planning to keep it for well over a decade. Just a few years into my ownership, I lost all telematics when AT&T 3G was shut down nationwide. To its discredit, BMW did not offer a 4G retrofit for my car. As it happens, I owned it for a few more years, annoyingly without telematics, until events intervened.

One wonders when 4G will be shut down.

Even if 4G is not shut down anytime soon, 5G is substantially faster, and is more up to date.

Of course, if you plan to own the car for only a few years, none of this may matter to you.

[VinceH]

Thank you for the replies.

To confirm I'm looking to buy used so Warranty is only in play to a certain extent if I went for the 2024.

Im intrigued to know what the issue is with the newer version with the auto climate control?

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by VinceH

Thank you for the replies.

To confirm I'm looking to buy used so Warranty is only in play to a certain extent if I went for the 2024.

Im intrigued to know what the issue is with the newer version with the auto climate control?

If you rely on the automatic climate control already there may not be much of an issue. I have never found an automatic system that can adequately change and adjust for the varying conditions inside a car, so I adjust my system manually. For me there are too many variables. In particular the varying angles of the sun as the car changes position as you drive and also the intensity of the sun throughout the day. In Essex that may be a small issue.

[BMWbiker]

Originally Posted by VinceH

Thank you for the replies.

To confirm I'm looking to buy used so Warranty is only in play to a certain extent if I went for the 2024.

Im intrigued to know what the issue is with the newer version with the auto climate control?

I suppose that it depends on the car and the person.

With my new G26, the climate settings are mostly set-and-forget thus far. When it’s cold outside, I precondition the car when I remember, and I enter a warm car. When I forget, the car gets the heated seats and steering wheel going immediately, and the heat as soon as the engine starts to get warm. The car then turns down the heat, seat, and steering wheel automatically.

The big exception is defrost. There are front and rear defroster physical buttons. That said, preconditioning turns on the rear and (I think) front defroster, until I activate drive-ready state or turn on the engine.

Today was the first warm day since I bought the car. When I entered the preconditioned car, the a/c was blowing, as was the ventilated seat. I was happy.

For those who like to fiddle with the controls, they will prefer an older car with more rudimentary controls.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by RockCrusher

Of course if both the 2022 and 2024 are used newer is better still applies.

Why isn't anyone discussing the mileage driven on these cars? I would seriously consider a 22 with very low miles over a 24 that has a much higher number on the odometer.

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

Why isn't anyone discussing the mileage driven on these cars? I would seriously consider a 22 with very low miles over a 24 that has a much higher number on the odometer.

I didn't see any mileage numbers for either the 2022 or 2024 cars.

At some point a low miles 2022 could be the better choice over a high miles 2024.

But in the case of either car I would be looking for rather low mileage examples. Thus the biggest difference would be the MY.

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by VinceH

Thank you for the replies.

To confirm I'm looking to buy used so Warranty is only in play to a certain extent if I went for the 2024.

Im intrigued to know what the issue is with the newer version with the auto climate control?

While I am not a fiddler with the climate controls when I do have to interact with the climate controls I dislike having to do so through a touch screen.

I'm old school and like buttons/knobs. At least for the climate controls.

As I believe I mentioned in a previous post I did adapt to the lack of dedicated climate control buttons/knobs but I am glad my M8 has these.

[JABCAT]

Originally Posted by VinceH

Im intrigued to know what the issue is with the newer version with the auto climate control?

On the '22s you can program specific temps for your heated seats & steering wheel to activate, like 55 degrees, 50 degrees, etc. That feature is gone in the '24s. If it's cold and I remote start the car, the heated steering wheel may activate, but most times doesn't. Not once with temps below 45 degrees have my heated seats activated when remote starting the car. Rarely do they even turn on automatically when driving in cold temps, although they have turned on when it was 70 degrees outside

Another issue with with the auto climate control is say I have my heated seats set to medium (low, medium, high & very high are the settings), and want to manually turn them down to low - it won't let you. It'll let you change to high or very high while the "auto program" is running, but not low. Makes no sense. There is also no indicator to tell you what setting the heated seats are on (1 red light, 2 red lights, 3 red lights) like in every other vehicle. When the heated seats are on you just have a red seat with 3 wavy lines below it regardless of intensity setting.

Mine also keeps turning on "auto recirculate" no matter how many times I set that to be off.

Everything in iDrive 8/8.5 (in the '24s) takes more steps than it did in iDrive 7 in the '22s. This example may not pertain to you but to go from Comfort Mode to Sport Mode in my '23 M2, I need to press Mode then turn the dial to Sport then click the dial to select. In my wife's '22 X3MC, I simply hit Mode once and it changed to Sport. 3 steps vs 1 step for the same function.

Finding specific settings in iDrive 8/8.5 also takes much longer/more steps than finding the same settings in iDrive 7. It's as if software programmers don't actually drive the vehicles for which they're programming.

That said, I'd live with the aggravation of the iDrive in the '24 for longer warranty & free maintenance for 3/36.

[brianeck]

I have a 2022 m340i. Ive probably had like 5 different loaners for service and when a pothole mauled my suspension, and when I get one with the giant screen and touch screen I really dislike it.

Physical controls for the climate stuff are way better. Plus the "secret" programmable buttons in the radio numbers are all custom programmed to my most common things.

Call my mom on 1.

Tire pressure on 2.

Reengage "synchronize" for the w zones on 3

Lighting led color controls on 4

Navigate home on 5

Navigate to work on 6

Those things are so incredibly fast and helpful, and I never even have to go into a menu to do any of them. I will REALLY miss the shortcut buttons.

2022 all the way if its low mileage.

XHp tune will make it drive like a dream. FEMTO unlock if you want a big boost in speed.

[spielnicht]

Get a 24 X3. You get the best of both worlds: the better interior and the better warranty. Done.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by spielnicht

Get a 24 X3. You get the best of both worlds: the better interior and the better warranty. Done.

Please don't take this the wrong way as that is not my intention. Your suggestion is like someone asking you what is the best steak to order in a restaurant and you suggesting they eat the chicken instead. It is quite obvious that the OP was not interested in buying an SUV.

[taco1933]

I did this last month. A dealership close to me had two 340’s, a ‘22 in mineral white with about 25k miles and a ‘24 in Brooklyn grey with about 20k miles. I just about could’ve flipped a coin. They drove the same. That’s why I went with the ‘22. The ‘24 wasn’t worth the premium to me.

If some of the variables had been different I could have gone the other way. Since you obviously can’t special order a used car, I’d let it come down to the specifics of what’s available. If you find a ‘22 that was a custom order that somebody babied, I wouldn’t pass on it to get a ‘24 lease spec owned by a non-car person. Or vice versa.

[STi from DSM]

Originally Posted by spielnicht

Get a 24 X3. You get the best of both worlds: the better interior and the better warranty. Done.

I thought this myself and bought a 2020 X3MC and hated it. Worst car I ever owned.

[JABCAT]

Originally Posted by STi from DSM

I thought this myself and bought a 2020 X3MC and hated it. Worst car I ever owned.

Wife has a '22 X3MC, probably the best SUV we've ever owned

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by JABCAT

Wife has a '22 X3MC, probably the best SUV we've ever owned

Don't forget that the OP was not asking about getting an SUV.

[G30M]

i went into the shop to buy an X3 M40i, I walked out of the shop buying an M340i Touring. one was like driving a truck (but it was spacious), one was like driving a race car (but not very spacious).

22 vs 24 is same but different. I'd get the one in better condition for the price.

[Ricochet48]

Originally Posted by G30M

i went into the shop to buy an X3 M40i, I walked out of the shop buying an M340i Touring. one was like driving a truck (but it was spacious), one was like driving a race car (but not very spacious).

22 vs 24 is same but different. I'd get the one in better condition for the price.

I wish the 3 series touring options were available in the US. We get no wagon love in general as everyone unfortunately prefers SUVs.