The BMW B58 engine is regarded as the best engine BMW has ever made, and for good reason. They sandbag their power output. I'm easily able to get over 30mpg cruising on the highway in my m340i, and this is a car bred for the autobahn. Truly the best.
I nearly went with an X3 M40i with the B58 but decided I wanted to go crazy and so I got the X3M Competition with the glorious S58 motor. Don’t regret a thing. I have driven the M340i with xDrive and boy was it a linear fun fun car to drive. I won’t get nearly that gas mileage in my M though haha although I work from home and am not going to cry about the mileage only driving it once or twice a week.
They are both amazing vehicles, but I personally would take the M340i without a doubt. Best performance, handling, infotainment. If you want a super comfortable sleeper with a nice design and excellent acceleration, and want to save some more money, the S60 is definitely a great choice. We have an S60 T5, and it's a wonderful car!
So I have this exact volvo. I drive 36 miles to and from work and can do that on all electric. I have averaged around 1100 miles per tank of gas over the first 2 fill ups. Insane. I agree that the bmw handling is better for sure. Acceleration is a wash as they are both around 4 seconds and 12-13 1/4. BMW is slightly faster but the Volvo is very fun to drive especially with the polestar tune. The Volvo also qualified for the full $7500 tax rebate. Reliability of the Volvo concerns me slightly because of so much going on. Either way both great vehicles.
@@seanm3ify no issues. The first few runs of the T8’s had some issues but I think they have figured it out. Thankfully it’s been all good. It’s an absolute rocket when it’s fully charged.
I also have this exact Volvo, also with the Polestar tune, and can confirm it's amazing. Regarding the tax rebate, the $7500 is all but gone though, unless Volvo drops the price a grand or two. There's a hard cap of $55k for sedans, and of the three specs (base, plus, and ultimate) the base is the only one under that, but you'll never find that. The plus is a grand or so over that with no additional options, but it's definitely the lowest trim I'd go for this car. And yes the BMW felt more fun to drive in the corners from my limited test drives, but if you do more city driving the money you'll save on gas over the life of the car really starts to add up, and even moreso if you can charge it. But yeah acceleration wise the cars are so close, with the BMW barely beating it 0-60 but the Volvo barely beating the BMW 60-80 (for highway passing) One thing to note is you get the one peddle driving with the Volvo, something you can't get on the BMW. As a result, even in the Power/Polestar mode, the car "feels" a bit more like a manual in the way the accelerator works. Definitely something to consider if you like that; the automatic of the BMW isn't bad but the peddle feel definitely is somehow better on the Volvo because of it.
On the Volvo, the Google assistant can do all of the functions that you would like to have buttons. Just say “hey Google turn on the drivers seat heater” and it turns on. The ultimate hands free experience.
Yeah, and until the system glitches (it inevitably does from time to time just like any car. I have integrated climate controls in my screen in my vehicle as well and I wish it didn’t.
Question if you able to reply. I am 75 years old. Owns Volvo S60s most of my adult life, I also Owned Corvettes most of my adult life. A 760 Turbo Sedan saved my life as it was totaled and I walked away. 3 of my Corvettes were supercharged, 2 were 427. My two rides today are 2018 Volvo S60 T5 AWD Polestar with 18,800 miles for my wife AND a 2014 Corvette Z51 with 12,500 for me. I am getting to the point that a rowdy, ruff ride, noisy hard to get in and out corvette is wearing on me. And 8 years into retirement one car may not be to bad if it s the right car. I did try a Chevy SS from Australia the 2015 LS3, 6 speed auto with Mag shocks BUT the rea of the car was soo big I felt like i was pulling a trailer. Sold it for this 2014 Corvette, which I like a lot, BUT. I keep hearing about the 455 HP T8 S60 and o-60 in 4 seconds! And its cropped rear end. I know from my wifes cars the S60 is a great driver but with the Hybrid AWD and 455 HP well now. That just sounds good to me. So My big question is with the two cars I have I can trade for a 2023 used S60 T8 with 2,000 miles on it and have $7,500 left over. Should I consider a 70s Hobby Corvette, or a 2000 C5 Cruise. That is my question. I believe as good the the T8 Drives with 455 and 75 MPG Hybrid I will be in love with it. I will miss vented seats and Mag Shocks But small sacrifices for such a drivers car don;t you think. Dennis
Nice comparison. I looked at them both (as station wagons). I prefer the engine and the steering of the BMW, but after one ride in the polestar Engineering Volvo that fell away. I prefer the stealth character, the looks in general , the seats and the dashboard of the Volvo. On top of that because of CO2 taxes, the beamer is 30k more expensive. So now on the waiting list for my T8 PE.
I got the 2023 V60 Recharge a few weeks ago and I totally agree having made the same choice between them. When you need it to be it's a chill efficient comfy hybrid or even a full EV for most commutes. Then when you want to open it up flip it into polestar mode and wind it out. If you plug it in overnight you still get really good fuel economy even mixing in performance driving and longer non-ev trips. Averaging about 70MPG so far after 2500 miles
Waiting for our insurance company to get back with us but we had a non hybrid XC60 volvo and assuming it was totaled, will be getting the XC90 recharge. Also... I ended up ordering an M340i to step into in a couple months when my Tesla lease is up and yeah.. those options definitely drive up the price. Mine all in was around $73K. I considered a used 2019~2020 M3 comp but I want the creature comforts like adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist and stuff like that. I never take my car to the track and I've rarely used even a fraction of the power my Tesla has.
You cannot get heated rear seats in the LCI 3-Series, but you could before the refresh. BMW removed the option due to the chip shortage. Likewise, Volvo removed the 4-zone climate control that was available on the S60 when it first came out due to the same chip shortage. That’s why there’s no longer a screen back there.
I keep waiting for Volvo to do a refresh on their cabin. The infotainment system is lacking, IMO. Yeah they tried to update it with adding Google Assistant but it still looks and feels like it did when it was introduced in the 20teens all be it a tad snappier.
Volvo : If you like music those Bowers & Wilkins stereos are just so much better than H&K If you want smooth ride with enough power and flexibility Volvo is a great one. Got S60 T8 Polestar and it is just marvelous machine that you could drive for hours without getting bored. It might not be "true sports car" but for everyday drive it is just so efficient and quiet you forget all that stuff in no time. BMW : Fun to drive and with more sporty handling. Have driven 330 and my dad currently have 530 G30 but Volvo just makes quality interiors. Not that BMW is bad but for the same money Volvo just does it better. More sporty sounds but in many countries it can cost over 20 000 more than Volvo S60 T8 (even the Polestar edition). If you want aggressive car then BMW is your go but if you want classy elegant cruiser with some power and superb stereos then Volvo might be for you. PS: You get used to the 2000kg Volvo in a week. Sure if you drive it along with 340i it might feel "heavy" but if you drive it as your only car most of the time you forget it in no time.
100% agree. I got to a lot of bmw meets locally and see the G80/ G82 M3/ M4 and I gotta say I am still not a fan of that front end it is starting to grow on me a little but would I buy one, HELL NAW 😂
@@emaadmirza Sadly I've never driven the S4/S5, but I did drive a new A4 in the trim you mentioned. I loved the AWD system, it could actually slide the rear end out if you were turning and went full throttle. Not that anyone would ever do that... I did wish it had more power, but to be fair I feel that way about 85% of vehicles.
@@emaadmirzaI had an S5. It was definitely not underpowered. It was very powerful! I kept up with much higher rated horsepower cars, and it had very strong acceleration.
Current owner of Genesis 2022 g70 rwd 3.3. It will be slower than bmw i340, if you are up to the 0-60. Not much, but slower. Suspension in Genesis is not as good as a German competitor as well. You can get top loaded 2025 g70 for 58-59k which is a bargain. From a technology standpoint Genesis is great. From a tune standpoint - it has good potential. Level 2 for example will give you 80-100 extra HP. Even by removing throttle delay you can wake up this car (google - sprint booster) Unfortunately, here in California, the dealership experience is awful. Long wait time for appointments and just duchy dealers. They are not willing to resolve any issues . The maintenance schedule is weird. Nothing luxury about it even though Genesis is considered a luxury brad for Hyundai. This is one of the reasons why I will turn in my car at the end of the lease and will not be coming back to Genesis.
lol both cars are known to be unreliable, but if you know about cars like I do, anything is possible. It’s really all about understanding the science behind each brand and type of vehicle. Once you figure that out. 😆
The Volvo is generally more reliable in the long term. The engine is VERY simple compared to the overengineered BMW engine, which makes it easier and cheaper to fix if things go wrong. The only problems I heard were happening were with the infotainment, which I've also heard have been ironed out in new models. The Volvo should last you AT LEAST 200k miles with no issues. I wouldn't be so sure about the BMW. They don't have the reputation for reliability or cheap repairs.
@sledgedragon2677 I thought Volvo is using both turbo changer and supercharger in the same engines in some applications, which would make it more complex than BMW or Audi, no?
The BMW is faster 0-60 despite the Volvo having more power, simply because it's so much lighter. But highway the Volvo is a hair faster. But really both are so close you really couldn't tell without having them side-by-side.
@greg true, but I’m not sure how the modern Volvos compare long term. I do know that bmw is now ranked much higher than Volvo for initial quality, but I guess time will tell.
@@seanm3ify I haven’t driven the m340i but have driven a few other BMW’s. For me it’s not about how they drive it’s about how much money I’m giving to the mechanic every year. I’m on my fourth Volvo and they have been very good to me.
@@gregkramer5588 put well. the bmw is definitely said to be sportier and more fun but many people confuse that to mean this volvo isnt. its the *only* car with this level of efficiency, luxury, and performance. and atop that, its extremely affordable for its class with that tax incentive that many buyers got it for. in terms of value, that volvo is well worth it and thats before the tax incentive, or before we even consider that the features and ergonomics on the car are also ahead of any of the germans.
60k is pretty much fully loaded for that volvo, considering the tax incentive that was available, 45k is about what most people spent before taxes etc.
@@emaadmirza Yep, kind of crazy how cheap they were last year if you could find them. Sadly no more rebate due to the changes, but for the people who got them it was definitely the better option.
Fact: Prices are NOT coming down anytime soon. They are in fact going UP on NEW vehicles. Opinion: BMW will hold its value longer. Suggestion: Buy a quality pre-owned. Better suggestion: Buy something you won't flip every 3-5 years and make it something with a low maintenance history. I do love BMW. But I would not pick this particular one. However, IF my only 2 choices in the world for a vehicle were these 2, I would take the BMW.
volvo dug its own grave. How could they possibly make 400 hp car limited to 185 km/h. It's a pity couse, in my opinion, the s60 is the most beatiful sedan nowdays. Nobody wuold buy a sporty car limited, it's ridiculous!! i'd prefer alfa giulia and bmw 3.
@@zaarkeru3391 Not very often but if you buy a car like that you'd like sometime to give it all out. otherwise you don't get a sporty car, you go fo suv
@@andrealeone2661 Well, from driving the new s60 t8 recharge, i can tell you its not sporty xD Its a comfy cruiser, regardless how much volvo might want to believe its sporty. Its built for putting on that adaptive cruise and chill. The bmw is way superior as a sporty car, not even compareable. The analogy of the volvo would be that it is a european muscle car
@@zaarkeru3391 I agree. I drive S60 t5 and it's not limited. If I knew it was limited I wouldn't buy it. I'm sorry that my next new car won't be an other s 60 because of that
Honestly, I was shocked how fuel efficient my m340i x drive is on the highway. Of course, If I’m driving aggressively it’s not great. But I can easily get mid to high 30s mpg cruising at 75 or 80mph. Crazy to get that from a nearly 400hp awd vehicle!
Really depends on how you look at it. City driving even without charging the Volvo is so much better. Highway you can get similar numbers MPG to the BMW. But once you add in the electric option, it's really not a competition at that point, the Volvo wins hands down, especially for city.
These new Volvo sedans (3rd gen S60, S90) finally look like sharp and professional executive sedans. Squared off grill and clean body lines. Even ties over to the polestar 1 and looks great.
Just about everything on an M340i is an optional extra. Start adding the things you desire and you're quickly into high 60k range. Volvo offers more value in my opinion. Better looking car too.
S60 is closer to a 5 series competitor though, rather than a 3 series. i know prices are similar, but like for like, the 3 series is more a competitor to the S/V40
I'm not sure I really agree with that. I haven't driven the 3-Series, but I did drive the S60 and it doesn't feel like a huge car. According to Google, the wheelbase of the S60 is less than an inch larger (113.1″ vs 112.2″). Maybe if I drove the BMW I'd feel differently?
I live in Europe and I wish I could afford to buy one of these cheap "low" quality chinese car... Their quality is now way much higher than some US and europeans brands actually. Regards
I can't wait to see how the ionic 6 compares to cars like this. I bet more performance for 20k less money. The market is so upside down right now, EVs are really expensive or really cheap just depending on what you want to compare them to. Either way I couldn't imagine spending 60k plus for a plug in/hybrid In 2023, the only valid reason is you road trip 1000 miles every month IMO.
I believe the Ioniq 6 will be from about $45k-60k. A fair amount less. If I drove enough to justify it I would put one on order. But I am only about 7k miles per year.
its not easy charging your car, a phev beidges the gap but I do agree that evs would suffice most peoples needs more than they can imagine. i would personally still pay that extra 45$ a month or so for the security from a phev over an ev for my personal life
@Emaad Mirza I own a PHEV, and a traditional hybrid, if I would have been more realistic with my use case I would have just bought a full EV instead of the hybrid. With a level 2 charger my PHEV goes from 0 battery range to full charge in about 3-4 hrs in my driveway.
@@gregkramer5588 i charge my phev in the garage but when i have to do an important trip thats 150 miles each way its not possible, eapecially with urban areas charging 50cents/kwh… much more expensive than gas for my use case. many people i know have apartments or condos with no charging infrastructure. theres a marker for these for a reason and having a garage is luxury