BMW M240i xDrive Fast Fleet test – 12,000 miles in the six-cylinder coupe

The M240i xDrive is not a trackday car. It’s not even a full-blown M division car. The cynical might call it a marketing exercise. However, just a couple of laps of Bedford Autodrome shatter that notion and ram home a growing realisation that nothing seems outside the comfort zone of this remarkably complete coupe. Stranger still is that I’d spent the rest of that day – battling pelting rain, drizzle and finally a bit of sunshine – in an M4 CSL. The new hardcore road-racer had scrapped with our ravaged tarmac for hours and even on track it didn’t seem to have the grip and traction to make the most of its lunatic engine. Jumping into the M240i was a breath of fresh air. Composed, balanced and still sharp enough to feel right at home, it made the M4 CSL feel ragged and a bit silly.

This was just one of many days amongst the thousands of miles we covered together where the M240i xDrive, in glorious Thundernight Metallic, worked deeper and deeper beneath my skin. Looking back I didn’t ‘do’ much with the car. No epic European drives (Dickie Meaden took care of that, borrowing it for a trip to Switzerland to avoid facing snow in ‘his’ Maserati Ghibli Trofeo), just a handful of laps on track and no early morning missions across moors or through valleys. The M240i was just a car doing everyday things. But I grew to love it.

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That fantastically potent straight-six (369bhp, 396lb ft). A chassis that felt relaxed yet alert in the softest settings but could be transformed by ratcheting up through Sport mode and into Sport Plus. And the superb xDrive system. There’s no gimmicky rear-drive mode here, but the beautifully judged four-wheel drive possessed so many of the attributes of a traditional BMW, married to wickedly addictive traction to pull you out of slides and fast-forward to the next challenge. I wouldn’t quite say every drive became an event, but every journey was populated by opportunities to cut loose and have some real fun. 

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In terms of the day-to-day stuff, everything was easy and seamless. The smooth, punchy engine would regularly return over 30mpg and sometimes close to 40. The big and smaller kids often stuffed into the rear seats rarely complained (although I would have to shift the driver’s seat a little further forward than ideal), the infotainment and menu systems all worked clearly and looked good, and wireless Apple CarPlay worked about 97 per cent of the time. Maybe 98. My only real complaint on that front was the requirement to turn off Lane Assist before every single journey. Luckily, it was just a press and hold of a button on the centre console… but even so, deeply annoying. However, compared to so many cars the interface was a joy. It was a completely painless, high-quality car to live with in all weathers. 

There will be many screaming ‘BUT WHAT ABOUT THE WEIGHT?’ And there’s no denying the M240i xDrive is a dense car. BMW claims 1690kg and we weighed it at 1695kg with a full tank of fuel. Do you feel it? On occasion, yes. In Comfort mode the body can run away from the springs at times and once it’s out of phase any braking or cornering inputs betray the sheer heft. But honestly, I almost never drove it in Comfort and often chose the aggressive Sport Plus mode. So configured the car is stiff and the steering a little bit too ‘sticky’ in feel, but the response and agility are fantastic and the rear-drive feeling of the chassis is further enhanced. 

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Compared to the RS3 I ran previously, the BMW is just a sweeter thing to drive. You’re aware of the mass but you can sense it’s in the right places and the car feels fluid – building on those natural ingredients where the RS3 is forever fighting its front-heavy architecture. The way it resists understeer, slips so progressively into a tail-led balance and indulges the driver so accurately is a real treat. There’s something of the latest M3 or M4 xDrives here, but with lower grip levels you can experience the ultimate balance so much more readily. No roundabout or clear-sighted corner goes begging, such is the confidence this car conveys. The Pirelli tyres aren’t actually that good in standing water but the talent of the chassis shines through. A dual-clutch ’box instead of the auto would make it an even sharper experience.  

As you can tell, the M240i xDrive and I got along famously. Funnily enough my initial reaction to the car was that it felt a little out of sorts. Steering either too light and inconsistent or too heavy and dull, ride quality always a bit unsettled but the car lacking precision. Yet this faded quickly. It really is a fantastic all-rounder. Stonkingly fast, highly entertaining, oozing quality and not hampered by baffling UI. The M240i xDrive isn’t cheap at £43,995 basic (£48,065 as tested) but it covers a lot of bases. Having this as your only car that has to fulfil daily duties, the odd UK trackday and maybe an annual weekend trip to the Ring sounds no hardship at all. Like an M3 of old, I suppose.

This story was first featured in evo issue 309.