The cost of new cars is getting almost silly. If you want a well-equipped BMW M240i xDrive, it’ll cost you damn-near $60,000. While the M240i is a good car, is it really $60,000 good? To find out, the hosts of Everyday Driver put the M240i up against a used 991-generation Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, which costs about the same.
At first glance, this seems like a pretty unfair comparison. The Porsche 911 started out life as a six-figure sports car, whereas the M240i is just a powerful version of the 2 Series coupe. So if you can get both for similar money, who would buy the M240i? Admittedly, you’ll be hard pressed to find a 991-gen 911 for $60,000 (I only found a few in the U.S and even fewer with decent mileage) but if you can, the 911 seems like a no-brainer. Or is it?
Frankly, of course it is. The Porsche 911 Carrera S uses a naturally aspirated flat-six engine to make 400 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. That’s more power than the BMW M240i’s 382 horsepower, but less torque than its 369 lb-ft, from its 3.0-liter turbocharged I6. Despite how close their are in power figures, the M240i is likely faster in the real world, due to its turbocharged low-end torque. That said, the 911’s engine is freer revving, it sounds better, and it can even be had with a manual transmission, something the M240i cannot (although, the car in the video uses a PDK dual-clutch auto).
It’s no surprise that the two hosts prefer the 911 to drive. It’s just the better car, which is why it’s double the money when brand new. However, the video does point to the age old question, of whether you should buy a new sports car or an older used one, as you can find better values on the used market.
That’s obvious, though, as used cars will always be better values than new cars, due to their depreciation hits. So it’s nothing new to say and older, more expensive sports car is better to drive than a new 2 Series. However, when that used sports car is a Porsche 911, the value proposition becomes even better and more intriguing. The BWM M240i is a good car; it’s fast, good looking,…
