I was able to find a (somewhat) nearby dealer with both a 228i Sport Line and a M235i in stock. I was really happy to find a dealer with that combo, since it would allow me to compare the non-adaptive M Sport suspension with the adaptive one on the M235i.
Unfortunately, both cars were automatics.
The M235i had paddle shifters, but the 228i Sport line did not. While the BMW automatic is sportier than the one on my Ford Fusion, I still can't imagine driving a car like this without a manual transmission.
(Oh, speaking of the Fusion, there's probably going to be a lot of comparisons to the Fusion in this post, since it's my daily driver--apologies if that bothers anyone.)
I drove the 228i Sport Line first (I always prefer to drive the slower car first since I think it makes it easier to determine how much of an upgrade the faster car is giving you). I found myself immediately liking the size of the car. It's small enough to feel compact and tossable (unlike my Fusion), but isn't claustrophobia inducing (unlike, say, a Lotus Exige, or even a Porsche Cayman, for that matter).
I really liked that the 228i has more of a conventional profile instead of being a super sleek sports car. Why? Because the 228i actually has decent outward visibility! When I test drove a Cayman, I felt like I was viewing the world through a postage slot. I didn't have that feeling in the 228i.
I found the sport seats comfortable enough. They definitely weren't overly tight (unlike on the Ford Focus ST I test drove recently). But these were the power seats with adjustable bolsters--I'm not sure that the manual sport seats (which is what I would get) have the same adjustability.
Overall, though, I can see where the criticisms of cheapness arise in regards to the 228i's interior. The hard plastic on the center console, in particular, is pretty low-rent. And while the red plastic highlights on the dash that come with the Sport Line add some welcome color, they also look kind of cheap. And the way that the iDrive screen sprouts out of the dash like an aftermarket kit from Pep Boys is not exactly my favorite design feature, either.
Honestly, the interior on my Fusion looks better. But the 228i's interior is certainly not "econo car" grade, nor is it enough to put me off from buying the car.
So, how does it drive? Very nicely! It didn't take me long to realize that the 4 cylinder in the 228i is all the power I need. It's got plenty of oomph for passing on the highway, will push you nicely back into your seat if you floor it from a stoplight, and it will easily kick the tail out if you pound on the gas while turning with the traction control off (which I may have done once or twice on my test drive
).
I have to say, though, that the engine note is pretty uninspiring. Not *bad*, per se, but just not something that would make me really look forward to revving the engine (unlike the Lotus Evora I drove last year...say what you will about that thing having a Toyota engine, it still sounds fantastic). The turbo 4 in the 228i honestly didn't sound too different from the turbo 4 in my Fusion.
Luckily, the engine is so muted most of the time, it's not too much of an issue. In fact, the 228i is pretty quiet in general. Not as quiet as my Fusion, but compared to something like a Lancer Evolution, it's a library. And that is one of it's big selling points for me. Maybe I'm a bit odd, but I actually prefer my performance cars to be on the quiet side.
The non-adaptable suspension definitely seemed to be something I could live with. It was firm enough to inspire confidence in the twisties, but not so punishing that you wanted to escape the car after 20 minutes. I can see where someone who wanted a more track-oriented car would find it a bit soft, though.
The steering I thought was...good. It had nice weighting to it, but I can see where folks complain about the lack of feedback. It's not perfect (my old RX-8 definitely had better steering), but I don't think that it's something that would put me off from buying the car.
I didn't get a chance to play with the stereo much (it had the base one), but it seemed decent. Definitely better than the piece of junk that is the Cayman's base stereo. And I confirmed that you can play audio through the USB port (I was worried I'd have to get the Tech Package to do that).
Overall, I liked the 228i a lot, and I felt pretty sure that I didn't need to step up to the M235i.
Of course, I still test drove the M235i, anyway.
The M235i had the Aluminum Hexagon interior trim. That looked so much better than the High-Gloss Black trim in the Sport Line--it really added some style to the interior. I don't see a point to getting the carbon fiber interior bits when the Aluminum Hexagon looks so good. Luckily, it's available on a 228i if you get the M Sport Line.
The M235i also, of course, had the adaptable suspension. Now, I said above that I could definitely live with the non-adaptable suspension. And that's true. But, for $1K, I'm definitely tempted to spring for the adaptable suspension. In Sport mode, it seems as stiff as the non-adaptable suspension, but it rides much, much better in Comfort mode. And the roads in my area are not in the best shape.
The other big difference with the M235i is the engine. But I just did not feel or hear enough of a difference to be even slightly tempted by it. I'm sure that, after living with a 228i for a while, I could more easily spot the differences, but the back-to-back test drives tell me that there isn't a night-and-day difference between them, which there would have to be to justify the upgrade to me.
So, that's my story. Now I'm just playing around with the configurator to figure out what options I need on my 228i.
