Paging moldcad who has both.
I think he would disagree with that comment earlier about interior quality.
I went with the Golf R and was cross-shopping with the 228i at the time. If budget allowed, I would've went with the M235i. For me, there was no getting around what an absolute bargain the Golf R is in Canada (I believe it's cheaper here than anywhere else in the world). I also love the hatch utility and the shorter length allows me to fit into tight spaces living in a major city. Pretty much the only complaints I have that still bug me are lack of sunroof in North American Rs, and FWD-biased AWD. Would much rather have slight on-throttle oversteer than lift-off oversteer. Wouldn't get the Focus RS with its low-rent interior though. Overall, really happy with my decision. Still occasionally lust after the M235i/M240i though.
I've done slight cosmetic mods to liven up the rather understated stock appearance.
https://www.instagram.com/ko7_mk7r/