Quote:
Originally Posted by tke743
Long story short I injured my knee and was forced move to an automatic from a stick. My beloved '04 ZHP had to go, but I'm happy she found a good home and I found a good replacement.
Lets break this down into different parts of the car as a whole.
Steering - Lets get this one over with. The steering on the 2 are very different. The ZHP had that old, "tried and true" BMW feeling. The weighting was perfect and the "not too heavy, not to light" aspect at all speeds was awesome. The M235i on the other hand is different. Is is not actually a negative as people say, but different. More accurate, lighter. The new weighting took some getting used to. Now that I have gotten used to it, I like it. There is no loss of feedback, you just need to calibrate.
Suspension - This was always the ZHP's strong suit. It was not to hard on the road and track capable. The M235i has taken this to a whole new level. When in comfort, it is smooth as silk (even on frost heaved roads in the northeast). When in sport or Sport+ is will out corner the ZHP, even in the snow.
Engine - The ZHP had a sweet mill for it's time. Fun to drive. But the M235i's mill is OMG.
Transmission - (Note that although I bought an auto, I test drove the stick 2x) The ZHP had the best 6 speed box I've ever used. Great weight, short throw, etc. The M235i's shifter was about 9/10 as good. The throw was too long.
The 8 speed auto is a revelation. If auto's were always this good, there would be less of us screaming for sticks. (That said, I will miss it even if it is medically not an option anymore.)
Exterior - This is subjective. I like the look of both
Interior - The M235i has it all over the ZHP. The ZHP had a nice interior and was uncluttered, but it is just short so many modern things.
Toys - See interior.
Summary - All in all, I kept the ZHP for 10 years. I always told BMW that I would buy a new car when they made a better one. So I bought a new one. I would have bought the M235i even if I hadn't hurt my knee, it just would have been stick.
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