Quote:
Originally Posted by danimal
Would be interesting to compare 5-60 rolling start times in Car and Driver between the 135is and M235i, but I don't think they've tested a 6MT for the M235i yet. Still, we at least know that the manual 135is did it in 5.2, and the automatic M235i did it in 5.1. Given that the automatic has more ratios and is known to be faster compared with the manual, I'd say the M235i probably is a hair slower.
I currently have an E90 328i w/ sport package and a 228i sport line (both manual) in my garage, and I can basically echo your sentiments that BMWs seem to be getting softer and less performance focused. That said, I do not prefer driving the E90. The 2 Series suspension is definitely softer, but the handling still manages to be excellent. The one thing I prefer on the E90 is the steering feel when I push the car in the twisties. At low speeds, though, the E90's steering just feels unnecessarily heavy.
Obviously, my situation is different. My 328i is seven years old, and it feels it. You went up a bit in size, I went down more than a bit in size. You have 300+ HP, I have 230+ HP. So, not really the same, but I definitely feel like my overall enjoyment of my 2 Series is as high as I've experienced in a new car.
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Valuable insight if you ask me - if you look at my sig you can see I had two E92 328i and those were awesome cars in their own rights. Always felt underpowered to some extent, but definitely had the signature BMW "feel", especially in the way the steering provided feedback.
The thing to remember is that I didn't say or mean to imply that the M235 "lost" or was smoked in any way - but it was definitely slower. Different drivers, same roads...which doesn't even matter that much to me. My main gripe is that an older, less attractive 1er still
feels more engsging and sporty to me. That was something I had forgotten until yesterday.
Perhaps remorse is the wrong way to explain it...but the M235 is definitely missing something that the N54 135 had.
Remember, I had an N54 135, but then I had an N55 135 before getting the 2er. I have never liked the N55. It doesn't feel as strong down low and doesn't seem to pull with the same urgency as the N54 did.
With that being said, I would like to compare at some higher speeds - the M235 has always felt very strong above 100 MPH...