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      06-21-2014, 02:29 PM   #1
hoyasaxa
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March 2017 EDIT:
My lease is up in June, and I'll be returning the car and getting an M2 (provided everything goes smoothly). I may at some point write a review of my "ownership" but if anyone has questions, I'll gladly answer them.

-------


Just wanted to share some impressions now that I've had the car for a full week.

Consumption:
I burned through the dealer-filled tank relatively quickly, didn't bother to calculate since it was mystery gas and the trip hadn't been reset. I filled it up myself using shell and reset the trip. I have had a very mixed bag of driving. Lots of freeway driving with moderate traffic, some driving around town. These are a few shots of the trip computer after the morning/afternoon commutes:

[img]http://s5.postimg.org/xtgdmo4tv/IMG_5604.jpg[/img][img]http://s5.postimg.org/kqkr3eelv/IMG_5655.jpg[/img][img]http://s5.postimg.org/u8ki3g0ab/IMG_5658.jpg[/img]

I filled up today and calculated by hand. I filled it up to the cutoff and then topped off just to make sure it was actually full. Probably .05 or .1 gallon wasted by doing that, but worth it on a new car to learn how the tank fills.
When calculated by hand on a full tank I averaged 31.4 mpg. I am very impressed with that.


Transmission / Throttle
The 8AT is phenomenal. The fact that its capable of full lockup is obvious in how it behaves. Every time I've thought "let's have a bit of fun" I am blown away by how good this transmission is. I am scared to say it, but it may be better than the DSG in my GTI, which is widely regarded as one of the best dual-clutch transmissions available. When driving in sport (or in manual mode while in sport) changes under acceleration are instant and hard (in a good way, not a bone-jarring way).

I'm trying to behave myself and keep it below around 4k revs during break-in, but the combination of throttle response and the transmission in sport mode means the engine revs quickly and happily. I can barely wait to really wring it out once break-in is over.

Sound
I am waiting for an E-net cable or for someone on here to confirm whether we have active sound. I do not believe that I have read anywhere that the exhaust profile changes based on the car being in sport mode. However, the sound of the engine is clearly better when you are in sport. So, whether that's just because I happen to rev higher/quicker, or because active sound kicks in, I don't know. However, when you do hear the sound, it's nice.

At freeway speeds the car is quiet. It is significantly quieter than my GTI was. However, it's also not quite so quiet as other BMW/Mercedes vehicles I've been in. Part of that may be the RFTs

Suspension (M Sport)
I am loving the suspension. It is more firm than my GTI and it also absorbs road imperfections better. I feel more confident driving this car.

Speed
It's fast. It just is. I'm impressed with it while trying to behave myself during break-in. I can only imagine what this thing is going to feel like at WOT going through the gears.

Also, at least in comfort (not so much in eco pro) it will effortlessly cruise at 80mph on the freeway. It gets there swiftly, stays there comfortably, and is quiet.

Trunk
It's huge. The first day I got the car I had to load bags into it. I was able to fit the "large" size roller (i.e., checked bag size) and a small size "carryon" roll aboard in the trunk. There was room leftover if I had needed to squeeze soft items or bags in.
The 60/40 split is disappointing because I miss having a passthrough as with the 40/20/40. Oh well.
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Last edited by hoyasaxa; 06-21-2014 at 02:36 PM..
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      06-21-2014, 02:39 PM   #2
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I drove a 428 convertible at full throttle and it had a great sound, higher pitch then the 235 inline-6 which made it seem louder.
228 I test drove had great power - the only four cylinder engine that came close to the BMW was a Honda 2.2 four in the 1998 Prelude - these are great engines.
Enjoy the car !
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      06-21-2014, 03:48 PM   #3
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Getting 24-25 mpg with my 228 Msport and real happy with that. 16 mile commute , back roads, no freeway and driven in a ahem spirited manner ..loving my 228. Agree the zf auto is a fantastic trans but I got the manual, no regrets at all
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      06-21-2014, 07:52 PM   #4
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Mileage is very good on mine too. Only have 750 miles, so when I drive the freeway, I alternate between 7th and 8th gear to vary the RPM. Nonetheless, I got over 30mpg for 2 different trips, and this is traveling at 75-80 mph. Much better than my VW GTI, which would drop down to 26-28 if I did over 70. Sound of the engine is much more pronounced in the Sport mode as compared to Comfort. Loving the car so far.
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      06-21-2014, 09:07 PM   #5
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Hoyasaxa, you are getting me exciting for when my BMW 228i I arrives in July! I can't wait to get better gas mileage and the car sounds so much fun to drive. What is the exterior color and what is your interior color? Thank you for sharing. Congratulations! Enjoy!
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      06-21-2014, 10:18 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynn_128i View Post
Hoyasaxa, you are getting me exciting for when my BMW 228i I arrives in July! I can't wait to get better gas mileage and the car sounds so much fun to drive.
Quote:
What is the exterior color and what is your interior color?
DSB/terra ... check my sig
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      06-21-2014, 11:40 PM   #7
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hoyasaxa, I remember seeing your beautiful car when you introduced it. I love the color combination! I tested a DSB BMW 228i with black seats (love your Terra with the Fine-Wood Trim with the DSB so much!) and I loved that shade of blue!

I can't wait for my car to be here! Now I wish I took a chance with the Terra seats as they are beautiful!
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      06-22-2014, 08:52 PM   #8
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Short, sweet and to the point. Nice write up. You and most others touting the 228 have sung it's praises enough for....a really good test drive as soon as one of the '15's with track pack arrives. I'm a snob for BMW 6's but who knows???
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      06-23-2014, 08:43 PM   #9
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Hello first post here, congratulations on your 228i, that color combination looks very good. I also have an MK6 GTI and it's been an awesome car. I'm looking at leasing an MK7 GTI or a 228i with M-Sport and Track Pack but have not been able to test drive an M-Sport since there's none available. I'd like to know more on how it compares to your MK6.
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      06-23-2014, 10:23 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SHIPARCH View Post
I'd like to know more on how it compares to your MK6.
It's faster. It's quieter. The steering feels tighter. The transmission is at least as good as the DSG and the gearing is better (especially the additional two gears 7th and 8th). Consumption is better. I will say that I am not sold that the quality of interior materials is better. My GTI is an Autobahn package, and I am pretty happy with the build quality of the GTI. The infotainment /iDrive is way better than the GTI, but this is also a newer car. However, comparing iDrive to the US-poverty-spec infotainment in the MKVII, the BMW wins.

Biggest differences between the BMW and the GTI are the suspension and power delivery. In those two areas, the BMW is clearly better. I actually think the MKVI GTI is a great car, though, so it's hard to bash it. It was also over $10k less, comparably equipped.
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      06-24-2014, 06:50 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hoyasaxa View Post
It's faster. It's quieter. The steering feels tighter. The transmission is at least as good as the DSG and the gearing is better (especially the additional two gears 7th and 8th). Consumption is better. I will say that I am not sold that the quality of interior materials is better. My GTI is an Autobahn package, and I am pretty happy with the build quality of the GTI. The infotainment /iDrive is way better than the GTI, but this is also a newer car. However, comparing iDrive to the US-poverty-spec infotainment in the MKVII, the BMW wins.

Biggest differences between the BMW and the GTI are the suspension and power delivery. In those two areas, the BMW is clearly better. I actually think the MKVI GTI is a great car, though, so it's hard to bash it. It was also over $10k less, comparably equipped.
I had a Gen V GTI before getting the 228 and the previous comments are very accurate. The GTI was a very good car but aimed toward the practical side. The 228 is much faster and aimed toward the sports side. It has a distinct BMW character to it and compares well to my E36 M3.
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      06-24-2014, 10:37 AM   #12
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Interesting discussion. A different perspective: Top Gear mag's new Speed Week comparo of about a dozen performance cars has the Mk 7 Golf R ahead of the M235i.
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      06-24-2014, 11:45 PM   #13
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Quote:
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Interesting discussion.
I agree. I am cross-shopping both GTI 4 door and 228 right now. I test drove the 228 sportline on Saturday and it felt great, except of course on bumpy roads. I think the adjustable suspension might be worth it here. Only test drove the MK-VII GTI for a short drive (salesman didn't really let me drive it much), and in comfort/normal mode there was too much turbo lag. In sport mode that seemed to disappear, but I am going to try another test drive somewhere else. I think the BMW twin-scroll turbo is better in that it has less turbo lag.
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      03-02-2017, 11:04 PM   #14
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My lease is up in June, and I'll be returning the car and getting an M2 (provided everything goes smoothly). I may at some point write a review of my "ownership" but if anyone has questions, I'll gladly answer them.
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      03-03-2017, 01:58 PM   #15
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I've had my 228 since the summer of 2015 and covered a hair shy of 50k miles, all smiling. I commute 100 miles a day round trip to work and it's a blast. I don't have M Sport or Track and it's still very fun.
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      03-03-2017, 06:50 PM   #16
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I have owned my 228ix Msport vert for 9 months and absolutely love it. Estoril/oyster gets lots of compliments. It is fast and handles great for me. Mileage is very good.
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      03-04-2017, 10:08 AM   #17
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15 months on my 228 and it still puts a huge grin on my face, just thinking about it, let alone driving anyplace. Only thing close to a regret is that every so often I wonder if I should have gotten the convertible....
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      03-04-2017, 01:07 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by Maynard View Post
15 months on my 228 and it still puts a huge grin on my face, just thinking about it, let alone driving anyplace. Only thing close to a regret is that every so often I wonder if I should have gotten the convertible....
We love ours. Living at the beach a vert is a must. And it is quiet with the top up.
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      03-04-2017, 06:07 PM   #19
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Quote:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maynard View Post
15 months on my 228 and it still puts a huge grin on my face, just thinking about it, let alone driving anyplace. Only thing close to a regret is that every so often I wonder if I should have gotten the convertible....
We love ours. Living at the beach a vert is a must. And it is quiet with the top up.
Yeah I've had coupe and now vert. Vert def amps up the fun factor (and easier getting dog in and out of the back).
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      03-05-2017, 09:11 AM   #20
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Yeah I've had coupe and now vert. Vert def amps up the fun factor (and easier getting dog in and out of the back).
Golf clubs and bike are much easier to get in and out.
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