[G-Mann]

All the positive reviews is what caught my initial attention. After taking a closer look I felt it was the best Pound for pound all around choice for what I was looking for in my price range and current driving situations.

[angelbones]

Short answer: speed and low weight for good value. Longer answer: I had a Cadillac CTS coupe, which I loved for it's looks and frankly better amenities (such as vented seats, built in HDD, among other things). Also, this is my first BMW. I was practically a BMW hater, primarily because I saw sooooooooo many of them on the road. Granted, mostly 3 series sedans, but still, never crazy about them. Always been a coupe man, so the 6 series was the only one I liked, but too expensive, and too big. I did however, like the uniqueness of the 1-series which I almost considered a couple years ago, so when the 2 came out, it was better looking, and overall, a better car. Went in to look at the M235 and fell in love. Then was surprised at how much I liked the 228, especially since I could get that in Valencia orange. And to answer the original question more specifically, the 228 was faster than my CTS, MUCH better mpg than my CTS, more trunk space (and better rear headroom) than my CTS, less expensive than the CTS, and the final nail for the CTS was the fact that it was 400-500 pounds heavier and I really wanted to get into a smaller car. I don't get the oohs and ahhs as much, but I'm very happy and still get compliments, I think because there aren't very many on the roads, especially in my color.

[OpenAir]

Originally Posted by kz1000

It was available with a stick. I refuse to drive slushboxes and didn't want to buy a ponycar to get a stick.

I don't think I would call the AT a slushbox...take off your blinders as they are both great transmissions.

So to answer the Ops question, I've been looking at the Porsche for the last two years as my 55 present. I went to the Porsche World Show and drove them around the track and life was fun, excluding the fact that I also need a daily driver and the ingress and egress of the Porsche killed the deal. In the meantime I was having fun with my EOS. I saw the 1 series and didn't feel the extra money would really gain me anything over the EOS, so I started planning on an entire system upgrade. New turbo, suspension, wheels, tires, lighting...etc.

I was getting ready to dump loads of money into my EOS and after talking to some great engineers at ARP and looking at the total cost of the project, I was told I should go drive the new BMW 2 series and let go of the EOS. I drove the 228i home that night...never looking back!

[BarryJI]

To call the 2's 8AT a "slushbox" you either have to be a fool or you haven't driven it. I will give this poster the benefit of the doubt and assume he hasn't driven it.

[kz1000]

Originally Posted by BarryJI

To call the 2's 8AT a "slushbox" you either have to be a fool or you haven't driven it. I will give this poster the benefit of the doubt and assume he hasn't driven it.

Test drove it and I'm not a fool. I don't like automatics. Guess I'm old school. I call them slushboxes. Don't care if they are faster.

[BarryJI]

It's a foolish thing to call a superbly engineered, very fast-shifting, high-tech, state-of-the art 8-speed automatic transmission. You should expand your vocabulary and find another, more accurate word.

[iamdabest1]

Originally Posted by ScottSinger

What's the Maserati Ghibli like?
They look so good.

They are great daily drivers , you get way more attention than you get in any Bmw , people liked my m3's but the attention on a maserati is something else. Best thing about the maserati is the exhaust note ... Not a single Bmw comes close - especially with bmw's turbo's.
Prob with maserati is even though they are leasing well, their maintenance is outrageous and parts are on lock down .. All the independent shops I called couldn't even do an oil change which maserati wants $500.00 for !
Brakes and rotors need to be changed at 15k miles for $4,000 !! Yea , great car but not worth it .

[kz1000]

Thanks for the advice.

[e-man2]

Loved BMW since being a teen - specifically the E46 M3. Knew I'd get a bmw at some point after ripping around a bunch in a friends Z3 M-roadster.

I always liked the look of the 3 series and recently had fun driving the 1 series. When the two came out it seemed the best of both worlds with 1 series sizing and 3 series styling.

Was going to get the 228i, until I realized that adding a bunch of options to it brought it to 4k less than the 235, so went with the latter. In fact, test driving the 235, I was instantly sold and didn't even bother driving the 228, though from im reading it's no slouch either.

love this car. The fact that I'm buying this car new says a lot, as I never thought I would purchase knew again... But I need a car as my lease is expiring and I can't see myself driving anything else!

[Pinghacker]

I was looking for a car to replace my 2102 Passat which is being handed down through the family. I was primarily interested in the A3, ATS, CLA 250 and Lexus IS but wanted to shop a wide range since time was not a problem. After checking out everything on the list other than the MB, the ATS was actually in the lead.

I never have been much interested in BMWs (that were reasonably priced) because the styling just didn't do much for me. I went to the local BMW dealer to test drive a 320i anyway. As soon as I started driving, my perception of BMW changed. The car felt like a tank in a good way; it was solid. While driving with the salesman, he pointed out his M235i. I thought it looked great but, after a bit of research at home, figured it was out of my budget. In the research process though, I discovered the 228.

I am in the automotive business and keep up to date fairly well on product but was completely unaware of the 2. The dealer I drove the 320 at did not have a 228 in stock so I went to another on the other side of town to test drive one. The shopping between vehicles stopped immediately.

I ordered my Moonlight Silver 228xi on the last day of April and will hopefully do a mid-July PCD.

Never did drive the CLA.

[BarryJI]

I bought mine, too, first time in almost twenty years. After having driven the car and read the reviews, I think it's going to become a classic BMW small, sporty coupe.

[nachob]

Originally Posted by petalmasher

I drove a Subaru BRZ and really liked the idea of driving a small, nimble, rear wheel drive sports car with a 6 speed manual. I drove it in 2013 when they first came out and while I liked the car I just couldn't pull the trigger. I wanted a little more power I just wasn't in love with the interior and I was hoping that if waited a year or two a turbo charged version with some interior updates might come out.
I was telling a friend about my frustration with the fact that the 2015 came out and the interior was still the same with the same lack of power and how I'd happily pay an extra $10k for a BRZ with better interior and a turbo. He is a BMW fanboy and told me that what I was describing basically a 2-series BMW. I went for a test drive, and I'll be picking up my 228i with track handling package and Manual transmission from Munich next month

I am a huge fan of the BRZ/FRS concept of building a real sports car and was waiting anxiously for it but like you, I couldn't pull the trigger. My ZHP doesn't have a lot of torque either but the engine sound and power are coupled together. As sound increases in the ZHP, you feel thrust. This makes for a wonderful experience as the machine develops a symphony of sound and thrust. I agonized trying to figure out what was bothering me with the BRZ and I finally came to the conclusion that it was one thing. The sound and thrust are not coupled. You press the throttle and sound increases exponentially without thrust. It makes it feel slower than it really is. You start making all this racket without the corresponding thrust which makes it not enjoyable.

Now I have to throw a caution because there are many on the forum that like to put things into simple terms like no power or hate or fan boyism and all sorts of isms. There are great fun cars with little power, but for me as I said it's not lack of power per se, it's the disconnect between the sound it makes and thrust.

What got me looking at 2 series was that I was a big fan of the small BMW since the cars had gotten huge. I loved the 1 series so the 2 series was a natural place to go.

Coming from a 1M the first impression of M235i was dissapointment, then I drove 228i manual. I had low expectations based on the driving the M235i first. Then the salesman starts it up and it sounds awful. I told him, turn it off, I'm not interested. He said, c'mon we pulled it out for you so I said OK i'll try it but not going to like it. Then the engine warmed up and the hideous sound went away. It felt nimbler than M235i and not much slower. I loved the sound of the wastegate going off and I realized, it felt like a rear wheel drive GTI which I happen to like.

Maybe it was the low expectations of the 228i but I really liked it. If you could buy one with a temp gauge and get the great brakes without the dynamic suspension and active steering and a LSD option that is probably what I would get. I think that is the car guy's sleeper car.

I still haven't ruled it out completely, just waiting to see what M2 is like.

[caycep]

i was always a fan of the 3 series (at least seeing e46 and e90's around) but the F30 kind of soured me. But I was kinda perusing the models, totally not intending to pursue anything, then started looking into the 2-series. And then saw the pics, the looks are really nice IMHO

[BarryJI]

How do you buy a 228i with a temp gauge?

[OpenAir]

Originally Posted by kz1000

Test drove it and I'm not a fool. I don't like automatics. Guess I'm old school. I call them slushboxes. Don't care if they are faster.

Maybe you should go back to school then...

[nachob]

Originally Posted by BarryJI

How do you buy a 228i with a temp gauge?

You can't but wish it did. You can also get 228 with lighter manual seats, no folding mirrors which makes it appealing.

[mattc1176]

I saw them filming a commercial for one in the Vegas desert in Jan '14 and knew then it would be my next car. Finally placed my order last month.

[3.0L]

I was driving a 2004 Mazda RX-8 6-speed that I bought new when I started getting the itch for a new ride. I spent a full year reading reviews and road tests on all sorts of higher performance cars, including the Mustang GT, Porsche, Audi, Jaguar and on and on. I really liked the performance numbers on some, but many were a bit out of my price range.

Then one day, I stumbled upon the BMW 2-series. I read review after review. Then I called my local dealer, only to learn they had none in stock. But wait! They were expecting one (and I mean one) in a few weeks. So, I put my name on the list for a test drive, and the rest is history. I took it home the same day while others waiting in line for their test drive looked on. It was a fine moment!

[ABPReader]

.

[German1967]

I was set on buying a U.S. 2016 Audi TTS. Then I brought my 335 in for service and saw a 235i in the lot.

I took a test drive ... Rest is history.

[morphomeman]

For me, it was all a matter of size. The 235 is almost exactly the same size as the 2002 E46 325 that it replaced, with almost twice the horsepower. It fits in the same tiny space in my garage, with room for the beer fridge door to swing open, which the latest 3 would never do.
I also love the car, though.

[MUFCbmwbear]

E92 M3 was out of warranty and the m235i test drive was a blast.
And the e46 coupe sizing of the 2er is perfection