[XCC Motorsports]

Just looking for some other opinions:

Recently, I have been considering a "step up" into a M2, M3, M4 as a daily driver.

I've noticed that while even though these cars DO perform better from a performance perspective, all of them leave me a bit underwhelmed after the test drive. My first model year M235i has been a pleasure to drive and I'm having a hard time justifying the alternatives, at more than double the cost.

Has anyone else come to this realization? Maybe I'm just getting cheaper as I age.

[MerlinMc]

I've had M3s previously and they were not as comfortable as DDs. They are great as occasional cars.

[Unicorn123]

XCC,

Interesting supposition...

I am a value buyer and will likely never bring myself to purchase a new car ever again. My M235 that I have now was bought second hand to replace my Audi B5 S4, which I bought off of an executive lease and drove for 15 years.

This said, I always have another "fun" car, again, that is a value buy that I do not drive as a DD like my M235. My current fun car is my Z3, which is heavily modified and would not be suitable for daily use but is a load of fun for an occasional blast with the top down or an autocross.

A good friend here in CT also has a M2, but drives a GTI most of the time since the M2 is not really suitable as a DD here in the land of poorly maintained roads. I also look at the maintenance cost; the pure M cars typically have higher replacement parts costs, which is one of the criteria I use since I do most of my own work. The more exclusive the car, the more expensive these things get. The M235 for me was a good compromise and met my criteria for a proper daily driver.

Perhaps age and frugality have caught up with me, but I remember when I had my E28 M5 and had to purchase a radiator for it, which the dealer quoted for $1,500.00. I ended up finding a BMW parts reseller north of Philly that had three in stock (?) and I was able to get it for $400.00. I recall telling a friend that with the M5 (at the time), the engine was worth more than the car. It was true; since this was the last of the hand build M engines...and boy oh boy, was it a fantastic car!

My two cents worth. Good luck with your decision.

[xantdieselx]

Originally Posted by XCC Motorsports

Just looking for some other opinions:

Recently, I have been considering a "step up" into a M2, M3, M4 as a daily driver.

I've noticed that while even though these cars DO perform better from a performance perspective, all of them leave me a bit underwhelmed after the test drive. My first model year M235i has been a pleasure to drive and I'm having a hard time justifying the alternatives, at more than double the cost.

Has anyone else come to this realization? Maybe I'm just getting cheaper as I age.

I too considered the M2/M3/M4 when my lease was up on my previous M235i. I had an F30 previously and absolutely hated it. I couldn't see going back to that chassis regardless of how much performance it has. After about a year of test drives and obsessing I ordered an M240i. Could not be happier with my decision. I still think fondly of the M235i it's just one of the cars that puts a smile on your face.

[B58togo]

I often contemplate the same. Obviously, the M3/4 interior is a step above, as is the street cred, but the car is generally just a bit too big overall. The M2 Competition is very appealing, but for all three, I think the S55 is the biggest draw for me. The OG M2 looks great, but I don't want an N55. As it stands, my desire to upgrade has been quelled quite a bit since yesterday due to the M Performance LSD I had installed. I now have a 3500 lb car, making ~425 whp that actually handles. The fun factor has increased big time! Yes, the steering feel is still lame, but I think I'll cope for now. I am a straight line speed junkie though, so the fact it's not too tough to make 550+ whp, reliably on the stock S55 turbos is still very appealing to me.

[DrivingPassion]

I do own an M235xi and a 2018 F80 M3; so, I can share with you my experiences.

For the M235:

1. I love the engine of the M235xi, the turbo is quite beautiful, except for the fake noise that is coming out of the speakers.
2. I do not care for the road feel, the steering and suspension. It's no where even close to a 15 year E46.
3. Turning on Sports Mode does help to alleviate it but it gets the car into a gas guzzler mode because the engine is revving like a rabid dog but the steering is still clinically senile.
4. I also like the fact that this N55 engine is relatively stable and not very troublesome; except for the one time when the turbo waste-gate malfunctioned and it was replaced under warranty.

For the F80 M3:

1. The steering can be configured with one of 3 settings. I usually prefer the heaviest steering feel and it fits the bill in this area.
2. The S55 engine (mine is Competition Pkg) has a sort of a Hulk under a suit. When you set it to Sport mode, it behaves like one superhero on the street --- simply a high torque machine and it's willing to do anything you want it to do. The M235xi does well in this area but the M3 is compellingly superior with less effort.
3. Visibility and blind spot: the M3 has bulges here and there esp in the front hood. It blocks your visiion to the front end diagonally across. No matter how I adjust my seat, the far right corner in the front is not visible. That can be a safety issue if there were short 4-legged animals or little kids in that corner.
4. Noise in the speaker: I really hate this feature. They should provide a way to turn it OFF in the iDrive.
5. Size : the F80 M3 is a little too large for my taste.
6. The 6MT is incredibly smooth from day 1. It's a joy to use it.

So, would I buy the F80 M3 if I had to make that decision again? Probably not. I think I'd would get a used low-mileage 6 cyl Porsche Cayman-S.

So, there you have it.

[babaikram]

I test drove OG M2 and the chassis was wonderful but overall did not think it was worth the upgrade

I nearly exchanged my 2018 m240i for a 2017 OG M4 with all the options I like especially the head up display. In fact I deposited £500.00 which I gave up. I would have lost a substantial amount of money. I test drove it several times. The interior was not particularly more luxurious than my m240i even though it had a carbon interior. It is faster and more stable but not particularly faster and the engine sound was weird, worse than my MPE m240i. However it was much better looking exterior wise

I realised that I was buying the exterior appearance rather than a major upgrade in performance and I was in love with M cars in general rather than that particular car.

In summary, for me, the current M2/M3/M4 are not of sufficient upgrade to lose thousands of pounds to trade in m240i early.

However if you have paid up your car finance, they are worth the upgrade. Or wait for the next generation of M2/M3/M4. This is my current position

[morphomeman]

I have never seen a comparison of an M2 with a 235/240 that does not remark about the difference in the comfort of the ride. The latter is a true touring car, albeit a bit small to count as Gran, which means that it is meant to be a daily driver. No true M car is meant for that use. The ride is rock hard.
Neither is better, it's simply a matter of what you want to do with the car. And while we are at it, many reviews have singled out the 228/230 as the best of the lot, for a variety of reasons, including better F/R weight distribution.

[amostly235]

I would think about just upgrading your 235i with a Dinan tune if you are already happy with its performance and just need a little bit more power now and there then this would be a really good option. It is not expensive either-only runs $311, I've attached a link: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...inan-d440-0010