[russiandoc]

I'm on a budget so I'm building the car and trying to only include options that will really make me happy. Let me know your thoughts please.
Ordering a 230i x drive, Mineral white metallic
- Sport package
- Leatherette
- Lighting package
- Cold weather
- Navigation/Car play

I was going to skip on the premium package. What do you think?

[crabu2]

Get the Premium package. That package is what comes with the comfort access.. keyless entry and power seats. That's in addition to the other things.

I don't know if you've every had keyless entry, but I love it. Years ago before I had it, I thought it was a gimmick, but my dealer talked me into getting it on another vehicle I had ordered. I went with it because it was only a couple hundred and I was glad I got it.

BTW, it seems like you're going to appearance. IMHO, M Sport pkg, Lighting and metallic color are mostly appearance. Not that I can blame you for getting them because I wish I would have been able to add M Sport to my order before it went into production. But for me, it would been for that dang M steering wheel. I just love the way it felt.

[Chili_Palmer]

Not a bad setup, although I think the cost of Nav is pretty steep.

[BEM-S4]

The nav is worth it I've had both without in my coupe and with in my vert. The upgrades screen alone is worth at least $500. Only option that's a waste IMO is HK.

[MichaelL]

Looks good, I am in the Nav isn't worth it camp as well. Expensive and how often are you going to use it? How many times do you go places that you haven't been before? IMHO.

[Viffermike]

MUST orders, IMHO:
Lighting Package
Cold Weather Package (particularly in CT)
Navigation

Optional, depending on your aims with the car:
M Sport Package (more aggressive look, MUCH better steering wheel, slightly lowered and more taut suspension)

Originally Posted by crabu2

I don't know if you've every had keyless entry, but I love it. Years ago before I had it, I thought it was a gimmick.

It's not a gimmick, but it's also not secure. At least twice in the past 18 months in the condo building I live in, someone with a radio transponder broke into a number of cars by overriding keyless entry. I purposefully did not order KE for this reason ... and it's saved me a hell of a lot of heartache ...

... Bottom line: if a thief really wants into your car, he will get in. But the harder it is and the longer it takes for him to do it, the more likely he won't bother. In my situation (and several others I know of), not having KE was enough of a deterrent at least twice.

[p912guy]

Unless you're absolutely in love with Mineral White, consider Alpine White and save some money. Besides being more expensive to order on the vehicle, MW is also much more difficult to match should any painting need to be completed following an accident.

If ordering a a 230 , Lighting, Cold Weather and Nav would be essential for me and Luxury would be hard not to check off also.

Good luck with your purchase decisions. Only you know your budget and must have's.

[overcoil]

For me the Driving Assistance Package with rear view camera and bumper parking sensors is the most important feature.

Second would be the M Sport Package.

Heated seats and steering wheel I find useless, pressing a button on a key fob to me is just as easy as a proximity door opener, I rather use my phone for navigation, and I prefer listening to my exhaust over any radio, as long as I can connect through USB for an audio book on a long commute I'm good.

However I don't know what the snow conditions are like where you live. If you need X-drive for snow and ice, and you'll see those conditions often on a mandatory commute, them Id get a Honda HRV.

The 230 in rear wheel drive, M Sport Bodywork and steering wheel, 18 inch wheels would be my ideal low cost build, then if I was going to spend more I'd do the Track Handling Package for the brakes and suspension.

I love my Mineral White paint, sometimes the light hits it at a certain time of day and it's like art. Lighting Package is probably a must also, though if I went with a base 230 without any options I'd be fine without lighting package.

[Sportstick]

The single option which added the greatest amount of happiness for me was the poorly-named Track Handling Package. For everyday street driving, it provides a choice of noticeably different calibrations for powertrain and steering/chassis performance from Sport to Comfort, to suit your mood or passengers. In Sport or Sport+, the car really comes alive with the Variable Sport Steering, MAdaptive Suspension, MSport brakes, and (if you can live with them based on your roads), 18" Michelin PSS tires. If you are choosing BMW for the driving experience (versus design/status, etc.), to put a smile on your face around every corner, this was the top of the list must-have I can identify. And, once you have this, MSport is cosmetic, and can easily be done without.

[russiandoc]

Agree that the Nav is pricey but I like the idea of carplay from my iphone on the big screen. i think it looks cleaner than having your phone in a holder. Who uses CarPlay? I think the screen is aesthetically nice too...still can't decide if the dimming mirrors/keyless is worth the $2900. i dont care about power seats or sunroof.

[overcoil]

Originally Posted by russiandoc

Agree that the Nav is pricey but I like the idea of carplay from my iphone on the big screen. i think it looks cleaner than having your phone in a holder. Who uses CarPlay? I think the screen is aesthetically nice too...still can't decide if the dimming mirrors/keyless is worth the $2900. i dont care about power seats or sunroof.

Not sure on 2017 or 2018 but my 2015 has USB port in center arm rest cubby and I attach my phone to that and my audio and telephone get displayed on iDrive screen, for navigation I leave phone in cup holder...but yeah that's not really ideal for best intergration.

[crabu2]

That's how they get you! They package stuff you want in other packages and you can't get them as an individual option! For example, I really wanted the M Steering wheel, but I got the Track Handling Package, not both because the dang steering wheel comes with the M Sport package. And when I test drove a car with the Adaptive M suspension, I just fell in love with it! As for the Driver Assist, I could care less about the parking sensors, but I wanted the rearview camera. I ordered Driver Assist + because I wanted collision avoidance, and blindside detection, but instead of blindside detection, it comes with lane keep.. Why the heck do I want my steering wheel to shake? I'd rather have blindside because the rear visibility with the top up is horrible. Oh.. I also ordered it because I wanted the dazzle headlights, which I thought could be coded, but found out it can't because US HIDs don't have flappers.

And don't take about these features because you can't even get them..
Remote start
Blindside detection
Active Cruise Control.

I would have loved all 3 of those features!

I guess, you just need to figure out your budget, make a list of what most important, then start at the top of that list till the budget is reached...

[BEM-S4]

$43K for the car equipped as OP originally stated? Assuming a normal-ish discount we're at $40K. No offense but if saving money is a concern, why are you going to get laid on a new entry level car with minimal options when you could get a year old 235 fully loaded with a better warranty and maintenance plan for less? Wouldn't work for a lease obviously but if buying much better option since 3-years out you'll have depreciated less value. BMW of Lancaster has a grey one for $39.9 with 7K on it.

[harma24]

Do you have a smartphone? Great, you don't need Nav. Save the money.

You don't need the cold weather package. The car warms up very quickly. If you really want the heated seats or steering wheel, I think those can be ordered separately. The cold weather package has a headlight spray system. Really?

However, as others have recommended, I'd go for the back-up camera (all cars in the US must have it standard in 2018), so if you forgo it, you'll quickly have one of the few cars on the road without it. The keyless entry (premium package) is also pretty nice.

[crabu2]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

BMW of Lancaster has a grey one for $39.9 with 7K on it.

Damn...I think you might be perpetual shopper of these cars.

Next time I'm in the market, I'm going to call you 1st!

[TheFix]

I went simple and sporty.

Lighting
M sport
Track handling

Never got the whole nav infatuation . We all have smartphones.

You won't miss the power seats, the manuals have lots of variable adjustments.

[Bill Kayen]

When ordering a car it's important to think about resale down the road. A BMW without power seats and rear view camera would probably hurt at resale time. Instead of cutting corners, I think a cpo with all the options you really want would be the way to go.

[russiandoc]

I'm actually leasing the car so resale doesn't matter to me. My dealer is offering me same price if its a car on the lot or if I order. Paying 1500 under invoice for whichever car.

The track handling package is intriguing. Who has it in the New England area? They are summer tires so I'd have to get a separate set of winters, which I'm ok with. Is the car significantly lower that potholes and such would be a bigger problem?

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by crabu2

Damn...I think you might be perpetual shopper of these cars.

Next time I'm in the market, I'm going to call you 1st!

Perpetual shopper of all cars have gotten 6 different things in and out in the past 3 years.

Have deposits down on 4 vaporware cars too. M2/240 GC and RS4/6 Avant.

[tdillardstang]

looking to order 230i with m sport package . I have to wait for 2018 order guide . I feel like a little kid waiting on Santa !:

[russiandoc]

when do you expect you can get a 2018?

[tdillardstang]

I think the 230i for 2018 starts july 17 2017 .