[Squddie]

Originally Posted by Devon K

It's already been spotted testing. I'm sure BMW will be happy to bend you over for an extra $15K for the 'vert...

You think you are joking but in the 4-series they price the convertible (after computing out the options) more expensive than the coupe by the price of a e46 convertible.

All that to make that 4 battleship a lot heavier and softer.

[hoppy6698]

Originally Posted by nachob

Great points! I also like sunroof in sedans and bigger cars but the whole point of my original comments is as you said. I'm grateful Bmw still gives us the choice! Same with manual trans. It's nice to hear that other
Cars are treated with respect even if we are BMW Fans these other cars are worthy of consideration. My wife's gti is almost half the
Price of a Loaded 235i and gives you 95% of the fun. The golf R is really a
Compelling car at the moment and also offers MT. But as Chris Harris said its hard to get past rear drive for some of us! Great post thanks.

The Golf R also really appears to be a very tame Golf GTI - the GTI actually has more aggressive body panels.

One of the reasons (coming from an Audi) that I am going M235i and not the 2015 Golf R - no one in this Golf R will ever 'arrive' at a location. In the same manner where other owners can appreciate the vehicle of the arrival. The Golf R is one hell of an impressive machine, and I very nearly went this route, but the M235i is just so much more ... everything. More fun (RWD), more aggressive in looks, and more fun (debatable, but like Chris Harris mentions, its just more playful).

But, even with all that, if I lived in a more snow-ridden state, I would probably just go with the xdrive and not the Golf R. I find BMW / Audi owners to be ... a different crowd that is more aligned with my own preferences and personality than the VW club.

Again, coming from an Audi, the Golf R would feel like a cheaper/smaller Audi. The M235 is another beast entirely

[Bosozoku]

Thanks for the great post! I personally couldn't live without at least a sunroof.
Gotten very used to the sunroof in the ancient 540i.
And the S2000 is top-down 90-95 percent of the time.

Which brings up the transmission question: Just exactly how good is the 6MT?

I've been spoiled for life by my S2000's 6MT and would not want to equip my future M235i with a shifter that disappoints me on every shift. I think the M Performance shift lever is an absolute must with the 6MT just for the shorter throw and weighting.

On the other hand, the 8AT is 2 or 3 quantum leaps beyond my 540i's 5AT. I've test driven a 228i with the 8AT and it's crazy good. And as we all know it provides faster acceleration despite the 50 lbs extra weight.

I have nothing to prove. Been there. Done that. 4MT, 5MT, 6MT. Not a manual die hard.
I just want the better transmission. Any opinions?

(Sorry for the hijack. Should I move this to another thread somewhere?)

[nachob]

I bought an Acura TSX MT 3600 miles away without driving it based on the S2000 gearbox feel and car and driver reviews. The gearbox was a disappointment in the TSX but mostly because the drive by wire throttle never worked well with it also 2nd gear was giving me grief after 5k miles. I think the gearbox in M235i is very good! It has longer throws but smoother. Some guys like the snick snick super short throws. The BMW is not like that but smoother. It is much better than last gen e90 M3 gearbox. Every BMW MT of the last 10 years requires extra clutch depression in second gear for some reason but you get used to it. Clutch is nice too. Good weight and good engagement.

I'm not a fan of automatics in sports cars but I have driven the automatic M235i and I find it excellent. Many here pre-judge me because I prefer manuals but I was actually an early adopter of the DCT When it first came on the market because my wife wanted an auto. I bought a MkV Gti for her and thought it was a great improvement over the slush box. I have driven every other Dct and while they have some cool aspects I still prefer a good Mt but I think the auto in the 235i is great and better than most dcts! You get almost the same shift speed but it's smoother and not annoying in stop and go or parking situations. I think it's best of breed slush box vs newer but not perfected tech. I'm sure dcts will be much better in the future but coming from an Mt lover I like the current M235 gearbox more than dct. I hope that helps somewhat.