[artinz]

Hello fellas,

I'm proudly a new MT, 228i owner (financing approval in process) as of yesterday. I apologize in advance for my long thread, but please bear with me.

To give you some background, I live in Canada, and I initially had my heart set on the M235i. I test drove it fully equipped (all 3 packages, executive, premium and bmw connect) and it was amazing. However, after working out the numbers, it was outside of my budget and decided the 228i was more reasonable.

Here's my dilemna:

My initial thought was to get (keep in mind, this is Canada options):
- M sport line
- Premium Package Enhanced

Which is what I've ordered. However, after looking at the other packages, I'm wondering:
- Are the any of the additional packages worth having?

Executive Package ($2200)

BMW Connect ($500)

M Performance Package ($1200) - Adaptive M Suspension and Variable Sport Steering

M Track Package ($1200) - M Sport Brake and High Speed Max. with performance tires.

Right now, I'm leaning towards adding Executive and BMW Connect which would up my bi-weekly by about $15 and foregoing the M Performance and M Track packages. Reason being that I'm already getting the M sport suspension, and I've heard that the adaptive suspension makes it difficult to do custom suspension work after, and I don't really think I need the rest. Thoughts?

The dealership has indicated that there is only one 228 left for the november manufacturing timeframe for a different dealer and they want to buy this car from other dealership, then change the configuration to what I want before starting manufacturing.

The order has not been placed yet, so I'm hoping to get some insight as soon as possible.

Thanks in advance!

[jeremicium]

Not sure if you've driven the 228 with both the mt and the auto, but personally I think the 4 cylinder needs the auto gearbox. This coming from a guy that drives manuals exclusively. The mt just doesn't pair as well with the 4 cylinder engine.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by jeremicium

Not sure if you've driven the 228 with both the mt and the auto, but personally I think the 4 cylinder needs the auto gearbox. This coming from a guy that drives manuals exclusively. The mt just doesn't pair as well with the 4 cylinder engine.

I certainly respect diversity in opinions, but having driven both, and with a few decades of manual experience, I must admit I have no understanding of your comment. The automatic may well be the finest I've ever driven, but I find the manual to be a joy to drive. In what details do you feel the 228i doesn't "pair" well with the stick? This one mystifies me!

To the OP, the Canadian option plan certainly does seem different than in the U.S. Here, we have a "Track Package" (no "M" in the name), which has four elements: 1) MSport brakes (blue calipers), 2)MAdaptive suspension, 3) Variable Sport Steering, and 4) Michelin PSS non-RFT. This is a wonderful package, although it seems it was broken apart into two packages for you. Here the Track Package is $1600 if on a Sportline, $2200 on a base car. This is a very high priority collection of content for driving entertainment, as well as providing comfort in those situations where the particular passengers or road conditions don't lend themselves to the full Sport calibration. Also, the steering is much improved over the base, and what is not to like about the PSS and MSport brakes??

We don't have an "Executive" package, so I can't be sure if it's similar or not to our "Premium", but those kinds of add-ons are fairly self-explanatory and easier to discern the value of having.

[An14]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

I certainly respect diversity in opinions, but having driven both, and with a few decades of manual experience, I must admit I have no understanding of your comment. The automatic may well be the finest I've ever driven, but I find the manual to be a joy to drive. In what details do you feel the 228i doesn't "pair" well with the stick? This one mystifies me!

I agree. I have driven manuals all my life, never owned an automatic car. I've had a 228i 6sp MT for a week and like the manual on this car very much. As far as the options the packages in Canada are different than in US. I got M Sport, lighting package, and cold weather pkg, all of which are a must in my opinion if you live in the Nort-East. I didn't care much for the other options. Not sure what the equivalent of those are in Canada.

[jeremicium]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

In what details do you feel the 228i doesn't "pair" well with the stick? This one mystifies me!

I went into the test drive very much looking forward to the 228 paired with the manual, I thought maybe this would be a good alternative to the M235i. The chassis was great. A very fun, composed, and nimble car. Hopefully I can convey my meaning a little more clearly without making anyone that already has the 228i 6mt feel like i'm dissing their ride.

Wife has the N26 with the ZF auto in her X1 so I have lots of time behind the wheel with that set up, granted in a much heavier vehicle. The N26 in her car just feels better and more urgent than the N26 in the 228i I drove.

Maybe there was something wrong with the car I test drove, but the engine felt kind of flat. Under heavy acceleration it did not have nearly the get up and go that I expected. I'm well aware of the performance numbers that the 228 has been putting down, but the car just didn't feel at all fast.

As for the transmission, I also had hoped that it would be a step up from what i'm used to in my 335. The throws were still typical BMW long, with a slightly rubbery feel.

I'm not saying the 228/6 spd combo is bad, what i'm saying is the great ZF 8 spd auto does a significantly better job of extracting all of the power from the N26. Enough so, that even though I am a die hard mt fan, in this case the engine benefits so much from the auto that its worth compromising the added fun factor of the manual.

[akuan99]

I only was able to test drive 228i auto before but I ordered the manual one and I can tell you the 6MT is not much slower (if any).
Even BMW's spec has it only 0.1 second slower with manual on 228i while on M235i it is 0.2 slower so it would seem the smaller engine is a better match with the 6MT.

[tccox]

Originally Posted by jeremicium

Not sure if you've driven the 228 with both the mt and the auto, but personally I think the 4 cylinder needs the auto gearbox. This coming from a guy that drives manuals exclusively. The mt just doesn't pair as well with the 4 cylinder engine.

The manual/4 cyl combo in my 228 is absolutely the finest I've ever driven in over forty five years of driving manuals. Love it more each day. I've driven both and to me the manual does the better job with the engine. The autos great, no doubt about that , and if my commute involved a lot of traffic I might have gotten it. But my commute is 16 miles , low traffic country roads. The manuals just too much fun.

[Sportstick]

[QUOTE=jeremicium;16798006]
Maybe there was something wrong with the car I test drove, but the engine felt kind of flat. Under heavy acceleration it did not have nearly the get up and go that I expected. I'm well aware of the performance numbers that the 228 has been putting down, but the car just didn't feel at all fast.

As for the transmission, I also had hoped that it would be a step up from what i'm used to in my 335. The throws were still typical BMW long, with a slightly rubbery feel.

/QUOTE]

No disrespect taken....I didn't build it, just bought it!

What you are describing does not sound like a manual vs. automatic issue to me. Unless you are suggesting the gearing is not low enough in 1st, once the clutch is disengaged, a mechanical coupling is about as direct a transmission of power as it gets. It almost sounds like you drove the 2 6MT on "comfort" vs "sport" settings, or worse yet....Eco! The way you described your experience is exactly the difference between the engine mapping which goes with each setting.

As for the feel of the stick, perhaps there is variation or the 2015 was improved over 2014 but I have a very different experience. Yes, it's no Miata stick but if you want long throws, find a W204 2007-2012 C Class! The 2 is feeling pretty good to me....I guess it all depends on your personal baseline calibration.

[jeremicium]

Originally Posted by tccox

The manual/4 cyl combo in my 228 is absolutely the finest I've ever driven in over forty five years of driving manuals. Love it more each day. I've driven both and to me the manual does the better job with the engine. The autos great, no doubt about that , and if my commute involved a lot of traffic I might have gotten it. But my commute is 16 miles , low traffic country roads. The manuals just too much fun.

Go test drive a Honda S2000. Its gearbox/shifting is legendary. There is nothing under $100k that even comes close to the feel of it. I agree that despite slightly better performance numbers, the manual transmission is generally the way to go in terms of fun-to-drive factor, which is really what matters most.

[QUOTE=Sportstick;16799005]

Originally Posted by jeremicium

Maybe there was something wrong with the car I test drove, but the engine felt kind of flat. Under heavy acceleration it did not have nearly the get up and go that I expected. I'm well aware of the performance numbers that the 228 has been putting down, but the car just didn't feel at all fast.

As for the transmission, I also had hoped that it would be a step up from what i'm used to in my 335. The throws were still typical BMW long, with a slightly rubbery feel.

/QUOTE]

No disrespect taken....I didn't build it, just bought it!

What you are describing does not sound like a manual vs. automatic issue to me. Unless you are suggesting the gearing is not low enough in 1st, once the clutch is disengaged, a mechanical coupling is about as direct a transmission of power as it gets. It almost sounds like you drove the 2 6MT on "comfort" vs "sport" settings, or worse yet....Eco! The way you described your experience is exactly the difference between the engine mapping which goes with each setting.

As for the feel of the stick, perhaps there is variation or the 2015 was improved over 2014 but I have a very different experience. Yes, it's no Miata stick but if you want long throws, find a W204 2007-2012 C Class! The 2 is feeling pretty good to me....I guess it all depends on your personal baseline calibration.

It may very well be a gearing issue. Obviously it has to be different when you add two extra gears. The speed with which the N26 revs with the 8 speed is significantly quicker than with the 6 spd. I drove the car in every mode, including the unusable eco mode. I was in Sport plus for the most part.

With regards to the gearbox itself, like i mentioned above maybe i'm a bit ruined by the S2000 garage queen, and by the fact that I was expecting a big improvement over my 3 series. It wasn't worse than the 3, just not really any better.