[BarryJI]

Originally Posted by RWDdrifter

I like what you've done with your car, and your postings have been very helpful. Given your experience I'm thinking of doing a DINAN Stage 1 too next year. I'm still in the break-in period (under 700 mi so far due to travel) and have yet to learn how the car drives when pushed. It may be more than fast enough for me without a tune. I'll decide later.

The Lotus Elan that you loved and the E46 323Ci I loved were not very fast by today's standards, yet they were both a lot of fun to drive. They were designed for great handling. Balanced, nimble, great steering feedback, RWD traction characteristics, .... Maybe sub 5 second acceleration matters a lot on the track but not so much in normal use. Of course faster feels great on its own. That's a somewhat different kind of fun.

Thank you. Hit me up with any questions you have.

One good thing about the 228i tuned is that you can actually use almost (but not quite) everything you get from a Stage 1 tune on the street. The ability to transition from civilised cruising to whiplash acceleration in a split second almost anywhere on the tach is still breathtaking after four months or so. Stock, the car is quick but more hesitant to commit instantaneously to emphatic throttle input (and in stock trim it rears back under heavy acceleration and dives under heavy braking, which I wanted to dial out right away by remapping the shocks). With a good tune you'll find you want to brace yourself against the dead pedal and you'll be grateful for the side-bolsters on the seat if you really let her rip; when I do this in company, my passengers go strangely silent and I know they are thinking, "is this maniac going to go any faster?" Turbo lag, already minimal, is virtually non-existent with the tune and you'll hear the merry whistle of the turbo and feel the car taking off with a vengeance as soon as you give the gas pedal a purposeful shove. The Lotus was a four-cylinder turbo too but much less refined and not as quick as the tuned 228i. I think if less of my driving were urban, I'd want a six-cylinder car but I find my driving style and environment are very well-suited to a torquey, hard-working turbo four. I think the M235 is probably better for tail-out driving, though; I still don't trust the 228i not to understeer if pushed very hard into a fast corner but I'm in no hurry to find out if I can steer it with my feet. I might do the springs and ride kit next but the labor is very expensive and the car is pretty well set up for aggressive street driving right now.

[kz1000]

I test drive a car before I buy, no matter the price.

[MikeT]

Very unfortunate to hear about a disappointed new owner. Life is too short to drive a car you don't like. With only a few days' worth of miles on it, why not sell it and get something else? Sure, you'll take a hit, but the car is unlikely to ever be worth more than it is right now. Cut your losses and move on!

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that light electric steering is pretty much the industry standard now. Very hard to find hydraulic racks in the latest models (Ferrari is holding out, I think, but they're one of the last). My m235i is my first car with electric power steering, and I'll admit that it does take some getting used to. The steering in the 2-series is light but it's also precise and responsive. After a while, you get used to the feeling of the electric, and it's no big deal.

[mburg]

Wow! Thank you all for your responses, said the OP.

A few points for clarification:

1) I did test drive - a 228i, non-MSport (I got MSport on this vehicle) convertible. I made many concessions given the nature of that car, perhaps too many. I thought the package I ordered would be noticeably different.
2) Had the 1 series still been available, I would've chosen that, no questions. Again, most fun driver I've ever owned. The 2 was the logical choice if I was to stay with a BMW. I realize I should've cast a wider net, but I guess I drank the cool aide.
3) No, I don't expect a current car to drive like a 30+ year old. I was speaking to the driving experience in the context of the time. Again, all things considered, the 1er is a better experience than a 2er - at least for me.
4) Yes, I use a tachometer - but for someone who has been using a stick for as long as I have, sound is a better discriminator and allows me to keep my eyes on the road. No windows down needed in the e36, e46, e82. Sound and feel.
5) I got AWD because of where I live. BTW - I had AWD on my second e82 - the steering was as tight as the previous RWD e82 I had, and not like this 228.
6) I do not track - have not done that since a day at Bridgehampton in '74 when I owned an Opel Manta Rallye. I am not speaking to a track experience, but rather the feel of driving day-to-day whenever in the car, for someone to whom that feel matters a great deal. If BMW isn't putting that experience in a 2 series, then where ARE they putting it, especially given how they are 'pitching' this car? It seems like to have done so would not have cost them anything - either in technology or sales. That is a GREAT disappointment.
7) I am somewhat encouraged by the poster who spoke of using the 228 as a platform for tweaking. For me this is a lease and I am not inclined to spend 'big bucks' to enhance. Tires is another matter, though I don't quite understand how tires would increase steering resistance to the extent that I am speaking to. I do get how they could affect stability - the feeling of having to continuously correct the steering 'angle'.

Thanks again!

[BarryJI]

Well, as I said, the car is a high-performance luxury coupe, not a sports coupe. To turn it into the latter, you need to have ordered the THP and then you might want to tune it.

[Merc for hire]

1 series never had AWD

[tccox]

Interesting. I put 25000 miles on my 2012 128 Sport before trading her in on my 2014 228 MSport Manual. In almost every single way I find my 228 to be a better driver than the 128. Love my 228 and have absolutely NO regrets about my move. (Reason for trading ? Had to have a manual trans)

[mfourn20]

I drove my rwd 228 m sport through the winter in New England last year. Didn't miss a single day of work. I don't buy the x-drive argument. Snow tires and you're good to go.

I also have a friend who has a 135 with the dual clutch...we swapped each others cars and he ended up liking my 228 better....I liked the ease of the dual clutch, perfect acceleration every time...like cheating really...so everyone's opinion is just that, an opinion.

[BMW335iOn18s]

Xdrive is ruining the car. It's the combination of numb/corrupt Xdrive steering and softer suspension/tires. If you want a sporty BMW, never go xdrive. We've been discussing this for just about 15 years on the forums!

Go test drive a RWD 2/3/4 series and I think you'll like it more than the E82. My closest friend picked up a 2013 135i 6 speed after driving my car, and we still both prefer the F22. It's better in every way and chassis wise feels like an E36 size with E46 dampening and drive-by-wire, while the N55 is reminiscent of the S52 in the US E36 M3. If you want a 2015 E36, the M235i RWD is your car. Particularly in manual!

Although both use the same transmission and have the N55, the M235i rides much better, handles more confidently (runflats SUCK on the e8x/e9x), has a faster steering rack, and a more aggressive shift-action/clutch engagement.

[BillD1953]

This past Thursday I test drove a 228i xdrive without the M or THP packages.
205 50R 17 run flats...some luxury packages etc. Standard drive train.

I went for a lengthy test drive. I used all shift modes and the paddle shifters.

I really loved the car. Fast, responsive, great ride for a coupe, comfortable.

BUT I found the car "kinda boring" to drive with the 8speed auto.

I ended up ordering a silver 228i with rear wheel drive 6MT, heated seats and the backup camera/park sensor package and nothing more.

The 228i will be a 2nd car for me, a fun car to drive and quite inexpensive considerin. My cost, $33,485 with the year end credits and dealer discount.

FWIW,

Bill D