[Dr. Indiana Jones]

First off let me qualify that I'm not a car expert, and I've only driven the M235i for about 700km, so forgive me if these questions seem entry-level. That being said, I have a few concerns as follows (having previously driven a Honda Prelude SRV coupe, 225i sedan, and 335i coupe):

> For the love of God I cannot feel any difference in the suspension/handling when toggling from eco pro all the way up to sport+ (what gives LOL?).

> Unlike the 335i (which was a joy to drive not only in manual mode but also DS (auto-sport) mode, the M235i in DS auto seems to upshift too soon and not downshift soon enough. This is in part due to the difference in gear ratios (see chart below - sorry the numbers get crammed but basically read as follows: 1st gear> gear ratio for 335i and corresponding suggested speed, gear ratio for M235i and corresponding suggested speed, etc.):

335i Speed M235iSpeed
Auto Km/h Auto Km/h
1st gear 4.17 20 4.71 15
2nd gear 2.34 40 3.14 30
3rd gear 1.52 60 2.11 45
4th gear 1.14 80 1.67 55
5th gear 0.87 100 1.29 70
6th gear 0.69 120 1.00 85
7th gear - 0.84 100
8th gear - 0.67 120
Reverse gear 3.4 3.30
Final drive 3.46 3.08

E.g., under normal driving at 120 kmh u'd be in 6th gear for the 335i and in 8th for the M235i, etc. etc.
Is there anyway BMW can re-program the DS auto to be more aggressive w up/down shifts (she seems to upshift too quickly and downshift too slowly)?

In manual mode, does anyone find having to manually shift up to 8 gears a bit of a pain/redundant?

As always, I'd appreciate all of your feedback for those who have the auto tranny.

[jeffclev]

> Unlike the 335i (which was a joy to drive not only in manual mode but also DS (auto-sport) mode, the M235i in DS auto seems to upshift too soon and not downshift soon enough. This is in part due to the difference in gear ratios (see chart below - sorry the numbers get crammed but basically read as follows: 1st gear> gear ratio for 335i and corresponding suggested speed, gear ratio for M235i and corresponding suggested speed, etc.):

335i Speed M235iSpeed
Auto Km/h Auto Km/h
1st gear 4.17 20 4.71 15
2nd gear 2.34 40 3.14 30
3rd gear 1.52 60 2.11 45
4th gear 1.14 80 1.67 55
5th gear 0.87 100 1.29 70
6th gear 0.69 120 1.00 85
7th gear - 0.84 100
8th gear - 0.67 120
Reverse gear 3.4 3.30
Final drive 3.46 3.08

E.g., under normal driving at 120 kmh u'd be in 6th gear for the 335i and in 8th for the M235i, etc. etc.
Is there anyway BMW can re-program the DS auto to be more aggressive w up/down shifts (she seems to upshift too quickly and downshift too slowly)?

In manual mode, does anyone find having to manually shift up to 8 gears a bit of a pain/redundant?

As always, I'd appreciate all of your feedback for those who have the auto tranny.[/QUOTE]


Well I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I love the 8AT. When in ECO Pro it shifts very early and is slow to downshift, but comfort and certainly sport/+ modes it holds it pretty high, especially when the auto is in sport mode. Manual mode is a blast for me, especially shifting at 3/4 throttle it mid RPM (4k or so) and getting the pops from the exhaust when it shifts. I am wondering if your car has something wrong with it? Then again, the only other auto cars I have driven in the last 15 years have been my wife's Toyotas, so I don't have any other performance auto experience.

[Researcher]

The 8AT is a superb trans... As good as most DC systems. There must be something wrong with yours. Also, there is a significant difference in suspension firmness in Sports mode, very noticeable.

[DanG]

The sport mode and sport+ are user programmable to change throttle response, suspension stiffness! or both. You need to check how your system is setup.

Most people have the buttons change both.

[Dr. Indiana Jones]

Thx gang. I'll have to get her checked out. I notice nothing in suspension firmness, and in auto DS can't get her to delay the shifts to the mid 4K RPM before upshifting, etc. I dunno, c/b software issue. Unlikely it's anything serious, but I'll let u all know. On a more positive note, u basically have full control in manual mode (a lot of gears to shift, and sometimes u need to double-shift, especially when downshifting to get the engine to brake the car). Basically the old 335i 4th gear is equivalent to the M235i in 6th, etc. so it takes some getting used to. I suspect the shift points in auto DS can be manipulated/changed for the aggressive driver's like me. One thing I will say, is unlike the 335i which u can baby or mash, the M235i needs to be driven hard to perform at its best. Anyway need some more time behind the wheel to harness this beast.

[mjposner]

To test the sport button, drive over some rougher roads in both modes. I can clearly feel it in sport mode. If you can't perhaps something is set wrong or the system is not working.

[deathsliver]

Originally Posted by Dr. Indiana Jones

First off let me qualify that I'm not a car expert, and I've only driven the M235i for about 700km, so forgive me if these questions seem entry-level. That being said, I have a few concerns as follows (having previously driven a Honda Prelude SRV coupe, 225i sedan, and 335i coupe):

> For the love of God I cannot feel any difference in the suspension/handling when toggling from eco pro all the way up to sport+ (what gives LOL?).

> Unlike the 335i (which was a joy to drive not only in manual mode but also DS (auto-sport) mode, the M235i in DS auto seems to upshift too soon and not downshift soon enough. This is in part due to the difference in gear ratios (see chart below - sorry the numbers get crammed but basically read as follows: 1st gear> gear ratio for 335i and corresponding suggested speed, gear ratio for M235i and corresponding suggested speed, etc.):

335i Speed M235iSpeed
Auto Km/h Auto Km/h
1st gear 4.17 20 4.71 15
2nd gear 2.34 40 3.14 30
3rd gear 1.52 60 2.11 45
4th gear 1.14 80 1.67 55
5th gear 0.87 100 1.29 70
6th gear 0.69 120 1.00 85
7th gear - 0.84 100
8th gear - 0.67 120
Reverse gear 3.4 3.30
Final drive 3.46 3.08

E.g., under normal driving at 120 kmh u'd be in 6th gear for the 335i and in 8th for the M235i, etc. etc.
Is there anyway BMW can re-program the DS auto to be more aggressive w up/down shifts (she seems to upshift too quickly and downshift too slowly)?

In manual mode, does anyone find having to manually shift up to 8 gears a bit of a pain/redundant?

As always, I'd appreciate all of your feedback for those who have the auto tranny.

225i? When and where did you drive this?

[pikcachu]

To see diff between sport/comfort susp/handling do this...

Make sure you do this in a place where it's safe.
Start moving your steering right to left and left to right continuously about 15 degrees to each side and at the same time switch between comfort - sport and back to comfort a few times...

You will definitely notice the steering getting heavier when you go from comfort to sport and get lighter from sport to comfort

[Dr. Indiana Jones]

Originally Posted by deathsliver

225i? When and where did you drive this?

Ooops typo s/b 325i LOL.

[Dr. Indiana Jones]

OK thx gang - I'll give some of these stunts a try. My BMW Specialist indicated for the suspension/chassis setting, in sport the shocks vibrate/oscillate a bit more than in comfort mode. The difference is very subtle going over bumps. I think I prefer the comfort set-up better... and I believe u can achieve this in sport mode by leaving the chassis w/o sport and drivetrain w sport. Damn confusing if u ask me LOL.

[Delnari]

When driving in manual Sport mode I usually never get above "M5" in gear selection. I found 6-8 just too tall for manual sport shifting and when I hit a long straight away or just want to cool it down for a bit I move it back to auto mode.

[Dr. Indiana Jones]

Originally Posted by pikcachu

To see diff between sport/comfort susp/handling do this...

Make sure you do this in a place where it's safe.
Start moving your steering right to left and left to right continuously about 15 degrees to each side and at the same time switch between comfort - sport and back to comfort a few times...

You will definitely notice the steering getting heavier when you go from comfort to sport and get lighter from sport to comfort

Finally located this thread to thank u personally. U are brilliant - what a great way to test the steering, and yes it does stiffen up (albeit very nominally).

[Dr. Indiana Jones]

Doc Indy (a car novice) is back with some further insights for everyone's feedback, now that I've had a chance to put ~3K on the beast (M235i).

First, it takes a long time to get used to an 8-gear auto/steptronic tranny. In auto, set it to sport for max performance and safety (sport+ offers equivalent performance but is less safe) and DS mode, and be prepared to drive spiritedly. The upshifts are perfect but the downshifts not quick enough (making it a bit harder to brake w the engine). In steptronic manual mode (which I prefer), be prepared to again drive spiritedly and to shift throughout the gear range. The trick is adjusting to the realization that u need to be in a higher gear than you're used to with the 335i's 6-speed tranny at a given speed. U won't need 6th unless u're doing 100kmh, 7th until 120khm, and 8th until 140khm+, so Delnari is not that far off when he states that you'll use mostly up to 5th gear in city traffic. Also, and most importantly, because the gear ratios are closer, be prepared to often double-up/down shift to get the performance you demand. I also sometimes change back-and-forth between auto and manual (a hybrid style of driving if u will). No doubt the trade-off of having a smoother shifting experience is the hastle of so many gears but u'll get used to it. See my chart below for suggested rough estimates of the gear u need to be in at a given speed:

Gear GearRatio Speed(KMH)
1st 4.71 20
2nd 3.14 30
3rd 2.11 40
4th 1.67 60
5th 0.87 80
6th 1.00 100
7th 0.84 120
8th 0.67 140+

Second, the steering isn't that bad after all. I recently drove my father's 328i equipped with the beloved hydraulic steering, and to my utter surprise I found it to be too stiff, and kind of like driving a Sherman tank. It seems the M235i electronic steering, though no doubt not stiff enough, isn't that bad after all. The steering is still REALLY precise and saved me from hitting some construction poles at high speed w/o flipping the car (truly amazing - I guess I need to drive slower though).

Third, the suspension and non-RFTs are a tad soft (in comparison to the aforementioned 328i and 335i both w RFTs). No doubt the non-RFTs offer superior grip (albeit only a slalom driver would ever notice the difference). Case in point, I still don't notice much difference in the suspension/handling when toggling from comfort to sport/sport+.

Fourth, the M235i brakes have saved me on at least one occasion from a collision. Strangely, however, the car seems to be slightly under-braked (less grab) vs. the 335i's brakes, albeit this makes little sense to me given that the M235i M-performance 4-piston front brakes are supposedly better than those of the 335i. In truth, these brakes are likely equivalent in performance, and I'm out-to-lunch perhaps?

Fifth, the car is an 8/10 on design (not perfect like the 335i, but love the front end mostly, the rear taillights and cowls too, but just find the car a bit too stubby looking compared to the smaller 1-series. The extra rear passenger room is not great but a welcome improvement over the 1-series (with its dreaded rabbit headlights and cramped rear seating).

Sixth, the beast loves gas (as did the 335i) and with the smaller fuel tank, means more frequent trips to the gas station. This is to be expected from a sports car and isn't really a big deal. Eco mode, though lethargic, can be effectively used to save gas now and then, especially when the traffic is heavy and u've got no where to gun it anyway.

Seventh, overall, I am quite pleased with the design and performance of this beast. It's kind of a love-hate relationship, but I am truly starting to appreciate her assets.

Anyhooo, there u have it - looking forward to others' experiences with the M235i.