[Racer20]

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Updated after 6 months of ownership and now with OEM summer tire impressions (new comments in blue)

I took delivery of my 228i Track Handling Pack (package details) on Monday, and I've put about 250 miles on it since then. For reference, I also own a 2005 330iZHP, a 2015 M3, and I sold my Z4M Coupe last year. This car is intended to be my daily driver, while my wife will take over my ZHP for the little bit that she drives. We traded in her Mini Cooper S on the 228i. I passed on the M235i because I didn't want to make my M3 redundant, and I skipped the premium package and leather in an effort to keep the lease payment down. Here's my build:

2015 228i RWD 6MT Sport Line
Mineral Gray, Black Sensatec with Red Highlights
Track Handling Package
Lighting Package
Tech Package
Heated Seats
HK Stereo

On to the review:

Exterior: 7.5 8
After 6 months, I've grown to appreciate the clean and subtle lines, and I'm glad I didn't get the M-Sport.

Styling is subjective, but to me the car's proportions are just a little bit off. I didn't get the M sport package because I wanted to keep some separation between this car and my M3, but the car definately looks better with it. The Sport line helps a bit compared to a no line car, but the silver trim around the windows and less substantial sideskirts and front fascia make the car look a bit top heavy and awkward. IMO the proportions would work better in sedan or gran coupe format, and the car needs to be 10mm lower. I chose Mineral Gray because I didn't want this car to "out bling" my M3. I would have rather had MW or EB, as MG on black is kind of boring to me. Oh well . . . it's a daily driver, and a lease, at that.

Interior: 9
It's your standard F-series BMW interior, which I happen to like. I went with black Sensatec to keep the price down. The seat material is actually quite nice for what it is . . . it's softer than leather and probably more durable as well. The other interior materials are a small step down from my M3, but overall the interior is a very nice place to be. The ergonomics are perfect, the seats are very comfortable (more so than my M3's seats, but a bit less supportive). The size of this car and interior feeling is very close to my ZHP, and noticeably smaller than the F80. It's a perfect size for me. The pedals are perfectly placed for heel/toe, and the throttle is responsive enough to not have to jab the pedal to the floor to bring up the revs, even in Eco Pro mode. The manual transmission is a bit less precise than my F80, but better than most old BMW's. I have no complaints. Overall, there's nothing in the interior that I don't like.

Engine: 8
I'm still breaking it in, but so far I'm pretty impressed with the engine. There's a bit more lag than in my M3, but much less than our old Mini or GTI. The engine pulls surprisingly hard for a little 2 liter in a relatively heavy car, and it's as linear and responsive as it needs to be. In a straight line, it's noticeably faster than my ZHP, and only lacks a bit of initial response in comparison. The sound isn't anything special . . . on cold starts it can sound kind of industrial, but underway it's quiet and unremarkable. I don't feel like the car needs more power. So far after 2 days of commuting (250 miles of highway/city use) I'm averaging 30.1mpg in mostly Eco Pro and Comfort modes. Faster than my ZHP AND 5-6 more mpg. Not bad.

Ride/handling: 9? 8
This is where the biggest change is. The ride comfort is still very good on the stock Super Sports, but the body control isn't as good as I'd like. It's a bit floaty all the time in comfort mode, and even in sport mode, some larger swells and broken can upset the car. Overall, neither mode quite brings it all together to make this car as much fun as my ZHP, but it's definitely more comfortable on the freeway. I think most of the issues I have are with the EDC software, so I'm going to see if Dinan's shockware is any better later this summer.

Big caveat here: I had the dealer install my snow wheels and tires before I picked the car up, so I can't really comment on how the car handles with the OEM SuperSports. That said, the Track Handling Pack is the whole reason I bought this car. The adaptive dampers work very well, and there is more of a difference between comfort and sport than in my M3. The ride quality is better than both of my other cars, with body control equal to that of my ZHP, even in comfort mode. The car has a plush character, but is well damped and road imperfections are rarely intrusive. In sport, the body control is dialed up a notch, and there is a hint of jerkiness to the ride, but the body roll is reduced and the car becomes more responsive. If the SuperSports work as well on this car as they do on my ZHP and M3, I expect the ride and handling balance to be excellent this spring when I switch tires. The cabin is well isolated from NVH, with wind and road noise being noticeably quieter than both of my other cars. This might bump to a 9 after I swap tires in the spring.

Steering: 8? 8
I'll still give this car an 8, but I have recently driven an ATS-V, and that car has better steering than any BMW I've ever driven. The bar has been raised. With the Super Sports, My 228i isn't bad, but it's not as sharp as either my M3 or my ZHP, and sometimes the EDC system doesn't react quick enough to keep up with fast/small steering maneuvers, so it feels a bit vague. Again, this is a daily driver, so overall I am still quite happy with the car.

Again, I can't fully evaluate the steering due to my winter tires. BMW's press release for the track handling package last year mentioned mechanical steering, which I read to mean hydraulic as opposed to electric assist as most other F-series cars have (edit: Nope, it's electric). I'm not 100% sure if this is true or not. While the response is a bit out of phase due to the squishy tread blocks on my snow tires, the effort seems to build very nicely and the overall response does seem appropriate. Again, I expect to bump this to a 9 after I swap tires.

HK Stereo: 8
The HK Stereo is a step down from my F80, and does not have the full EQ controls of that car. That said, it still sounds decent, assuming you have a good source to listen to. Audio over bluetooth or heavily compressed mp3's will sound like crap no matter what, but 256kbps mp3's via iPhone USB cable is perfectly satisfactory. I'm not a total audiophile, but quality sound is important to me, and I don't have any complaints. I suspect those people who say HK sounds like shit are either listening to bad source material (XM, Bluetooth, low bitrate streams, etc.), or they may just have a different idea of what sounds good. I prefer relatively flat, natural sound, without overbearing bass, so take that how you will.

Lighting Package: 7
I'm not obsessed with LED lights like so many people here seem to be. I want my lights to work well for night driving and have nice styling that fits a $40k car. I don't give a shit that the tail lights aren't LED's, but I DO think it's ridiculous that Xenon headlights aren't standard. A new BMW with Halogen's seems ridiculous to me, so I got the lighting package. I'm glad I did, but that said, BMW's lights never seem to have enough range. All 3 of my cars have an abrupt cut-off beyond which the road is dark, and in all 3 of them, I wish that cut-off was about 15-20 yards further out. It's a bit annoying, but not the end of the world. There is definitely some margin to adjust the aim slightly up without blinding people, which I did in my ZHP.

Overall: 9.5
I've driven the A3, CLA, and GTI, and this car is simply in another league when you consider how well it does everything. As a daily driver, this car has the perfect blend of performance and comfort, as well as excellent fuel economy. I consider the ZHP to be one of the best sports sedans that BMW has every made, and I bought this car with the hopes of it being "the next ZHP." I won't know for sure until I put my summer tires on in a couple months, but so far, it's looking very promising.

[kd0t]

Good review!!

Just curious, how is a M235i redundant when compared to your F80 M3?

I never sat in a F80 but I would still assume it far exceeds the M235i in terms of performance and overall driving experience. Curious to know your thoughts!

[Cal]

Very well written review. I agree with virtually everything you have written. In regards to the HK...while it is still a step up from the base system, you could have probably skipped that and saved yourself even more money since the HK in the F22 is actually not as good as the one in the other BMWs. There are some threads in this forum where owners have actually been reimbursed a few hundred dollars due to the HK system being misadvertised.

With regards to the engine, I also found the 2 liter turbo to be quite good, especially on the 228i. When I test drove one, I found it to accelerate a tad better than my e36M3 as well. Once broken in, a 228i would for sure outperform an e36M3 decisively in any acceleration contest. It actually is so good that it is even "decent" on an f10 528i. For this reason, we decided to get a 428i GC as our other car.

Finally, in regards to the Xenons, I also found them to be ok, but not quite up to par with xenons on other cars. They don't seem to illuminate enough of the road, so maybe I also need to adjust them higher. For some reason, I find the F36 xenons to illuminate more of the road than my F22, so I'll definitely look into this.

Once again, great writeup and review, and congrats on your new car.

[RocketJohn]

Nice review!

[Racer20]

Originally Posted by kd0t

Good review!!

Just curious, how is a M235i redundant when compared to your F80 M3?

I never sat in a F80 but I would still assume it far exceeds the M235i in terms of performance and overall driving experience. Curious to know your thoughts!

Maybe not quite redundant . . . Let's just say I wanted to keep plenty of separation between my M3 and my daily driver, while still having a fun to drive, competent DD.

[Racer20]

Originally Posted by Cal

Very well written review. I agree with virtually everything you have written. In regards to the HK...while it is still a step up from the base system, you could have probably skipped that and saved yourself even more money since the HK in the F22 is actually not as good as the one in the other BMWs. There are some threads in this forum where owners have actually been reimbursed a few hundred dollars due to the HK system being misadvertised.

I know, but saving a couple hundered dollars isn't worth it to me. Two options that I cannot go without in any car I buy are adaptive dampers and upgraded audio.

[chaswyck1]

Great review. I also agree with everything you said, but I don't have the HK so I can't comment on that except to say that the base audio system sucks. Fortunately I mostly listen to news radio on Sirius so it doesn't really matter. The track package is awesome and I'm very glad I ordered it. It really is the perfect DD - fun when you want it to be and a smooth commuter when that's all you're doing.

[Sportstick]

Well-written and comprehensive....thanks for your time.

I went the other way on tires, so can provide some insight. I only had 1,666 miles before I took off the PSS and installed Blizzak WS80 in October, which are quite soft. Between the tires and going to 17" winters, the change was quite significant. Everything got softer from impact harshness, which was already good to surprisingly comfortable for a small BMW coupe, to handling/steering response, which is just something to tolerate while Mother Nature tortures us for a few months each year. You will find a leap in the preciseness of the steering feel when you put the PSS back on. Also, the handling will improve with a more "go-kart" feel. With the Blizzaks, it does feel a bit like a marshmallow is under each wheel going into turns. But, I can plow through any snow, up and down hills, so far, so a short-term price to pay.

[MichaelL]

Thanks for the detailed review. I look forward to getting my 228i track pack car in a couple of months...

[Wilsel]

Curious why you sold the Z4M? Seems like you had a perfect stable. Just wanted a car with a warranty and more luxuries to daily?

[///M Roger]

Why not daily drive the F80 M3? It's the best all around car there is.

[Dackelone]

Nice review.


ALL F-series cars have electric steering. No hydraulic steering, sorry. IF you toggle the suspension button from eco/eco+/comfort to Sport or Sport+, you should be able to feel a difference in steering feel and response.

Basically the steering only has two modes: Comfort and Sport

Sport = in Sport and Sport+
Comfort = Eco/Eco+ and Comfort.


Dackel

[gaijin]

+1 on the Z4M Coupe! Thanks for a subjective review. Thoroughly enjoyed the read.

[Racer20]

Originally Posted by Wilsel

Curious why you sold the Z4M? Seems like you had a perfect stable. Just wanted a car with a warranty and more luxuries to daily?

I sold the Z4M Coupe to make room for the M3. That car had some flaws, but it was tons of fun.

At the time I had 3 cars, all of them at least 7 years old with 60k. I found that I was spending too much time and money on routine maintenance and fixing the minor issues that older BMW's tend to have, and decided it was time to upgrade the fleet to get some warranty coverage.

[Racer20]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Nice review.


ALL F-series cars have electric steering. No hydraulic steering, sorry. IF you toggle the suspension button from eco/eco+/comfort to Sport or Sport+, you should be able to feel a difference in steering feel and response.

Basically the steering only has two modes: Comfort and Sport

Sport = in Sport and Sport+
Comfort = Eco/Eco+ and Comfort.


Dackel

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/04/17/b...new-york-2014/

Scroll down for the BMW press release. Here's the relevant section:

The BMW 228i Coupe with Track Handling Package . . .

BMW Variable Sport Steering.

BMW Variable Sport Steering employs a mechanical steering rack with a directness ratio that varies in a prescribed way throughout its range of travel.

I originally read "mechanical steering" to mean "not electric," but now I realize that Variable Sport Steering is the same system that's used in all the F series cars. Oh well . . . either way, the steering seems reasonable so far with my Michelin X-Ice's

[LDSM]

Thanks for the post! What do you think about the size of the car vs the F80?

I look forward to when you get the snow tires off, hopefully you can make some comparisons to the F80 especially.

[Racer20]

Originally Posted by ///M Roger

Why not daily drive the F80 M3? It's the best all around car there is.

Because I drive 25-27k miles/yr and live in Michigan, and I like to keep my sports cars clean and nice. As long as it's dry and above 45degrees, I typically do drive it at every opportunity. I usually put 7-10k miles per year on whatever sports car I have at the moment, and another 15-18k on my daily.

[dbworld4k]

Does the track handling package include a LSD?

[Racer20]

Originally Posted by LDSM

Thanks for the post! What do you think about the size of the car vs the F80?

I look forward to when you get the snow tires off, hopefully you can make some comparisons to the F80 especially.

Considering that 95% of my driving is just me or my wife and I, I prefer the size of the 2 series for just driving. But I don't really like 4 seat coupes, as I often have stuff with me (laptop bag, gym bag, etc.) and I like the direct access to the rear seat.

The F80 is a big car, but they packaged it well and it feels smaller than it is. When I have people in the back, they are always surpised how roomy it is. Some other cars have also gotten bigger and don't manage the extra size well. The one thing I hate is when the arm rests are too far away from my body, as if the car was designed for a 300 pounder. The new GTI and previous gen CTS and Mustang have this problem, but the F80 still feels like it fits properly.

The F80 also manages phones, drinks, and sunglasses just a bit better than the F22 without getting in the way of the shifter.

One other thing I don't like about the F22 is that I'm used to the extra information and control that the M instrument display gives you. The configurable M button, shift lights, water temp gauge, tire temperature, etc. are all nice touches, and the F22 seems kind of dumbed down in comparison. Not a big deal, but the M add-ons are a nice touch.

[Racer20]

Originally Posted by dbworld4k

Does the track handling package include a LSD?

No. Which is fine for me, given that it's a daily driver. Normally I won't buy a "fun" car without an LSD, but for my DD, it doesn't matter that much.

[dbworld4k]

Originally Posted by Racer20

No. Which is fine for me, given that it's a daily driver. Normally I won't buy a "fun" car without an LSD, but for my DD, it doesn't matter that much.

Understandable.

Shame that BMW touts such a package and neglects to include such a critical component. I don't track my E92 either but the open diff is such a pain in the ass during winter. Sorely miss having a LSD right now.

[melloww22]

235 brother ... There is still time. I see you got a 6MT nice, but dude the 235 does not make your M3 redundant, it enhances and smoothen each driving experience (enthusiasm)