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      01-06-2015, 01:43 PM   #1
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228i vs. M235i

Considering BMW 2-Series and I need some assistance from those that already own/drive one of these two models. Please provide inputs on ownership experiences. Thank you.
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      01-06-2015, 02:07 PM   #2
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Well; much depends on how your going to use the car. Will it be a daily commuter sitting in crowded parking space through-out the week. Will it be traversing broken urban roadways. Is their any consideration on running pricey tires.
If the car will be doing the things that a Honda Civic will be doing then a 228 is a brilliant fast great car if you purchase minimum options and get it for a ~ $35k.


If you like to get up early, around 5:00 am to have the streets to yourself. If you like to open the windows in a tunnel and blip the throttle to listen to the sound. If you plan to walk to the back of the car on a cold start-up to listen to the exhaust. If you go to Tirerack and scan the pricing of tires that fit the car for a pastime. If you get back home after a drive and you have a buzz from the experience - get a M235!

Last edited by overcoil; 01-06-2015 at 03:11 PM..
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      01-06-2015, 02:10 PM   #3
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^^^ This. I was going to reply, but he just said it better then I could.
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      01-06-2015, 02:12 PM   #4
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There are a ton of threads on this subject--use the search to find them. I bought an M-Sport 228 after testing it and the M235 several times. 228 has plenty of power and torque as shown by mid 5 sec 0-60 specs. 235 has even more power, which trades off against a couple of mpg. Handling is almost identical for the MSport 228 vs the 235. The base 228 has very different, less sporty, handling(I drove both). IMO, the 228 has more power than you can use sanely on most roads, the 235 has even more. Both are great cars. You can save a lot of money on the 228 because of the lower base price and fewer options. If you want the best handling for the 228, buy the track package option.
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      01-06-2015, 02:26 PM   #5
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I Love my Msport 228 but I was constrained to under $40,000. If i'd had the money it would have been a 235 without a doubt
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      01-06-2015, 02:32 PM   #6
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Thanks for the inputs so far. Great stuff! I have the same mindset as to what most of you have brought up. Interesting that the 228i comes in a close second to the much more pricey M235i.

Has anyone seen the last (January 2015) "Roundel" article on the subject?
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      01-06-2015, 02:36 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tccox View Post
I Love my Msport 228 but I was constrained to under $40,000. If i'd had the money it would have been a 235 without a doubt
I did not want to spend over 40 on my man toy either. Maybe I should have, but fiscal responsibility won out. If such a thing can even be said in this case. The N20 is a wonderful driving engine. But power aside, the 6 is smoother and sounds better. I'd like my next one to have the inline 6. Hopefully they are still making them when that time comes.
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      01-06-2015, 02:38 PM   #8
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The biggest difference to me are the engine sizes/power and the M235i comes standard with M sport goodies.

In the end after I equally equipped a 228i to the same standards as a M235i there was only a roughly ~$3k price difference. I ended up paying for the larger engine and power.
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      01-06-2015, 02:45 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jbenington86 View Post
The biggest difference to me are the engine sizes/power and the M235i comes standard with M sport goodies.

In the end after I equally equipped a 228i to the same standards as a M235i there was only a roughly ~$3k price difference. I ended up paying for the larger engine and power.
How's your M235i optioned? Thanks.
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      01-06-2015, 03:00 PM   #10
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if you can afford it, go for the M235i.... Glorious inline 6.... with a sweeet manual!!!
My EB M235i is my little baby!!!
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      01-06-2015, 03:28 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gaijin View Post
How's your M235i optioned? Thanks.
The difference in MSRP was $3455.

Below are the builds and price:

M235i $43,100
Estoril Blue $550
Cold Weather Package $700
Drivers Assistance Package $950
Destination and Handling $950
Total MSRP: $46,250

Now an equally equipped 228i but obviously you can choose not take get a moonroof, lights, power seats:

228i $32,100
M Sport $3,000 (included in M235i price)
Estoril Blue $550
Cold Weather Package $700
Drivers Assistance Package $950
Lighting Package $900 (included in M235i price)
Track Handling Package $1,600 (included in M235i price)
Moonroof $1,050 (included in M235i price)
Power front seats $995 (included in M235i price)
Destination and Handling $950
Total: $42,795

In no way am I trying to talk you out of one or the other. My first new ordered BMW was the 128i (which I love to this day) had no options at all. It had the fake leather and I chose a base color (AW) with manual transmission (the auto cost close to $1,000 at the time). The miles are starting to get high even though I see no signs of mechanical issues yet but a new main car was in my future. Also, I had some luck recently financially otherwise I would have bought a 228i. In fact my first thought was 228i until the math was done and noticed such a small price difference. Sadly my 128i came with a moonroof standard which is now a $1,050 option on a base 228i. The finger is pointed at those worried about losing a few pounds and having a higher center of gravity. In the end the options made it clear to me I should just front a little more money and go for the M235i.

Last edited by jbenington86; 01-06-2015 at 03:39 PM.. Reason: Forgot to quote
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      01-06-2015, 03:28 PM   #12
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My suggestion:

Test drive a 228i that is as close to optioned as how you would like it. IE if you want a sport/M sport car, do not try to judge a base no line car. The handling characteristics are very noticeable.

Once you drive it, decide if it has enough power, noise and grunt for you. If it does, stop, drive back to the dealer and order it.

If you're left wanting more, then drive the 235.

Do NOT try to reverse the order. Once you drive the 6 it's highly unlikely you'll want to drop back down to the 4 cylinder. I test drove a 328 after shopping for 335i's and it didn't have enough emotion to make me not splurge for the 335.

Ultimately the delta between a similar spec of 228i and 235i is around $4k. If you chose a stripped down build then you will save more money on the 228. So if you like checking the option boxes, the jump to a 235 may not be a big deal.

In the real world though, a 228 will have enough performance and speed to get you into plenty of trouble, even on the track. But if you're like most gear heads who like the extra slew of M badges and mechanical noises that come out of the 6 then the answer will become obvious after a test drive.
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      01-06-2015, 03:50 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottSinger View Post
Well; much depends on how your going to use the car. Will it be a daily commuter sitting in crowded parking space through-out the week. Will it be traversing broken urban roadways. Is their any consideration on running pricey tires.
If the car will be doing the things that a Honda Civic will be doing then a 228 is a brilliant fast great car if you purchase minimum options and get it for a ~ $35k.


If you like to get up early, around 5:00 am to have the streets to yourself. If you like to open the windows in a tunnel and blip the throttle to listen to the sound. If you plan to walk to the back of the car on a cold start-up to listen to the exhaust. If you go to Tirerack and scan the pricing of tires that fit the car for a pastime. If you get back home after a drive and you have a buzz from the experience - get a M235!
lol
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      01-06-2015, 03:52 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cyberdemon View Post
In the real world though, a 228 will have enough performance and speed to get you into plenty of trouble, even on the track.
Yeah my $295 ticket in MD can attest.....This was in my 128i (less power and significantly less tq. than 228i) coming off an on ramp at 90mph.....State trooper caught me. After the trooper came to my window and asked me how fast I was going. I played ignorance then he told me how fast he clocked me....My wife (drunk in the back seat) proceeded to laugh really loud and yell "your car isn't that fast." Just for reference she drives a 370z..... Rough evening while I also had to complete a field sobriety test because he was sure due to me driving so fast and the smell of alcohol from my wife and friend that I was drunk.
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      01-06-2015, 05:01 PM   #15
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That's hilarious! Did you go with the SensaTec seat?

I don't really or feel any major difference between the leather and SensaTec.

Last edited by gaijin; 01-06-2015 at 05:08 PM.. Reason: added remarks
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      01-06-2015, 05:55 PM   #16
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Over time the leather seats do get softer. However I have sens and probably wouldn't have done it differently. Easy to clean. last forever. and look great/same as leather. If BMW had higher quality leather might be a different story
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      01-06-2015, 06:02 PM   #17
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I have an M-Sport 228i with a manual transmission. I got it as my daily driver and the slightly better gas mileage pays off while commuting. I've had it since August and I'm loving it. I drive 30 miles round trip to work and I take it on the twisty back roads on the weekends.

I have yet to drive an M235 but I can tell you my 228 gets very illegal, very quickly. The 0-60 times are surprisingly close.

Also agree with the above, if you're considering a 228, and want it as more of a sports car, don't drive a base one. Make sure it's a sport line, or M Sport. There's a huge difference.
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      01-06-2015, 09:45 PM   #18
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I got my 228 Sportline (I wanted Valencia Orange so M Sport line was out) on 12/31 and I absolutely love this car. I have the Track Handling Package which I bought "blind" because it is impossible to find a 228 with track package to test drive. I would highly recommend the THP. As others have said on here, it truly is like two cars in one. The difference in the suspension between comfort and sport is very noticeable. The car is plenty fast, obviously not as fast as the 235, but unless you intend to track the car I can't imagine how you would use that extra power. I find my car very difficult to drive slowly (or even at speeds close to the legal limit). I look down and I'm doing 85 without even knowing it. The auto transmission is nothing short of a work of art. The shifts are smooth as butter and the timing of the shifts is absolutely perfect (hence the higher estimated mileage for the auto vs the manual). I'm coming out of a MINI S which was the most fun car I have ever driven. To be honest, I still think the MINI was a more fun drive only because of the size of the car and the fact that it was even more "tossable" than the 228, but make no mistake, the 228 with THP is a hoot to drive (and I'm loving the Michelin PSS tires that come with the THP). I have read in this thread that there is a relatively small difference between the MSRP the 235 and a comparably equipped 228. This is not a valid comparison, however, especially in Southern CA. The discounts available on a 228 are much higher than on a 235. In fact, it's tough to even get a discount on a 235 here. I got 6.4% off MSRP on my 228 and that was a pretty good deal in SoCal. The pricing situation may be different in other parts of the country. But using jbenington86's numbers above, if the 235 is $46,250 and you have to pay MSRP or close to it, and the 228 is $42,795 with 6.4% discount, you're looking at a difference of over $6,000, not an insubstantial amount of money. The bottom line for me is, the 228 is a helluva car, fast as you need and probably want it to be as a daily driver, and great fun to drive. I wouldn't change a thing about the car I chose and the way I optioned it (except that I would have deleted the moonroof if I was able to which I was not on a Sport line).
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      01-06-2015, 10:38 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gaijin View Post
That's hilarious! Did you go with the SensaTec seat?

I don't really or feel any major difference between the leather and SensaTec.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chaswyck@yahoo.com View Post
But using jbenington86's numbers above, if the 235 is $46,250 and you have to pay MSRP or close to it, and the 228 is $42,795 with 6.4% discount, you're looking at a difference of over $6,000, not an insubstantial amount of money.
Doubt I will ever get leather. The fake stuff is great.

Got my M235i equipped as stated above for $42,150

The deal I would of got for a 228i (same options as above) was $39,795.

It's all on what kind of deals are present to you in your area.

Last edited by jbenington86; 01-06-2015 at 10:59 PM..
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      01-06-2015, 10:53 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeG12 View Post
There are a ton of threads on this subject--use the search to find them. I bought an M-Sport 228 after testing it and the M235 several times. 228 has plenty of power and torque as shown by mid 5 sec 0-60 specs. 235 has even more power, which trades off against a couple of mpg. Handling is almost identical for the MSport 228 vs the 235. The base 228 has very different, less sporty, handling(I drove both). IMO, the 228 has more power than you can use sanely on most roads, the 235 has even more. Both are great cars. You can save a lot of money on the 228 because of the lower base price and fewer options. If you want the best handling for the 228, buy the track package option.
Actually, the only option you can get on the M235i that is not on the M-Sport 228i is the sunroof delete. And annoyingly, that is the ONLY reason I am ordering an M235i, I would be perfectly happy with 240hp, but I want the premium pack things but no hole in the roof. If anything you have more options on a 228i. 3 lines, 3 suspension choices and more colors inside and out. But as far as equipment options, they are exactly the same.
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      01-06-2015, 11:49 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jbenington86 View Post
Doubt I will ever get leather. The fake stuff is great.

Got my M235i equipped as stated above for $42,150

The deal I would of got for a 228i (same options as above) was $39,795.

It's all on what kind of deals are present to you in your area.
Like I said, pricing depends heavily on where you are. From what I've seen on cars.com there are many more 2 Series available on the East Coast than in CA and there are deals to be had on both the 228 and 235 on the East Coast. It just isn't that way here. I had a Bimmerfest board sponsor from CA tell me that he was selling 235's at MSRP. But I wasn't willing to give up the VO color anyway. It's beautiful and I like orange (my MINI was Spice Orange).
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      01-07-2015, 05:16 AM   #22
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A Dinan tune applied to a 228i gets you very close to the stock M235i performance numbers in a lighter weight, more balanced package.
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