[mcompact]

Originally Posted by reward72

Just out of curiosity, what’s the problem with having a sunroof? I don’t care much for it myself and rarely ever open it, but I don’t mind it. The weight? The head space? Paying for it?

Well, for one thing, I haven't opened the sunroof in my M235i since I bought it nearly two years ago. More importantly, the 2er is my HPDE instructor car and I have an aversion to adding over 50 pounds to the highest point of the car- as TC Kline once told me, it's the equivalent of mounting the battery to the roof. That said, when looking at CPO cars it's hard to find one that ticks every box.

As an aside, I ordered my Club Sport in August 1995 and took delivery in November 1995. I ordered the limited slip and the premium sound. Munich at one point wanted to build all the Club Sports with sunroofs(shades of Max Hoffman’s “Mandatory Options” on the 2002!), but my salesperson went to bat for me and she had the car built without a hole in the roof. The best guess is that no more than ten Club Sports were produced without a sunroof. I still have mine; it has 140,000 miles on it and I am never, EVER selling it.

[harma24]

Well, I'll add to the sunroof debate.
1st, I would venture to guess that the vast majority (if not all) of us cannot drive the car to the point where the extra weight actually impacts our performance. Sorry guys, non of us are professional drivers.
2nd, I'm actually surprised to see that the difference in height is only 1.9"; I would have guessed closer to 3. If only the thing opened up instead of down.

I personally like it. I had one in my last car, and will frequently drive with the shade open year round. I like the extra light in the cabin. I also like having the windows and sunroof open; close to a convertible without some of the disadvantages of a convertible (notably the lack of trunk *******.

space. I have no idea why it's doing that!

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by harma24

Well, I'll add to the sunroof debate.
1st, I would venture to guess that the vast majority (if not all) of us cannot drive the car to the point where the extra weight actually impacts our performance. Sorry guys, non of us are professional drivers.
2nd, I'm actually surprised to see that the difference in height is only 1.9"; I would have guessed closer to 3. If only the thing opened up instead of down.

I personally like it. I had one in my last car, and will frequently drive with the shade open year round. I like the extra light in the cabin. I also like having the windows and sunroof open; close to a convertible without some of the disadvantages of a convertible (notably the lack of trunk *******.

space. I have no idea why it's doing that!

Pretty much agree with all of this regarding the sunroof. I have tracked mine with the sunroof, and seriously doubt that I could even gain .1 second if I had the sunroof-delete option. Not only that, but they don't hand out any trophies at HPDE track days anyway, even if I could shave .1 second off my lap times.

No issues for me with headroom either, even with a helmet on.

The plusses outweigh the minuses for me. In fact, I don't see any minuses. Even when I don't open it, the extra light it lets in opens up the cabin and makes it seem bigger. I don't really understand the hate, especially when it's free (at least on the M235i/240i).

[mcompact]

To each his/her own; if I have the opportunity to forego a hole in the roof, I'm taking it.

[ny176]

Hey Congrats on the new Car and good luck! Loved my 228 xi since i first took over the lease a year ago minus the crappy pirelli RFT's.

Also,

[Bmw240xi18]

I didn't get a sun roof because I live in Arizona and the last thing I need in my car is...more sun. That said, my other concern with the Arizona heat is having issues with gaskets due to the heat, etc. I just wanted to reduce a potential point of failure.

[happyjack]

at 6'1" i would have opted for no sunroof if i were buying new, but couldnt find any CPOs without one. i've got about 2" of clearance from the top of my head to the roof...but would have liked a bit more room.

one other "would like to have" for me: maybe another 2-2.5 gallons in fuel capacity. as a long range commuter (100 mi/day), i'd like to be able to go 4 full days between trips to the gas station...

[stevenvillatoro]

Originally Posted by Bmw240xi18

I didn't get a sun roof because I live in Arizona and the last thing I need in my car is...more sun.

One of the best uses of the "sun" roof has nothing at all to do with sun, but rather its ability to cool (and keep cooler) via venting. Since heat rises, the best venting is at the roof. In any hot climate, having the sunroof cracked open to its vent position, especially when parked outdoors, makes a whopping difference in the cabin temperature and comfort.

[Dylan86]

If I built my own car (not a CPO deal of a lifetime) I would have done a sunroof delete for sure, just because of the weight alone and my long term goals with the car.

That being said, being able to grab the car, I did, at the price, it was stupid to walk into a $5k increase just to save 12k kms and to have no sunroof. I ended up getting into a $68k (cdn) car, for $49k, I am not complaining. I have began to really enjoy my sunroof, though, I enjoy getting on the mountain roads and taking in the fresh air, and hearing the symphony of the engine/exhaust, without the nauseating feeling of wind pressure coming in from the side windows. Just makes for a really nice spring/summer/fall driving experience.

I am okay with either, but I wouldn't pay extra for the sunroof, if that makes any sense

[Tpeterson]

I agree with all the arguments against having a sunroof,but I still like having one on my 2228i. I like the open feeling it gives by having a window in the roof. I don't actually open it that much.

[Bmw240xi18]

Originally Posted by stevenvillatoro

One of the best uses of the "sun" roof has nothing at all to do with sun, but rather its ability to cool (and keep cooler) via venting. Since heat rises, the best venting is at the roof. In any hot climate, having the sunroof cracked open to its vent position, especially when parked outdoors, makes a whopping difference in the cabin temperature and comfort.

I figured as much, it was more a play on words at my fear of sun roofs in Arizona and the additional potential point of failure. For example, i also avoid things like heated seats, headlight washers, etc. while BMW makes quality cars, I just don't like the added risk.

[Ron Jeffries]

I got this amazing new invention where the top is made of what seems like some kind of cloth, stretched over an articulated frame. There is a sort of motor or something that, when I hold a switch in the center console, the WHOLE TOP folds up and drops into the trunk. Frankly, it's amazing, and here in Michigan, where the temperature got up to freezing today for the first time in weeks, it's a very useful feature to have.

Basically it totally trumps those sun roof things, except that you can't see through it when it's not in the trunk.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by stevenvillatoro

One of the best uses of the "sun" roof has nothing at all to do with sun, but rather its ability to cool (and keep cooler) via venting. Since heat rises, the best venting is at the roof. In any hot climate, having the sunroof cracked open to its vent position, especially when parked outdoors, makes a whopping difference in the cabin temperature and comfort.

You can just as simply crack the side windows slightly as well to vent the air. Also, tinting the windows and using a reflective dash board sunshade go a very long way. It gets into the upper 90s and low 100s in Kansas City and my 35% legal tint M235 with a sunshade does not get overly hot inside after baking in the direct sun at work for 8 hours. That's with no moonroof and the no windows cracked. As I'm walking to the car, I hold down the unlock button and the windows go down completely, venting all the built up hot air.

[TajoMan]

Let's just say it is good to have sunroof delete option.
Otherwise, I had to get a different car.
one more things to like.

[Sail Boat]

Interesting takes.

Personally, I open my sunroof probably every day it isn't raining. Awesome in the winter with heat blasting

[RacerDad]

+1 on the sunroof delete. I have other cars with sunroofs and never open them. While, it is true that I will not gain an additional 0.1 second on the track because of the weight loss, I couldn't pass up the chance to delete it. This is from someone who had to fabricate steel panels to fill the sunroof hole on my last two race cars.

OP, nice writeup. If you are doing your HPDEs with NASA Mid Atlantic this season, come find me in the paddock. Just look for a black/green Spec Miata (can't track two cars at the moment, so the M235i stays home while the son is on track ).

[VIN240i13]

Originally Posted by Ron Jeffries

I got this amazing new invention where the top is made of what seems like some kind of cloth, stretched over an articulated frame......

Nice, I have one also, I am very impressed with the extra head room and "openness" feel while driving when that black cloth thingy is fully collapsed in the trunk, especially when driving the coastal roads of lower Alabama..... allows for more visual enjoyment while you drive.

I am wondering what happens when it rains...

[Ron Jeffries]

When it rains, it’s best to go fast.

[Lucky1]

Originally Posted by Sail Boat

Interesting takes.

Personally, I open my sunroof probably every day it isn't raining. Awesome in the winter with heat blasting

Amazing how polarizing the debate can be. I love my sunroof and I also open it every day I can along with windows down all the way. It lets in a lot of light and makes the interior feel less cavernous. As a daily driver I love this feature. The saddest part of the 1M for me is it never came with the option.

I now own a Z4 M Roadster so I've taken my love of the sunroof on a good day to a different sort of extreme but still really enjoy the additional light the sunroof brings in my 1er even when closed. Have thought whether I would buy any future car without a sunroof and can't bring myself to say yes.

[cxp213]

Nice review.

I also found the dealership experience to be more pleasant and do appreciate the free maintenance but do wish the intervals were a little shorter. It'd also be nice if some of the common failure points got extended warranties, but can't have it all, lol.

I'm relatively new to the BMW community as well and really enjoy the fact that the bond stems from their love and appreciation for the brand and not just the individual car models themselves.

Lastly, if I were to add my 2 cents about the sunroof... I think the M235i is a great car and all but I personally don't see this becoming a hardcore track car for me, especially when there are so many better options out there. The amount of money it requires to become more capable on the track or in competition just isn't worth the gains. It's good enough for enthusiast level fun and that's about where I'll stop with this one. I've chased thousandths on the track and have campaigned in another car and just don't see the potential in this car, so I would rather enjoy the amenities it has to offer. I personally missed having the sunroof, although since I've not had one for so long, I tend to forget that I now have one, lol. Still, as others have said, the benefits of having outweigh the benefits it offers performance wise by not having it so I actually prefer to have it.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by cxp213

Lastly, if I were to add my 2 cents about the sunroof... I think the M235i is a great car and all but I personally don't see this becoming a hardcore track car for me, especially when there are so many better options out there. The amount of money it requires to become more capable on the track or in competition just isn't worth the gains. It's good enough for enthusiast level fun and that's about where I'll stop with this one. I've chased thousandths on the track and have campaigned in another car and just don't see the potential in this car, so I would rather enjoy the amenities it has to offer. I personally missed having the sunroof, although since I've not had one for so long, I tend to forget that I now have one, lol. Still, as others have said, the benefits of having outweigh the benefits it offers performance wise by not having it so I actually prefer to have it.

I agree, the M235 is far from the ideal track car. It would make far more sense to buy a Miata or something on that line or even an M2 DCT if you must race with this chassis. With that said, the M235/240 can be one hell of a fun dual purpose car that you can swap some track pads and wheels on and have a fun time at the auto-x or a track day here and there. It's really no different than someone tracking an E46 M3. They are basically the same car in size and performance wise with the nod going towards the M235 in sheer numbers and the E46 M3 having the better steering feel.

I've had moonroofs in all my cars except one (hardtop 94 Z28) since 1989. I like them, but as I grew older I couldn't help but think how I wanted to get all that extra weight out of the roof, increase headroom, and increase rigidity. I accepted the moonroof as it was part of the option package I got.

When I decided on an M235, I wanted it to be as light as possible. Silly? Sure to most, but that's how I view performance cars. Weight kills acceleration and handling. The 6MT weighs 40lbs less than the 8AT and the moonroof is about 35-40lbs. I loved the idea of pulling nearly 100lbs out the car to offer the best possible driving experience and dynamics. My M235 6MT no moonroof with a half tank of fuel weighed in at 3,350lbs. I find that acceptably light given it's a modern 2+2 sports/luxury car.