[Nyorky2428]

Wonder why BMW decided not to have any padding in the door arm rest. I typically drive with my left elbow on it, and on longer trips, it starts to hurt. The center console has at least some decent give to it; wish they'd have at least the same concept on the door.

[Rayscott]

I drive my X3 to Florida every year and I bought some easy to install padded arm and console pads. Very comfortable and no skin friction. I don't take the 228 on long trips so no issues there.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by Nyorky2428

Wonder why BMW decided not to have any padding in the door arm rest.

No mystery.

$$$

Add it to the list of non-sliding visors and no headliner grab handles for the passenger.

[Lucky13]

No problem with a manual transmission, left hand is always on the wheel and right in near the shifter.

[Nyorky2428]

Originally Posted by Lucky13

No problem with a manual transmission, left hand is always on the wheel and right in near the shifter.

That's how I drive too, but I'll have my elbow on the armrest and hold the wheel at either 9 or 7 o'clock

[Elvisfan]

Originally Posted by Nyorky2428

Wonder why BMW decided not to have any padding in the door arm rest. I typically drive with my left elbow on it, and on longer trips, it starts to hurt. The center console has at least some decent give to it; wish they'd have at least the same concept on the door.

I'm confused. There is padding on my arm rest. Maybe not a lot,but it's not hard.

[Nyorky2428]

Originally Posted by Elvisfan

I'm confused. There is padding on my arm rest. Maybe not a lot,but it's not hard.

In terms of softness:

Door panel plastic < door armrest < center armrest

I'm just saying I wish the door one was consistent with the center one

[AlpsRider]

The first time I noticed the thin armrest padding was after a long freeway trip when I drove for 9 hours practically nonstop, the padding became compressed by my elbow.

[B58togo]

Originally Posted by Lucky13

No problem with a manual transmission, left hand is always on the wheel and right in near the shifter.

I have the ZF8, and I can't not have both hands on that fat M wheel at 10/2 oclock at all times. Any other driving position just feels wrong.

[morphomeman]

This strikes me as very BMW. They want you to keep your hands at 10 and 2 on the wheel and so they design the wheel in such a way as to make that comfortable. They don't want you to keep your left hand at 7 or 9 and so they don't pad the arm rest well enough to make that comfortable. I tried to keep my elbow on the arm rest and indeed, that only works if your hand is in the "wrong" position. They are not being cheap, they are just trying to help you to behave like a proper German.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

No mystery.

$$$

Add it to the list of non-sliding visors and no headliner grab handles for the passenger.

They cut everywhere they can. Add no door latch covers to the list, that's 50 cents worth of plastic. Keep in mind a $60K M235/M240 convertible shares a lot of components with a 228/230 costing literally half as much. They design for the profitability of the lowest common denominator.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by morphomeman

They are not being cheap, they are just trying to help you to behave like a proper German.

Maybe you could expound on that distinction for us while I adjust the sliding visor, the passenger holds the grab handle, I adjust the lumbar support, the dimming mirror adjusts the image, and I use the standard back up camera to park? Oh, wait a second....never mind! None of that is standard!

There is some history to your theory OTOH. Waaaay back when (as in decades ago), when I briefly sold BMWs, I remember a colleague telling me the answer he got when he had asked why BMW didn't have tilt steering columns when others had already introduced them. The answer was (paraphrasing), "We spent years finding the perfect angle for the steering column, and you want to let people change it?"

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

"We spent years finding the perfect angle for the steering column, and you want to let people change it?"[/I]

Could be worse - when they developed the Daytona Coupe way back when one of the drivers burnt his leg badly during testing. The aluminum floor was right above one of the headers. He was basically told to quit putting his leg there and get back out there.

[morphomeman]

By the same token, it was years before they installed cup holders. No sensible German drinks coffee while driving! And when they did install cup holders, the first few iterations were silly.

[XutvJet]

I've got boney elbows and I'm 6' 2". I find the padding on the door entirely fine and routinely cruise with my elbows resting on the door and armrest with my hands just below the controls of the steering wheel.

BMW doesn't put grab handles in the 2 series because they aren't going to do you much good considering how close the roof is to your head. Secondly, given how close the roof is to your head and airbags throughout that area, grab handles are likely a crash protection risk.

I see no need for sliding visors because the window openings are rather small, and again that close roof thing. It shelters you from much of the light comes from the sides. I too thought it was weird not to have the sliding visors until I actually noted their effectiveness.

Sure, BMW cuts costs where they can, but I don't think any of these "issues" are that case. The overall quality and robustness of drivetrain of my M235 (which is based on a $30K base 228) surpasses anything I've ever owned that's late model Japanese. Everything on my M235 is far more robust except for perhaps some of flat black painted plastics. To me, those feel like the could break/crack if you weren't overall careful with removal. The feel though and look surpasses anything Japanese, much less domestic. I certainly don't feel ripped off with this car or lacking anything. Compared to my wife's $37K MSRP Subaru Outback, my $49K MSRP M235 is not even the same ball game. Sure, we're talking $12K difference (we didn't pay MSRP for either), but the difference in build quality and materials and engineering is astounding between the two.

[Nyorky2428]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

I've got boney elbows and I'm 6' 2". I find the padding on the door entirely fine and routinely cruise with my elbows resting on the door and armrest with my hands just below the controls of the steering wheel.

I'm also 6'2" and relatively underweight; most drives are fine. I'm talking about starting in the 4+ hour neighborhood when I start to notice the discomfort

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by Nyorky2428

I'm also 6'2" and relatively underweight; most drives are fine. I'm talking about starting in the 4+ hour neighborhood when I start to notice the discomfort

I guess I'm of the thought that things are a compromise and that keeping your body in one position for an extended period does often lead to some discomfort. You can't design everything for everyone. I rent a ton of cars for work and drive them extended distances (8+ hour one way trips) and I've found that overly padded armrests tend to be more uncomfortable than lightly padded armrests.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

BMW doesn't put grab handles in the 2 series because they aren't going to do you much good considering how close the roof is to your head. Secondly, given how close the roof is to your head and airbags throughout that area, grab handles are likely a crash protection risk.

I see no need for sliding visors because the window openings are rather small, and again that close roof thing. It shelters you from much of the light comes from the sides. I too thought it was weird not to have the sliding visors until I actually noted their effectiveness.

Sure, BMW cuts costs where they can, but I don't any of these "issues" being that case.

I rented a 116i in the UK...identical interior/IP (allowing for right hand drive) and such. Grab handles were present, and my wife used them when I cornered, so they did her much good and were appreciated. She reflexively still reaches for them in my 2, as our other three cars all have them. BMW simply doesn't offer them on the 2 Series, but does on the European 1 Series.

The doors and windows are L-O-N-G. With the seat almost full rearward, as my leg length requires, the morning and afternoon sun comes directly at the rear of the driver's door window, where the line of sight to my head/eyeballs is far rearward of the end of the visor. If the sun is rising/setting behind some trees, as is often the case here, the "picket fence" strobing of the sun is extremely uncomfortable. I had to buy VisorMates http://visormates.com/
which can slide rearward to cover that gap very effectively and work perfectly, but look less than original. Being black helps somewhat. The visor could have easily slid that distance on the supporting pole, but, again, $$$ for BMW.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

Compared to my wife's $37K MSRP Subaru Outback, my $49K MSRP M235 is not even the same ball game. Sure, we're talking $12K difference (we didn't pay MSRP for either), but the difference in build quality and materials and engineering is astounding between the two.

That's fair, but really who is comparing these two? Compared to a similarly priced C class, 428 etc. the 2-series falls short. It just does. Audi interiors as well.

Don't get me wrong, a 2-series is not what you should be buying if your focus is on best in class interior. You're paying for engine, driving dynamics, etc. But for similar $ there are manufacturers that do a much better job. Hell the 328 wagon I bought my father, within $2K of my build cost for my 235, has a much nicer interior, audio system, etc.

[kindofblue]

Originally Posted by B58togo

I have the ZF8, and I can't not have both hands on that fat M wheel at 10/2 oclock at all times. Any other driving position just feels wrong.

IIRC the BMW Car Control Clinic I volunteered on last summer in Monterey was telling students to keep their hands at 9 and 3. The reason they don't recommend 10 and 2 now is because there is less risk of an airbag hitting your forearms if it deploys and your hands are at 9 and 3 compared to 10 and 2. Just sayin'.

Apologies for the digression.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by kindofblue

IIRC the BMW Car Control Clinic I volunteered on last summer in Monterey was telling students to keep their hands at 9 and 3. The reason they don't recommend 10 and 2 now is because there is less risk of an airbag hitting your forearms if it deploys and your hands are at 9 and 3 compared to 10 and 2. Just sayin'.

Apologies for the digression.

You have more mobility and can complete more turns at 9/3 vs 10/2 without removing your hands from the wheel. You can also pick up some time using your left foot for the brake.

There's lots of track stuff that isn't really necessary on the street.

[ORIGIN M.]

Not sure why you'd not have two hands on the wheel other than pure laziness.
Blow a front tire and you are going to be fucked, and maybe even kill somebody.

Originally Posted by Lucky13

No problem with a manual transmission, left hand is always on the wheel and right in near the shifter.

Originally Posted by Nyorky2428

That's how I drive too, but I'll have my elbow on the armrest and hold the wheel at either 9 or 7 o'clock