[JMcLellan]

I've been loving this 2nd summer with my M240i and have pretty much gotten to a place where I am done with mods. I just took the car on two weekend road trips and it handled like a dream. But.......the car was stuffed with barely packing anything and I felt a little uneasy not having run-flats or a spare tire.

With the kiddos sports and activities starting along with them growing like weeds, this car doesn't make much sense anymore. My wife drives a Lexus SUV and she swears we can just use that for everything when we need to haul kids and gear but it doesn't work out that way. Example A was this past weekend where she took it out of town for a work thing.....

I'm conflicted and am considering two paths: (1) keeping the M240i and picking up a 3rd family vehicle like an older used SUV for the times the Lexus isn't available for slinging kids and winter driving, or (2) getting into an X3 M40i, X3 Competition, or a 2020 or newer M550i. I absolutely need to have at least 1 vehicle for fun driving that has legit performance capabilities. Those other BMW's I list would check that box I believe. If we weren't into boating and 4 wheeling as well having a 3rd vehicle wouldn't be a big deal.

What I am asking is please talk me out of getting rid of my car, or talk me into it, and provide input on what you have done in this situation. I just put so much into it in the past year to get it to the level of performance it is at but it's starting to not work for family-use. In my mind it would be simple and make tons of sense to have the 1 vehicle that is family friendly and drives like a race car. Prior to buying this M240i I almost pulled the trigger on a Lotus Elise but opted for the BMW since it was more practical. Ha ha.

Thank you- Joe

[Sportstick]

Hey Joe,
Cars like the 2 series are becoming more and more rare and will eventually be displaced by EVs. If yours is a stick, this is especially true. The alternatives you mention will never be the same.

My advice depends on your financial and parking situation. I won't give up my 2....as in "ever" and I have a dedicated space for it, even color-matched flooring! But, we needed a family car other than my wife's Mini Countryman, so the two of us do indeed have three cars. Right now, that third car is a 330iX GT (incredible interior package, albeit some feel challenged for exterior design) but will become an EV Utility Vehicle in the next year or so. Meanwhile, the 2 Series lives on as my personal "toy". Will you allow yourself to have a "toy" and take your Option #1? Wouldn't it be great if everyone could have at least one toy in their lives?

[morphomeman]

Path 3: rent an SUV when you need one.
When my kids and their friends started going to college, other families bought SUVs, "because they needed them to haul the kids' stuff." My solution was to rent a van the couple of times a year that we needed a large-capacity vehicle. That worked out well, vans hold more than any SUV, and it was much cheaper in the long run.
Yes, the cost of rentals has gone up, but when you factor in all the other costs of owning a third car, it is still cheaper and you get to keep your toy.

[JMcLellan]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

Hey Joe,
Cars like the 2 series are becoming more and more rare and will eventually be displaced by EVs. If yours is a stick, this is especially true. The alternatives you mention will never be the same.

My advice depends on your financial and parking situation. I won't give up my 2....as in "ever" and I have a dedicated space for it, even color-matched flooring! But, we needed a family car other than my wife's Mini Countryman, so the two of us do indeed have three cars. Right now, that third car is a 330iX GT (incredible interior package, albeit some feel challenged for exterior design) but will become an EV Utility Vehicle in the next year or so. Meanwhile, the 2 Series lives on as my personal "toy". Will you allow yourself to have a "toy" and take your Option #1? Wouldn't it be great if everyone could have at least one toy in their lives?

Our parking situation is the most challenging piece of this. We have a large 2 car garage so plenty of space for 2 vehicles and our other garage stuff. But then we have our other toys: Yamaha jet boat and our 4 seat Honda Talon SxS. Yes, everyone deserves a toy but our family has a few. I mentioned my option 1 and the wife went into a dissertation about how we already have too many vehicles and toys.

Nice looking garage full of nice cars. Jealous of that setup!

[JMcLellan]

Originally Posted by morphomeman

Path 3: rent an SUV when you need one.
When my kids and their friends started going to college, other families bought SUVs, "because they needed them to haul the kids' stuff." My solution was to rent a van the couple of times a year that we needed a large-capacity vehicle. That worked out well, vans hold more than any SUV, and it was much cheaper in the long run.
Yes, the cost of rentals has gone up, but when you factor in all the other costs of owning a third car, it is still cheaper and you get to keep your toy.

Nice. I like the creativity here. I wouldn't have thought of this as an option.

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by JMcLellan

Nice. I like the creativity here. I wouldn't have thought of this as an option.

Agreed. The rental path seems an overlooked option. Also, my two cents worth, when thinking about driving with no spare, just consider the motorcycle. No run flats, no spare. They don't seem worried.

[freakystyly]

I went the opposite direction with the 2 door from a 4 door. I could count on my hand the amount of times I had four or five passengers so I said screw it.

I can still fit my bike in the trunk and that is basically as full as it gets with the seats down.

Uhaul or home depot rental for dump runs or renovation resupplies.

[Ajowhan]

Hey Joe,

You mentioned that you think those might check the box, however I can see the hesitation. Personally, I don't know how much do your wife truly take the car out of town so its hard to comment on renting.

Me personally have similar setup where I have the m240i and my wife has the family suv that we used for road trip that require more space. Hell, we even still try to take my m240i for road trip where we can squeeze our stuff in the m240i. Granted, our only baby has fur so that takes a lil bit less space.

My recommendation is keep the m240i and give up the kiddos and you wouldnt have to worry about this anymore.

It's a joke guys, take it easy.

[pmcmtnbkr]

If it where me i would keep the M240i the options you mentioned are not going to give you the joy of driving that you state you get from the M240. My wife has a honda pilot for her and is the family truckster and i have my M235. 2 years in it still puts a smile on my face every time I get i it. My thoughts would be a 2nd small used SUV like a CRV cheep on gas and repairs and in my house in a few years I will have teen drivers so it can become their shared car

[JMcLellan]

Originally Posted by Ajowhan

Hey Joe,

You mentioned that you think those might check the box, however I can see the hesitation. Personally, I don't know how much do your wife truly take the car out of town so its hard to comment on renting.

Me personally have similar setup where I have the m240i and my wife has the family suv that we used for road trip that require more space. Hell, we even still try to take my m240i for road trip where we can squeeze our stuff in the m240i. Granted, our only baby has fur so that takes a lil bit less space.

My recommendation is keep the m240i and give up the kiddos and you wouldnt have to worry about this anymore.

It's a joke guys, take it easy.

I could sort of give up my kiddos and hire a nanny. That would be a ton of help but could get pricey.

I'm torn between just using the M240i for whatever and not worrying about mileage and getting it salty in the winter but after all the mods I want it to be more of a garage queen. That will only work if we have a 3rd vehicle. My oldest is in football which is a 4 to 5 days/week commitment and the younger one starts swimming and soccer soon. All my wife and I will be doing is driving places and during some snowy seasons.

I hadn't taken the car on any family road trips as we had our family fur baby who was 60 pounds and wouldnt have a spot in the car. We had to put him down a couple weeks ago so now there is more flexibility, but super sad.

[JMcLellan]

Originally Posted by pmcmtnbkr

If it where me i would keep the M240i the options you mentioned are not going to give you the joy of driving that you state you get from the M240. My wife has a honda pilot for her and is the family truckster and i have my M235. 2 years in it still puts a smile on my face every time I get i it. My thoughts would be a 2nd small used SUV like a CRV cheep on gas and repairs and in my house in a few years I will have teen drivers so it can become their shared car

Exactly. The 3rd vehicle options that came to mind were something like a Rav4 or CRV.

Agreed that the other BMW's I listed wouldn't be as fun to drive from a handling and cornering perspective compared to our 2 series cars. But tuning up an M550i for example is basically like having a poor-man's M5 getting some serious straight-line speed. Then the X3 models are both pretty cush and can be tuned to be rocketships.

[bcwalks2]

For me and depending on your financial situation, I think about keeping it. We also have a X3 M40 and I can tell you that thing has some big balls. You should have no worries about a sporty SUV that sounds great and is very quick with that.

The Pre LCI model has a much louder stock exhaust. You can easily pass 400whp with a few parts and a tune. It is a hell of a vehicle. I just love my 235i too much that I couldn’t get rid of it unless it were being replaced with another manual. Goodluck!

[Shovelman]

The rental option is something you can try out to see how it fits. I used a rental every week for months of business travel. It takes a few minutes on the phone to set up each time and you have to drive to the rental place and spend 20 minutes there. Then you leave your baby in a strange lot. Some will pick you up at home but you then have to ride with them to the rental lace to make the transaction.

What do you drive in winter? Could a rental work out there? Ask about long term rentals.

[JMcLellan]

Originally Posted by Shovelman

The rental option is something you can try out to see how it fits. I used a rental every week for months of business travel. It takes a few minutes on the phone to set up each time and you have to drive to the rental place and spend 20 minutes there. Then you leave your baby in a strange lot. Some will pick you up at home but you then have to ride with them to the rental lace to make the transaction.

What do you drive in winter? Could a rental work out there? Ask about long term rentals.

This past winter was the first winter with my 240. I put on 400 to 500 miles in the season. I mostly drove my wife's SUV. With the 240 I'm super picky with salt so only drove when the roads weren't wet and if the car got any snow or slush on it I would immediately get a car wash. This winter my car needs to be a garage queen just sitting tight on the battery tender.

[XutvJet]

How much kiddo gear are we talking about?

I've owned my M235 6MT for over 6.5 years. Prior to that I had a 2012 WRX hatch back. I'm married and have two kids (currently 17 and 14). My wife has a 2020 4Runner.

My son is currently 6' 1" and my daughter 5' 7" and my wife 5' 8". The four us routinely take my M235 on sub 1 hour trips in the Kansas City metro. That includes my son riding in the back behind my wife. It's not terrible and my kids find no issue with it other than not having a center arm rest.

My daughter and I play volleyball and we often cart two volleyball net systems in the car; the system bags are about 5' 6" long. Also packed in is a cooler, a bag of 6 volleyballs, and our sports bags.

I have driven the car in every winter. Kansas City uses a lot of salt, sand, and liquid salt to melt the snow. I've run winter performance tires and over the past recent two years, performance all seasons. I've never been stuck, but I've only driven in slush to 4" of snow. The area I live is hilly too. Snow on residential streets can last for over a week or more. Most major snow is cleared from main roads in 2 to 10 hours.

I routinely work on my car and the only parts showing rust are unpainted cast iron chassis parts (which there aren't many) and a little surface rust on the shock housings. That's it. In the winter, I try to wash the car once every week or two.

Regarding flats. I've never had one. I have had one tire get a tiny buddle after hitting a massive pothole and another tire that got a small nail. I had to replace the tire with the bubble and I fixed the puncture myself with a tire repair kit. In my car, I carry a small tool set, a $25 emergency jack from Harbor Freight that fits perfectly into the jack points, a tire puncture repair kit, the factory inflator, and tire slime (which I would only use if absolutely necessary).

Hopefully some of this gives you comfort about what this car is capable of. If it were me and I lived in your area, I'd have a dedicated set of winter wheels and tires. My friend in MN has done that for years with his 335i RWD.

Spending money on another car for the reason you noted doesn't make much sense to me. Now if you were wanting to buy a fun car in additional to the M240, I can get behind that all day

[60_Driver]

Originally Posted by leftoverture

Agreed. The rental path seems an overlooked option. Also, my two cents worth, when thinking about driving with no spare, just consider the motorcycle. No run flats, no spare. They don't seem worried.

Plus it prob hurts a lot more when you have a blowout. 21 years on 2 wheels & happy to have not experienced it!

[60_Driver]

Originally Posted by JMcLellan

I hadn't taken the car on any family road trips as we had our family fur baby who was 60 pounds and wouldnt have a spot in the car. We had to put him down a couple weeks ago so now there is more flexibility, but super sad.

Sorry for your pup loss. That sucks. Condolences.

[JMcLellan]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

How much kiddo gear are we talking about?

I've owned my M235 6MT for over 6.5 years. Prior to that I had a 2012 WRX hatch back. I'm married and have two kids (currently 17 and 14). My wife has a 2020 4Runner.

My son is currently 6' 1" and my daughter 5' 7" and my wife 5' 8". The four us routinely take my M235 on sub 1 hour trips in the Kansas City metro. That includes my son riding in the back behind my wife. It's not terrible and my kids find no issue with it other than not having a center arm rest.

My daughter and I play volleyball and we often cart two volleyball net systems in the car; the system bags are about 5' 6" long. Also packed in is a cooler, a bag of 6 volleyballs, and our sports bags.

I have driven the car in every winter. Kansas City uses a lot of salt, sand, and liquid salt to melt the snow. I've run winter performance tires and over the past recent two years, performance all seasons. I've never been stuck, but I've only driven in slush to 4" of snow. The area I live is hilly too. Snow on residential streets can last for over a week or more. Most major snow is cleared from main roads in 2 to 10 hours.

I routinely work on my car and the only parts showing rust are unpainted cast iron chassis parts (which there aren't many) and a little surface rust on the shock housings. That's it. In the winter, I try to wash the car once every week or two.

Regarding flats. I've never had one. I have had one tire get a tiny buddle after hitting a massive pothole and another tire that got a small nail. I had to replace the tire with the bubble and I fixed the puncture myself with a tire repair kit. In my car, I carry a small tool set, a $25 emergency jack from Harbor Freight that fits perfectly into the jack points, a tire puncture repair kit, the factory inflator, and tire slime (which I would only use if absolutely necessary).

Hopefully some of this gives you comfort about what this car is capable of. If it were me and I lived in your area, I'd have a dedicated set of winter wheels and tires. My friend in MN has done that for years with his 335i RWD.

Spending money on another car for the reason you noted doesn't make much sense to me. Now if you were wanting to buy a fun car in additional to the M240, I can get behind that all day

I hear ya and agree that I could make it all work with the M240i but I'm OCD with my car.

Driving the kids too and from practice/games is isn't as much about the quantify of stuff, its more the wear and tear of the sharp cleats on my cars interior and the sweaty stinky smells of their clothing.

Another large factor here is that I am somewhat mental with my car and try to keep it as clean as I can at all times. Things like not driving when its raining or if I have to go somewhere where this is a dirt road on the way I usually wouldn't use my car. This is all self-induced and my own personal problem but I really want my car to be a garage queen and especially in the winter. I tried to do this last winter, and my wife assured me it would always work, but there were several times where it didn't and it bugged me. And i get it from buddies who are like "it's not like you have a rare car, or a true M car, so who really cares." But again, I'm mental about my car

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by JMcLellan

I hear ya and agree that I could make it all work with the M240i but I'm OCD with my car....
Another large factor here is that I am somewhat mental with my car and try to keep it as clean as I can at all times. Things like not driving when its raining or if I have to go somewhere where this is a dirt road on the way I usually wouldn't use my car. This is all self-induced and my own personal problem but I really want my car to be a garage queen and especially in the winter. I tried to do this last winter, and my wife assured me it would always work, but there were several times where it didn't and it bugged me. And i get it from buddies who are like "it's not like you have a rare car, or a true M car, so who really cares." But again, I'm mental about my car

This clearly argues in favor of keeping the car with your wife's support for your mental health. In the absence of the car, where would you focus all of this OCD-generated anxiety? Cleaning out the garage, scrubbing the dinner dishes, tidying up the backyard.....wait a second. No, don't tell her that.

[Bonk!]

Roof rack + Thule?

[JMcLellan]

Originally Posted by Bonk!

Roof rack + Thule?

Not my style but would be pretty functional

[JMcLellan]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

This clearly argues in favor of keeping the car with your wife's support for your mental health. In the absence of the car, where would you focus all of this OCD-generated anxiety? Cleaning out the garage, scrubbing the dinner dishes, tidying up the backyard.....wait a second. No, don't tell her that.

I'd be spending more time golfing and trying to get back to the glory days where it was much easier. All I did as a teenager was golf and I was actually decent. Now only doing it 5 to 10 times a year it seems like it gets harder year after year.

The wife and I have a pretty solid dynamic: she does most of the inside the house stuff and I do the garage and outside stuff.