My wife and I have had lots of BMWs over the years. While most were not European Delivery (ED), some were. Most of my BMWs have been manual transmissions.
I highly recommend ED. It’s a great experience. Preliminary recommendations:
- Shop multiple dealers to get the best ED deal.
- Plan enough time to drive the car around not just Germany, but other countries as well. A “loop” itinerary works well so you can drop the car off at a port in Germany though other alternatives are available.
- Consider the season. I have always planned the order and delivery to avoid winter and the middle of summer. October should be great weather-wise.
My M235i and my 2020 M240i both have automatic transmissions. All of my previous BMWs had manual transmissions. While I love driving manual transmissions, the ZF auto transmission in these cars is excellent. The auto shifts better and faster than I ever could despite many years of manual transmission experience in cars and motorcycles.
You should do ED. You can't go wrong with either transmission. The 2 series has been my favorite car of the many I've owned in my life.