[champignon]

As previously stated, comparing a 2 series car to a Porsche is pretty silly. Not because the Porsche is a "superior" car, but because it is like comparing a Landrover to a Corvette, not similar enough in form or function to be truly competitive. I own several older BMWs (all with MT and hydraulic steering) as well as a 996 TT, and both brands have their merits, or at least they did in the past. Never once have I gotten behind the wheel of one of my BMWs and thought, "gosh, I wish I'd taken the Porsche." I enjoy them all, however, for what they are.

Porsche has more or less maintained their long term niche, while at the same time expanding into various sorts of other vehicles, sedans, SUVs, etc. BMW has largely lost their way, mostly turning their "sport sedan" niche into a niche of high powered, somewhat luxurious, Lexus-wannabees, while also going heavily into SUVs. The current 3-Series is an embarrassment to the marque.

The 2-Series is what's left of the old BMW heritage, and it's a slender thread. Even though the North American iteration is limited to 2 doors, it has more or less the form factor of the old 3-Series on which the brand was built (obviously following on to the 1500, 1600, and 2002). These cars were never about brute force, they were about handling, with at least enough power to pass any normal car if you needed to. My long gone 1973 2002, bought new, had crank windows, no radio, and no A/C. Still, it was a very sporty car in spite of its (in today's world) laughable, Yugo-like horsepower.

Unfortunately, even the 2-Series is "endowed" with mediocre to poor electric power steering, and even if the steering is "precise," the absence of driver feedback greatly diminishes the driver's experience. I don't own any 2-Series cars, but I have driven them as loaners, and a friend owns a 228ix, which I have driven. At some point I might consider buying an M2, but I think the EPS, even in that car, is a big detriment.

If BMW wants to be truly competitive with Porsche, at least in a niche to niche basis, they have got to return to form in making drivers' cars. Hopefully they will see the light, before all is lost. If BMW abandons the manual transmission, as is rumored to be on the horizon, I will never buy another one of their new cars, ever.