[bmw1010]

Hey guys:

Just another quick question. I’ve read on numerous posts and read a lot of reviews about how uncomfortable and stiff the M2c is as compared to the m240.

I just wanted to hear your thoughts? And if the comfort/stiffness difference between the cars is drastic? How much more uncomfortable is the M2c VS the M240i as a daily driver?

Your thoughts and insight are much appreciated!

I’m in the market to order the M240i so I just wanted to cover all my bases and get as much knowledge about my purchase as possible. Thanks fellas

[chattanooga240]

It is the difference between driving a track car and a mid range performance vehicle.

Drive them both.

Are you going to track the car regularly? Buy the M2. Are you going to drive it to work and to buy groceries? Maybe the 240 is a better fit.

People's opinions about stiffness are subjective.

[stein_325i]

The M240i is definitely more comfortable and compliant over bumps and rough pavement. How much more comfortable is all up to you though as everyone has different opinions regarding comfort levels.

My wife daily's her M2C, but she is use to the rough suspensions of the E46 and E90. While I find that the suspension is definitely not the softest I find it easier to excuse than say the suspension of X3 M which is very harsh despite being a "family vehicle" that is designed to be driven every day while the M2 is more of a weekend car that can just so happen to be daily-able and is a lot more fun than a two-ton SUV.

[BimBimM2]

Originally Posted by bmw1010

Hey guys:

Just another quick question. I’ve read on numerous posts and read a lot of reviews about how uncomfortable and stiff the M2c is as compared to the m240.

I just wanted to hear your thoughts? And if the comfort/stiffness difference between the cars is drastic? How much more uncomfortable is the M2c VS the M240i as a daily driver?

Your thoughts and insight are much appreciated!

I’m in the market to order the M240i so I just wanted to cover all my bases and get as much knowledge about my purchase as possible. Thanks fellas

Hey OP,

I extensively test drove both the M2C and the M240i. As you can tell by my username. I was all ready to buy the S55 equipped M2C.

Also, for some context, I live in Minneapolis, where we have nice clean, well maintained roads and my use case for the car was spirited daily driving. I work from home so I really didn't have the issue of struggling through rush hour traffic etc etc. I also DID NOT plan to track this car.

In essence, I could have absolutely gone with the M2C and be happy with it. HOWEVER, I test drove an M240i convertible with AWD and with the excellent adaptive suspension and... I couldn't justify the relatively harsher, tougher ride of the M2C. The M2C is a track focused hooligan which can pretend to be civilized and yet leave your spinal column punished and teeth chattering with that stiff-ass suspension. WTF BMW, could you not put in adaptive suspension in the M2C?? Plus stop and go traffic, low speed cruises, etc etc just seem to be a bother in the M2C; the hooligan wants to go fast and hard, and seems so out of place dragging its feet from stop light to stop light.

TL;DR of tracking, get M2C, if daily driving, absolutely an M240i is a muuuuch better choice.

[Moflow]

This is pretty subjective. Imho the M2c is stiff but totally fine for daily driving. It’s my only (road legal) car and I do not plan on tracking it. Roads around here kinda suck, but again, the car doesn’t do too badly. It’s not as stiff as most aftermarket setups I’ve driven or ridden in and it was fine on a roughly 2000 mile road trip I took a few months ago, though the small fuel tank sucked (should be less noticeable in a 240i since that car gets much better mileage.)

I’m sure a 240i would be softer and more comfortable, but the M2c works just fine for me as someone who enjoys performance cars and spirited driving. It does NOT feel like a luxury car though.

[Throttlesteer14]

I find the two noticeably different. The M2C is much more rigid and connected. The M240i can be tightened up, but feels significantly more comfortable when driving around town. You could certainly roll with either if you have a relatively short commute and don't take longer trips. But I decided on the M240i for something more comfortable, but with enough performance to keep things fun in the process. I took my P car on a 5-hour road trip a couple of years ago and I was flat-out exhausted after the trip.

[dradernh]

Along with a stiffer front bar, I put stiff struts, shocks, and springs on my M240i, and it's fine around town. Now, I'm the kind of driver who knows every road imperfection for miles around, so that has something to do with its being a livable setup. Because I also installed camber plates I've got a car that's extremely responsive to driver input at the steering wheel. For me, this package is better than an M2.

What the car doesn't have are the M2's stiff suspension bushings, and for street driving that's exactly what I want. I did go with solid aluminum rear subframe bushings when I had a limited slip differential installed, but they just made the car more hooked-up in the rear when putting power down. There was no noticeable increase in NVH from the bushings.

I set out to have and enjoy the best of both worlds and feel that I've achieved just that.

[PDM5]

Everyone covered this pretty well, but as someone who was in the exact same boat last year, I went with the m240i. After having a taste of the wonders of an adaptive suspension from a previous car, I swore I'd never get a daily driver without adaptive suspension ever again. I could have lived with the sound of the S55 if the car had adaptive suspension to soften things up when I wanted. The want was EXTREMELY strong because the car looks so damn good and of course drives great. Almost went with my heart and got a 6MT slicktop orange one that was at a local dealership, but thankfully someone bought it before I could. So I made peace with myself and instead focused solely on finding a m240i with everything I wanted and luckily I was able to find a CPO one that fit the bill. The B58 is really a great engine and you can't go wrong with it. Finding more aggressive wheels/tires that fit without other mods is incredibly frustrating, but that's the only "bad" thing about it for me.

But you could go for the M2CS with the adaptive suspension for a cushy ride and have a win-win (kidding, it will still be on the "stiffer" side of the house due to the underlying suspension differences noted in this thread).

Just like with any big decision, try both out and see what works for you. In the end, you're the one stuck driving the car everyday, not us. Best of luck!

[USA-RET]

I had to choose between buying a 2017 M2 and my M240i. I watched numerous videos and read copious amounts on both cars.

There was a video of two Brits comparing the two cars side by side. Doing a bit of racing and then discussing each car as the drove. For street acceleration, the M240i and the M2 were pretty much even in rolling acceleration races and overall power.

In 2017 Car and Driver listed the M2 and the M240i both in their 10 best cars of the year issue. Lumping them together as one of the best cars of the year.

When the two Brit testers were in the M2 and driving it over normal roads, as they were discussing the car, it sounded as though someone was pounding on their chests as they talked (rough ride). The M240i, they sounded completely normal.

[Dylan86]

So basically for anyone wanting a full M car w/ adaptive suspension, your choices are M3/4/5. They stripped the M2 of the option to further separate the models hi/low and keep prices aligned, I'm sure...

[Moflow]

Originally Posted by Dylan86

So basically for anyone wanting a full M car w/ adaptive suspension, your choices are M3/4/5. They stripped the M2 of the option to further separate the models hi/low and keep prices aligned, I'm sure...

Yup, and so they could put it back in for the CS. I'm not mad, the M2C is a lot cheaper than an M3.

[9t2hoo]

The condition of your roads is the most important factor in choosing between the cars. I live in DC and have had stiff aftermarket suspensions. They were brutal. But if I was just driving in suburban roads that surround DC, the stiff suspensions would have been fine. I picked the M240i because I drive on city roads most of the time.

[DanG]

I went from an M235i to an M2. I feel very little difference in ride quality between the two. The handling is quite different. The M2 beats the M235i every day. The M2C has the same suspension as an M2. I daily drove both cars.

[ggggbmw]

The M2 has far less sound insulation than the M240/235. To me quietness on the road is a key factor in comfort.

My son's FRS is much stiffer than my 235, but that doesn't bother me near as much as the extremely loud engine/exhaust/road noise in that car.