[viniebenet3]

I'm a single guy and was looking at a good beemer to use as a daily driver. The 228i has got me very interested, and I need opinions of the current owners before I hop into a dealership to check it out.
These are the things I need an opinion on:

Space : I know it's a smaller car, and 85% of the time it's just gonna be me. But for the 15% of the time when I need to haul couple of friends (not tall, below 5'9"), how feasible is it? Would it be a huge PITA for a 2-3 hour road trip with frequent breaks?
2.Cabin noise : I asked for a 328i owner's opinion and he told me that the loaner 228i he got was was unbearably loud. Is it true?

Any other pros/cons I need to considerhttps://19216811.cam https://xender.vip https://testmyspeed.onl

[sandrik93]

I had a 16' 228i. Now driving 18' 230i. Cabin noise is ok. Not the best (the new Mazda 3 beats it). But it's not a huge concern. Space is fine. I've had 4 people in (including me), and have driven over 200miles with 1 stop. No complaints. Have a sit in the back yourself when testing out the car. If you can take it than your friends can too
I was single when I got the first one. Married now and haven't needed more space. It's a great driver's car so I only have positives to say. Just make sure to get rid of run-flat Cinturatos. Changed to MPSS - night and day.

[happyjack]

228i is a great daily driver and i dont find the road noise to be an issue at all. tires likely make a big difference. i've logged over 50K miles on mine as a daily driver -- it's a 2015 CPO that bought in 2017 with 33K miles. i drive the DC beltway and major highways on the maryland side on a 100-mile dail round trip and i love it.

back seat gets little use in my car...definitely less than the 15% that you're projecting...but have filled it a few times with adults on trips of less than an hour and it works but everyone has their own definition of "comfortable". YMMV.

[Sportstick]

Been happily driving one for almost six years. Cabin noise is not a problem, and is tire-dependent. Also, there are some BMW part number "stuffers" for the trailing edge of the front fenders if you want to get a bit more tire noise muffled. Search for that thread on this forum. Your 3 Series friend is used to what has become a luxo-cruiser, so the contrast may be striking to him, but in actual use, I've easily conversed or listened to the radio for extended periods in mine in great comfort.

I've never had rear seat passengers, but it seems folks of that height should be OK for the use you described. Bring one along or ask a showroom employee of that height to sit back there and look at the fit.

[WolfGTI]

Happy with mine for 3 years now. I've taken it on a road trip for each of those years from NJ to Deals Gap in Tn - which is about a 10-11 hr trip each way. I do not have road fatigue, after the drive. Road noise is dependent on tire, apart from the fact the factory stereo has poor sound quality it's a fun little car.

[Sisyrx]

2017 230i here running as my daily. Don't have people in the back often but don't hear complaints from people during the short jaunts around town (unlike my G35).

Road noise isn't an issue for me as I come from a '70 240z, '03 WRX, and '03 G35. It's quieter than my wife's Elantra but a bit louder than the loaner 3er's I've had.

[morriscat]

Originally Posted by viniebenet3

Space : I know it's a smaller car, and 85% of the time it's just gonna be me. But for the 15% of the time when I need to haul couple of friends (not tall, below 5'9"), how feasible is it? Would it be a huge PITA for a 2-3 hour road trip with frequent breaks?

It should be fine. I'm 6'1 and I've been in the back of my 228i. Getting in and out is a bit of a pain in the butt, but once you're back there I was really surprised how much room there was. My wife rode home in the back seat the other day because some stuff we got at the furniture store wouldn't QUITE fit in either the back seat or the trunk, and she's 5'11 and did just fine.

Originally Posted by viniebenet3

2.Cabin noise : I asked for a 328i owner's opinion and he told me that the loaner 228i he got was was unbearably loud. Is it true?

I don't find it so, but I came from a Subaru which isn't exactly the quietest thing in the world. I have seen people complain about some tires compared to others being EXTREMELY loud on road noise, so that may have been the source of your 3er's complaint.

Originally Posted by viniebenet3

Any other pros/cons I need to consider

I've had mine for about six weeks now and I'm extremely happy with it. The only compromise you're really making is in hauling People and Things, and tbh if I were going to take a couple tall people on a long road trip I'd just RENT something bigger for the week and call it a fair trade for the other 50 weeks a year where the size makes everything else easier.

I'll also add that I have NOT found myself regretting going with a 228 as opposed to one of the I6 models. I was surprised how many people with 235s and 240s on this board complain about the steering response, and then I realized that's all because of the extra ~200lbs of engine and etc they're carrying right on top of the front axle, ESPECIALLY the AWD versions. I can use pretty much all the performance a 228i has on tap on a daily basis without getting myself in trouble with the law or a ditch, and I don't think that'd be true with an extra 60-100hp.

[morriscat]

Originally Posted by sandrik93

I was single when I got the first one. Married now and haven't needed more space. It's a great driver's car so I only have positives to say. Just make sure to get rid of run-flat Cinturatos. Changed to MPSS - night and day.

Mine is a '16 too. The only issue I've had with it related to my wife is that she always wants to drive it.

[XutvJet]

I've owned my M235 for over 4 years as my daily. I'm close to 6' 2" with long legs. My wife is 5' 8". My son is 5' 11" with very long legs. My daughter 5'. We routinely take my car for sub 1 hour trips. The kids like being seen in it. My son often sits behind my wife who pushes the seat up a bit to give him room. I can sit behind my wife relatively comfortably if she's driving.

I've taken my car on trips as long as 5 hours. I find it very relaxing, largely due to all the seat articulation, seat position, and telescoping steering. There are VERY few passenger cars that I can fit in that can get my leg to arm ratio right. The 2 series is one of the few.

20+ years ago in college I took a 4 hour one trip in a friend's 1990 Mustang LX coupe. That back seat is more cramped than my M235's. I don't recall having any issues riding in the front or back during that trip.

If I were 5' 9" or less and riding in the back, I think it would be entirely fine in back for a sub to 4 hour trip. These cars aren't as small as people think.

As for road noise, it's completely fine. I do know that the 2 series cars that have runflats can have a bit more road noise, especially if the tires are heavily worn.

[MassNerd]

I'll also confirm, there's enough room in the back seat for my 6'1" height. I'm not sure I'd want to do a 2 hour drive back there, but definitely sub 1 hour drives would be no problem.

[happyjack]

FWIW, the rear seat in the 2-series actually has about a half-inch more head room and a couple inches more in shoulder room than the low-slung 4-series. leg room is tighter, but if the front seat passengers are willing to give up another inch or two then it's not terrible back there. i'm a tad over 6'1".

[mb67]

I have a '15 228i 'vert that I bought CPO in '18. It's my daily driver and I love it.

[sethwas]

Originally Posted by viniebenet3

Space : I know it's a smaller car, and 85% of the time it's just gonna be me. But for the 15% of the time when I need to haul couple of friends (not tall, below 5'9"), how feasible is it? Would it be a huge PITA for a 2-3 hour road trip with frequent breaks?

this is not an issue. You don't have less usable space than a 4 series or even a civic. It's certainly just as usable (or moreso) as every other than most other 2 door cars except the challenger. There is lots of storage and many cubbies which was a pleasant surprise.
2 people are very comfortable, 2 people any anyone less than 5' tall also no problem. 4 full size adults will be tight, but that's true in most compact cars. I've done 3 6' and myself and for trips under 30 min it's ok.

Mine is my DD and I use it for carpool, grocery/home depot runs, home goods, you name it. Only thing it can't really carry well is furniture, but then again a 3 series wouldn't be able to either. Or any sedan for that matter, and most SUV's.

2.Cabin noise : I asked for a 328i owner's opinion and he told me that the loaner 228i he got was was unbearably loud. Is it true?

strictly tire based. The car isn't louder than a 3 series. Drove back to back, and the 4 series convertible was noisier than the 2 series coupe. RFT will be noisy, summer tires will be noisy, low profile tires will be noisy. Get something touring and silent in 17/18" and you'll be more than happy.

[Poochie]

The road noises is not an issue in the 228i, it's the ASD volume is set to Ultra Max, for some strange reason.. :

Code it out and you'll be fine..

[happyjack]

Originally Posted by Poochie

The road noises is not an issue in the 228i, it's the ASD volume is set to Ultra Max, for some strange reason.. :

Code it out and you'll be fine..

then install an active autowerke axleback and experience some real sound

[230iZTR]

On the issue of space, I think you'd be fine. The back seat is surprisingly spacious compared to a lot of other cars in the segment. If your friends are 5'-9" then the back seat isn't going to be a problem unless the front seat passengers are really tall and need the seat slid all the way back.

As far as useable space, I can fit 4 x 255/40/17's upright in the cabin with the rear seat folded down, with 2 stands, a jack, a torque wrench, an impact gun, a helmet, a camp chair, and a weekend bag Tetris'd into the trunk.

For noise I think the tires matter most. The cabin has a lot of noises going on from the loud specialized tires I prefer (Michelin SuperSports & X-ice3's; Bridgestone RE71R's) and the engine can get loud if you're really stepping on it with active sound piping into the cabinet. I've also got camber plates and they rattle a bit on crappy pavement. Then again...I like those things. It reminds me I'm driving something special.. And despite all that it's still a ton quieter than my last car. Just turn on some music with the volume half way up and you won't notice. Go for a test drive. You'll see.

[Mizuno]

had a 228i. For road trips with 2 people it is more than capable. when those seats fold down in the back the storage is quite large. However I cant see those back seats being comfy for anyone past 30 minutes....

[morphomeman]

The hardest part about the back seat is ingress and egress. Once you are in there it is fine. And if you figure out how to use the little buttons on the seatback properly to move the front seats forward and back, that helps a lot.
That said, no one else in the family likes to ride in the back seat. When we are more than two, I end up back there and my wife or daughter drives.
But this is my favorite car ever and I have owned many, including half a dozen BMWs

[sandrik93]

Originally Posted by morriscat

Mine is a '16 too. The only issue I've had with it related to my wife is that she always wants to drive it.

Same here.
But she hasn't driven it yet. I always tell her that she's not on car's insurance

[morriscat]

Originally Posted by sandrik93

Same here.
But she hasn't driven it yet. I always tell her that she's not on car's insurance

Yeah... my wife is way, WAY too smart for that kind of thing.

[sandrik93]

Originally Posted by morriscat

Yeah... my wife is way, WAY too smart for that kind of thing.

She actually isn't on insurance. We have separate policies
Sorry OP, a little off topic here.

[morriscat]

Originally Posted by Poochie

The road noises is not an issue in the 228i, it's the ASD volume is set to Ultra Max, for some strange reason.. :

Code it out and you'll be fine..

I coded out the ASD and I could NOT tell the difference, honestly. Maybe I'm just not driving the car right, but either before OR after turning off the ASD, the loudest thing in the car was usually wind noise.