[falkdal]

Apologies if this has been discussed previously, I'm new on the forum and couldn't find anything recent about this.

I am looking for a lightly used M235i or M240i convertible, but I want the 6 speed manual transmission, and it seems impossible to find one. I haven't found a single ad for one, whether CPO, Craigslist, Autotrader, or even this forum (although this forum is ripe with tasty coupes setup just the way I'd want one).

Does anyone know what the ratio is auto/manual for the convertibles, especially in the US market? Am I better off finding the rest of my wishlist but with the automatic? Personally I'd rather have the coupe, but my twin 3rd grade boys are not fans of the windows not rolling down, and after renting a 428i convertible their love for a drop top is so strong they'd never forgive me for getting a coupe instead!

Thanks for any advice.

[CP911]

Welcome!

As most 6-speed owners around here have figured out, finding a 2-series on a dealer lot with a manual gearbox is next to impossible. Most of us have had to special order one without even test driving first! At least that was the case for me. The dealerships simply don't cater to the driving enthusiast anymore. They configure cars with automatics and lots of options because it increases their odds of making a sale to the general public who doesn't even know how to change their own gears anymore.

I suspect used cars with the 6-speed option are hard to find as well because they are fantastic cars and a lot of us are planning to hold on to them for as long as humanly possible out of fear that BMW won't be making them like this much longer!

[falkdal]

Thanks for the quick response. I figured the manual coupes would be easier to come by, seeing as they cater more to the driving enthusiast than a convertible would. And there are a couple really nice options for sale on the forum now that ticks most or all of the boxes in that format. But I didn't expect it would be such a disparity.

Just searched bmwusa.com for CPO cars within 500 miles of me. There's a manual '16 M235i convertible in San Francisco (I live in Berkeley), but it's mineral gray with black sensatec interior and no options. This looks like someone ordered a minimum base model on purpose, snd they're still asking quite a bit for it ($33k with 27k miles). For comparison a dealer a little further away can transfer a car from their sister store on the east coast with estoril blue & oyster dakota leather, full options and upgraded wheels and other cosmetics, for the same price + shipping, but it's an automatic.

If one were to order a new car with that configuration are there still the same lease/financing/discount incentives available compared to buying a car off the lot? It seems they would be more motivated to move existing inventory, but I haven't bought a brand new car in 9 years so I don't have any relevant experience.

Interesting, just found a '17 manual convertible for rent on Turo.com. I might have to rent it for a day to see what the experience is before I make a final decision.

[morphomeman]

As others have noted, it is a simple matter of supply. There are very few of these beasts out there, which means that the choice is very limited. You are also apparently judging price by mileage. The greatest determiner is model year. $33K may be a good deal, depending on the year. It would be fine for a '16 at this point.
You also mention plus shipping. Shipping from the East Coast to the West Coast can be a whole lotta bucks. Try to shop local.

[Funwithdesign]

Not to mention the fact that a lot of people are ordering xdrive cars and these only come in automatic

[makrop]

Originally Posted by falkdal

If one were to order a new car with that configuration are there still the same lease/financing/discount incentives available compared to buying a car off the lot?

Yes. That was the case for me. I still got all the same incentives and dealer discounts that were available at the time I put my deposit in.

And yea, there were like 6 manual's in the entire U.S. when I was looking to buy. They were either bare bones, or fully loaded approaching $60k. So I ordered without test driving a manual as well. But my last 3 BMWs have all been manual so I was pretty confident. Only thing I was weary of was the rev-matching feature, which has turned out to be absolutely amazing. No complaints at all.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by falkdal

Personally I'd rather have the coupe, but my twin 3rd grade boys are not fans of the windows not rolling down, and after renting a 428i convertible their love for a drop top is so strong they'd never forgive me for getting a coupe instead!

Thanks for any advice.

As you left this wide open for advice, my suggestion is to get the coupe because it is your preference. Third graders don't have to "forgive" you. Unless this is being "tongue-in-cheek"/kidding about attributing it to the kids, and you secretly really want the convertible anyway, I wouldn't let them start to take control now. You have teen years ahead for those battles.

You'll also find your preferred coupe a bit more easily. Good luck!

[p912guy]

I can tell you from personal experience, driving an M235i/M240i 6 spd MT with the top down on a warm summer evening is a truly sublime experience. This experience approaches nirvana when the road twists and turns and rises and falls while you have your perfect music on the radio, which for me can be anything from the Eagles to Sinatra or Motown to Jimmy Buffett.

[falkdal]

Originally Posted by morphomeman

You are also apparently judging price by mileage. The greatest determiner is model year. $33K may be a good deal, depending on the year. It would be fine for a '16 at this point.
You also mention plus shipping. Shipping from the East Coast to the West Coast can be a whole lotta bucks. Try to shop local.

Thanks for your thoughts. It's partly on mileage but more so on the options. In this case the stripped one in SF is a '16 as is the fully loaded one on the East Coast and they're both asking the same price - I figured it was either because everything is more expensive in SF, or that a manual was rare enough to fetch a premium.

And yeah definitely would prefer to buy local to save money and be able to properly inspect the car!

[falkdal]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

As you left this wide open for advice, my suggestion is to get the coupe because it is your preference. Third graders don't have to "forgive" you. Unless this is being "tongue-in-cheek"/kidding about attributing it to the kids, and you secretly really want the convertible anyway, I wouldn't let them start to take control now. You have teen years ahead for those battles.

Point well taken. I prefer the coupe for mostly practical reasons as it would replace my 3 series and needs to function as a grocery runner and have enough room for hauling around school projects etc., plus I think it looks better when parked, and will obviously have less squeaks and rattles. But I was surprised how much I enjoyed driving the 428i convertible, as the next poster mentioned I had some blissful evening commutes on a backroad that reminded me of riding my motorcycle, and the kids really were so excited every time we got in the car, we drove top down in the rain and cold just for the fun of it. I would be happy with either, but I do know this will likely be the last manual car I buy so I'm not willing to compromise on that. I just need to be patient until the right combination can be found.

[Poochie]

Someone save me trouble of looking it up, - what's the weight on a 6 speed, convertible 235i/240i?

My friend has a manual E93 335i and that weights 4,000 pounds but it's a hardtop.

Curious what's the difference with a soft-top 2 series..

[XutvJet]

The convertible is a whopping 200lbs heavier. It also has less rear leg room because of the convertible equipment. Lastly, it is not remotely as crash worthy as a fixed roof car. That factor alone should be enough to sway a parent to go with a coupe.

[p912guy]

Originally Posted by Poochie

Someone save me trouble of looking it up, - what's the weight on a 6 speed, convertible 235i/240i?

My friend has a manual E93 335i and that weights 4,000 pounds but it's a hardtop.

Curious what's the difference with a soft-top 2 series..

The M235i vert is listed at 3760 lbs, so certainly less than the 3/4 Series hardtop vert.

The convertible is a whopping 200lbs heavier. It also has less rear leg room because of the convertible equipment. Lastly, it is not remotely as crash worthy as a fixed roof car. That factor alone should be enough to sway a parent to go with a coupe.

No doubt the vert may be heavier than the coupe and not as stiff or "crash worthy" without a roof, but it's certainly not the over-weight "death trap" that seems to be implied either.

[NewM235Owner]

Originally Posted by p912guy

I can tell you from personal experience, driving an M235i/M240i 6 spd MT with the top down on a warm summer evening is a truly sublime experience. This experience approaches nirvana when the road twists and turns and rises and falls while you have your perfect music on the radio, which for me can be anything from the Eagles to Sinatra or Motown to Jimmy Buffett.

Could not have said that better myself. Probably says a lot about my days, but sometimes the best part of it is that 25 minute drive home with the top down rowing through the gears. Wait for the right convertible to come on the market.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by p912guy

No doubt the vert may be heavier than the coupe and not as stiff or "crash worthy" without a roof, but it's certainly not the over-weight "death trap" that seems to be implied either.

Death trap? Na. But you are far more likely to be killed or injured badly when riding in the back seat of a convertible or open rear compartment vehicle (i.e. Jeep) compared to something with a fixed roof. With the roof down, there's nothing there to protect from objects hitting you in the head and upper torso. Sure, the roll over bars will engage if you rolled, but again, there's a lot of open space around those bars and the windshield.

Riding in convertibles is fun when the weather is right, but kids are finicky. They might have liked the experience a few times, but how about all the time with that sun beating down on your head constantly, the heat, sun glare, wind buffeting, etc.?

[p912guy]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

Death trap? Na. But you are far more likely to be killed or injured badly when riding in the back seat of a convertible or open rear compartment vehicle (i.e. Jeep) compared to something with a fixed roof. With the roof down, there's nothing there to protect from objects hitting you in the head and upper torso. Sure, the roll over bars will engage if you rolled, but again, there's a lot of open space around those bars and the windshield.

Riding in convertibles is fun when the weather is right, but kids are finicky. They might have liked the experience a few times, but how about all the time with that sun beating down on your head constantly, the heat, sun glare, wind buffeting, etc.?

Agreed. I use my M235i vert as an over-sized roadster. I've never had anyone in the back seat in my more than 2 years of ownership, and don't really expect to in the future. For one thing there isn't enough room for a normal-sized adult to sit back there. Even if there were room enough, I doubt it'd be very comfortable for rear seat passengers, kids or adults, much above 40 mph. That said, if I had small children or grandchildren, I wouldn't hesitate buckling them into the back seat for a top-down ride. Then again, not that it was safe or smart, I'm of the generation that grew up riding in cars with 3 across bench seats in front and no seatbelts and in the rear-end of a station wagon on air mattresses for long family vacations.

[Lucky13]

The convertible should have pop up bar protection behind the rear seats at least my 335i manual convertible did. If the car detects a rollover the bars pop up behind the rear headrests.

[Lucky13]

I’ve owned 5 BMW convertibles and all were manuals including an E46 M3, wish I had got a convertible this time but went with a coupe.

[Miata13]

Originally Posted by NewM235Owner

Could not have said that better myself. Probably says a lot about my days, but sometimes the best part of it is that 25 minute drive home with the top down rowing through the gears. Wait for the right convertible to come on the market.

I said that too for many years...to / from work in a top-down Miata was a great stress reliever. Currently, our MINI Roadster S...serves that same function...but now being retired....not "quite" the stress issues to "solve"

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by Lucky13

The convertible should have pop up bar protection behind the rear seats at least my 335i manual convertible did. If the car detects a rollover the bars pop up behind the rear headrests.

Yes, but it doesn't stop other objects from impacting your body like a guard rail, flying debris, etc.

[Lucky13]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

Yes, but it doesn't stop other objects from impacting your body like a guard rail, flying debris, etc.

True but cars usually don’t roll over especually BMW’s but truck and SUV’s do. My son lost two friends in two seperate wrecks in trucks that rolled over in highschool. Just goes to show some parents buy their kids a truck thinking its a safe vehicle for a teenager and they are very easy to flip.

[Shovelman]

One caution when buying a manual sight unseen, 'it may be an automatic with paddles' (quack quack quack). Get them to text you a picture of the pedals.