[Ajowhan]

Originally Posted by Nickies

I never go over 5 years from new which put me in 2025. I will definitely go EV because there is far more performance at lower maintenance cost.

I test drove the i4 m50i on one of the bmw autocross event and I was pretty surprised how well it turns on lower speed at autocross

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by Ajowhan

I test drove the i4 m50i on one of the bmw autocross event and I was pretty surprised how well it turns on lower speed at autocross

That is certainly a characteristic of an EV due to the low centre of gravity. Typically the weak point is overheating of the tyres and brakes due to the weight, which is typically not a problem on a short autocross course. On a road course it is also hard to get more than three 20 min sessions on a full battery charge. Last year I caught up with a Taycan in one session and Model 3 in another, you could smell the brake pads from quite a distance away.

[dmaxdmax]

As long as I can--it's also listed in my will for my sons to share back-and-forth...

My e46 I went with from 140k miles to 386k miles.

I learned a lot about cars in those years and apply them to this. I think I'll have it forever unless an idiot or deer takes it out again. I'm retired, so driving much less. Car should hold onto until gasoline becomes harder to find than electricity.

[happyjack]

approaching 100K miles on my '15 228ix and it has been my favorite car ever to own since i picked it up as a CPO in oct 2017. in some ways i like it more than my M2C...but that will probably overtake the F22 in the #1 all-time favorite standings.

my biggest issue / concern is the timing chain since my build was 10/2014. recently received a clean bill of health on the dealer's inspection for the timing chain before it aged out of the extended warranty...

i've passed it along to my college-age daughter for her daily driver, and she loves it as much as i do.

but now...the question is do i wait for for the warning signs and plan for the $4K timing chain job? or move it along for someone else to do it?

*sigh*

[Ron Jeffries]

No one makes anything yet that I'd rather have.

[SW111]

I plan on keeping my M235i until I can’t drive it anymore. I plan on teaching the grandkids how to drive manual in it too.

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by happyjack

but now...the question is do i wait for for the warning signs and plan for the $4K timing chain job? or move it along for someone else to do it?

*sigh*

If you love it, then do the timing chain.

[XutvJet]

I've owned my 2016 M235 6MT since new back in Feb 2016. The car has almost 70K and has been the most reliable, best built car I've ever owned and almost all cars I owned prior were reliable Japanese makes.

I've spent a decent amount on mods making a good car great. It really does everything quite well for a sporty 4 seater. The only way I'll part with this car is if the stock market improves substantially in the next year or two then I'll likely sell it and get a 2017-2018 M2 DCT. I absolutely love the F22 chassis and the F87 (M2) is as good as you can make it plus many of my parts would transfer over. I love the power and simplicity of the EWG N55 too. I know the B58 and S55 are amazing motors, but a basic Stage 2 N55 is plenty fast for me plus it's generally easy to work on.

I recently bought a base model 2011 Cayman 6MT for a fun car and I have to say that the Cayman makes my M235 feel like a wet porkchop in terms of handling feel and damping control. I had no idea that even in Sport+ with Dinan springs, Bilstein shocks in the back, an LSD, and 245 square rubber that the M235 really just isn't that composed compared to true sportscar. The M2 would address some of that issue.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

I recently bought a base model 2011 Cayman 6MT for a fun car and I have to say that the Cayman makes my M235 feel like a wet porkchop in terms of handling feel and damping control. I had no idea that even in Sport+ with Dinan springs, Bilstein shocks in the back, an LSD, and 245 square rubber that the M235 really just isn't that composed compared to true sportscar. The M2 would address some of that issue.

tldr; after a recent 3,800-mile road trip, I continue to think that we own GT cars.

We don't own sport cars, that's for sure, and watching poorly-driven Caymans drive away from me on a handling track was no surprise. Weight first and design goals second scotched any ideas that our 2 Series were going to behave like sports cars.

Porsches are designed to go around corners; our cars, not nearly as much. Setting a 2 Series up for the track helps a good deal with that, but it can't turn our cars into Porsches. When making my choice, and for my use case, I saw the main benefit of the M2 as the ease with which wider wheels and tires and brake ducts could be fitted. That wasn't enough to cause me to move up.

I know I've said this before, but my experience of the M240i is that it is basically a more modern version of the Euro M6 I bought in 1985. (How's that for a trick: between 1985 and 2015, BMW took what its top of the line GT car offered, made it available in its bottom of the line series, and improved it in almost every way.)

P.S. Congrats on acquiring the Cayman! From what other owners have shared with me, they appear to have the perfect blend of sports car qualities and capabilities.

[Nickies]

Originally Posted by dradernh

tldr; after a recent 3,800-mile road trip, I continue to think that we own GT cars.

We don't own sport cars, that's for sure, and watching poorly-driven Caymans drive away from me on a handling track was no surprise. Weight first and design goals second scotched any ideas that our 2 Series were going to behave like sports cars.

Porsches are designed to go around corners; our cars, not nearly as much. Setting a 2 Series up for the track helps a good deal with that, but it can't turn our cars into Porsches. When making my choice, and for my use case, I saw the main benefit of the M2 as the ease with which wider wheels and tires and brake ducts could be fitted. That wasn't enough to cause me to move up.

I know I've said this before, but my experience of the M240i is that it is basically a more modern version of the Euro M6 I bought in 1985. (How's that for a trick: between 1985 and 2015, BMW took what its top of the line GT car offered, made it available in its bottom of the line series, and improved it in almost every way.)

P.S. Congrats on acquiring the Cayman! From what other owners have shared with me, they appear to have the perfect blend of sports car qualities and capabilities.

Those who buy M235 - 240 thinking they are sport cars may be very disappointed because they are not and never have been expected to be at first.

They are daily commuters with a peppy engine and nothing else. Handling and steering are not their greatest attributes but they are fast in a straight line if they are not abused in normal driving conditions.

This is not surprising so many buyers invest big money in mods but they end up with an overpriced car that has negative residual value over the years not mentioning reliability issues.

This is a big expectation to compete in the sport car segment. I never expected my BMW to behave as a Porsche.

[SoftShoe]

For me, the whole point of having the 2 instead of a Porsche is precisely because the 2 doesn’t behave like a Porsche.

The 2 is both somewhat refined (with its, I think, nicer interior space and less expensive creature comforts) and raw (with its torque and handling). It’s an addictive mix of muscle car sports car and GT that presents as if it will enthusiastically wrap both of you around a tree if you’re not engaged.

And (disturbingly) it’s that sensation that (to me) makes it more fun to drive.

If I want to feel like I’m on rails all the time, I’ll take a train.
If I want to explore the edges, learn to manipulate the quirks, and be challenged by limits, I’ll take my lsd-equipped 2.

Of course, if I’m lucky enough to continue aging, I expect that my desire for sliding around with my hair on fire will one day be replaced with a desire for composed and unrelenting competence. And maybe then I’ll have a Porsche.

[Kernel Kurtz]

I'd love to have a Cayman, but would not be comfortable driving it in the winter, and having a second vehicle just for the winter makes the economics no longer work.

The M240i is fun to drive in the summer, and with AWD and snow tires is a blast to drive in the winter as well. Probably the closest I am going to come to a perfect all-year-round car.

[Oltimer]

at my age you tend to hold on tight to things that give you excitement!

[delvec03]

2015 228i 6mt just hit 110k miles. Slightly concerned about the timing chain, but she's been rock solid. Doing my own maintenance and getting parts through FCP Euro has been a good send and I probably wouldn't own a foreign car if not for that website.

Looking forward to doing coolant and water pump again at 160k!

[Jsavner]

This is my first leases car in the last 20+ years that I'm serious about keeping. There has always been something to catch my eye to move on. From a GTI to an A3 to a Focus ST to two rounds of SS to a super charged XE and finally found the perfect car.

Show me a rear wheel drive, manual transmission car that has enough power to be playful (have a 230) without worrying about getting in trouble all the time and gets great mileage. It's comfortable and cheap to run. Not a single thing out there that can match it.

For now my 2020 230m lite (has m sport and handling package) is staying in the garage when the lease is up next year.

Even if I could get a new 230 or 240 with manual, I'm not sure I can give up my classic dash for the screens.

Time will tell

[msej449]

I asked the BMW Service Manager just what they meant by 'lifetime' in terms of parts etc and he said, for my M235i it was 100,000 miles. That's also the point where you can't get standard BMW Extended Warranty any more. My 2016 M235i Convertible is an indefinite 'keeper' - there's nothing else I can see that I'd want to replace it with. At the current rate of miles, I'll hit the 100K mark around 2040. at which point if it's lasted, I anticipate keeping it until something major breaks.

In the meantime, the replacement for our other run-around car that's just turned 100K and which we had from new in 2007 will definitely be electric. Yes, there's a premium to pay (which is larger for smaller cheaper vehiches). But I think we're just getting to the point where the premium is reasonably cost-effective (insofar as any spend on a car is cost-effective) if you're happy with not expecting the car to do long trips (i.e. under 225 miles or so). To my mind, the challenge is still getting an electric car that'll compete with a petrol/diesel in terms of doing a long run with no top-up.

[Neverlost99]

My 15 228ixcv has just 27,000 miles. I got it for half price with 6k on the clock. I love it more every time I drive, but I live on 42 miles of mountain switchbacks here in North Carolina. I am enjoying the heated steering wheel this week. I dont like the head lights, I do like the HK stereo ( not a popular comment here), I like the gas mileage, I have a great shop that helps me. All good. At 70, it's my last car possibly. It's way better build than my 2017 Lexus.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by msej449

At the current rate of miles, I'll hit the 100K mark around 2040

At my mileage rate, my car will reach 100K in August of 2039. I won't be around to celebrate that milestone, though.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by dradernh

At my mileage rate, my car will reach 100K in August of 2039. I won't be around to celebrate that milestone, though.

I had not thought of this calculation before. Now, I'm depressed. At my rate, 100k miles is 2065. Even my son would be 82 by then.

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

I had not thought of this calculation before. Now, I'm depressed. At my rate, 100k miles is 2065. Even my son would be 82 by then.

The solution is simple, drive more. That's why we have these machines.

[Efftooto]

My 2016 M235i I purchased with 11,000km on it in Jan 2017. I now stand at 135,000km. Still love it and still plan on future mods.

Chris

[MichaelL]

Not sure how long I will keep my 2015 228i, MSport, stick shift. It is a very hard car to replace. I have about 57k on it and it has been very reliable. Not many coupe, stick shift, RWD options are out there…. I like the new 2 series, but no stick. M2 is a gas guzzler and overkill for the street. Time will tell how long I keep it. Not a perfect car, but what is?