[jbenington86]

Originally Posted by dmboone25

ECO Pro = near death experience the three times I've tried it.

Try driving ECO Pro in a 1.5L 4 cylinder turbo with ~130hp....I know the throttle is very numb but trust me you smash it to the floor all ECO goes away and you will still move. It just changes the first 3/4 of the pedal. Once you pass that the car will move.

I have achieved 35mpg doing 95% city driving. It will work very well but you just need to realize that if you need to accelerate in sticky situation just put your foot to the floor.

[RDKing2]

TBH I am glad the 235 is my wife's and not mine. Not that I totally dislike the car, I feel nothing like when we purchased the M3 new in 2004 which is also hers. Maybe it is because I am older but I am just not feeling it. Actually the 235 is a much better car for her than the M3 was and I am happy for her. It is a nice car but I really have no desire to snag the car from her when she is not driving it like I did when the E46 M3 was new. She gets a little upset when I want to take the M3 and not her 235 when we run out together. Not knockin it it is a nice car. Just not for me.

[ska///235i]

Originally Posted by dmboone25

It's because the car is soft.

And since I have one, I can say that.

Its also the trend now, every other brand has the eco, sport, sport+ modes....I find that audi, merc, lexus, and bmw are all playing the same game. These 4 brands are very similar, its all about selling X amount of cars to satisfy the shareholders. Buying a car today is like buying a smart phone...same shit different brand

[dmboone25]

Originally Posted by jbenington86

Try driving ECO Pro in a 1.5L 4 cylinder turbo with ~130hp....I know the throttle is very numb but trust me you smash it to the floor all ECO goes away and you will still move. It just changes the first 3/4 of the pedal. Once you pass that the car will move.

I have achieved 35mpg doing 95% city driving. It will work very well but you just need to realize that if you need to accelerate in sticky situation just put your foot to the floor.

I guess that makes sense. I guess I didn't but this car with that in mind, but I understand that the car will serve different purposes for different folks.

Regardless, it has fallen short of expectations for me - which was that it would be an overall improvement vs. both of my 135s. It's certainly better in areas, but not in any measurable way that relates to performance.

[dmboone25]

Originally Posted by ska///235i

Its also the trend now, every other brand has the eco, sport, sport+ modes....I find that audi, merc, lexus, and bmw are all playing the same game. These 4 brands are very similar, its all about selling X amount of cars to satisfy the shareholders. Buying a car today is like buying a smart phone...same shit different brand

Good point. To me, this car is front and center on the loss of the magic of a small, fast sports coupe - aka, what BMW made their name on. It's too soft and squishy for me. I'm counting down the days to get rid of it and either land in an M2 or something else.

[chaswyck1]

I'm definitely not counting the days to get rid of it, but I do wish the suspension was a lot stiffer, or at least had the option to be. Comfort mode is fine because, well, it's comfortable and good for long highway cruises. Sport mode is fun, but a little squishy. Sport+ mode is a waste because all it does it turn off the traction control which is fine for the track but should probably should never be turned off in normal, everyday driving. I would like to see Sport+ tighten up the suspension more than Sport and just leave us the button if we want to turn off the traction control.

[RocketJohn]

To the guys complaining about squishy, what is squishy? Tires? Steering? Chassis control?

These aren't race cars and the original BMWs that we think back to were far from harsh.

[jbenington86]

Originally Posted by RocketJohn

To the guys complaining about squishy, what is squishy? Tires? Steering? Chassis control?

These aren't race cars and the original BMWs that we think back to were far from harsh.

Expectations of some people are not reasonable

[ORIGIN M.]

Originally Posted by dmboone25

I guess that makes sense. I guess I didn't but this car with that in mind, but I understand that the car will serve different purposes for different folks.

Regardless, it has fallen short of expectations for me - which was that it would be an overall improvement vs. both of my 135s. It's certainly better in areas, but not in any measurable way that relates to performance.

So you like the n54 the best then?

[chaswyck1]

Originally Posted by RocketJohn

To the guys complaining about squishy, what is squishy? Tires? Steering? Chassis control?

These aren't race cars and the original BMWs that we think back to were far from harsh.

By "squishy" I mean suspension. I thought that was clear in my posting. No, they're not race cars, but neither was my 2012 MINI S and its suspension was a good bit stiffer than the Sport mode suspension on my 228 with THP.

[RocketJohn]

Road holding and softness can be mutually exclusive.

Going to some high end adj coil overs, like KWs, can get you that race feel you desire, but I don't think you gain much on the street in real performance.

[chaswyck1]

Originally Posted by jbenington86

Expectations of some people are not reasonable

Maybe three levels of chassis stiffness is a bit unreasonable, but they are giving us choices so why not at least have a bigger difference between comfort and sport modes? The car is being presented as an enthusiast's car so a stiff suspension as an option is probably not unreasonable. Besides, this thread is something of a "wish list" thread about our cars.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by dmboone25

Good point. To me, this car is front and center on the loss of the magic of a small, fast sports coupe - aka, what BMW made their name on. It's too soft and squishy for me. I'm counting down the days to get rid of it and either land in an M2 or something else.

I've been driving a 228i Sport Line for the past 3 days and it is terrible. Soft...squishy....poor brakes...horrible steering....and an underwhelming automatic transmission. The artificial engine noise is hurting my soul....what were they thinking?? Honestly next time I'll request an X1 again...at least it doesn't get my hopes up so it doesn't let me down! lol

In Eco mode it feels like a Corolla. In Sport + mode it feels totally artificial.....really disappointed. A real enthusiast car shouldn't need buttons to perform well....it should perform well all the time.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by chaswyck@yahoo.com

Maybe three levels of chassis stiffness is a bit unreasonable, but they are giving us choices so why not at least have a bigger difference between comfort and sport modes? The car is being presented as an enthusiast's car so a stiff suspension as an option is probably not unreasonable. Besides, this thread is something of a "wish list" thread about our cars.

I can't disagree with you, as the desired calibration is a personal choice. For the purposes of going to a track, I get your concern. However, the current MAdaptive was designed with real world road conditions in mind. I can recall during vehicle development test drives of the mules at my prior car company employer, we would drive over a variety of simulated road "events" at the proving grounds....cobblestone, broken concrete, pot holes, speed bumps, grooved concrete, raised slabs, etc. Even the "performance" cars had to be tolerable on those events.

I live in an area with absolutely awful roads...Michigan! I'm installing 17" wheels/tires when the winters come off for the sake of the taller sidewall. If the 2 Series Sport setting were any more "Sport", there wouldn't be many opportunities to use it around this neck of the woods. As it is, I am mostly in Comfort and look for the stretches of road or highway still useable enough to enjoy Sport. My wife will comfortably ride with me on Comfort, but is not happy in Sport. So, as you said, the Comfort setting does its job.

I think you're a candidate for the MPerformance suspension, perhaps?

[nachob]

Originally Posted by jbenington86

Expectations of some people are not reasonable

It comes from what made us fall in love with BMW. The cars were firmer and sharper handling than their American or Japanese counterparts. Now they feel squishy and the gap between them has narrowed. I find it sad how many say it's ok because other manufacturers are doing it. They were building squishy cars an the 70s and 80s but BMW made them differently and that made them special. Sedans for carrying families were squishy but they made the 2002. They were different and special. Saying they are just doing what everyone else is makes it ok makes no sense. Why then even care about a brand? Same thing with fake sound....others are doing it. We want bmw to remain different and build the ultimate driving machine not the ultimate hodge podge snake oil that cures everything under the sun. There are so many squishy cars already. Leave the ones with M badges to be sharper and more focused.

I think the confusion comes because the M badge means something to many of us that is probably old thinking. When we accept that M badge means squishy I think you will see less griping but it's coming slowly.

[chaswyck1]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

I can't disagree with you, as the desired calibration is a personal choice. For the purposes of going to a track, I get your concern. However, the current MAdaptive was designed with real world road conditions in mind. I can recall during vehicle development test drives of the mules at my prior car company employer, we would drive over a variety of simulated road "events" at the proving grounds....cobblestone, broken concrete, pot holes, speed bumps, grooved concrete, raised slabs, etc. Even the "performance" cars had to be tolerable on those events.

I live in an area with absolutely awful roads...Michigan! I'm installing 17" wheels/tires when the winters come off for the sake of the taller sidewall. If the 2 Series Sport setting were any more "Sport", there wouldn't be many opportunities to use it around this neck of the woods. As it is, I am mostly in Comfort and look for the stretches of road or highway still useable enough to enjoy Sport. My wife will comfortably ride with me on Comfort, but is not happy in Sport. So, as you said, the Comfort setting does its job.

I think you're a candidate for the MPerformance suspension, perhaps?

I think my feelings about this are affected by the fact that I'm coming out of the MINI. Yes, I probably am a candidate for the M Performance suspension, but this is where one of the downsides of leasing comes into play. $1,800 installed is a big investment for a leased car. And $1,800 is a WHOLE lot of money to get the suspension of a BMW to feel like a MINI.

[topcat]

Unfortunately not everyone will be content with their purchases. I'm very much looking forward to picking up my 235i in less than a week. I really enjoyed the initial test drive several months ago that led to me ordering one. To each their own. The M235i and 228 are where they need to be positioned in the BMW lineup. They aren't brilliant by some standards and in other regards they are. I think for the driving purest the M2 will answer many peoples desire for a pure sports coupe.

[chaswyck1]

Originally Posted by topcat

Unfortunately not everyone will be content with their purchases. I'm very much looking forward to picking up my 235i in less than a week. I really enjoyed the initial test drive several months ago that led to me ordering one. To each their own. The M235i and 228 are where they need to be positioned in the BMW lineup. They aren't brilliant by some standards and in other regards they are. I think for the driving purest the M2 will answer many peoples desire for a pure sports coupe.

Don't get me wrong, I am content with my car. I was just talking about something I would change if I could, but overall I'm very happy with it. Well, I would also change the really crappy radio too.

[jbenington86]

Originally Posted by chaswyck@yahoo.com

Maybe three levels of chassis stiffness is a bit unreasonable, but they are giving us choices so why not at least have a bigger difference between comfort and sport modes?

Sure let's make a non-M car better than an M car that makes sense....

[jbenington86]

Originally Posted by chaswyck@yahoo.com

Don't get me wrong, I am content with my car. I was just talking about something I would change if I could, but overall I'm very happy with it. Well, I would also change the really crappy radio too.

You are "content" with your own car? Looks like you just wasted your money bro... If you are only "content" looks like you didn't find what you truly want.

[nachob]

Originally Posted by chaswyck@yahoo.com

Don't get me wrong, I am content with my car. I was just talking about something I would change if I could, but overall I'm very happy with it. Well, I would also change the really crappy radio too.

Yes, I keep equating to kids.... I love my kids dearly and if I said, I wished they did more sports than video games, that doesn't mean I don't love them. Simply, that there are some things we wish were a little different but we still love them. Where it goes south, is the reactionaries that simply label everything as hate when it's not. It's statement of love where we wish some things where a little different because we care!

The poster spent close to 50K on this 235, what more statement of love is there? But he just wishes something was a little different. We spend big money because we want something special not something that is the same as every other car. Otherwise, there are cheaper and more reliable alternatives.

Case in point.... BMW still is committed to rear drive, 50/50 weight distribution and offers manual transmissions. That sets them apart! Which is why I want so badly to buy another one. If they were making front wheel drive nose heavy automatic cars, I would buy an Audi or a GTI which is an incredibly fun FWD car for 26K. But we are here waiting to see what BMW comes out with next, so we can pick the car that fits the bill the best.

[chaswyck1]

Originally Posted by jbenington86

Sure let's make a non-M car better than an M car that makes sense....

All I was saying is that it would be nice (in my opinion) if the suspension was a little stiffer.

Originally Posted by jbenington86

You are "content" with your own car? Looks like you just wasted your money bro... If you are only "content" looks like you didn't find what you truly want.

I used the word "content" because I was responding to another posting in which the poster used that word. Look, this isn't a religion, it's a car. No need to defend it to the death. Chill "bro".