[GrimJaw]

Originally Posted by M235ForNow

I've read a lot of the decisioning threads in the category "should I buy a BMW 2er or XX instead". And so I thought I'd post along a different line - the "should I keep my M235i?" Because I already have one but it's leased and the lease ... is ending soon.

With the lease end in mind, I looked at roughly every other option. A tiny Miata. A (to me) huge Accord. An old Z3. A new Cayman. Electric. Diesel. Whew. The gamut.

My wife's car is an SUV, so there are zero practicality constraints. And I work at home so needing a beater isn't an issue. Hence the "anything goes" as far as options.

On the con side of buying out the lease. I don't drive it a lot. Maaaybe 8K a year. Because I work from home. And often it gets only short trips. Is it "worth it" to have such a high performance car when I really exercise it so infrequently? I could get way better gas mileage with something else - is it logical to burn so much fuel? And BMWs are notoriously expensive out of warranty.

Ummm, okay, I think that's the end of the cons. What were the pros? Well, I love the way it looks (estoril is a favorite color and black trim looks good to my eyes). And I love the way it drives (port installed BMW LSD!). And sounds (port installed Mperf exhaust with rear diffuser!). I love the size and how it's easy to park. (Although I don't like the outside driver side rear mirror placement - for some reason it gets in the way during hard right turns - anyone else have that issue?).

I love how it's been super reliable. That could go away at any time, of course, but so far it's been a rock. It's basically the E36 328/E46 330 I had in the past reborn into a modern version. Same size, upgraded everything (except steering feel, doh!)

And so, after going round and round and considering WAY too much, I finally figured "Let's keep the future classic". Being a 2016, I even get the advantage of the old BMW warranty for the first year of non-lease ownership.

To celebrate, I gave it a total detail, inside and out, engine bay to trunk. (And found a whole brace of parallel scratches on the trunk lid, all canted at a 45 degree angle. Weird. But, elbow grease and a collection of polishes solved that little issue).

So here's the object of my affection. Once it's truly mine, it'll be time for an appropriate vanity plate.

My vote is to keep it! You only live once, enjoy it to the fullest. I've met a few guys with high mileage 60-80k with very little issues.

[an4691]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

Try relaxing your grip a bit. I also find the Autotecknic paddles to be more ergonomic.

Finally if that doesn't help Dallas Custom will redo your wheel however you want. You'd have to ask and confirm but I think thinner is an option.

Thanks! I'll check them out. A thinner wheel would be so much better for me.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by an4691

Thanks! I'll check them out. A thinner wheel would be so much better for me.

It's not crazy $ and the end result is beautiful. Much better quality than stock too.

[MRMIAGI]

Originally Posted by baege

wow I thought i was the only one...i came from. a c7 to a cayman to a m240i...where is the thread on this...i.d like to read it

Uhh I'm not sure if it was an actual thread just some PMs I believe. But I remember he said his C7 had a very "lurchy" transmission. Which apparently the 2015+ 8 speed automatics are notorious for having. Other than that he said he loved the car, that just ruined it for him. What did you think?

[c1pher]

I own a 135is and a 2017 C7 A8. I don’t have any lurching with the automatic, and the throttle response is great. The upshifts are fast and the downshifts are slightly slower (comparing to 135is DCT) but not bad at all for a regular automatic. I think there is a forum user who had issues, but I think it was vehicle specific. My recommendation is not listen to recommendations lol and drive cars you’re interested in and make your own determination.

There were some issues with early A8 torque converters, but I believe have largely been fixed. I have 13,000 miles on my Corvette and so far everything continues to be flawless.

Back to the OP topic though, yes keep the M235i. There isn’t a lot out there you can replace it with at that price point. That’s where I am with the 135is. I feel the only worthy upgrade would be an M2. I would say the gap is much narrower between the M235i and M2, so you’re upgrading for bragging rights. If you look at other options, you will pay a good bit more.