[Kendapau]

Sold my F23 228i xdrive yesterday after 3.5 years and 40K miles. Why?

- I must get getting old because the manual seat hurt my butt every time I drive it. A gel pad helped. Worst seat I’ve ever had in a car over 50 years.

- the car had black sapphire paint. Literally every time I drove it a new deep scratch magically appeared. I don’t know if it’s a water based paint issue, or the so called “Resistall” crap the stealer installed. Every week I was buffing, wet sanding, touch up painting with Dr. Colorchio or Langka. I must have spent 40 hours trying to keep the car looking good - and don’t blow this off because it’s black. My black Porsche has none of these issues. Period.

- the AC crapped out twice due to a hidden recall that had the evaporator temperature sensor in the wrong place. Two dealers and massive hassle.

- the good news? I sold it to Carvana for $1700 less than I paid for it. Thanks to COVID.

Good luck all!

[SoftShoe]

Sorry for your trouble and thanks for sharing.

Coming from an A5, I really like these seats.
Actually, the A5 seats may have helped screw up my back.

So I totally understand.
At the same time, that car looked new inside after 85000 miles.
After 29000 miles, there’s no way the bimmer will match that.

I’ve also fixed a taillight issue (luckily under warranty) that BMW has known about (and not resolved) for 8 or 9 years.

But, right now, this is definitely the car for me.

So, my sincere ongratulations on your sale.
Sounds like it’s time to go find the right car for you.

[freakystyly]

Agreed with the black sapphire paint. It's near impossible to keep perfect. My last one was that colour and opted for the white this time around.

Hope you are able to get into something more comfortable and enjoy it.

[WolfGTI]

Interesting, at 78,000 miles my interior looks like like when I collected it from the dealer brand new. I think that has a lot to do with how you take care of it. I do agree though Audi interiors are some of the best around.

Originally Posted by SoftShoe

Sorry for your trouble and thanks for sharing.

So I totally understand.
At the same time, that car looked new inside after 85000 miles.
After 29000 miles, there’s no way the bimmer will match that.

I’

[PeanuKeeyes]

Originally Posted by WolfGTI

Interesting, at 78,000 miles my interior looks like like when I collected it from the dealer brand new.

I second that, with the exception of the shiny leather steering wheel issue. With the Coby wheel and a little maintenance, my 6 year interior is holding up awesome.

Sorry to hear the car didn't work out for you, OP. let us know what you end up with and how it compares.

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by Kendapau

I must get getting old because the manual seat hurt my butt every time I drive it. A gel pad helped. Worst seat I’ve ever had in a car over 50 years!

Could not agree more. Definitely think it is an age thing as the younger guys don't seem to mind the seats, but they will see as they age. The side bolsters on the seat cushion are like sitting on 2 logs. They are over size and rock hard and, like you, I used a cushion (mine is from Purple). If they made the seat wider so you sit between the bolsters all would be good, but as it is you end up sitting on them. And I'm of a thin build!

On the other hand, the lumbar support is terrific, maybe best of any car I've had.

Other than the seat, though, our F23 has been trouble free for two years and 24k miles now.

[nazali]

Originally Posted by Kendapau

- the car had black sapphire paint. Literally every time I drove it a new deep scratch magically appeared. I don’t know if it’s a water based paint issue, or the so called “Resistall” crap the stealer installed. Every week I was buffing, wet sanding, touch up painting with Dr. Colorchio or Langka. I must have spent 40 hours trying to keep the car looking good - and don’t blow this off because it’s black. My black Porsche has none of these issues. Period.

I must admit the black is not nice and keeping clean, and if you get a scratch, man it shows up

feel your pain,

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by leftoverture

Could not agree more. Definitely think it is an age thing as the younger guys don't seem to mind the seats, but they will see as they age. The side bolsters on the seat cushion are like sitting on 2 logs. They are over size and rock hard and, like you, I used a cushion (mine is from Purple). If they made the seat wider so you sit between the bolsters all would be good, but as it is you end up sitting on them. And I'm of a thin build!

On the other hand, the lumbar support is terrific, maybe best of any car I've had.

Other than the seat, though, our F23 has been trouble free for two years and 24k miles now.

I don’t think age is the factor, more likely body type or individual preference. I’m 68 and love the seats for the great fit to my shape/size at 6’2” and 190lbs. These are the seats in the Sportline, not MSport.

My overall car also remains trouble-free at 8 years old.

[XutvJet]

Black cars suck. They show every scratch, scuff, etc. When they scratch, you see the underlying gray/white e-coat. Every dent is easily seen and explodes in the sunlight because the black is like a mirror. I've owned two black cars and never again.

The Mineral White paint on my 2016 M235 has been stellar and robust. Not a single scratch in 63K miles. I do have two tiny rock chips, one on the hood and one near the windshield. I do have the front end PPF'd.

Are the seats different in the 228 vs the M235/240? I'm 48 and find the seats exceptionally good for a 6' 1", 175lbs person. I've never owned a car where I could get the driving position so perfect. Even my 76 y/o, overweight mother find the seats really comfy.

As for reliability, it's been incredibly reliable. I've had no issues in 6.5 year and 63K miles of ownership. It's way more reliable and better put together than any Japanese car I've owned. I've never even replaced a light bulb on my M235. It's crazy.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by leftoverture

Could not agree more. Definitely think it is an age thing as the younger guys don't seem to mind the seats, but they will see as they age. The side bolsters on the seat cushion are like sitting on 2 logs. They are over size and rock hard and, like you, I used a cushion (mine is from Purple). If they made the seat wider so you sit between the bolsters all would be good, but as it is you end up sitting on them. And I'm of a thin build!

On the other hand, the lumbar support is terrific, maybe best of any car I've had.

Other than the seat, though, our F23 has been trouble free for two years and 24k miles now.

I'm in my 70s and my M240i chair is a non-event. My back bothers me in the morning until it loosens up, but it's not because of the car - I only drive it once a month or so.

I've adjusted the chair's front-to-rear position and its tilt and otherwise left it alone. I know there's lumbar adjustment and bolster adjustment, but since the chair feels fine I haven't bothered with them. Same for the piece under the thighs that can be moved front-to-rear.

I'm 5'10" and weigh 170#. It would be interesting to know the range of body shapes and sizes that BMW and other car manufacturers design their chairs and controls around.

[leftoverture]

See, now a lot of people say they like the seats but for me, if you really want to know comfort, try a Chrysler 5th Avenue on for size. Or a Lincoln Town Car. I once owned a 70's Pontiac Bonneville I swear I could have driven coast to coast in one sitting. There's a world of comfort out there that seems to have been lost in the modern automotive world. But it sounds like most of us agree on the F23 reliability. In that regard, my F23 has been great. And I am surely happy to have white rather than black.

[60_Driver]

I routinely find new scratches in my bsm car that make me sad. It’s comfy for me, though, at 6’1” and 180lb.

[SoftShoe]

Originally Posted by WolfGTI

I think that has a lot to do with how you take care of it.

It's a theory ... but it'd be odd if I treated the Audi's interior differently, don't you think?

I suppose it's more likely that I've seen a few scuffs on the side bolster (even though I move the seat back before egress) and am just paranoid that the softer grippier leather in this car won't stand up as well over time.

Your experience gives me hope to the contrary.

Love the seats and am imagining a thin-build commonality - I'm 6'3" / 175

...What were we talking about?

[Kendapau]

Thanks for the comments. For variety of reasons I had to go from four cars to three, including preparation for full retirement. My GLK350 Mercedes was plagued with electrical gremlins at 142K mikes and 12 years, the final blow being the ignition switch module blowing out just before I sold it. $1700 later I sold the car for $6500 and my buyer agreed to split the cost. I also had to choose between the F23 and my 2006 Cayman S. I’ve had two Priuses (Priuii?) and racked up 300K between both. The 2013 I have is a good runabout that gets 48MPG. Zero issues of course. It’s an appliance you drive. So to downsize both the F23 and the GLK are gone. Frankly I love German cars but this time I went with a Lexus UX250h hybrid, essentially a glorified Prius. Wife loves it. And yes I like the seats.

I looked at the German competition- none had the updated drivers assistance features. Mercedes and Audi can’t get the chips for the simplest stuff like radar cruise, lane departure etc. if they even offer it. If I need my German fix I drive the Porsche.

We’ll see how it goes. I did not have to pay any “market adjustment” that BMW, Mercedes and Audi wanted.

[Neverlost99]

My 2015 228IXCV is black and is holding up well. The seats are like logs but I have a LEXUS SUV for the long trips. I still really like this car. I have a great mechanic here in Asheville.