[scorpio012]

Hello Everyone, I'm new to your site and I would first like to say hello and thank you for allowing me to join you. I've never owned a BMW before, but I'm on the verge of buying the 230i. I had gone on to a local site where ytou can "build" your own car with choices of color, wheels, trims, etc.. One day I chose the Mediterranean Blue and the rest of the things I wanted and two days later when I checked on the build that color was no longer available, but a Estoril Blue color was. That was my first hitch. The second one was I'm having a very difficult time in choosing a manual transmission or an automatic. I like the idea of all wheel drive that you can get with the automatic but that's not available for a manual transmission, only rear wheel drive. When I spoke to a dealer close to where I live today he told me that they're already building cars for 2020. I'm not sure how much effort it'll take for me to find the color I want with the options I want or if it's even possible now that they're building 2020 cars? I'm hoping that someone could give some advice on the transmission choices and I understand that the color choice is totally mine. Thanks for any insight you can give me.

[FunInTheSun]

You may want to consider the main 2 series forum for this, I think you'll get more traction there.

If you want a manual, you'll almost certainly have to order it, or look for the 1 or 2 that pops up across the country (basically no choice on options). A search on cars.com for 2019 BMW 230i's (presumably the one on dealer lots) shows fewer than 1% being manual. 214 automatics, 1 manual, 8 unknown. I like to think all manual 2 series on dealer lots are from people who ordered and then backed out.

https://www.cars.com/for-sale/search...62520&zc=90001

Honestly, manual vs. auto is probably one of the most fundamental choices you can make when deciding on driving dynamics. Assess how highly this ranks compared to other things. Only a very dedicated hardcore group of drivers's drivers picks manual now, given that the ZF 8-speed basically decimated every performance and fuel economy reason. I got my 2 series in manual and regret it absolutely zero though, it's an amazing transmission and shifter is top notch, up with the legends of Honda. I'm starting to think this will be the last of the 2 series with manual.

You're in PA so consider how important xDrive is. IMO having good winter tires is more important, given steering and stopping are tops, but what do I know as a sunny California resident. The 230i only has 248hp, in normal weather it's probably manageable with RWD traction-wise, I think only above 400 or 500 does it become very useful when launching or spirited driving. Explains why the ~500hp M3 is AWD.

[35mmSummicron]

My advice is if you're interested in 6MT get it while bmw is still offering them! I'm in an MY18 Estoril Blue m240i cabrio 6MT, *LOVE IT*. I came from a F30 328i xdrive so same N20 engine as 228i in 8ZF. It was great but man do I love rowing my own gears again. If you order your car it's worth the wait.