[abraxas613]

I was toying with a few cars, manual being the key feature

Accord Sport 2.0 (was a little big)
Toyota/Subaru 86/BRZ (not enough power and interior was week)
WRZ (found that the STI clutch was really hard and was a little too high off of the ground too)
VW all track (home management has issues with me getting a wagon)
GTI/R (wanted more trunk but the shifter were both very nice)
Civic SI (a little too young looking for me)
240i (outside of the budget)

[Ajowhan]

Originally Posted by abraxas613

I was toying with a few cars, manual being the key feature

Accord Sport 2.0 (was a little big)
Toyota/Subaru 86/BRZ (not enough power and interior was week)
WRZ (found that the STI clutch was really hard and was a little too high off of the ground too)
VW all track (home management has issues with me getting a wagon)
GTI/R (wanted more trunk but the shifter were both very nice)
Civic SI (a little too young looking for me)
240i (outside of the budget)

Don't the GTI/R have more trunk space than a 2 series?

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by Ajowhan

Don't the GTI/R have more trunk space than a 2 series?

Good point. So would the Jetta GLI.

[abraxas613]

Originally Posted by leftoverture

Good point. So would the Jetta GLI.

Good point.....GLI wasn't considered, I found the VW jetta and variants Ugly this Gen. I think of whales for some reason. However, the trunk space is much bigger. As for GTI/R, perhaps it's bigger in cubic volume but not in length.

[grocerylist]

Originally I wanted a growling V8 that was reliable in a sedan.

I was thinking about a Lexus IS F but couldn't find one reasonably priced with relatively low miles. I also considered a Cadillac CTS-V but again couldn't find one quite in the budget. Normally I don't worry about about gas expenses, as MPG isn't a priority and I'm OK with more smiles per gallon.

Then I came across two M235i near me, went to see them, test drove them and it felt right.

I came from a Infiniti G37S 6MT sedan. I was a little surprised that the BMW interior feels a little less luxurious and cheaper than my former Infiniti but I guess it's a 2er and not a 5 or 7 series.

[513Mugsy]

MB C300 AMG 4MATIC...Leather seats and interior were so nice. Just not the car I was looking for. Ended up with my M240iX. Just the right car.

[Dvtchmxn]

A 17 cadillac ats 2.0, went to the dealership before buying my 228i and they told me they already sold the car with an appointment made lmao

[neemo.f22]

WRX, F-Type, Mustang Eco-boost etc

[Gepeto]

Back when I bought it in 2014 I had tried:

Mercedes C Series (Was interested in the AMG but impossible to find one to try)
228 and 235
Hyundai Genesis Coupe « Whatever the hottest edition was back then » - I kind of liked the feel of the chassis but coming out of a stock WRX with similar power output, it felt DANGEROUSLY SLOW, like it made no sense at all. Maybe the one I tried was broken.
IS350 F sport - That was objectively the best « overall » car in the batch (except the absolutely horrendous « mouse » control that was unusable back then) but it just wasn’t doing it for me.

Ordered the M235i almost 7 years ago now, and I’m still not shopping for a new car, which I never would’ve guessed would happen when I ordered it. If I had bought a car say 2 years later I probably would’ve ordered a M2 instead, but I can’t say there is any other car I almost got instead of it!

[Catbacker]

Audi S4 or S5.

[M2lci_]

Audi TTRS
Audi RS3
Golf R
C43 AMG wagon (simply for the fact that its the only sporty wagon available in Canada outside of the expensive E63s and RS6)

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by Lionell

Hi, Audi is of course a very good choice, it seems to me that the design of this car brand is the most sophisticated, moreover, that of any model. If I had a lot of money I would take an Audi Q8, but at the moment I cannot afford such an expensive car.

Absolutely disagree. No matter what it looks like or how well the carefully massaged PR cars drive in road tests, our experience with two of them for a range of quality fails and customer service was disastrous. For us, any Audi is the worst choice. Never again.

[RGM330i]

I have owned an 2008 Audi TT, Mini Cooper S, Golf R, C5 Vette, 2003 E46 M3, 5 Caymans (2008 Cayman S, 2012 Cayman R, 2014 Cayman, 2016 Cayman, 2019 Cayman). Loved the Caymans,hands down most fun I have had (used to race Go Karts and had a similar feel with rotation in the small of your back....). When I decided that I wanted something along the lines of the same size but more practical with a back seat and trunk space....I went for the M240i. Overall, may be a pretty good overall blend of performance and practicality.

[DeeJay520]

Originally Posted by 1more1

I always hesitate on my car buying decisions but 1 year with the 2er and still feel like I made the right choice.

I got a 2014 M235i 6MT RWD for 24K CAD. Can't think of a any car for that price that comes close in terms of fun, power, features, comfort and it looks great.

If I was in EU you'd catch me in a M135i but in NA I'm hard pressed to even find a newer RWD manual car.

I was about to buy a 2012 135i 6MT when I ran across a 2015 M235 6MT for about the same price with the same milage. I hope I made the right choice.

[1more1]

Originally Posted by DeeJay520

I was about to buy a 2012 135i 6MT when I ran across a 2015 M235 6MT for about the same price with the same milage. I hope I made the right choice.

I really liked the steering in my 1 series compared to the 2. I find at high speeds its hard to keep the 2 steady on long bends. Still ok but I had more confidence in my 128i.

I think the early N55 engines had their troubles so a few years of practice from BMW can't hurt. The 2 is definitely better looking overall, a bit bigger in the right spots and the tech/interior is a step above the 1.

[TAZ007]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

Absolutely disagree. No matter what it looks like or how well the carefully massaged PR cars drive in road tests, our experience with two of them for a range of quality fails and customer service was disastrous. For us, any Audi is the worst choice. Never again.

Agree with Sportstick here. In 2015, I considered the S4 and TT but had a hard time justifying the $60k+ for a 4-cylinder especially when the M235 was $50k. I also had friends that had Audi's and their take was they didn't stand behind their product.

[Ajowhan]

Originally Posted by RGM330i

I have owned an 2008 Audi TT, Mini Cooper S, Golf R, C5 Vette, 2003 E46 M3, 5 Caymans (2008 Cayman S, 2012 Cayman R, 2014 Cayman, 2016 Cayman, 2019 Cayman). Loved the Caymans,hands down most fun I have had (used to race Go Karts and had a similar feel with rotation in the small of your back....). When I decided that I wanted something along the lines of the same size but more practical with a back seat and trunk space....I went for the M240i. Overall, may be a pretty good overall blend of performance and practicality.

How did the m240i compare with the e46 m3? This was actually one of my choice but my wife can't appreciate older car

[xugator]

Lexus RC and Acura TLX Aspec

[RGM330i]

The E46 M3 was quite a long time ago.....but, if memory serves, the M240I is easier to drive in a spirited way due to the amount of torque and flat curve. Also, the E46 rode hard vs stiff/more compliant in the M240i. Net net, you had to work harder to exact similar levels of performance.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by RGM330i

The E46 M3 was quite a long time ago.....but, if memory serves, the M240I is easier to drive in a spirited way due to the amount of torque and flat curve.

I haven't owned a BMW with an S54 in it, but I've owned a BMW with an S38B35 and two with S50B32's in them, and I generally agree with your assessment.

The difference to me is this: the massive low-end to moderately-high-end torque curve of the turbocharged B58 is simply a joy to live with in day-to-day driving. It's also no slouch on the track, where I found turbo lag to be modest by any measure.

The six-throttle-body NA Motorsport motors, however, had such an immediate response to throttle input that if I had a car with a marriage of these two principal qualities, I think I'd feel I'd died and gone to heaven. My last S50B32 responded immediately to credit-card-thickness changes in throttle application; it was that sensitive and predictable.

I dearly miss that quality in my BMW, but for the pure street-driving I now do would choose the turbocharged, single-throttle-body engine every time.

[SG_92]

2019 Mini Cooper JCW 2 Dr Hatch or the 2020 Golf R - went with the 2018 m240i as i really liked the coupe look/feel and felt it was overall more comfortable than the mini

[AngryLittlePanda]

2002 911 C4S 6MT, 2007 Cayman 5MT base, and 2020 Miata RF GT 6MT... Was even thinking about the C5 Z06 vs C6 w/Z51. However on a whim took my younger kid with me to test drive a M235i track edition that was originally from Canada and the silly grin on his face made it an easy decision. Because that particular car had gone through 5 owners in its short life, I went with another one in the area... Which after emailing BMW USA turns out to also has the M Performance LSD. My prior cars were a NC Miata which I enjoyed greatly and was the basis for many of the cars I was considering before and also a recent generation STI that no one in my family liked to ride in and I did not enjoy. Cheers!