I've now had the car for almost three months and I'm absolutely convinced that I made the right call. I am SO glad I didn't buy a bigger car. The 2er is a perfect size for two people to take on a road trip. Recently we took the M235i on a three day trip to SC to visit our son. We averaged 32 mpg on the interstate and 28 mpg with some urban driving mixed in; around town it is averaging 26 mpg- considering the available performance(0-60: 4.3 seconds, 1/4 mile: 12.9 seconds) I'm sure not going to complain about fuel economy.
I really like the 8HP45 automatic; in Sport mode it acts like a true manual from @40 mph on up; it will not upshift or downshift unless you tell it to- and shifts are extremely quick. Turbo lag is virtually nil; it feels like there is a stump-pulling V8 under the hood.
I've been asked whether I'd prefer an M2 instead; I haven't driven one, but based on reports from people I trust I probably would; it's a bit more aggressive and track focused. That said, I picked up my 2er for considerably less than the MSRP of an M2- and good luck finding an M2 without an ADM sticker. So there's no buyer's remorse here.
Last weekend my wife and I met another couple for dinner. The husband is an old friend of mine who has a moderate interest in cars- he's owned a 1969 Camaro SS 350, a Spitfire and a TR4. His current car is a Mini Cooper S. I gave him a ride in the 2er, flogging it through the gears in Sport+ and taking him down a somewhat winding rural road. When we got back he said, "You know, this car makes a regular BMW seem kind of dull." "Pretty much." I agreed- which is sad. I still resent the fact that you now have to use the option list to make most new BMWs handle and perform like most every BMW used to in base form. On the other hand, I'm thankful that there a few True Believers still left in Munich who continue to insist on building a few BMWs that are relatively light, nimble, and exhilarating to drive.
I really like the 8HP45 automatic; in Sport mode it acts like a true manual from @40 mph on up; it will not upshift or downshift unless you tell it to- and shifts are extremely quick. Turbo lag is virtually nil; it feels like there is a stump-pulling V8 under the hood.
I've been asked whether I'd prefer an M2 instead; I haven't driven one, but based on reports from people I trust I probably would; it's a bit more aggressive and track focused. That said, I picked up my 2er for considerably less than the MSRP of an M2- and good luck finding an M2 without an ADM sticker. So there's no buyer's remorse here.
Last weekend my wife and I met another couple for dinner. The husband is an old friend of mine who has a moderate interest in cars- he's owned a 1969 Camaro SS 350, a Spitfire and a TR4. His current car is a Mini Cooper S. I gave him a ride in the 2er, flogging it through the gears in Sport+ and taking him down a somewhat winding rural road. When we got back he said, "You know, this car makes a regular BMW seem kind of dull." "Pretty much." I agreed- which is sad. I still resent the fact that you now have to use the option list to make most new BMWs handle and perform like most every BMW used to in base form. On the other hand, I'm thankful that there a few True Believers still left in Munich who continue to insist on building a few BMWs that are relatively light, nimble, and exhilarating to drive.
