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      08-17-2021, 06:47 PM   #1
highrevs
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X2 M35i sluggish?

Hi all,

I’ve been a BMW guy for years, owned multiple M3s and a 335xi so I have a good feel for the brand. I was taking a look at an insanely clean X2 M35i and loved almost everything about it. The looks, the interior, the handling. I felt like it was a little sluggish though given its power to weight ratio.

It looks like they weigh in at 3700 lbs with 302 hp, so almost identical to N54 335s but obviously we’re talking a four banger. Anyway I was expecting 335 acceleration but only perceived it to be about 70% of that. Is that typical?

One potential environmental factor - the humidity in VA was obscene today. I mean like 90%. It may have literally been the worst possible day for a test drive.

Curious what your thoughts are though as owners. Also, I didn’t use launch control so I only tested full throttle from idle at a stop and from a roll.

Best,

Rob
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      08-17-2021, 07:09 PM   #2
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Did you have it in sport transmission mode? IE, gear selector pushed the left? I find that makes a huge difference in eliminating that initial dead spot and hesitation you see some people talk about here.

Also I've noticed that since getting our puppy and needing to drive a bit less.... spirited with him in the back most of the time, that I need a couple good hard pulls from the line once I'm solo to get things feeling peppy again. Depending on how the car has been driven before you tried (if driven at all that is) maybe that has something to do with it?
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      08-17-2021, 09:44 PM   #3
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I suppose everyone's butt-meter is tuned differently.

But I tend to agree with Tarekith. It sounds like you were in comfort mode which when the gas pedal is mashed it will feel about 60% to 70% of that in Sport mode.
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      08-18-2021, 03:32 AM   #4
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Drive in sport mode. Never in comfort.
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      08-18-2021, 04:15 AM   #5
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I had it in sport mode via the console button, but didn’t realize there was also a sport transmission mode. Thanks for letting me know! (I plead ignorance)

I found the other threads on general issues / reliability and it looks like a solid car. It’s usually hit or miss with bmw, but this looks like a hit.
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      08-18-2021, 08:35 AM   #6
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2019 BMW X2 M35  [9.50]
I had a 2013 335 with a stick. If my butt dyno memory is good. this pulls as fast and at times faster (of course driver error is always a factor for me). Sport setting plus sport transmission will definitely pull pretty hard. I find that if I hit it on a stretch of highway I end up way abortive the speed limit very quickly.

The car is a hoot to drive, has a practical aspect, not as low to the ground which makes my back happy, and not common. I have had 2 minor issues taken car of by my dealer, An air bag sensor on the passenger side failed and the battery for the SOS system needed to be replaced. Np big deal, everything else has been flawless.

I enjoy the car a lot and I normally drive stick and I feel no need to go back

good luck and good hunting

Last edited by rounderman; 08-18-2021 at 01:01 PM..
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      08-18-2021, 10:39 AM   #7
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Hmm yes as previous people have mentioned.. not only do you need the sport mode toggle, flip that gear selector over to the left! It should still be all the same "controls" as your older 335. I myself with an e60 n54 can say that the m35i is snappier and perceivably quicker as a stoplight go-er. However, on the highways my modified n54 would leave it in the dust past 60mph I would say (more powah!).

I found the X2 m35i a complete hoot, and I also have/got a bad back, which made it hard for me to get in and out of my 5 series. This is why I ultimately bought the X2 as I was starting to cross shop "SAV" vehicles as daily getting in and out of cars was just putting a lot of strain on my newly injured body (getting old sucks!).

It is also possible with that heat and humidity that car was not happy. Could also be that they filled it with crappy gas too (although if it's a dealer their pumps are all premium).
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      08-18-2021, 11:49 AM   #8
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Thanks for the tips. I’ll go back tomorrow and definitely drive with sport mode and sport transmission. It’s certainly an uncommon car. I like that though.
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      08-18-2021, 01:16 PM   #9
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Try it in comfort mode with the transmission in sport (to the left) too, the car is much better-behaved and responsive, but not quite as gnarly as double-sport. They both have their uses!

Lots more in this long thread:
https://f48.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1633575
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      08-18-2021, 03:00 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by //TMT View Post
Try it in comfort mode with the transmission in sport (to the left) too, the car is much better-behaved and responsive, but not quite as gnarly as double-sport. They both have their uses!

Lots more in this long thread:
https://f48.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1633575
Interesting. So it’s basically caused by software. I’ll try double sport, comfort plus sport transmission, and paddle shifting.
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      08-18-2021, 04:44 PM   #11
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The paddles are a little bit meh. I almost never use them. In transmission sport mode, they're strictly manual and you have to hit the shifter to go back to auto. In normal transmission mode, they bump the gear but only temporarily. It's fun for downshifting, every once in a while. Vroom-Snap-Crackle-Pop!

Last edited by //TMT; 08-18-2021 at 04:51 PM..
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      09-02-2021, 05:22 PM   #12
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Thanks for the feedback. I bought the car and picked it up today. Already have some mods inbound. Sport + sport transmission did the trick 95% of the time. I also really like using manual mode off the line and then using the trick to hold the + paddle for a second or two to return to automatic shifting.

The only weird thing I’ve encountered, which I assume to be the notorious turbo lag I read about, is a delay in 1st. Once or twice the car just didn’t get moving until about 4500 rpm which I thought was weird because I believe peak hp is in the 5000s (~3000 rpm I could understand). It also seemed intermittent too which was strange. Sometimes I nailed it and it went after a brief (normal) delay. One or two other times I could do my taxes in the time it took to get going in 1st, even in double sport mode.

The car is used so maybe there’s a software learning aspect too, new driver vs. old driver style. I’ll keep toying with it. For the overall performance, looks, and price, I’ll happily take a few quirks. It was a choice between this and an X3M. After driving the M35i, I couldn’t justify $35k more for a 1.x second reduction in acceleration times through the quarter mile.
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      09-03-2021, 09:14 AM   #13
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I think you've experienced the hesitation issue some of us have gone on at great length about. I'm so unhappy with it I've already bought one of my replacement vehicles for when my lease runs out...
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      09-06-2021, 09:58 AM   #14
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I have had my M35i for over two years and mostly drive it myself. Sporadically I have my wife with me as well.

I dunno, but yesterday when the wife and I were leisurely out and about between the lack of boost off the line and the transmission disconnect, I became so annoyed and couldn't believe how BMW allowed this to be.

Doesn't matter if it is in stock form on map 0 through JB4 and or with pedal controller or even JB4.

Entered the empty nester phase two weeks ago. Did something happen in my brain like a switch was flipped or have I just been annoyed this whole time and was in some type of situation where it bothered me? Or am I subliminally thinking of another car to replace this (I don't want to financially speaking).
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      09-06-2021, 11:45 AM   #15
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Haha could be the combination of them all.. I'm the only one driving my car and I've mostly changed my habits to avoid all the dead spots in the pedal. I'm happy enough with the car still to not even think about a new one!
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      09-06-2021, 05:52 PM   #16
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Drove the car with wife today with JB4 removed, 85F, and felt less sluggish. Figured so with not being on map 1 anymore.
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      09-07-2021, 09:03 AM   #17
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I can relate. My youngest son starts driving himself next month (and he has his own car waiting), so I can pretty much drive whatever I want. I could write an essay about all this but simply put: covid gave me the opportunity to reevaluate what really makes me happy, and driving is way up there on the list. Life's too short to make compromises and the M35i still feels like a compromise. I decided (for the same price) I'd rather drive three fun cars rather than one that doesn't fully measure up. So that's what I'm doing. I'm looking now into whether the current used car market will support an early lease return...
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      09-09-2021, 05:30 AM   #18
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Nobody tried short-term manual mode?

I’m a long time X1(E84)/X2 owner. Now driving a M35i.
About this pulling away problem when the transmission is still in high gear (ie, rolling towards a stop sign).
My solution has always been using the temporary manual mode. You can go into this mode from “D” by pull and holding the left paddle longer until it downshift to the lowest gear possible, while you’re rolling towards a junction. Now the car is in manual mode, and you can use the right paddle to up shift as you are pulling away, and when the computer thinks you no longer requires the manual mode, it will revert back to “D” mode. Or if you want to end manual mode earlier, you can pull and hold the right paddle.
There is no need to touch the gear selector.

Last edited by dchao; 09-09-2021 at 05:35 AM..
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      09-10-2021, 01:28 PM   #19
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I’ve tested the car in a bunch of scenarios. I need to do more analysis, but my take is that, with my specific car anyway, 95% of the time it’s been fine as long as I have it sport transmission mode with automatic shifting, and the “console mode” is sport or comfort. The remaining 5% feels like typical turbo lag for a high strung four cylinder motor, or a software delay when I go full throttle with any steering input greater than maybe 5% off center. Ironically, if I put it in manual mode it really bogs down off the line. I also experienced the slow roll to full throttle delay, but just once.
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      10-16-2021, 06:45 AM   #20
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So, I was thinking of getting a m35.
I drove one today, mainly in double sport mode and shifting manually.
Went to turn left in front of some traffic - Nothing!!!

BMW needs to get their act together - I didn't place an order...
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      10-16-2021, 11:09 PM   #21
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??

Nothing?

Mine just goes when in sport with a light touch to the throttle
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      10-17-2021, 09:25 AM   #22
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Same here …I coded to start in sport, I have no problem with it being sluggish anymore.
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