[BarryJI]

I just did a long-distance sortie up to Santa Maria for a wine tour organised by the California chapter of the BMW Car Club of America and just like when I drove the 228i to Santa Cruz from Los Angeles and back with my son riding shotgun several months ago, it rained. On that Santa Cruz journey, it was a monsoon, yet the M-Performance brakes never let me down, even when I could barely see over the hood (I am not exaggerating). This weekend it rained non-stop just north of Santa Barbara, yet, again, I could drive my 2 pretty spiritedly, even in the wet...as long as I didn't push it too hard. Tuned, it drives like a dream, refined whenever you want it to be, but genuinely fierce when you bring the hammer down, in Sport + mode and sport gearing. The Michelin PSS is the best tire I have ever driven. Here's the thing: not only do I love driving this car, I trust it. On performance springs, it goes exactly where I point it; it's a really well-balanced car. Above all, I'm just glad that my wife, who has always been reluctant to get involved in my automotive adventures, sat contentedly beside me all weekend, even when I went loud. If the car were not so well-mannered, she would have been more bothered by just how fast we were going. I feel I have to secure an M2 now, if I can figure out how to get on that bandwagon; this is such a great chassis, I want to stick with it; I mean, why not?

[Dylan86]

All of the new F series chassis are doing really well. Great platform to build on, for sure.

I've also been driving in nothing but pouring rain this past week. At only 4*C on the wet surface, the PSS's still grab pretty good, but there's a lot less communication when things are starting to get loose. In warmer weather, the tires communicate a lot more when it comes to breaking traction, even in wet conditions. In the colder wet weather it's still gripping well, then go into a corner and tap the gas pedal and wham, it's loose lol.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Glad you are happy with your choice

[xantdieselx]

Originally Posted by BarryJI

I just did a long-distance sortie up to Santa Maria for a wine tour organised by the California chapter of the BMW Car Club of America and just like when I drove the 228i to Santa Cruz from Los Angeles and back with my son riding shotgun several months ago, it rained. On that Santa Cruz journey, it was a monsoon, yet the M-Performance brakes never let me down, even when I could barely see over the hood (I am not exaggerating). This weekend it rained non-stop just north of Santa Barbara, yet, again, I could drive my 2 pretty spiritedly, even in the wet...as long as I didn't push it too hard. Tuned, it drives like a dream, refined whenever you want it to be, but genuinely fierce when you bring the hammer down, in Sport + mode and sport gearing. The Michelin PSS is the best tire I have ever driven. Here's the thing: not only do I love driving this car, I trust it. On performance springs, it goes exactly where I point it; it's a really well-balanced car. Above all, I'm just glad that my wife, who has always been reluctant to get involved in my automotive adventures, sat contentedly beside me all weekend, even when I went loud. If the car were not so well-mannered, she would have been more bothered by just how fast we were going. I feel I have to secure an M2 now, if I can figure out how to get on that bandwagon; this is such a great chassis, I want to stick with it; I mean, why not?

It really is a great overall package. When I had my F30 I would lust over other cars on the road counting the days until I could pull ahead out of my lease. With this car it's the exact opposite. I can't think of another car that I would trade this car in for (ok, except for a 991 911 Turbo but I'm about 15-20 years away from being able to afford one). This car never fails to put a smile on my face.

[Xiaoxi]

I feel the same way. Always wonder those who complain that it's lacking have truly put the car through its paces. It really wakes up.

Did a BMWCCA drive through some VERY challenging backroads of western MD last month. High hill peaks driving blind often followed immediately by sharp corner drops. And we were going 50-100 in some cases. The car never let up, and was so balanced and provided great feedback. Did I neglect to mention I had it on DSC OFF the entire time? Suffice to say, the M235i has a higher limit than me.

[Deutsche-Broke]

Originally Posted by Xiaoxi

I feel the same way. Always wonder those who complain that it's lacking have truly put the car through its paces. It really wakes up.

Did a BMWCCA drive through some VERY challenging backroads of western MD last month. High hill peaks driving blind often followed immediately by sharp corner drops. And we were going 50-100 in some cases. The car never let up, and was so balanced and provided great feedback. Did I neglect to mention I had it on DSC OFF the entire time? Suffice to say, the M235i has a higher limit than me.

I really appreciate this... It's actually refreshing for a change.. I find constant amusement that the 2 series platform is, "slow, sloppy, and a few tenths of a second off the newest blah blah blah.."..

It's an amazing vehicle platform.. The engine is nothing but stunning in, "real-world" metrics, and the suspension makes confidence that really shouldn't be there on modern rubber.

The fact that the Mothership builds this with a perfect fit and finish is astounding..

I drive the piss out of this car every day, it does everything I wanted and more and couldn't be happier..

Yet, Grumble, grumble.. M240..M4... 15 horsepower, Watch this video, M3 sucks, etc..

[Xiaoxi]

Originally Posted by Deutsche-Broke

I really appreciate this... It's actually refreshing for a change.. I find constant amusement that the 2 series platform is, "slow, sloppy, and a few tenths of a second off the newest blah blah blah.."..

It's an amazing vehicle platform.. The engine is nothing but stunning in, "real-world" metrics, and the suspension makes confidence that really shouldn't be there on modern rubber.

The fact that the Mothership builds this with a perfect fit and finish is astounding..

I drive the piss out of this car every day, it does everything I wanted and more and couldn't be happier..

Yet, Grumble, grumble.. M240..M4... 15 horsepower, Watch this video, M3 sucks, etc..

+1

Coming up on 2 years and this car still surprises and feels deeply satisfying. Had it kept away for 2 weeks and then went on an aimless Sunday drive last weekend. It was total therapy, and cheap too lol. The way it feels like a tailored athletic suit, the sound (Fabspeed ), and the responses...

I took the rare occasion of dailying it today and when I got home and out of the car, walked in front of it and it caught my eye... "Holy shit...this is my car?!"

To each his own, but I don't view my cars as throwaway consumables to get bored of and trade. Ideally it'll be a very long friendship. The M235i feels that way, as does my NB MX5.

There's a Petrolicious video with this older guy who has kept a super clean e34 M5 since he was in his early 20s and "would love to be buried in it." I can see that happening with this car (if the maintenance doesn't totally kill me lol).

[BarryJI]

It's funny, I never thought I could love a German car. Respect it, definitely, for the engineering above all, but I only ever imagined loving an Italian car. Or some crazy, impractical Lotus. I didn't love my 228i until I finished modding it. When I test-drove it I knew it had power and torque to spare but, like most cars, in stock form it leaves the factory wearing a nun's habit when you just know it ought to be wearing a bikini. If I had wanted a sensibly lively luxury coupe, I would have left it stock but I decided to buy rather than lease because I wanted to tune it fairly aggressively for the street. I was very fortunate that there is such a healthy, mature tuner culture for BMWs because I would eventually have grown bored of its understeer and excessive body roll in stock form and I wanted boost from the turbocharger to be much more easily provoked. It's a tribute to the soundness of the platform and the quality of the mods that tuning both the suspension and the engine can wring such precocious performance out of this car without compromising its refinement. The 8AT (my first AT in twenty years) is a thing of mechanical beauty; I love the way it bangs up through the gears with urgency and precision. I intend to move on up to an M2 in maybe three years but I am confident meanwhile that my nicely set up 228i will continue to exceed my expectations and therefore remain exciting until then. It fits me like a glove and pulls like a freight train but it's not a thug. I would say it has turned me into a brand loyalist but that would not be entirely true; I am merely a 2 loyalist.

[Saberwalk]

Thank you gentlemen! Rather than tracking my M240i as it inches across the Atlantic, reading your experience with the 2 platform has helped pass the time while reinforced my takeaways from various test drive. Can't wait.

[Sypher]

My 2 is going sleep for the winter around the end of this month. I'm going to be a long winter not being able to drive it

[Nashvillain]

Couldn't agree more. Just got mine a few weeks ago and love every day with it.

[bimmerfile]

Originally Posted by Sypher

My 2 is going sleep for the winter around the end of this month. I'm going to be a long winter not being able to drive it

You got xDrive.. Why the need to put it in sleep mode?

[Sypher]

Originally Posted by bimmerfile

You got xDrive.. Why the need to put it in sleep mode?

I have a second car. If I don't have to drive the 2 through the harsh winter, I won't. And xDrive wasn't really a choice - wanted RWD but there wasn't any more allocations.

[bimmerfile]

Originally Posted by Sypher

I have a second car. If I don't have to drive the 2 through the harsh winter, I won't. And xDrive wasn't really a choice - wanted RWD but there wasn't any more allocations.

Oh, O.K.. I was referencing your comment "...going to be a long winter not being able to drive it".
My 2er ragtop xDrive, which replaced my X1 and my 1er ragtop, handles winter weather conditions every bit as good as my previous X1, so it's not like you will be "unable to drive' your 2er xDrive during the winter. n'est pas?

[Dylan86]

Originally Posted by Sypher

My 2 is going sleep for the winter around the end of this month. I'm going to be a long winter not being able to drive it

Same sad story here, too. This will be the last week, then it's into the winter beater (Dodge Dakota luxury all the way). There's snow on the mountain caps already, so we know what's coming. Good news is, I get to order all of my FBO parts and prepare for it's new form in spring

[dalrx]

Originally Posted by Sypher

My 2 is going sleep for the winter around the end of this month. I'm going to be a long winter not being able to drive it

put winter tires on problem solved.

[Deutsche-Broke]

Originally Posted by bimmerfile

Oh, O.K.. I was referencing your comment "...going to be a long winter not being able to drive it".
My 2er ragtop xDrive, which replaced my X1 and my 1er ragtop, handles winter weather conditions every bit as good as my previous X1, so it's not like you will be "unable to drive' your 2er xDrive during the winter. n'est pas?

Here here! Grumble grumble grumble....

Drive that damn thing!

Having owned multiple four wheel drive vehicles, my previous BMW E82 was the best Winter vehicle I have ever owned. Completely stable in just about any ice condition, it almost places a false sense of confidence in even severe Winter conditions.

I plan on testing out 17" wheels with WS-80 Winter tires this weekend.. Takes about 30 minutes, perhaps 30 minutes longer with distractions and a good beer. Looking forward to heated seats, steering wheel and effortless Winter driving with an incredible vehicle..

I can't believe that people garage these wonderful vehicles for Winter. It's a shame.. There's nothing better than a spontaneous clear, cold day drive for no apparent reason..

These cars are beautifully engineered for Winter elements.. Never driven anything more stable in the snow or ice..

Bring on some snow and get out there!

[Dylan86]

^^

Personally, in this area, the skiing is so good, you wouldn't have time to enjoy the car anyway . Also, the cost is so low to not have a have a winter beater, it just makes more sense to me than putting km's and all of the cosmetic wear it would driving the 2 on my roads. They lay down a lot of gravel and cars take a pretty good beating being so much lower than all of the trucks, which occupy most of the roads where I live. The ruts in the road can get over 16 inches here! Ripped the lower valance on our MK7, put it on coils to jack it up in the winter. Studded snows and that thing is a FWD tank in the snow.

As soon as the sweepers clean the roads, the car becomes my playground

[Sypher]

Nothing wrong with driving it in the winter. I'm sure the xdrive works great in the snow. Personal preference, I don't want to subject mine to the stupid amount of salt they use here. I plan to keep the car for a while so I want to keep this as rust free as possible. I also don't want to be around the stupid drivers we have here either with the pristine 2. And like I said, I have a second beater car.

[Rayscott]

Originally Posted by Sypher

Nothing wrong with driving it in the winter. I'm sure the xdrive works great in the snow. Personal preference, I don't want to subject mine to the stupid amount of salt they use here. I plan to keep the car for a while so I want to keep this as rust free as possible. I also don't want to be around the stupid drivers we have here either with the pristine 2. And like I said, I have a second beater car.

Same here. I have a 3 month old 228ix vert. I will drive it in winter but not in snow. Thats what I got an X3 for. And The 228 more than meets my expectations and my wife is also happy.

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by Dylan86

Ripped the lower valance on our MK7, put it on coils to jack it up in the winter. Studded snows and that thing is a FWD tank in the snow.

Man: it never occurred to me that this would be an advantage to installing coilovers. Well played! (and jealous of your Mk7, especially if it's got the PP)

[Dylan86]

Originally Posted by Viffermike

Man: it never occurred to me that this would be an advantage to installing coilovers. Well played! (and jealous of your Mk7, especially if it's got the PP)

Yeah, got a sweet deal on some Bilsteins PSS's, so I thought it was a no brain'er, car has no DCC either. No PP at the time we bought, as we bought it on the launch month, in May of 2014, the PP option wasn't even confirmed for NA at the time, so we went ahead coming out of a lease on an MK6 GTI. I was going to throw a wavetrac lsd in there, but moved onto the BMW so I said F'it. Also the stability management on the new VW's is really, REALLY good. I'm sure with the PP, mainly the E LSD, it would be even better in slippery conditions. But the traction system pulses abs at each corner perfectly to wrapping you around a turn, and in low grip situations, it actually gets tail happy. It almost drives as if it's an AWD car, it's really strange because it's all of the nannies that are making the car rotate, but still in a good way.. lol

I have to say, VW hit the mark on the MK7as a perfect every day car, and if I wasn't keen on having a RWD coupe, the Golf R would have been my next approach. I just got sick of 4 bangers to be honest, been through many builds and setups (all 4cyl) and the I6 is so much more appealing from a tuning perspective.

And BMW hit the mark on the 2 series for a sporty coupe, offering both a 4cyl/6cyl turbo option, RWD, MT, the simplistic dashboard and cluster, great pedal configuration and seat/seating position... I can go on all day