RE: BMW M235i v VW Golf R: Delivery miles

[mwstewart]

A Golf is best in GTD form IMO, which is still a great car for the daily grind.

I would take the M235i.

[GTEYE]

Beware also of "delivery mileage" cars advertised that are actually not new but dealer demos with perhaps 5000 miles and sometimes not actually immediately available. Dealers pre-advertise demos, which they have to keep for 3 months.

Nothing necessarily wrong with the cars, but rather dishonest of the dealers to slightly misrepresent what they are selling.

BMW dealers seem to be rather prone to this.

[Nors]

Practicality could decide it for some, the Golf being available with 4 doors.

For me, (and where I live) the Golf's 4WD is a useful addition over the BMW, and whilst neither are supermodels, the BMW is a bit more fugly!

[Dave Hedgehog]

Nors said:

Practicality could decide it for some, the Golf being available with 4 doors.

For me, (and where I live) the Golf's 4WD is a useful addition over the BMW, and whilst neither are supermodels, the BMW is a bit more fugly!

the BM is available in multi door hatchback thou, they just change the number

[09dfearon]

I'm probably the most anti current VW people ever! Dull, overpriced and from what I've heard for the last 8 years from customers not reliable either! completely lost their fizz imo. BUT after driving the new Golf GTI I am really happy to see they are getting the fun back into their cars and they are actually starting to look good again. You can actually now see that the GTI and the R are performance models and not rep mobiles.

For me the 235 and the 135i are awesome though and my money has and will go on one of these again. They are a comfier easier to live with baby M car which suits me fine. If VW keep going the way they are though I could be swayed for a change one day.....

[Frimley111R]

mwstewart said:

A Golf is best in GTD form IMO, which is still a great car for the daily grind.

Agreed. The reality is that we're stuck in jams or on motorways most of the time so 50mpg and good performance is better than 27mpg and unusable performance. However, this is PH so R it is! or 235i!! :hehe;
:

[Diderot]

Worth pointing out that if you are buying on finance - especially PCP - then it's often cheaper to buy brand new given the discounts, dealer contribs and the finance rates.

[Cheib]

I was reading that article and thought there might be something insightful or interesting. But no....just another PH article aimed at driving hits on the classified adds.

[ahenners]

Seems like a strange comparison?! Surely if you're in the market for a M235i, you're in the market for a coupe; and if you're in the market for a Golf R, you're looking for a hatchback. Wouldn't the M135i vs Golf R be a better comparison?

As for the two, the M235i is a far more interesting package imo. The Golf is capable, but 4wd and the 4 cylinder engine make it a bit bland and cold for me. RWD and that straight six turbo is a fantastic combination that is much more interesting.

[n4aat]

Bit of a non article.

Just screen filler.

I have a Golf R. Very competent but ultimately it is so boring to drive. Just feel like a passenger rather than a driver. Works for my commute though.

[neil1jnr]

I am surprised the M235i is 'officially' quicker to 60 than the Golf.

[driftingphil]

Still waiting for more news on the Mustang. 2.4 eco boost anyone??

[neil1jnr]

Frimley111R said:

mwstewart said:

A Golf is best in GTD form IMO, which is still a great car for the daily grind.

Agreed. The reality is that we're stuck in jams or on motorways most of the time so 50mpg and good performance is better than 27mpg and unusable performance. However, this is PH so R it is! or 235i!! :hehe;
:

Nope I disagree, the GTD isn't any better than any other 2l diesel car, I honetly can't see why you would have a GTD over a GTI!? And I do an 80 mile round trip commute to work.

If diesel in a small car is a must then it is the BMW 125d. It is a pity other manufacturers haven't caught on to the old 123d and new 125d recipe.

[hondansx]

Wouldn't even look at the Beemer as it doesn't matter how much chintz and M badges is put on, it's incredibly ugly. The Golf may not be adventurous but it is handsome.

[Krise]

I got the M135i in last year on lease, while its a great car for what I need it for its now boring.

So I looked at the golf and took one for a drive.....same thing, once I was used to the speed away from the traffic light Grand Prix and slip road sprints, and not being a driving God, they both require a decent bit of skill to extract anything more than straight line performance out of them.....should have followed my heart and got a full fat M or AMG to be honest as they are, well full fat and feel a bit more special.

[dapearson]

Krise said:

I got the M135i in last year on lease, while its a great car for what I need it for its now boring.

So I looked at the golf and took one for a drive.....same thing, once I was used to the speed away from the traffic light Grand Prix and slip road sprints, and not being a driving God, they both require a decent bit of skill to extract anything more than straight line performance out of them.....should have followed my heart and got a full fat M or AMG to be honest as they are, well full fat and feel a bit more special.

They're both very competent and fast road cars. I would not choose an M135i if i wanted to do sunday blasts and feel every ripple in the tarmac. I like mine because i treat it as a very capable hatchback with some nice toys, a nice soundtrack and more power than necessary. It's a commuter and great for long journeys.

If you want excitement get a kit car, go racing, or buy a motorbike.

I don't think a car exists that can cover every single angle/requirement 100%, but the M135i covers more than most IMO.

[Gio G]

If you could get onto the back of those cheap lease deals on the R, it can certainly tick allot of boxes from a practicality stand point, with the added bonus of some fun performance.

I just wanted something with 4 doors and fast for the next 2 years. I am probably not alone in thinking that lease deals themselves attracted allot of people to the car, however when they had them delivered, they were nicely surprised.

I suspect the BMW is built better and feels more alive on the road..

G

[mwstewart]

neil1jnr said:

Nope I disagree, the GTD isn't any better than any other 2l diesel car, I honetly can't see why you would have a GTD over a GTI!? And I do an 80 mile round trip commute to work.

If diesel in a small car is a must then it is the BMW 125d. It is a pity other manufacturers haven't caught on to the old 123d and new 125d recipe.

Because its a Golf. As nice as a Golf is, it is just that: a Golf. It's a car that is brilliant at most things but exceptional at none - which is no bad thing - but it is trying to be somethng it isn't. The GTD is perfect in my book: great mid-range performance and incredible MPG, which if looking at a Golf rather than something more 'premium' is probably something of consideraton.

The M235i is a RWD coupe with a 6 cylinder engine and a 4cyl FWD biased Golf does not compare in my book, and for the record I love Golfs. I am genuinely surprised the price points are so close.

[Krise]

dapearson said:

They're both very competent and fast road cars. I would not choose an M135i if i wanted to do sunday blasts and feel every ripple in the tarmac. I like mine because i treat it as a very capable hatchback with some nice toys, a nice soundtrack and more power than necessary. It's a commuter and great for long journeys.

If you want excitement get a kit car, go racing, or buy a motorbike.

I don't think a car exists that can cover every single angle/requirement 100%, but the M135i covers more than most IMO.

I agree totally, and it probably is me....I just feel something is missing and haven't bonded totally with it, take my MX 5 out and I'm away !

However it is awesome for motorways travelled up north over Christmas and sat at 3 figures comfortably for many many miles !

[dinz]

Man, I hadn't really noticed before, but that M235i is damn ugly! I've got a Golf R, which to my eyes is a nicer looking car, if a bit dull.

I'd agree with the other 'R' owners, once the thrill of such a fast Golf wears off, it's just a bit too dull and 'normal'. I'm sure the M235i would be a more thrilling drive... if you could cope with hurting your eyes every time you see it.