Golf R to M140i

[Krisj88]

So I've recently taken delivery of a new BMW M140i and I thought I'd share my initial thoughts and opinions and try to provide a comparison between the Golf R and the M140i. I leased the R for 2yrs and loved it. It was a great car. Very comfy on standard springs and the seats were lovely and supportive. Manual box was a treat! A lot of kit as standard comes with the R. But, the noise it made was pretty terrible! None of that mattered really when you took it for a quick B road blast though. It leaves you gob smacked at just how playful and grippy the car is. Cost of ownership is relatively cheap to. Especially given the performance on offer.

On to the M140i. We haven't had the best of starts! Firstly BMW dicked me about over the delivery and whether or not I could have the car! Then after 2 months of arguing with them they finally agreed to allow the deal. Very cheap! Too cheap!!
But, on the day of delivery they delivered it to the wrong house! Then when they finally got it to me I realised they've fitted the wrong interior! And it was filthy inside with Mud and leaves.
But BMW have agreed to have the interior panels replaced at there cost.
The good bits are good though. The engine is a peach. So smooth and powerful. The sound is good to. The torque on offer is immense. You can be driving on an A road in 6th and out your toe down and it just pulls like your in 3rd. Interior quality is good. Marginally better than the golf but not worlds apart. The beemers seats aren't great I'd opt for the lumbar support. I've literally gone for a base car. 5dr manual in white with black leather. If your looking at getting one I'd recommend the adjustable dampers and the auto box. The ride is beyond firm. The damping is not well judged! The manual box is ok but Christ it's notchy!! Just getting it into reverse is a task on its own. But all issues aside, it's pretty good. A lot of car for the money.

[Krisj88]

The steering isn't bad. Not a lot of steering feel but that's the same for most cars with electro mechanical steering. Eco and comfort mode is too light for me. But I just leave it in sport to be honest. It's very responsive and direct

[Krisj88]

If I'm to be completely honest I should've held out for the latest golf r. You just get so much for you money in comparison. Everything is an extra with BMW. If you can test both cars on the same day you'll be able to see the difference. The golf is a better all rounder for real world driving I think. But it's all relative to what you want. The golf is cheap to service and for tyres. The BMW is on run flats which is expensive

[Krisj88]

It's a lease vehicle so it's the standard spec from them. I've never had run flats before and I wouldn't have them by choice. You live and learn! I got over excited by the fact it's a hot hatch with a 3 litre inline 6. It was the whole big engine small car thing that won me over.

[Krisj88]

That's why I chose the BMW. Purely for the engine. It's the last of a dying breed I think. Downsizing is the way now and I'm sure BMW will soon be joining the rest of the manufacturers out there which have chosen to use the turbo charged 4 cylinder. Even though they don't really offer any better economy. I found that the golf averaged around 18-20mpg in real world driving. I never use eco modes because I don't see the point unless your doing long distance stuff