Considering BMW M235i - thoughts please!
Discussion
I currently drive a 2011 S5 sportback. Whilst it's a great car, I've had it 3 years and I'm just bored of it! I now mostly work from home, but have to take my 3 and 5 year old kids to school once a week - so need a 4 seater. My wife drives an e-tron which we take if going anywhere as a family. So I'm thinking of a 235i, maybe convertible, to complement the e-tron. Convertible only to make it more of a novelty and experience.
I've been doing the usual searching here and watching a million youtube video's. Would probably go for a 2014 or 15 model, manual. Can't really find anything major against the idea.
Someone talk me out of it
I've been doing the usual searching here and watching a million youtube video's. Would probably go for a 2014 or 15 model, manual. Can't really find anything major against the idea.
Someone talk me out of it
2015 M235i convertible owner.
Was considering getting rid once the little fella came along but I've somehow managed for almost 2 years to get him in the car along with small pushchairs etc. so it can be done with a bit of faff.
Bear in mind if you plan to have the roof down with the family in the boot space will become almost unusable unless carrying flat or small items to fit under the compartment.
The wife's car is used when we go for family journeys.
Car itself has been faultless for 5 year, I opted for the ZF8 and would take the auto every time given the chance again. Roof is down every chance I can get.
Averaging around 23mpg but I only do around 6k miles per year so costs aren't eye watering.
The straight 6 sounds great with the top down and the engine is fantastic, especially with a light tune. Handles ok but the ride can be a bit rigid on rough surfaces.
Anything else you want to know?
Was considering getting rid once the little fella came along but I've somehow managed for almost 2 years to get him in the car along with small pushchairs etc. so it can be done with a bit of faff.
Bear in mind if you plan to have the roof down with the family in the boot space will become almost unusable unless carrying flat or small items to fit under the compartment.
The wife's car is used when we go for family journeys.
Car itself has been faultless for 5 year, I opted for the ZF8 and would take the auto every time given the chance again. Roof is down every chance I can get.
Averaging around 23mpg but I only do around 6k miles per year so costs aren't eye watering.
The straight 6 sounds great with the top down and the engine is fantastic, especially with a light tune. Handles ok but the ride can be a bit rigid on rough surfaces.
Anything else you want to know?
Canon_Fodder said:
Lots to like about that car...
But in the spirit of the question, does a 2 + 2 not make it a mega-faff with getting kiddies & their seats in and out of the thing?
I think it probably will But in the spirit of the question, does a 2 + 2 not make it a mega-faff with getting kiddies & their seats in and out of the thing?
Edited by Canon_Fodder on Monday 16th August 16:26
But the kids will only be in it on occasion (probably once or twice a week), and thankfully they're starting to get to the age they can strap themselves in. I've currently got 2 sets of seats so would leave a set in the car so shouldn't have to take the seats themselves out very often. STe_rsv4 said:
2015 M235i convertible owner.
Was considering getting rid once the little fella came along but I've somehow managed for almost 2 years to get him in the car along with small pushchairs etc. so it can be done with a bit of faff.
Bear in mind if you plan to have the roof down with the family in the boot space will become almost unusable unless carrying flat or small items to fit under the compartment.
The wife's car is used when we go for family journeys.
Car itself has been faultless for 5 year, I opted for the ZF8 and would take the auto every time given the chance again. Roof is down every chance I can get.
Averaging around 23mpg but I only do around 6k miles per year so costs aren't eye watering.
The straight 6 sounds great with the top down and the engine is fantastic, especially with a light tune. Handles ok but the ride can be a bit rigid on rough surfaces.
Anything else you want to know?
Brilliant to hear from an owner, thanks for your opinion. I'd be in a similar position with using the wife's car for any longer journeys so hopefully space would be sufficient. I haven't actually test driven any yet. I live in Northern Ireland and there aren't many available. I'd definitely like to try both the MT6 and the ZF8. Was considering getting rid once the little fella came along but I've somehow managed for almost 2 years to get him in the car along with small pushchairs etc. so it can be done with a bit of faff.
Bear in mind if you plan to have the roof down with the family in the boot space will become almost unusable unless carrying flat or small items to fit under the compartment.
The wife's car is used when we go for family journeys.
Car itself has been faultless for 5 year, I opted for the ZF8 and would take the auto every time given the chance again. Roof is down every chance I can get.
Averaging around 23mpg but I only do around 6k miles per year so costs aren't eye watering.
The straight 6 sounds great with the top down and the engine is fantastic, especially with a light tune. Handles ok but the ride can be a bit rigid on rough surfaces.
Anything else you want to know?
Other than the ZF8 box, are there any features/options you'd say are really valuable, or wish you'd gone for?
2014 M235i auto coupe owner here
Similar to other poster the car has been pretty faultless in the time I've had it. Major service or whatever bmw call it (includes spark plugs) wasn't cheap, about £650 if I recall, other than that it's not bad at all - a pair of rear tyres costs about £300 and lasted just under 14k miles. Think I average about 27mpg, it'll do 40mpg on a motorway if you take it steady.
After 3.5 years of having it it's proving a difficult car to replace, it's a great engine for the money. Put your foot down and it'll throw you back in your seat but it's also a comfortable car around town etc. I'd definitely recommend trying the auto it's very good, if you find yourself on a nice twisty road you can put it into 'manual' mode and change gear with the paddles which I find makes for an engaging drive. Other than that the only option mine has I think is the pro nav package, personally I'd recommend that because I think the non pro nav display and iDrive controller looks cheap but that's a personal opinion!
Worth noting if you're looking at remapping for more power down the line then the M240i is much better for that.
Similar to other poster the car has been pretty faultless in the time I've had it. Major service or whatever bmw call it (includes spark plugs) wasn't cheap, about £650 if I recall, other than that it's not bad at all - a pair of rear tyres costs about £300 and lasted just under 14k miles. Think I average about 27mpg, it'll do 40mpg on a motorway if you take it steady.
After 3.5 years of having it it's proving a difficult car to replace, it's a great engine for the money. Put your foot down and it'll throw you back in your seat but it's also a comfortable car around town etc. I'd definitely recommend trying the auto it's very good, if you find yourself on a nice twisty road you can put it into 'manual' mode and change gear with the paddles which I find makes for an engaging drive. Other than that the only option mine has I think is the pro nav package, personally I'd recommend that because I think the non pro nav display and iDrive controller looks cheap but that's a personal opinion!
Worth noting if you're looking at remapping for more power down the line then the M240i is much better for that.
We also have 2 little ones and had initially thought this would mean something more practical with more doors.
We have managed for the last 4 years with a 1 series coupe. Boot can fit a large pram in, and the child seats fit in the back well.
When I think of changing it for a newer car its the 235 I look at too, especially now we don't need the pram anymore as the youngest is on their feet now.
We have managed for the last 4 years with a 1 series coupe. Boot can fit a large pram in, and the child seats fit in the back well.
When I think of changing it for a newer car its the 235 I look at too, especially now we don't need the pram anymore as the youngest is on their feet now.
jmac105 said:
2014 M235i auto coupe owner here
Similar to other poster the car has been pretty faultless in the time I've had it. Major service or whatever bmw call it (includes spark plugs) wasn't cheap, about £650 if I recall, other than that it's not bad at all - a pair of rear tyres costs about £300 and lasted just under 14k miles. Think I average about 27mpg, it'll do 40mpg on a motorway if you take it steady.
After 3.5 years of having it it's proving a difficult car to replace, it's a great engine for the money. Put your foot down and it'll throw you back in your seat but it's also a comfortable car around town etc. I'd definitely recommend trying the auto it's very good, if you find yourself on a nice twisty road you can put it into 'manual' mode and change gear with the paddles which I find makes for an engaging drive. Other than that the only option mine has I think is the pro nav package, personally I'd recommend that because I think the non pro nav display and iDrive controller looks cheap but that's a personal opinion!
Worth noting if you're looking at remapping for more power down the line then the M240i is much better for that.
Great to know. I suspected as much with the service cost, I would try to find a local independent to hopefully bring the cost down a little. I agree with the nav option. I don't really care about the nav itself but the bigger screen definitely looks better. I probably wouldn't remap as from what everyone says its got plenty of power for a normal road. Similar to other poster the car has been pretty faultless in the time I've had it. Major service or whatever bmw call it (includes spark plugs) wasn't cheap, about £650 if I recall, other than that it's not bad at all - a pair of rear tyres costs about £300 and lasted just under 14k miles. Think I average about 27mpg, it'll do 40mpg on a motorway if you take it steady.
After 3.5 years of having it it's proving a difficult car to replace, it's a great engine for the money. Put your foot down and it'll throw you back in your seat but it's also a comfortable car around town etc. I'd definitely recommend trying the auto it's very good, if you find yourself on a nice twisty road you can put it into 'manual' mode and change gear with the paddles which I find makes for an engaging drive. Other than that the only option mine has I think is the pro nav package, personally I'd recommend that because I think the non pro nav display and iDrive controller looks cheap but that's a personal opinion!
Worth noting if you're looking at remapping for more power down the line then the M240i is much better for that.
Nemophilist said:
We also have 2 little ones and had initially thought this would mean something more practical with more doors.
We have managed for the last 4 years with a 1 series coupe. Boot can fit a large pram in, and the child seats fit in the back well.
When I think of changing it for a newer car its the 235 I look at too, especially now we don't need the pram anymore as the youngest is on their feet now.
Practicality with child seats was probably my biggest concern, so happy to hear it shouldn't be too big a problem. We have managed for the last 4 years with a 1 series coupe. Boot can fit a large pram in, and the child seats fit in the back well.
When I think of changing it for a newer car its the 235 I look at too, especially now we don't need the pram anymore as the youngest is on their feet now.
Depends how tall you are? If you are tall the reviews would suggest you will struggle to get 4 people in particularly in car seats.
Also note the little ones will get really buffeted in the back at any sort of speed, they will probably love it for a bit but will get cold even on a warm day...
I have an eclass convertible for the extra space and the wind break is behind the back seats, kids still get blown about at speed but you can see the difference the wind break makes.
It's not really comparable to a 2 series though as it's bloody massive!!
Also note the little ones will get really buffeted in the back at any sort of speed, they will probably love it for a bit but will get cold even on a warm day...
I have an eclass convertible for the extra space and the wind break is behind the back seats, kids still get blown about at speed but you can see the difference the wind break makes.
It's not really comparable to a 2 series though as it's bloody massive!!
I ran a M135i for 5 years and other than servicing it didn't need anything. I am 6'5" and you couldn't sit behind my seating position. My brother has a M240i and he's really happy with it.
Pro's
40+MPG on a run
Fun, relatively small car for twisty roads
Makes a great noise
Very reliable
Con's
Reverse Tardis, not a lot of space in the cabin
Ride can be a little brittle
Pro's
40+MPG on a run
Fun, relatively small car for twisty roads
Makes a great noise
Very reliable
Con's
Reverse Tardis, not a lot of space in the cabin
Ride can be a little brittle
jamiedgwilson said:
I have to take my 3 and 5 year old kids to school once a week - so need a 4 seater. My wife drives an e-tron which we take if going anywhere as a family. So I'm thinking of a 235i, maybe convertible, to complement the e-tron. Convertible only to make it more of a novelty and experience.
If you want a convertible then get one for yourself. Over last 15 years ive had 2 x VX220, saab 93, bmw 435, e class convertible and an atom. Kids like messing with the power roof but thats it!. When younger, all they did was whine about it being too cold or too windy or both. I love convertibles and just put up with their moaning. I think i broke them so they have little interest whatsoever now (16 and 14) and will do anything to not go in them (esp as we also have an etron too and the 16yo is 6ft 2). I get the Atom out to a "urgh cant we go in the normal car". I really should get them DNA tested!!!!I had an M135i and would recommend:
Manual seats (electric to get people in the back are annoying and slow)
Pro Nav (the non-pro has aged really badly IMO)
Adaptive suspension - adds a lot of comfort with the option to match the non-adaptive's firmness in sport mode
I ticked a lot of other options, but these would be my essentials.
I felt the ZF8 suited the engine really well, and think the manual that BMW offer with it is a bit crap IMO - notchy and long-throw
Manual seats (electric to get people in the back are annoying and slow)
Pro Nav (the non-pro has aged really badly IMO)
Adaptive suspension - adds a lot of comfort with the option to match the non-adaptive's firmness in sport mode
I ticked a lot of other options, but these would be my essentials.
I felt the ZF8 suited the engine really well, and think the manual that BMW offer with it is a bit crap IMO - notchy and long-throw
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