BMW M140i vs Golf R. Which is best for Britain and tuning?
Discussion
popeyewhite said:
It's not just you, I'd only go M2 comp as well. Difference is what? 5K?
Fair point, however I've always preferred the M4 to M2 so I'd always go that direction regardless of choice if they were both the same price. Seeing as you can get an M4 for circa 23-24k I'd rather go that direction. Can't remember if I said it in this thread but I drove an M4 a couple of weeks ago. Really enjoyed it. I'd love to spend a couple of days with one instead of a 10 minute test drive. I guess everyone feels that way though when testing a car 
jdoubleu said:
This is Mat Watson in the back of a 1 series. It is a smallish hatchback, but does look like it'd be suitable for more than children.
Love his videos Edited by jdoubleu on Wednesday 1st February 14:44
yeah it's not exactly a mayback where you can stretch your feet out to another time zone but I remember putting the seat of the 140 in my driving position and getting in the back. Yes I did fit but my legs were literally rubbing the drivers seat. Again, like you said it's a 1 series so it is a small car, I'd personally trade off boot space for more space in the back. My partner made the same point about the 240 : "that's why there's no bloody room in the back because this boot is f
king massive." Think that says it all really 
Jamescrs said:
In relation to the rear seats in the 2 series, I own a 240i and at 6ft4 the rear seat behind me is pretty much useless even for a child. I'm replacing mine next year and as much as I love it i'll be going for probably a 5 series to make it a useable family car, will be going for a 540i though as I have come to love the B58 engine.
I went from an M135i LCI to a 540i xDrive and it was such a good car. Not special like a proper M car but so competent, comfortable and surprisingly fun for a big heavy car. Of all the cars I've ever had, it's the one I miss the most. Oh and bags of space inside although at a mere 5'11", my needs are not the same as yours ;-)toon10 said:
I went from an M135i LCI to a 540i xDrive and it was such a good car. Not special like a proper M car but so competent, comfortable and surprisingly fun for a big heavy car. Of all the cars I've ever had, it's the one I miss the most. Oh and bags of space inside although at a mere 5'11", my needs are not the same as yours ;-)
Thats good to hear, i'm already looking at numerous options but always end up coming back round to a 540i, I did consider an older M5 as well, it's still a possibility but I don't think I can justify the additional running costs over the 540i which I imagine will cover all the bases I need it to. 
Dylanaledhall said:
HM-2 said:
It won't have service history in the traditional sense- it's all digitised.
I thought this too, this was the first thing I asked the dealer (whether it was on the idrive or something) but apparently they can't find anything on there. They even phoned BMW and they apparently have no record of it either. Just seemed a bit shady to me. 
LeighW said:
I don't know if it's the same for all years, but the 2019 M240i I viewed on Sunday (and bought!) showed the history on the display.
That's what I was expecting, didn't think it could be wiped. Hope you enjoy the car mate . An 240i will be my next car unless I find a good priced and well- speced M4. Typically the M4 was my partner's favourite too Edited by Dylanaledhall on Thursday 2nd February 13:18
Edited by Dylanaledhall on Thursday 2nd February 15:12
JS1902 said:
So two years and 30 pages later, and you still haven't decided?
Well, yes and no I started this thread as I was simply interested in which car would be better for the UK - an AWD tunable hatchback that has a huge cult following or a RWD hatchback that is also tunable but lacks that stability that the Golf has. As an ST owner these two cars are what most would deem a natural progression from the fiesta.
So as time went on I decided I wanted to make my own opinion on either car by actually going to see them in person and trying them myself. I also didn't want to travel too far away from home to try one out hence why it has taken a while. The Golf was good but I've basically ruled it out - bit too dull although capable and good-looking.
Something else that was troubling me with that car is it cost so much money to get power out of it. For example to go stage 2 (400bhp ish) on a Golf R you need an intake, exhaust and the map itself. To buy these modifications you would need around £2-3k. To get the same power from an M140 all you need is a stage one map which is around £500-£700 depending where you go. To get to stage 3 level performance (500bhp) in the Golf you're looking at around a £10,000 bill. Some M140s are almost touching that on a stage 2+.
Back to my original point, I then went out in the 140 and was blown away. So much more aggressive and I found it the nicer car to be in, more refined too. Not to mention the 8 speed zf would be better to live with than the 6 speed dsg in terms of motorway driving.
So after a bit of research the one common complaint amongst m lite owners is the handing but some remedy that with better suspension and an LSD. Which then made me think, well if I'm going to spend £20,000 on a decent M140, then spend around £3-4000 in handing mods, wouldn't it make more sense to spend that money on something like an M4. So then I went an saw an M4 which explains why this process has taken a while.
Obviously more research is needed in terms of which would work out better. Overall I preferred the M4 (let's be honest, anybody would), although I think the M4 would turn out to be a pain in the arse to live with day-to-day.
Edit: Something I forgot to add is that during this time I also bought my first home hence this thread/ car search went onto the back burner because I decided it was a better idea to buy a house over a car for the meantime.
Edited by Dylanaledhall on Sunday 5th February 06:43
Jamescrs said:
Likely more like 10k difference, more if you want an M2 Comp as opposed to an M2 (costs vs 240i).
In relation to the rear seats in the 2 series, I own a 240i and at 6ft4 the rear seat behind me is pretty much useless even for a child. I'm replacing mine next year and as much as I love it i'll be going for probably a 5 series to make it a useable family car, will be going for a 540i though as I have come to love the B58 engine.
What about a 440i Gran Coupe?In relation to the rear seats in the 2 series, I own a 240i and at 6ft4 the rear seat behind me is pretty much useless even for a child. I'm replacing mine next year and as much as I love it i'll be going for probably a 5 series to make it a useable family car, will be going for a 540i though as I have come to love the B58 engine.
That's what I'm eyeing up as a replacement for our ageing nissan leaf (I know, the obvious choice!).
Already have a ford galaxy for family and towing the caravan. Really want a rapid and nice handling 2nd car but so handy if 3 kids and the dog can also fit on occasion.
CG2020UK said:
The thought of people opening up a 400bhp m140i is terrifying.
It’s ropey enough in an M4 or M2 and they’re on a completely different level.
I went out in a 500bhp m140i last week. Thought like you it would be very poor, but actually it was composed and shockingly fast. M2 at 400 isn't at all ropey, the basic chassis can handle more to be honest.It’s ropey enough in an M4 or M2 and they’re on a completely different level.
HM-2 said:
I drove a ~460bhp M240i a while back. M Perf differential, uprated suspension and wider wheels and tyres. It was extremely composed and civil, a level above the non-Comp M3/4 for exame.
The problem is there are so many owners that have done nothing to cope with all the extra power. popeyewhite said:
Driver101 said:
The problem is there are so many owners that have done nothing to cope with all the extra power.
The M2 already has good enough brakes for road use at higher power and doesn't need anything else to cope with just an extra 40 bhp.Still got the ST then Dylan? I remember your thread on here and think we've spoke occasionally in there. You're a young lad aren't you? I don't know you personally but get a house before spending 25k on a car.
Back to my usual self, I think I'd go for the M140i, Golfs are pretty common but they are so capable. M2 and M4 are nice but the tier above really. Nothing wrong with keeping the ST for another 2 or 3 years though, very good car and if you're not carrying passengers regularly, suitable enough.
Back to my usual self, I think I'd go for the M140i, Golfs are pretty common but they are so capable. M2 and M4 are nice but the tier above really. Nothing wrong with keeping the ST for another 2 or 3 years though, very good car and if you're not carrying passengers regularly, suitable enough.
Driver101 said:
popeyewhite said:
Driver101 said:
The problem is there are so many owners that have done nothing to cope with all the extra power.
The M2 already has good enough brakes for road use at higher power and doesn't need anything else to cope with just an extra 40 bhp.Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff