BMW M235i

BMW make one of the sportiest cars on the road; have been doing that for decades & seem to get better at it with every new car they introduce. Their latest offering is the little pocket rocket M235i which hit the US markets back in Feb’2014. Now a lot of us seem to be confused with the new naming convention that BMW has introduced. The simplest way of explaining it is that the even numbers represent coupes & the odd numbers represent the traditional 4 door sedans.

Thus the 235i is the replacement of the immensely successful 135i. The base 235i is cheaper, more modest 2 series, but the real attention grabber is the 320 Horse power, 329 LB/foot of torque M235i. It can annihilate the quarter mile in 13 seconds with the 0-60 miles time being an astonishing 4.8 seconds. The folks at M division have beefed up the straight 6 engine, put bigger breaks for excellent stopping power & tuned the suspension & the steering for excellent control & feedback.  Now even though it flaunts 17 “M” badges on the outside, don’t mistake this for full blown M series & BMW might introduce an M2 in the near future.  But having said that, this is almost as good as a full blown M series car, devoid of some of the lunacy that the M cars come with, making this a much better daily driver’s car.  It handles bumpy roads with a lot of composure and is a very capable long distance hauler. It’s bigger than its predecessor 1 series; has room for two in the back, has a bigger boot but predominantly it’s a driver focused car with the entire control panel slightly skewed towards the driver. Some people will appreciate this while others may not.  The interior is pleasant with plenty of options to pamper the soul.  The exhaust note is throaty & boldly announces that this little car means business.

It is economical to run too, with an MPG figure of 25 city & 30 highway. BMW have been smart as far as pricing is concerned with a base price tag starting at $ 43,000. It is actually possible to get a decently optioned one for under $50,000 before taxes. Get the leather, the navigation package & the Harman Kardon surround sound system….forget the rest. As far as competition goes, it doesn’t really have one. We can, may be pitch it against the Mercedes CLA45 AMG which is a genuine AMG, unlike the M235i which is not a genuine M series. The Bimmer is almost at par with the AMG as far as horse power is concerned with the AMG slightly edging out the M235i at 355 HP. I personally like the exhaust note on the AMG better than that of the M235i. In my opinion the CLA45 AMG is a better looking car as compared to the modest looking M235i which let’s face it…looks like any other Bimmer. The rear wheel drive Bimmer excels as far as overall driving pleasure is concerned and promises to be more engaging than the predominantly front wheel drive and occasional all-wheel drive Merc. It also offers a true Manual transmission option unlike the Merc which will interest the purists. It is much better priced than the CLA 45 AMG & makes the Merc look very very expensive.  Keep in mind that BMW also offers completely free servicing for all their cars for up to 4 years & the Merc does not.  A few may not find it practical as it’s almost a $50,000 coupe. Boot space is limited & so is rear leg& head room.

May be I am shallow, but I would want the world to know that I am driving an expensive powerful car which the M235i simply doesn’t reflect in the looks department. According to me, it is still the bargain of the century if you are looking for an understated yet very capable coupe which is economical to run & maintain.