ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.พ. 2021
- This week I drove the BMW M235i Gran Coupe! This car slots into BMW's lineup as a direct competitor to the Audi S3 and the Mercedes A35 AMG... and just like those cars, it features a FWD biased AWD system. Almost no BMW's have ever featured such a system (up until very recent crossovers... of which this car actually shares a platform) and certainly no "performance" model has ever featured a FWD bias!
So suffice to say, I was intrigued to go drive what I thought would be either more Mini Cooper JCW or Audi S3 than classic BMW. Unfortunately I was right...
Now this doesn't mean that the M235i is any way a 'bad' car, but it does mean that it has completely strayed away from what one expects out of a sporty BMW driving experience.
Aside from the obviously BMW engine sounds being pumped in to the cabin via the speaker system, and the BMW steering wheel/Live Cockpit Pro staring at you... you'd be hard pressed to distinguish much difference between this and an Audi S3. It's the old "buy our version of said product because YOU love US!" I do sometimes love BMW, but in M2 Competition form !!!
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Hop out the four-door with the .44 - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
Do you guys like what BMW has done with the 2 Series Gran Coupe, and would you get it over an Audi S3 or Mercedes-Benz A35??
I’ll vote BMW
I prefer Audi for a FWD car, a good BMW should be RWD
@@yegutierrez87 that’s exactly right!
I have bought one, Full Equipment. Love my BMW M235i. There Are so many people Hating it, But really, they just mad Because there is no V6, But this MOST POWERFUL V4 EVER BUILD, destroys old V6... so what u Talking about.
Having a child changed the dynamics of what I need in a car. I needed 4 wheel drive type technology, I need usable space in the back, and the boot. The M235I is exactly what I need at the moment and suits my demographic. An M2 is not practical, a 3 series is bigger than I want. So I've ordered one and this will be my 4th BMW. Yes it is different, but it has what many people wanted and BMW were not catering to. This really isn't a coupe replacement. It's a new direction. The boy racers will still have rear wheel drive. This isn't a direct comparison.
That’s a fair comparison and congrats on the child! It’s certainly a very fun car and sounds like a good compromise for you!
you dont have to be a boy racer to appreciate and desire a RWD sports car, Im a man racer and I love these cars.
@@yegutierrez87 😂😂
I agree 💯 I have 2 smaller kids and I wanted the Motor, brakes, AWD, LSD, suspension and gas mileage all in one package. I'm 40 now but I always loved the old STI's, Evo's and Golf R's.... I'm blessed that I work for MINI and I can still get the employee discounts in this crazy market.... I did get my sales person a bottle of liquor but it paid off because he got me an allocation slot.... Hopefully it'll be here in December. I'll have the tune before it arrives😉
I so wish I got this car. instead of settling. so regret ugh
The 235i is a great looking car 👍
Especially from the front !!
Of course.
I just picked one up 2 weeks ago. 2021 with white body and red interior!
i absolutely love it, was very skeptical at first becuz all i saw was a grandma car, but once i drove it i loved it, it was def fun and unexpected and the price range i was limited with, i def think this was a far better choice than a 330 or 530 base, def much sportier and sexy looking, don't regret it!
Happy to hear that! It's definitely sportier than those cars due to being an "M-performance" car 👍👍
I test drove the S3 and the 330i and ended up buying the M235i Gran Coupe. I found the S3 to be a little bit too boring - the driving experience of the BMW was a lot more lively which I preferred. For me both of these cars were at the top of my budget, so looking at an M2 or even in A35 was not an option. I also didn't like that the S3 was due for a new model soon and if I bought the current gen, it would soon be superseded. The 330i was really nice but a little too plush for me. Here in Australia even though the sticker price is not much cheaper than the alternatives you mentioned, they are offering significantly discounted prices which makes the value equation much more appealing. Oh, and I used to own a 2006 120i M Sport which had much less power but was rear wheel drive and I have to say, there is a big difference in how the GC feels in comparison - I wouldn't say 'bad' but definitely 'different'. The more I get to know the car the more I am discovering about it's chassis setup and how to get the most from it and there's still a lot of BMW DNA in it to appreciate, which is reminding me why I loved my old 1 series.
I think that was beautifully put! I also think considering your options, over in Aus, you made a solid choice.... I haven’t driven in S3 in some years, but this Bimmer does still have some intangible BMW character in it vs the Audi!
This is my first time watching any of your videos, I think you did a really nice job in both topic matter and analysis. I'm in the market and I've recently driven this car, the 330ix and the AMG 35, and I agree with your analysis completely. I appreciate honest reviews identifying the pros and cons because every car has pros and cons, watching car reviews by someone that is a Homer and moves everything about a car (or any other product) bores the crap out of me
Really appreciate it! They're all great cars (the 3 you mentioned), and while they each have their unique pros and cons... I think driving them each and comparing pricing should pretty quickly reveal the right one for you 🤟🏼
As an owner of an m235i gc, your criticisms and praise are spot on, for me. At the end of the day, with an xdrive-outfitted m340i weighing in at nearly 2 tons, this is the only compact 4 door in the bmw lineup. Yes, the fwd-based AWD understeer is present, but not overwhelming. But in terms of straight line speed, it’s only .2-.4 off the g80 m340 which is pretty good consider a max-spec m340 commands a $15K premium over a max spec m235i gc
Nice car and fantastic review
Appreciate you! 😎
@@Reoniz :) Keep it up Bro
I want this car it’s like a pocket rocket
That it is!!
I drive a m235i 2021 for about half a year now. I live in Canada where there's a lot of snow. GOOD LUCK with rear-wheel drives like a M2 you will have a hard time, been there done that. I live in the city too, and this car is small enough for my life-style and geographic emplacement. Reviews are so hard on this car for no reason, probably it has something to do with the price point. This is a BMW not a Subaru, it will not be affordable to everyone.
I think people (myself included) give the M235i GC such a hard time because it really goes gassing everything BMW has stood for... it's a fun and nimble 'sedan' albeit a bit too small to be very practical and like you said... at a decently heft price tag.
I've never lived anywhere with snow myself, but my understanding is that conditions where the M235i GC with xDrive would do well are also conditions that snow tires on RWD would do well... and then conditions where simply snow tires wouldn't be enough would also be conditions where you wouldn't wanna be driving anything like an M235i GC at all YMMV !!
Anyone that thinks an rwd with winter tires is sufficient has zero credibility lol
Not an unfair review but I like the car. I swapped out a 2018 manual M2 along with the 2014 435 that I kept when I bought the M2, since RWD only is not a good option in New England. I decided that I no longer wanted to manage two cars. Putting aside inventory shortages (there were 3-4 new cars on the lot), I figured that I would probably end up in a 330 or 4 series. Was not looking for this but I drove it and liked it a lot. It is a different driving experience than a true M and that was obvious as soon as I took the entrance ramp onto the highway. I loved the M2 and would have kept it longer or bought another if I did not live in an area with winter. The four doors are a plus with the dogs, but if I had to drive people in the back regularly, I could not have considered it.
Thank you for your input as an owner of both. I think you very succinctly expressed exactly what I was trying to convey in the video! 😎👍
It's a really nice compact sedan and have test drove a few of them. Very nice work by BMW - a little HIGH in price if purchased NEW though.
fyi - it’s not a ZF transmission. It’s an Aisin unit.
Ahh seems like you’re right, that’s my bad
@@Reoniz so did you notice any difference for the Aisin unit?? many say it is not as good as the ZF ones
@@yegutierrez87 it probably isn’t as good, but I didn’t notice it, even during some performance driving, it was miles ahead of systems from just 10 years ago!
@@Reoniz thanks for the info 👍
@@yegutierrez87 the Aisin transmission is a good transmission, relatively quick shifts, very reliable, it’s made by Toyota of course, but the eight speed ZF transmission is the best transmission in the world right now. The one used in the rest of the BMWs (ZF) is better than most dual clutches, it’s also more efficient than the speed Aisin. I have this exact car but the 228I it has the B48 engine but 228 hp, 258 pound feet of torque. The 330I with a B48 engine but RWD or X drive layout and not transversely mounted with more horsepower gets better gas mileage…
If I wanted just one car, that didn’t need to carry a lot of things, or large things, didn’t need to tow, I’d consider this or an S3. But it’s just kind of small for my purposes.
Everyone seems to loves driving these.
When you compare this to the x2, its not really that closely related. When BMW says based on, it doesnt mean they share structure. X2 has its own suspension, chassis overall , the x2 and 2 share same engines and awd system computer but even that is tuned differently for the x2. The grand coupe is designed to be a car and the x2 chassis is based off the x1 which are meant to tackle the rough stuff.
Not to be ~that guy~ buuut when a car is based on the same platform it literally means they're based on the same architecture (structure in your words) 🤷🏻♂️
But yes, they do have different suspension components and slightly different chassis as they are indeed meant for different purposes. At their core they're very similar !!
@@Reoniz
Disagree, when my E53 came out same thing happened, BMW says it’s based off the E39, but the E53 literally shares nothing underneath, it has its own diffs, suspension, subframes, axles, control arms, engine mounts, Xdrive system and computers, interior wise they share only climate control and steering wheel and the engine and trans. When they say based on it doesn’t mean the car is literally an X2 in sedan form. The X2 doesn’t share the same suspension, suspension angle, or suspension geometry, doesn’t share the same subframe. It’s loose for BMW when they say based, based I believe in the BMW world is like sharing the same engine, trans, wheel base and overall package, the price, market and materials used. X2 and 2 series technically only share engine and trans and maybe interior parts but what makes an suv a suv is in the X2 and what makes 2 grand coupe a sedan is tuned and completely made / engineered to be a sedan chassis wise. BMWs are like legos, if we use your logic which isn’t completely wrong, that means 1 series, 2 grand coupe, X1 and X2 are all related when they have they’re own chassis design and purposes. Same goes for X3 all the way to X7 and 3 to 8 series because they all share an engine and trans.. so if we use your logic it’s like saying BMW 3 series is based off an X7 because they’re really similar. It’s hard to explain but it’s not the way it seems. X2 and 2 series grand coupe are very different engineering, chassis structure and physical parts are different.
Reoniz bmw g20 vs bmw f30 in terms of looks?
Tough call, I like the slightly cleaner lines of the F30 personally, but neither are drop dead gorgeous so I’d take the better value proposition/driving experience
It's unfortunate that the majority of reviewers I've seen talking about this car simply don't understand who BMW made this car for.
Who did they make it for?
Not sure you are correct? I test drove this car yesterday & BMW dealer says it's mostly rear wheel drive 60% and 40% FWD...AWD when needed!
So that's true of the xDrive systems you'd find in the likes of the 3 & 4 series, and all the way up to the M5 and M8...
Here, it's a transverse Haldex system that's primarily FWD, and CAN send power to rear if/when needed!!
www.thedrive.com/new-cars/32255/2020-bmw-m235i-xdrive-gran-coupe-review-the-ultimate-identity-crisis
This article does a good job of explaining it 👍
Either they lied to you, to sell the car., or had no idea. Some people only have one job and still suck at it...
Coming from a 22 civic , 4.7 seconds sounds crazy to me
Haha ya I feel that 😂
It’s more like 4.3-4.4 in testing.
That is an interesting looking golf R.
Lmaoo 😤
I always had BMW M but I love my 2023 Audi S3 premium. I feel it’s better made
hey how do you do that in sport mode that the exhaust is bubbling
Rev the car up to around 5k and let off!
Mine comes at startup and every RPM up from there.
@@Somnospeed excellent !!
how many liters does the engine consume?
You mean oil?
@@Reoniz gasoline, petrol, gas, fuel...
the stuff where makes me poor when I screw the gas pedal tight on the floor :)
Ahhhh, I'm so used to 'gallons' !! I think it's in the low 20's MPG... way better than a V8, and a touch better than BMW's I6's... largely depends on your right foot ;)
@@Reoniz just thinking about getting this car... it would look good on the german autobahn :D but i'm still deciding between 220d or 235i... i love the diesel engine from bmw... economical and with a lot of pressure behind it... but a 2.0 liter petrol with 306 hp sounds like a lot of fun on the highways
@@luftgekuhlt- while the high torque you get from a diesel is nice, I'd have to suggest power on this one and say M235i GC 😂
nice
Thank you
wow interesting video you think a mini is better then this. i’m so upset I settled for a car and didn’t get a bmw. for the next 2-4 years of my lease i’m going to keep saying should have gotten a bmw instead of settling for caddy xt4. ugh
I got rid of my cadillac and got a mini again. now when the lease is up late this year i’m getting bmw 2 door or 4 door.
I think this car is cool
It is cool!!
Arguing over whether the platform it is based on is FWD biased or RWD biased makes little sense. It ends up as AWD, which is all that matters. Also dissing it because BMW also makes the X1 and the X2 from some of the same underbody components makes as little sense. This is a hot little sports sedan and drives like one. I leased mine a month ago and can’t get over what a blast it is to drive. Car reviewers who spend 4 hours with a car the. Write a review should live with. A car longer to appreciate what it does. This car might not be an M2, but come winter I will be using mine every day on snow tires and will not care if my AWD started life as front or rear biased. It makes zero difference.
I'm very happy to hear that you're enjoying your M235i GC, and I agree that it's fun to drive... but I have to say that you are indeed wrong.
Whether an AWD system is FWD or RWD biased is actually very relevant, and dramatically affects that characteristics of said car.
For example, an Audi R8 is largely RWD biased, and despite carrying the additional weight of an AWD system, still retains mostly RWD driving dynamics (edging on oversteer, no torque-steer, and has a more lively rear-end). Now a true RWD sports car (the GT3 for example) is the purest form of said characteristics, but the R8 in this case holds up.
When switching over to a FWD biased AWD system (often a Haldex system) the car edges on FWD characteristics, such as under-steering, can have some torque-steer depending on the front diff, and ultimately loses out on quite a bit of the fun that can be had.
All in all, the M235i, just like the Audi S3, is a fun and capable sporty little sedan... a pocket rocket if you will, and I hope you enjoy your ownership. It's a solid car! But to say that my mentioning of the FWD biased AWD makes little to no sense, or that I should spend more time with the car refutes the entire point of my journalism.
My brother had an s4 and idk I always wanted a BMW
Very understandable... although I think an m340i would be better competition for the S4!
Understeer at those speeds and roads with front LSD & X drive , really?!
Hahah fair... but I'm talking about my experience driving it before filming as well... I don't usually drive as insanely quick while also focusing on making a video! If you really push the M235i GC, you'll definitely come face to face with the inevitable understeering nature of its FWD-biased AWD system
Get my M235i on the 12th March..
That’s exciting, what spec did you go with ?
@@Reoniz Plus Pack in Storm Bay with the 19" Burnished M double spoke Bi-colour alloy. Got the WiFi hot spot with wireless charging as that was the only thing I wanted from the Tech Pack. I had the M235i Coupe (6 Cyl) a few years ago and loved it, but only two seats in the back made it little limited with kids. Also I understand the hate with it being a 4 pot turbo engine and front wheel drive bias, however I found the 4 pot just as responsive. as my old 6 cyl.
Sounds like a very cool spec 🤙🏼 and hey man, I can’t hate on needing back seats for kids. I also think the engine is fairly potent on the GC and you certainly won’t be disappointed
Issa Mini
🤣
😂😂
@@Reoniz But on a real note. I factory ordered a X2 M35I in Galvonic Gold with Magma Red interior and Shadowline. Goofy combination but I like it. Really excited for it.
@@HOTPLATEGAMING hats off to you... you went BOLD, something I often dream of, yet seldom execute on 😤🤟🏼🤟🏼 (would love it if you DM'd me pictures of it when it arrives @reonizz on insta)
first
You’re a beast
And a M is an M, Because if it Wasnt an M Why should ist have the badge. So don’t Talk Bad like that.
The only "M" here is for marketing pal!
You should speak to the engineers of BMW about your reviewing this car and let’s see how seriously they take you.
Couldn't care less
All these videos unfavourably comparing the M235i to the M2 Competition, as if the number of doors a vehicle has is irrelevant and not, in fact, a primary consideration for people actually buying a car.
Understandable... but it's a 2 series with an 'M' badge, and it hardly lives up to the real deal 2er with an M badge.
I don't think it's that uncommon to compare say an M340i to an M3?
@@Reoniz Sure, and I didn’t say don’t compare. I was specifically talking about comparisons that imply the number of doors is irrelevant to the choice of car. I didn’t mean to single-out your review, by the way, which I thought was pretty good overall: I was just getting frustrated after watching pretty much every review of this car on TH-cam, and mostly seeing variations on the ‘It’s not a real M car’ and ‘Why wouldn’t you just get an M2?’
I did buy one and am very happy with it, mostly because a) I interpret the ‘M Performance’ label as a something like Volvo’s ‘Polestar Engineered’, i.e. not as implying the same as an M badge, and b) it has four doors. :)
@@blowfish3 understood!! I see where you're coming from... it does offer an entirely added sense of practicality over a coupe! I'm glad you're enjoying it, it's still one heck of a fun car 😎😎