# My car of the day, BMW 2 series Coupe 220d



## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

The BMW 2 series was introduced as a replacement for the 1 series Coupe and it's up against the Audii TT, VW Scirocco and the Toyota GT86.Costing around £30,000 the 2 Series is one of the most compact Coupes around.
Like it?


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## WHIZZER (Oct 25, 2005)

Think this will be a pretty good little car reminds me of my Mums 3 series in the 80's


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Looks too plain in the colour, spec and with the wheels you've picked. That's the worst looking pictures I've seen so far.

Prices start at £24k and once spending over £30k, you're looking towards the M235i which looks significantly better.


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

The M235i will be the pick of the range! 

Autocar review HERE. :thumb:

Alan W


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/291601/bmw_m235i_coupe_review_specs_and_prices.html


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

Kerr said:


> Looks too plain in the colour, spec and with the wheels you've picked. That's the worst looking pictures I've seen so far.
> 
> Prices start at £24k and once spending over £30k, you're looking towards the M235i which looks significantly better.


Don't shoot the mesenger :lol: not my pictures I am afraid, and yes to some people the M235i is the better option:thumb:


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

WHIZZER said:


> Think this will be a pretty good little car reminds me of my Mums 3 series in the 80's


I did like those 80'S style BMs, very iconic. :thumb:


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

How can any 2.0d be car of the day?


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

ardandy said:


> How can any 2.0d be car of the day?


My pick of the day because the competion was also Diesel, it's not always about super cars and hot hatches. I like to broaden it out to all tastes across a broad spectrum. from the small to the large and even the ugly


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

Not for me !


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## WhiteRoc_170 (Jan 31, 2013)

Maybe its just me but it looks exactly the same as a 3 series


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

WhiteRoc_170 said:


> Maybe its just me but it looks exactly the same as a 3 series


Its not just you, they all look the same to me, just cant get my head around BMW's designs !


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

If you look at any of the German brands, many of their cars look very similar and new models often look the same as old models. 

I guess it's only the people who pay particular attention to a brand that notice differences. 

In better spec the 2 series is a good looking car. Not as good looking as the 4 series though.


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## Jammy J (May 5, 2012)

I would need to see it in person but I'm not sure if I'm liking the direction BMW are going with there styling.


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

Jammy J said:


> I would need to see it in person but I'm not sure if I'm liking the direction BMW are going with there styling.


I agree, not sure what it is in general but i dont like the front of the new BMW's, it needs changing (dare i say the kidney grill needs to go or be drastically overhauled), the rest of the designs are pretty lazy too, all IMO of course.


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## mt8 (Jan 7, 2011)

I like the external design of the car but it is let down by the plain interior in my opinion.


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

mt8 said:


> I like the external design of the car but it is let down by the plain interior in my opinion.


Actually that's my other hate, all the interiors look the same and i just don't like the look.


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## RisingPower (Sep 21, 2007)

Kerr said:


> Looks too plain in the colour, spec and with the wheels you've picked. That's the worst looking pictures I've seen so far.
> 
> Prices start at £24k and once spending over £30k, you're looking towards the M235i which looks significantly better.


What's the difference apart from the wheels? 

I think it's a bit dull tbh.

Give it a large bonnet bulge, a wide body kit, deep concave wheels from dpe, drop it, put a big spoiler on the back, remove the interior, give it a proper engine like the v8 in the m3 and done 

Wait... I mean this...


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

RisingPower said:


> What's the difference apart from the wheels?
> 
> I think it's a bit dull tbh.
> 
> ...


The M135i was already faster than anything in the same category, outside the A45 AMG which is pretty costly. All reports say this is in a different league all together.

Autocar getting a bit ahead of themselves saying future classic though. It will always be overshadowed by its big brother.

Remember it will be the M2 that is the performance model. It will be more aggressive than the M235i.

We're still not going to see V8s though, not even in the M3/M4.

Sad to see BMW being forced down the FWD route, but at least 6 cylinder engines is as good as you'll see in this class of car.


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

Kerr said:


> The M135i was already faster than anything in the same category, outside the A45 AMG which is pretty costly. All reports say this is in a different league all together.
> 
> Autocar getting a bit ahead of themselves saying future classic though. It will always be overshadowed by its big brother.
> 
> ...


I agree, sad also to see BMW going down the FWD route, it kind of loses it's identity.


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## RisingPower (Sep 21, 2007)

Kerr said:


> The M135i was already faster than anything in the same category, outside the A45 AMG which is pretty costly. All reports say this is in a different league all together.
> 
> Autocar getting a bit ahead of themselves saying future classic though. It will always be overshadowed by its big brother.
> 
> ...


It doesn't look any different to the 220d though, nor would you expect it to.

I'm not mad keen on the looks of the new 5/4/2 series

What makes you say they're being forced down the fwd route?

The a45 does look quite nice, which is imho unusual for an a series.


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## Grommit (May 3, 2011)

Yup the M235i is on my test drive list this year as I'm due a new car


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Soul boy 68 said:


> I agree, sad also to see BMW going down the FWD route, it kind of loses it's identity.


It does to a certain extent.

FWD will always be a cost effective and probably the best solution for the majority of cars. It is far better than it has even been. My avatar is only a joke.

The 4wd scenraio isn't good either. At least they have made the attempt to make the 4wd car handle closer to RWD cars.

I was at the BMW dealer in Edinburgh the other week and the vast majority of cars were all 2.0. Most of the 4 series were xdrive.

To me that's not what BMW defines. It's all about bigger smoother engines and RWD. However it seems that the vast majority of people don't want that and the cost of driving rules out bigger engines for many.

That said the 3.0l on BMW will match many 2.0 engines will less power for fuel economy.

Every other manufacturer has adapted their cars to suit the economy and people's false needs.

BMW has to do the same. They are a business afterall and have to line their pockets.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

RisingPower said:


> It doesn't look any different to the 220d though, nor would you expect it to.
> 
> I'm not mad keen on the looks of the new 5/4/2 series
> 
> ...


it has been the same for all the German manufacturers for years. Low spec cars look a bit dull. Add some trim and wheels and they start looking better. The mid level performance car looks significantly different to the base models. Then you have the M cars.

They make a difference to make sure people can tell the model just by looks. Sometimes subtle, sometimes glaring.

I think there is a huge difference in the pictures used in this thread. Could do with slightly bigger and nicer wheels though.

A survey said before that the majority of 1 series drivers thought their car was FWD.

Why go to the extra cost, take up extra space and add extra weight for RWD?

Just make it FWD, reduce the price and that'll make more people happy whilst shifting more cars.

It will also end the fear people have of RWD.


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## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

Good looking little car from BMW.

The new front compared to the 1'er is miles better. And great to see the grill enclosed again rather than the ever so awkward new 3/4 series kidney grill which just looks like a designers dogs dinner.

I'm also not sure of the slightly bloated look BMW are going for at present, just makes many of the cars look a bit fat (not phat) and un-sharp.

I think even the 5 series looks a bit dull compared to the e-class and A6.

The only saving grace has been Audi dropping a clanger with the new A3 looking soooo plain that most people will buy a Golf over it as the Golf looks much sharper. Now if BMW drop the 2 series front onto the 1 series they will have a winner.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

The M235i is in this week's Autocar.

They've put it up against the Porsche Cayman, A45 AMG and the Audi S3 saloon.

They are very positive about it.

They say it isn't far off the straight line pace of the A45 AMG which is surprising and welcome.

In the end they concluded that the 2.7 271BHP Cayman was still the best car. Although it could barely keep up with the S3 on the straights,let alone the other two, it was just the feel and control of the Porsche that makes it the better car.

The Cayman is a great car to drive, but I guess since it only has two seats it really isn't the car for everyone. Always going to be hard for full size cars to compete with a proper two seater sports car when it comes to handling and feel.

1st Cayman. The best to drive here by a distance. Special.

2nd M235i. Plenty of pace, handling richness with tidy handling.

3rd S3 saloon. Handsome and punchy with tidy handling.

4th A45 Fast, but made to look pricey and a bit one-dimensional.

Surprised at some of the comments about the Merc. When Autocar tested is last they were raving about it.

Also in the road test results they have tested it as 0-60mph in 4.2secs, but the 0-100mph time is only 11.5secs which i think is rather disappointing to be honest. Especially considering how much quicker it is that the rest of the hot hatchbacks.


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Just read the article myself Kerr and (just as I predicted  :lol the M235i has come out of the comparison very well. :thumb:

No disgrace to loose to a car as highly praised as the Cayman. 

Whilst the editorial at the front of the magazine thinks cars such as the M235i are not proper 'M' cars, and dilute what the 'M' badge originally stood for, it makes you wonder just how much better an M2 might be! :doublesho

Whilst I've been buying VAG cars of late I think I need to start looking further afield next time I change. 

Alan W


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Alan W said:


> Just read the article myself Kerr and (just as I predicted  :lol the M235i has come out of the comparison very well. :thumb:
> 
> No disgrace to loose to a car as highly praised as the Cayman.
> 
> ...


BMW have been losing a huge market to Audi in recent years.

They are copying Audi with their RS then S branding.

BMW still have the full M cars plus the M light cars as they've become known to compete.

The Cayman was designed to be a sports car. It has all the attributes to be a good sports car rather the everyone trying to make a bigger, heavier car into a sports car.

The new Cayman looks really good. The M235i is nice and the S3 looks good in saloon form too.


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