My BMW Interlude

[Jordanwolf]

Originally Posted by JD001

I wonder if on a BMW forum they are reading a similar thread "My FRS interlude' and they have welcomed it as warmly as here?

Unlikely. The price difference alone easily changes the community behind certain cars. Maybe an owner that tracks, but surely not a average BMW owner, they'd sooner scoff at the idea.

[DM7]

I currently own a 2013 FR-S and a 2014 228i. It's nice to meet someone else that shares similar opinions on both of these cars. I bought my 228i as a winter car and summer daily. The FR-S is now the track car and garage queen. I have the luxury of keeping both but if I had to get rid of one; I would give up the 228i as well but for different reasons.

I'm a decent home mechanic so I do all of the maintenance on the 228i and honestly it isn't bad and wouldn't be why I would give the car up.

The 228i just doesn't feel as focused or sporty as the FR-S. Especially when I take into account the MSRP, the list of "M" options and numerous "M" badges adorned throughout; the 228i just doesn't deliver the type of driving experience I expected. I thought the 228i would be a comfortable sports car; but in reality it's a compact grand tourer/highway cruiser (it's a commuter car).

My biggest issue with the car are with the weak plastic components that break during disassembly. BMW designs cars with novel, industry leading features and technology; but manufactures and sells them like commodity items.

Years from now the FR-S will be remembered as a once in a generation sports car for its uncompromising driving experience. The 228i will be remembered as a BMW that wasn't an SUV.

[QHawk]

I'm also happy to see someone else with a reaction similar to my own. You have it exactly right: "I thought the 228i would be a comfortable sports car; but in reality it's a compact grand tourer/highway cruiser (it's a commuter car)." I truly wanted to like the BMW and did like it many ways, just not in the ways that matter most to me. I'm lucky enough not to need a commuter car.

I've also done lots of home mechanic work on almost every car we're owned, but your reference to breakable plastic components fits what I could see ahead of me eventually with the BMW. A support community exists, but read the sites, their forums. I sense nothing like the enthusiam that comes through the conversations on this site alone. The BMW so much implied, in so many ways, that its intended audience was buying its BMW name, on a 228i this year and maybe next year on an SUV.

[Sasquachulator]

Originally Posted by JD001

I wonder if on a BMW forum they are reading a similar thread "My FRS interlude' and they have welcomed it as warmly as here?

doubt it....

BMW owners stem from the "this car is gods gift to driving and everyone else can go suck a lemon" thought process.

They would never sully their beloved BMW garage with a peasant Toyota or Subaru.

[Yoshoobaroo]

Originally Posted by Sasquachulator

doubt it....

BMW owners stem from the "this car is gods gift to driving and everyone else can go suck a lemon" thought process.

They would never sully their beloved BMW garage with a peasant Toyota or Subaru.

BMW's enthusiast base is getting pretty polarized actually. You have the typical BMW bros that are always going to justify buying one no matter how much worse to drive they've gotten in the past 10 years, and then you have the enthusiasts that actually care about the driving feel of the cars. These people have almost exclusively shunned the post ~2012 models and are sticking to E39s/E60s and E46s/E90s. Some of them even swear by the early 90s cars. A lot of them realize that the E series BMWs won't last forever and are looking for alternatives to daily, while their E series car stays in the garage waiting for nice weekend drives. There are a good bit of discussions on the forums about Genesis, the Stinger GT, Mercedes' newer C&E classes, Miatas, and yes the twins too.

My E90 sits in the garage and gets ~2000-3000 miles a year now, but I like driving the BRZ more anyway. The E90 is the nicer overall performance GT car. It's fast and comfortable and the turbo straight 6 howls just right, but the BRZ is the better sports car, by a mile.

[hsolo]

I own a 2014 FR-S and a 2018 BMW M2. I was really surprised when I drove the M2: for all the glowing reviews of what a perfect "driver's" car it is, and a return to BMW's original M philosophy, it can't hold a candle to the pure enjoyment, connection, road holding, fun, and......"drivers" car the FR-S truly is!


My current usage of each: Daily drive the FR-S to work and back, golf and back, and any trip that does not have the girlfriend in the passenger seat. Drive M2 when with girlfriend (and she complains that the M2 is too harsh a ride!!).


If I had to give up one of those it would be the M2......except I would then have to deal with going everywhere in the girlfriend's car (SUV!!!)

[guitarman]

Originally Posted by hsolo

If I had to give up one of those it would be the M2......except I would then have to deal with going everywhere in the girlfriend's car (SUV!!!)

I think if I were you I might also consider giving up the girlfriend too. Seems like a red flag 🚩 to me that she finds the ride “too rough”.

[Ernest72]

Twins are light like go karts. Just too much fun. Sure BMWs are nice but I think the heavy weight of the German cars hurts them. Even the Porsche’s. Probably why so many people like the old air cooled 911 , they are light. That feeling of a light, toss-able car makes all the difference, regardless of power. (Not saying heavy cars with big power are not fun, just not as much)

For example: my sis works for Merc and has gotten some cool weekend cars. Years ago she got some monster AMG S-class 4 door sedan that was 4500lbs but had 5-600 hp. It was so much fun just nailing that pedal, like an insanely fast tank, but could not turn at all.

But the best car she brought home was a custom e-class convertible with a custom suspension, v-8 and cherry bomb glass pack mufflers. Car was not nearly as fast but it could turn, and if you closed your eyes you thought you were in a convertible muscle car. We did not want to give that one back.

Unfortunately, she never was able to take any of the really high end Mercs. Although we sat in a few that her colleague had, but Merc would not let us drive those.

As a daily still prefer my BRZ.

[TintFrisco]

Loved reading this