AMA: BMW 228i xDrive Gran Coupe

"for Michigan" (formichigan) 09/28/2020 at 10:31 • Filed to: Bmw, 2 series Gran Coupe, 228i, Ama

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Very anger. Much scowl. Grr.

Dropped the 1-series off at the dealership this morning for some work ( ) and got this angry little four-door coupe as a service loaner.

Does this angle make my butt look big?

Initial impressions are good. It feels like a BMW. I was skeptical at first, but after taking it around some tight turns it has that same feeling of rotating around the driver that I love about my 1-series.

Feels very similar to the Z4 in here, but the center console is a much more reasonable size.

One gripe that also applied to the Z4 I had last year: I don’t like that auto stop/start isn’t available with Sport mode. In Comfort mode the steering is over-boosted. Sport mode helps that but disables stop/start. It frustrates me that I have to choose between properly-weighted steering and fuel efficiency.

RAAAGE!!!

Anyway, have questions about the car? Ask me anything.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > for Michigan 09/28/2020 at 10:38

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Can it do sick jumps?

You mentioned steering weight, but what of the feels?

How gran turismo does the fake engine sound?

for Michigan > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/28/2020 at 10:43

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A: This isn’t Grand Theft Auto, so I don’t expect to find out .

B: S eems pretty close to my 1-series in terms of feel. A bit more insulated than my NB Miata, but I still know what’s going on at the wheels.

C: I haven’t played much GT. I really didn’t notice the engine noi se until I got off the highway and had the windows down. It has quite a growl, but it does seem to come from the wrong end of the car.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > for Michigan 09/28/2020 at 10:47

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Do your think the exterior styling is overwrought in person? You photos really don’t make it look that bad.

Interior styling looks timeless and has a fun splash of color. How useful is the backseat?

And of course, how many Hotpockets can fit in the glove box?

for Michigan > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/28/2020 at 10:58

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A: Overwrought? No. Except maybe that rear corner with the random vent under the tail light. But the headlights are so angry it’s comical.

B: I really like the interior and think it will age well. I’ll have to get back to you on the rear seats though, because I haven’t spent much time back there.

C: This is an estimate not based on any actual measurement, but I’m going to say 6-8 Hot Pockets .

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > for Michigan 09/28/2020 at 10:58

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“ angry little four-door coupe”

Is it angry because of the extra doors? I bet it's because the extra doors. 

bob and john > for Michigan 09/28/2020 at 10:59

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this is RWD right? 

for Michigan > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul 09/28/2020 at 10:59

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I think it’s angry because it’s supposed to be a BMW but it’s shaped like a Buick Verano with a big  butt .

Milky > bob and john 09/28/2020 at 11:01

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Its a  Mini XL sedan.

for Michigan > bob and john 09/28/2020 at 11:02

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FWD-based AWD. Shares a platform with the Mini Countryman and Clubman as well as the X1 and X2. 

ClassicDatsunDebate > for Michigan 09/28/2020 at 11:06

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I wish mine disabled auto stop-start in sport mode. I hate it.

Does it feel less spry than the 1?

Textured Soy Protein > for Michigan 09/28/2020 at 11:06

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I feel weird about the size ratio of the dash to the center console.

Personally I think that too many fwd or fwd -based cars have unnecessarily tall/ large center cons oles nowadays, probably because the cowl heights have gotten so high that the car companies make the console taller to meet the dash.

My wife’s CX-5 and my Civic Si both have very tall consoles like this but actually my car has more knee room to manspread my right knee out. In her car my knee hits the console more.

So I like that even though this car has a big tall upper dash, the console isn’t trying to hard to be tall. But...from this angle at least it looks kinda weird.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > for Michigan 09/28/2020 at 11:07

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Hmmm that is not optimal Hot Pocket storage capacity. Shame, I’m sure many customers bought something different because of the deficiency in secure snack storage.

for Michigan > ClassicDatsunDebate 09/28/2020 at 11:11

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It definitely feels like more car, but so far it doesn’t feel any less nimble.

I really don’t consider the 1-series a spry car though . It isn’t slow or numb, but it feels heavy and a little deliberate relative to say an NB Miata, an EK Civic, or even a BK Mazda3 .

for Michigan > Textured Soy Protein 09/28/2020 at 11:14

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It is unusually low and narrow for a current-gen car and I love it. The way it’s styled, I get a little bit of an old school floating dash vibe and I think that’s refreshing.

404 - User No Longer Available > ClassicDatsunDebate 09/28/2020 at 12:11

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It’s just a code away, no?

404 - User No Longer Available > bob and john 09/28/2020 at 12:14

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BMW in-sourced the Hyundai Elantra service loaners after getting sick of getting them from Enterprise. So they took the leftover papers for that designer moonlighting for Hyundai and implemented on a Mini chassis.

ClassicDatsunDebate > 404 - User No Longer Available 09/28/2020 at 12:19

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Unfortunately you can’t over ride it without hitting the idle stop disable button after every startup.

404 - User No Longer Available > ClassicDatsunDebate 09/28/2020 at 12:21

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I’m sure that’s a setting, I remember that was an option on my F30's FDL coding , and my friend’s old M4 definitely had turned it off by default by the dealer.

Textured Soy Protein > for Michigan 09/28/2020 at 13:34

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With the tan interior I’m getting almost like, minivan vibes haha. The proportions kinda remind me of my mom’s ’ 96 Town & Country from when I was a kid haha.

ClassicDatsunDebate > 404 - User No Longer Available 09/28/2020 at 13:50

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Oh sorry, its my RDX, not a BMW.