The BMW M240i is great, no doubt about it, but is the 230i the best?
BMW 230i costs $70,990 and has 190kw under the bonnet. It looks the business, you can drive it like you stole it, and it runs on the cheapest drink. It has the blue and white roundel, and captures the spirit of rear-wheel-drive 60’s gorgeousness. Think jaunty-capped chaps with driving gloves and slightly battered leather bags.
There is much to love.
After the sexy, but terribly shouty purple suit of the M240i, the 230i felt just that bit more friendly, and far less pretentious. Please don’t let that sound like I didn’t adore the M240i, I just got the hots for the 230i, and here’s why:
It is a little more comfortable, and not quite as mental. The subdued 230i is like comfortable slippers and a robe.
The looks say, “I’m comfortable in my skin.” Its owner is not a braggy-pants who has to tell everyone how fabulous they are. They have a fab place to live, but it’s furnished with cleverly curated pieces combining upcycled treasures, sensibly-priced curios, and family favourites.
No matter how much they tidy, they’ll never be on the cover of Vogue Living, and that’s the way they like it
Specification and Brochure HERE: Specifications_of_the_BMW_2_Series_Coupe_230i,_valid_from_03_2022. 2Series_BMW_G42
The cabin:
Much like the M240i, the cabin is modern, with just enough button-and-controlage to keep things tidy but reachable.
The screens give you all the data you need, and iDrive 7, though fiddly with its toggle control, allows voice and touch-screen selection for those who hate joysticks.
Seats are firm, but very comfortable.
As we say in the film, the trim is classy and the design neat and comfortable.
This Week Review: 2022 BMW 230i coupe FULL gaycarboys REVIEW – FAB OR FAIL?
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ABOVE: 2022 BMW 230i – Fab or Fail?
The engine, safety, and other oily bits:
The buzzy little 4-pot has a twin-scroll turbo, a 2-for-1 job. The 8-speed automatic keeps the engine in the right mood for cruising or touring, depending on mood. Drive modes give the drive options for a more enthusiastic experience, especially on the mountain passes we encountered.
To top it all off, we got the economy you’d expect from a family hatch, not a nippy sports car, at 7.5L/100k.
The drive:
We snuck away for a mid-week romantic getaway. Whether it was the company or the car, it was perfection. Our destination, only an hour out of Sydney, was a historic country pub at St Albans. As we pulled into the car park, the ancient sandstone Cobb & Co. coach stop greeted us.
We travel light, just 2 leather duffels and a couple of pillows. There is always a blanket in the boot, and a picnic set with a thermos of hot coffee. You see, it isn’t the car, or even the destination, it is all about the journey.
You want to wind the windows down to breathe in the spring fragrance.
We could have gone anywhere. There has been snow, rain, wind, and sun, all within a few hundred kilometres of each other. But, we chose close-to-home. After a home-cooked pie and pint of best, we went to bed. The next day we drove deeper into the hills, with every sandstone canyon yielding a surprise. We crossed a car ferry, travelled a dirt road, and had a glass of champagne perched on the top of a rocky outcrop overlooking a river.
The 230i was more like a guest on the getaway than a mode of transport.
There were a ton of tight corners, but each was taken with a sense of adventure and fun. We stopped to take pictures, and visited roadside honour stalls. Locals put out their produce and flowers, and leave a tin box for shoppers to drop their notes in.
We played soft music wirelessly, and charged our phones on the pad. Night-navigating narrow lanes made good use of the bright LED headlights, with the evenings cold enough to warrant a little heat.
There is no hiding the horrific thrashing our roads have copped from several years of floods, tempests, and tornados. Potholes are frequent so you really have to mind your Ps and Qs. In many ways it makes the drive better. You have to take it easy or risk needing men in white coats to come calling.
Conclusion:
Normally you describe a car with specifications and technical details. BMW 230i is not about that, it is about a sense of fun.
OK, we could easily have done this trip in a M4, or an SUV, but would we have felt the same? The 230i was part of the family. It treated us well, holding us warmly as if being hugged.
To answer the question: BMW 230i – fab or fail?
It was fab, in fact, it was brilliant. Even BMW staff describe the 230i as the “sweet spot” in the 2 series range.
It needs the full range of driver aids to make it perfect, but for those who have never had them, won’t miss those features.
Price: $70,990
- Engine: 4cyl, 2.0L, twin-power turbo
- Trans: 8 speed automatic
- 0-100: 5.8 (we got 5.3 in a totally scientific iPhone-timed series of laps)
- Econ: 7.2L/100k
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