that's right - last year for mediterranean blue metallic was 2020. i dunno why they dropped it because i think it's a stunning color. i mean, there was some pre-owned yellow one on the lot that i saw and that yellow is hideous imo. i dunno why they keep that color around.

 

also, just to note, i can already say that the lexus is 300 f-sport is quieter and quicker (although it has a tom's of japan tuning piggyback unit on it) than the x2. the x2 doesn't feel like it's a 47k msrp vehicle when you consider it next to the lexus which i think has better build quality and higher sound insulation that stickers for roughly the same price. if i could choose between the two with only one to keep, i'd keep the lexus -- it's just a more solidly better built vehicle even if it doesn't have the bmw cache that the x2 may carry.

that said, i don't think the bmw is bad AT ALL -- it's a great vehicle. i did my homework this time, took it and it's cousin, the x1 on extended drives and i wound up choosing it because it impressed me so much. i bought it based on its practicality and well, honestly because i wanted to really get to know what the hell the bmw experience is all about and i suppose that i didn't really pick the best vehicle out of the bmw lineup to gain that experience, but it's what fit the budget and the practicality-mindedness that i need(ed). i've only owned it since saturday, so i still have a lot, like A LOOOTTT to learn. i joined the bmw forums and everything is some cryptic code for who the hell knows what. the model itself is like, the f39 i think? i forgot already. i have no idea what the engine code is and from the forum posts there are bmw elitists who look down upon the peasants who dare drive an m-sport and not a true m and then there seem to even be m-sport elitists who look down upon those who drive the base model. god, what a funky world these people live in. i'm just hoping that it comfortably transports me and my things with some pep and a bit of fun that comes from the mini/bmw transverse platform when i want to use it. i really am highly considering also sticking a piggyback unit on this car because it seems the engine can handle more without exploding. that and if it does explode, i take off the unit and have it towed to a bmw dealership and play dumb but from forum members' experiences, it seems that people are running the burger motorsports jb4 unit all over the world without problem.

here's to some bmw fun! my next-door neighbor already came over to ask me about it the nosy guy that he is.

 

I think that yellow is their best color available, I wish they offered it on more models.

 

Hey, if anything, many of us on here own BMWs, so if you have questions we'll be glad to help.

The X1 may not be a genuine BMW experience from the mechanical and driving dynamics standpoint, but I think you will find it very practical and capable. Where it lacks in the material quality over the Lexus, I think it will make up with more solid build and more up to date tech, especially the excellent idrive infotainment system.

The one area where it will disappoint is the audio system quality, that applies to absolutely all BMWs, ever.

 

yes, i don't mean to pick on the bmw so soon because i really do adore this little vehicle. i have been looking at it for what seems like forever now, but really for the length of a month. i've watched nearly every major publication's youtube review on it and read every publications print review before going for test drives. that said, i know that i'm not getting the true bmw experience with this vehicle (although i'm now officially part of the bmw ecosystem) and i know i could have gotten a very stripped down version of the m35i but i felt like i wanted the xdrive28i m-sport better equipped than a super basic version of the m35i that i would have to special order in order to match the prices evenly and because i want a more comfortable ride in a very well-appointed vehicle that's going to be mainly a commuter. so i went for the 2l as it's configured in the xdrive28i m-sport because i can stick a piggyback unit on it. on another note, i can only imagine having the front-wheel drive version of this vehicle over the xdrive version that i have - and i'm not quite sure if this is a 50/50 split system or if it's majorly front-wheel drive biased -- but anyway, that sdrive28i front-wheel drive car must be everything that bmw does not stand for much like the 2 series grand coupe which i saw for the first time in person up close and personal at the dealership and i think that car is hideous. i don't know what the hell bmw was thinking -- same for the upcoming 4 series' front end, like wtf?!!! okay, back on topic...

anyhow, it's really fun and it's really attractive, like man, oh man, i really enjoy looking at this machine. i know there are some people who really dislike the x2, but i think it's a styling exercise done right based, of course, on the x1. one downside forrrrr suuuuure is the sound system. i have the base sound system and i wish that i would have opted for the harmon kardon system because the base system sucksssssss. you really have to turn the volume like all the way up to hear the softest parts of the song but then the very loudest parts come crashing in. yeah, it's a terrible system, i agree. what it makes up for, however, even though the vehicle isn't as quiet as the lexus that i'm comparing it to because these are the two cars that i own at the moment, is the engine refinement. the 2l turbo engine is really quite refined and i would say that it's on par with the lexus. i can't quite remember what the lexus' performance was like before the tom's piggyback unit was placed on it, but i'm sure it wasn't great for me to want to stick one on there, so i'm assuming that the 2l engines stock on both vehicles are very similar even though these are very different sorts of vehicles. i really would like to buy a burger motorsports jb4 piggyback unit for the bmw as i think that would make the drive that much more fun but before i do that i have to have the front end covered in ppf -- probably xpel ultimate because bam! one rock chip and i lose it, i swear, so it has to be protected.

also, because i purchased the vehicle in lieu of leasing (as many bmw drivers do), and because i typically keep my vehicles for around five years, i'm really curious to see if the vehicle is going to give me reliability problems. i did extend the warranty just a tad to five years so that's the maximum that i've allowed myself to keep this car.

thank you all for your offer to help -- this has been THE place that i go to when i need help and i really enjoy the community here more so than on any other forum. and it's been ten solid years that i've been an official member on CL but a few years longer than that when i was a lurker but not a registered member as my very first car ever was an '08 is250, so i've been around quite a while! everyone has always been super helpful and the sense of community here is second to none!

 

Just get a stage 1 tune, then it will blow the doors off the 3IS. Also for performance, they do offer the 235I version. IS200T is very slow with turbo lag galore. I had one and grew to hate it over the years, my first and maybe last Lexus unless something changes with the brand.

 

How tolerant of mods are BMW dealers? If you chip anything on an Audi, I hear they are pretty strict and remove your warranty immediately. I would imagine Lexus dealers are more tolerant as you just can't make a Lexus go all that fast I hear Dinan provides a warranty.

 

I'll try to find it but recently I saw a thread on a BMW forum saying that dealer service depts. can now see if just about any tune has been removed. Don't recall the details though.

 

You know, I have been in that same boat. When I test-drove the M235i, I was underwhelmed. Maybe that was down to how everyone and their dog thinks the M235i is the best BMW to drive outside of a proper M2. I was expecting that M-like experience, and didn't get it. I think it's definitely enjoyable to drive, in retrospect, but just doesn't live up to the hype. So I could see the Miata being the same way. Everyone says it's great. Conversely, when I drove the Camaro SS convertible, I went in with "meh" expectations, but ended up being blown away. It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be, and the interior wasn't a trash fire like everyone says it is either. Test drives are essential!

And yeah the Lexus IS is practical only to a degree. Recently I helped my wife move some office furniture in the GTI, something I am uncertain I would have been able to do in the IS. We probably could have made it work, but it would have been much more difficult. Can't beat the CUV/hatchback cargo area.

 

I had am m235, have an m2 and even kind of had an m240. My favorite cars ever bar none, perfect in every way - size, proportions, power, and of course still rwd for proper driving experience.

 

i don't think any dealerships are tolerant of ecu flash tunes unless you are really good friends like bff status with the service manager. you screw with ecu and you void your warranty if you blow something up. i'm definitely not going to touch the engine other than sticking a piggyback unit on it. dinan does provide a warranty but it's not enough to cover the cost of an engine replacement.

 

yeah, there are ways to see how many times the ecu has been flashed. if you touch the ecu, there is a counter that will record that this has happened and if a dealership feels the need to look, they will and will definitely find it.

i actually didn't like the 2l turbo on the lexus at all until i installed the tom's piggyback tuning box. it really, REALLY makes a difference. i'm really content with my 300 f sport as long as the tom's unit is installed. it doesn't remove the turbo lag completely, but it really improves the responsiveness of the engine and reduces the turbo lag significantly. it really changes the character of the car and now it is my favorite car of those that i've owned. keep in mind that i'm 34 and haven't owned a terrible amount of cars - a 2008 IS250 F-Sport, a 2014 IS250 F-Sport, a 2018 IS300 F-Sport, the stupid Fiat, and now this BMW. My experience outside of Lexus is limited as my family growing up owned Lexus vehicles throughout my entire childhood. I didn't purchase a car until I completed graduate school as I lived in cities where public transport is the norm (University of San Francisco, Columbia University, University of Barcelona/Universitat de Barcelona).


Totallllly. Agreed 100%. I'm pretty happy with my stable at the moment. I think that I made a good purchase and I really can't stop looking at this little CUV or SAV as BMW calls it. It's really attractive.

 

okay, boys and girls, i am going back in to bmw of murrieta to look at a 2020 x2 m35i because they have one on the lot with 4k miles that's a cpo vehicle. i know, i can't damn decide on a car, but they did offer me a realllllly good deal on the vehicle for whatever reason. i thought that cars were in high demand and in short supply right now, but they seem to be willing to make any sale they can.

i told them that i'd come out and look at it after the sales manager called to offer an 'upgrade' which it is, and i'm paying more for the car, but he said that everything i put down on the xdrive28i would be applied toward the m35i if i were to agree to purchase the vehicle as well as the extended warranty, so that's 14.5k down on the car which is great.

let's see what happens. i have an appointment at 2:30. wish me luck...well, you know what i mean.

 

X2 xDrive28i 228hp 0-60 6.6 sec 24 mpg city 31 mpg hwy

X2 M35i 301hp 0-60 4.7 sec 23 mpg city 30 mpg hwy

Yeah might as well go M35i

 

i know, butttt i don't know what the payment is going to look like yet. i have meetings until 2 and then i'm heading over.