so, if anyone has been following my car-buying saga in the fiat vs acura thread, i traded in the 2020 x2 xdrive28i that i had just purchased as well as the 2018 lexus is300 f-sport and bought myself something that fulfills my needs perfectly; it's fun as hell to drive and it can haul things to my classroom and back to my home with ease! i'm no longer a lexus owner for the very first time in my life. weiiiiiird.

i wound up with a brand spankin' new 2020 bmw x2 m35i, no it's not a true m car, butttt it is damn fast. i think this is the fastest car that i have ever been behind the wheel of. such a ton of fun to drive. also, the ugly grey body cladding is gone on the m35i models and it really transforms the look of the car -- way more refined looking than the base model and the m sport x packaged model.

below are a few pictures that i took at the dealership right before i drove it home where it's now parked inside the garage. this car has sooo much more tech than the lexus did as well as the xdrive28i. it's fast, full of tech, and if you put it into comfort mode it drives very, well, comfortably!

as i get to know the car better, i'll post and update on driving dynamics as well as suspension configuration and tech, etc. but for now, i'm finally content with what i have in my garage.

 

Looks great! BMW did a nice job on the styling of the rear

 

Congratulations, davyjordi......I'm glad your long saga of what to do next is over, and that you are pleased with the outcome. A little too sport-oriented and power-heavy for my tastes, but, if its sport-orientation you want, it's hard to beat BMW's M-series. And, though, all else equal, hatchbacks tend to transmit and amplify road noise from the rear end (the open space behind the rear seats is difficult to seal off from noise), you simply cannot beat their versatility....it took me many years of driving sedans to truly realize that.

Good luck with it.


And, until now, I did not know you were a schoolteacher. Good luck with your new class coming up.....whether it is a virtual-learning class or done the old-fashioned way......with the blackboard and chalk.

 

yes, i'm a kindergarten teacher, actually, although i have my doctorate in educational administration i've chosen not to pursue a career in that field because i turns out that field is boring as hell. it's virtual learning for now and really with kindergarteners all on zoom at the same time -- it's a nightmare.

yes, the car is quite powerful. it truly is the fastest car that i've driven. the noise really isn't bad at all. i mean, the fiat was horribleeeee in terms of nvh, the lexus was quiet as can be, and this car is close to lexus-levels of sound insulation. not quite there, but enough to where using the car as a commuter is comfortable and enjoyable. but knowing you, mmarshall, you would think the suspension to be a bit too stiff for your liking, at 34 and as the sports-oriented car enthusiast that i am, i really enjoy the way this car drives, but when i retire i will probably want to drive something super cushy, too. believe me, i understand, as that was the main reason i got rid of the fiat -- horrible ride and terrible nvh.

i'm not going to leave CL as i've been a part of this community for so long and this, again, is the first time in my entire driving lifetime that i have not owned a lexus which is so bizarre feeling. i feel like i betrayed the brand lol. i did join the bmw forums but i don't know anyone there - definitely not the same.

 

wait, how did you get out of the other X2!!!?!?!?!?! is that in the other thread?

BTW, love the white - looks hi-tech and clean. Love those wheels too!!!


Congrats!

 

If Lexus-ownership was a criteria for being a member here, that would probably count out half of us or more......even some of the moderators and staff. For example, I started out as a CL member with a 1Gen IS300, but have not owned a Lexus product for roughly 15 years.

 

Ah, wow! What a turn of events. Are you tossing the Lexus?

I agree with you, the M35i version is a bit better looking than the "normal" ones because of the body-matched cladding. Very nicely done in the white as well!

^ Turo is your friend. I have never owned a sub-6-second car, but I've driven a couple that can do hit 60 in under 4 seconds. It's good to appreciate normal-ish levels of power, but new experiences are always welcome, I say.

 

Congrats! I'm sure you are going to love the car. BMWs are pretty great cars.

 

lol okay so this is how i did it

i got rid of the other the x2 as the dealership said they'd take it back if i purchased a more expensive vehicle -- so okay, that was easy enough. also, i traded in the lexus and i had that stupid acura ilx sitting around in the garage collecting dust that was paid off so i got rid of that, too. they also took 10k from the 12k that i put down on the other x2 and applied it toward this car and refunded the extended warranty amount lessening negative equity on that car but i had enough equity on the lexus that i owed 9.5k on and of course the stupid acura ilx that was totally paid off that my monthly payments are 303$ on a four year loan.

so i got rid of all of my cars to get this one. i didn't have to get rid of the lexus but i really found that especially now, i don't need two cars as one is perfectly sufficient.

 

I’m so confused LOL, you just bought the blue X2 a couple days ago! How did you get out of that so quickly or did the dealer loan it to you for the weekend or something? Did the dealer not finish the paperwork before you turned it back in? It’s not like Tesla where there is a 7 day return policy.

 

Ok never mind, you answered my question right when I posted.

 

lol don't hate, arentz! i've been a lexus owner my entire life - nothing but slow albeit reliable machines. the lexus is gone! i'm no longer a lexus owner! anyhow, i fully expect the bmw to be in the shop a handful of times during my ownership of the machine and believe me i am not keeping this thing after the warranty is up. this, however, is a sub 5 second car, i believe at 4.5 seconds to 60 according to car and driver and boy do you feel it. it's quite the welcomed change from the 2l turbo that i had in the is 300 rwd f-sport even with the tom's tuning box attached which made it quick but not fast. this bmw is fast.

as for the looks, it really does look A LOT better without the body cladding. it looks like a different vehicle really, and that's what was one main motivating factor to get rid of all of these other cars that i had and consolidate to just one fun hot cuv/hatch thing.

 

thanks! they are! i can't wait to drive it more spiritedly this weekend but i have to be careful because it doesn't have paint protection film installed yet. i've made an appointment with the guy who's done my previous cars in about two weeks, so no highway driving or following anyone too closely. i'll take it into the foothills on saturday and see how it handles. it should handle more like a car or a wagon than an suv due to how low it is to the ground.

 

BTW I have had my BMW (my first one as well) for over a year and it has only been to the dealer one time for an oil change which is free anyway so it may not be there as much as you think.

 

that's encouraging to hear. i really don't mind if it has to visit the dealer here and there because i'm sure it won't leave me stranded, but a check engine light may pop up over the course of the few years that i own it and i'm fine with them keeping the car for a few days and giving me a loaner. it's worth it - a worthy trade off if that happens to be the case.