CIRCULATING IN WANGARATTA, BENALLA, MYRTLEFORD, BRIGHT, MT BEAUTY, BEECHWORTH, YACKANDANDAH, RUTHERGLEN, CHILTERN AND DISTRICTS
NORTH EAST
October 3, 2014
available online - wangarattachronicle.com.au
PRINTED FORTNIGHTLY — VOLUME 458
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BMW MM235i: Old M3 thrills for half the money.
BMW’s slinkier suit, with a bit of M magic T
he past few years has seen BMW have a few goes at the big-engine-small-car formula. Almost a decade ago it started with the fivedoor (and rather good) 130i. Then there was the almost-there 135i coupe which morphed into the 1 Series M, an absolute firecracker of a car but one that required a close working relationship with an orthopaedic surgeon. Then came the M135i hatch which is great to drive but scary to look at. Now we’ve got the M235i. A slinkier suit with BMW’s turbo straight six and a little bit of M magic. Sure, it has to live in the shadow of the M4, but it’s also half the price. Is this the car where it all comes together? At $79,390, there’s a fair amount of daylight between the M235i and the five-door M135i,
By PETER ANDERSON $15,000 of daylight to be precise. For the extra money you lose two passenger doors, some leg and headroom, a hatchback and the middle seat in the rear. You do get more boot space though and you also get a far more likeable face and posterior as well as another five kilowatts. Also standard are adaptive M suspension, electronic differential lock, M Sport brakes, front and rear parking sensors, M aero bits, bi-xenon headlights, heated exterior mirrors, auto wipers and headlights, M Sport steering wheel with paddles, stereo and cruise controls, satellite navigation, USB and Bluetooth. There’s also leather interior with electric sports seats up front, various M logos scattered around the place and a decent stereo. Our car also had the Advanced Parking
Package ($1300) which adds self-park and rear-view camera; Visibility Package ($1560), with adaptive headlights, anti-dazzle mirrors and high beam assist; Comfort Package ($3120) adding electric seat adjustment memory to your key as well as heating; a $2600 sunroof, a $500 DAB radio (which, curiously, is $300 on the 220i), Harmon Kardon stereo ($850) and $1485 for metallic paint. The M235i’s styling package is reasonably understated, perhaps to leave room for the M2. There’s new front and rear bumpers, a lowered stance and 18-inch alloys with split spokes. As with the 220i, it’s an elegant if not beautiful design and owes much to the 4 Series. Inside is standard 2, which means clean and functional. Four adults will fit happily, but those in the rear will want short trips.
The boot is a very good size, much larger than that in the 1 Series. Standard safety features include ABS, corner braking control, switchable dynamic and stability control, six airbags and dynamic braking lights. There is no specific ANCAP or EuroNCAP rating for the 2 Series, but the 1 on which it’s based received 5 stars. The big central screen can be split into two so you can run, say, maps and stereo side by side. Controlled with the big iDrive rotary controller on the console, it’s reasonably intuitive. The Harman Kardon stereo pushes out big bass and a good quality sound. USB connectivity is simple and the Bluetooth handsfree clear and loud. BMW’s 3.0-litre straight-six turbo sits under the bonnet, producing 240 kW and 450 Nm of torque.
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