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      03-19-2023, 11:00 AM   #1
toxaris71
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My comparison of the manual M240i vs manual 230i

Hey Everyone,

I've owned my 2018 230i for almost 5 years, and thought I'd compare it to my friend's manual M240i, which I drove several times a few years back (sadly, he sold it a while ago).

There are four main differences I noticed, some are pretty obvious, but some are more subtle, yet make a big difference.

1. Power
Obviously the M240i is quite a bit faster than the 230i. I always liked the power of the 230i, and found it more than enough for me. However, driving the M240i in comfort mode initially felt like driving the 230i in sport mode. That is until I pressed the throttle beyond ~ half way, and it just kept going harder and harder! In sport mode, the M240i was fantastic, so much torque! I still find the 230i to have enough power for me, I can easily pass other cars at stop lights, and on the highway. The 230i also has so much midrange torque, but the M240i is on another level.

My take is that you'll get used to the power of either car, after driving one or the other for a while. The difference is, if you take a break from driving for a week or two (or drive a much slower rental, for example), when you get back the the 230i, you will be pleasantly surprised. When you go back to the M240i, you will be shocked.

2. Handling
The difference here isn't too extreme. I find the M240i is a bit stiffer (note, my 230i has the fixed sport suspension, and the M240i had the adjustable sport dampers). The M240i does have a heavier steering and clutch, which makes it a bit more engaging, but it's not a huge difference. The 230i is a bit ligher (~150 lb/70 kg), but I didn't feel this difference too much. I think the stiffer suspension tuning of the M240i kind of makes up for this. Interestingly, my friend noted that the M240i feels more stable at high speeds than the 230i, perhaps due to the heavier weight.

3. Engine Feel
Okay, here is the big difference between the two cars, that isn't as obvious. The 230i has a lot rev hang. Going from 1st to 2nd gear, and 2nd to 3rd, there is a lot of rev hang. Not a problem for daily driving, but once you go past ~5,000 rpm, you really have to wait to shift to the next gear. I also find you can hold the clutch at the engagement point for a bit too, which helps smooth out the rev hang, but if you don't do this, the car will lurch forward. It's quite annoying, and inconsistent with the rest of the car (which does feel very sporty, otherwise). I have gotten used to it, and most of the time it doesn't bother me much anymore, however, it's something to consider. The M240i didn't have any rev hang. The B58 in the M240i also revved a lot faster, whereas the 230i was a bit slower to rev. This also made the M240i feel more like a sports car than the 230i, even though it's subtle. It almost felt like the M240i had a much lighter flywheel (even though I don't think this was actually the case).

4. Engine Sound
Another more obvious difference. The M240i sounds a lot louder on the inside than the 230i. In the M240i, you will hear every downshift, almost no matter how small. In the 230i, you really only hear the most aggressive downshifts (e.g., downshifting to 2nd at 5,000+ RPM). You really have to pay attention to hear the smaller downshifts because it's so quiet (even in sport mode!). The M240i also sounds legendary, and very smooth. I have to say though, the 230i sounds pretty good too, especially considering it's a 4-cylinder. It still has that deep, rumbly BMW sound at idle, and also sounds good under power. The 230i lacks a lot of that grindy noise that 4-cylidners often make, which helps too. Overall, the 230i sounds pretty good, just much quieter than the M240i. Lastly, my friend pointed out that the M240i sounds so much better, and louder on startup, which is a nice little bonus every morning

Overall though, both are great cars. I hope you found this interesting, and please let me know your thoughts!

I made a YouTube video discussing the M240i vs 230i if you want to check it out: https://youtu.be/5CvFsEN2o7Q (or not, I kind of highlighted most of the differences in this post )

Anyway, I hope you all have a great day!
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      03-19-2023, 01:14 PM   #2
Mason Hatcher
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I owned a 2018 230i. I loved it. Then I took a class at the performance center and we drove the M240i and M340i. Two months later I traded my 230i for a M340i.

To me, the difference was HUGE.
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      03-20-2023, 07:32 PM   #3
toxaris71
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mason Hatcher View Post
I owned a 2018 230i. I loved it. Then I took a class at the performance center and we drove the M240i and M340i. Two months later I traded my 230i for a M340i.

To me, the difference was HUGE.
Nice, the M340i is an amazing car. How did you find the automatic, going from a manual? Also, was it mainly the power and sound that convinced you, or was it something else?
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