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      07-15-2015, 04:53 PM   #1
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BMW M235i vs. BMW M2 vs. Audi S3 vs. Volkswagen Golf R

Two questions for all of you here. I understand that posting this on 2Addicts, the answers may be a bit bias. Honestly, so am I. I'm taking a hard look at the M2, but the R/S3 APR S1/S2 numbers are insane (3.6s 0-60). Numbers, however, aren't everything.

1. Which car do you think will have the best track performance? After market upgrades are fair game here (hi, APR!).

2. If you could have any of these cars, money being no option, which would you choose and why?
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      07-15-2015, 04:55 PM   #2
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1. Which car do you think will have the best track performance? After market upgrades are fair game here (hi, APR!).
The one with the best driver.

2. If you could have any of these cars, money being no option, which would you choose and why?
M235i, because that's what I already have and I love it.
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      07-15-2015, 05:03 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpine F31 View Post
1. Which car do you think will have the best track performance? After market upgrades are fair game here (hi, APR!).
The one with the best driver.

2. If you could have any of these cars, money being no option, which would you choose and why?
M235i, because that's what I already have and I love it.
How much did you pay for those answers? Because they felt cheap.
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      07-15-2015, 05:17 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by challer View Post
How much did you pay for those answers? Because they felt cheap.
Sorry, I couldn't resist. Seriously though, I'm super happy with my M235i and would not consider any other cars on your list. The M2 will be amazing but I already have my car, I've already started modding it and I'll be attending my 4th track day in it in two weeks. I'm not looking past my car for any other car, it's that good.

The Golf does nothing for me visually even though I know it's a bad ass car, it has to push all the buttons and it doesn't. The Audi.... I don't know, great interior and quick I'm sure but I don't want FWD/AWD.

Track performance IS all about the driver, but for a regular (novice) driver, the quickest car will be the one that is easiest to drive near the limit. That may be the Golf based on YouTube comparison tests I've seen, but apples to apples, the M2 will be the track star out of the cars you selected.
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      07-15-2015, 05:21 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by Alpine F31 View Post
Sorry, I couldn't resist. Seriously though, I'm super happy with my M235i and would not consider any other cars on your list. The M2 will be amazing but I already have my car, I've already started modding it and I'll be attending my 4th track day in it in two weeks. I'm not looking past my car for any other car, it's that good.

The Golf does nothing for me visually even though I know it's a bad ass car, it has to push all the buttons and it doesn't. The Audi.... I don't know, great interior and quick I'm sure but I don't want FWD/AWD.

Track performance IS all about the driver, but for a regular (novice) driver, the quickest car will be the one that is easiest to drive near the limit. That may be the Golf based on YouTube comparison tests I've seen, but apples to apples, the M2 will be the track star out of the cars you selected.
Now that's my kind of reply!
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      07-15-2015, 08:34 PM   #6
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I'm still waffling. Golf R is such a complete package for a daily driver. I already have a dedicated track car, but it might be handy to have 4wd and street tires for those rainy track weekends. I had a 135 that I never really warmed up to, even tuned. The M2 really needs to be something special.
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      07-15-2015, 10:11 PM   #7
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RS3 will put down the best lap times, M2 will be more fun / better drivers car.

Depends what you need. For a year round daily driver I probably go with golf r or focus rs and save some coin. If you have a winter beater / dd you can't beat the fun factor of a small(ish) rwd car.
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      07-16-2015, 06:18 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpine F31 View Post
The Golf does nothing for me visually even though I know it's a bad ass car, it has to push all the buttons and it doesn't.
Having both Golf R and M235i, I'm sincerely curious which are the buttons that the R doesn't push for you? Did you actually drive one?
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      07-16-2015, 06:44 AM   #9
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He just said visually it doesn't do it for him so I would assume it doesn't push his buttons on the aesthetic side of things.
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      07-16-2015, 10:02 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moldcad View Post
Having both Golf R and M235i, I'm sincerely curious which are the buttons that the R doesn't push for you? Did you actually drive one?
How would you compare the Golf R to the M235i? Any turbo lag?
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      07-16-2015, 03:46 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moldcad View Post
Having both Golf R and M235i, I'm sincerely curious which are the buttons that the R doesn't push for you? Did you actually drive one?
Only the looks of it. I know it's an awesome car to drive.
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      07-16-2015, 08:15 PM   #12
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The golf r and s3 are great cars. So is the m235i and m2 probably will be...

I chose the m235i because personally I think it's a better car, internal external looks and better engine. It's a great daily car, interior just feels right, I think it will age well, while golf r interior is a bit average. S3 does have awesome interior, but ever since the announcement of the tt with the new dash infotainment system, I didn't want to get into the s3 after.

But one thing I've learnt after owning the m235i is that vw/Audi are a lot more tune friendly, one thing I'm most disappointed about the bmw is the difficulty in tuning, jb4 might be "awesome" to some but no I don't want a piggyback system! A system that tricks the car into something, is completely different to actually modifying the ecu safely.

So yea if you want a rocket 0-100 the golf r and s3 after a tune will give you that. The m235i is a better drivers car tho still
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      07-16-2015, 08:22 PM   #13
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Given that details on the M2 haven't been announced yet, this is somewhat an exercise in speculation.

I don't think the M2 is going to give up much of anything in terms of day to day livability compared to the M235i, so the primary reason to get the M235i at this point is price or availability.

By track performance do you mean lap time? Or something else? Because technically an X6M laps Nordscheife faster than an E46 M3, but I'd rather have the latter.
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      07-17-2015, 02:31 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by challer View Post
How would you compare the Golf R to the M235i? Any turbo lag?
Well - not sure if you can call it turbo lag or throttle lag (tip-in, delay, etc...)) And yes - in Comfort mode the are very similar; you mustn't floor it instantaneously or you will have to wait a while before the engine catches up, but once you master they way gas pedal should be used (in general: you can floor it, just a little slower) - not a problem any more.

In any mode other than Comfort (or Eco equivalent), i.e. in Race where the rpm is held higher, no lag whatsoever.

As to the looks, beauty is in the eye of beholder so I won't discuss that; but with all the other aesthetics-connected aspects (the interior looks and quality of both material and workmanship) I really think sometimes the R feels like a higher level machine than the 2 series... If I didn't love the M235i sweet engine and RWD, I must say I'd prefer the Golf R. Before having actually bought it a year ago (the first VW in my life, btw), I'd have never suspected I would ever say something like this...
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      07-24-2015, 10:48 PM   #15
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Drove a stage 2 Golf R today. Pretty impressive.
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      07-24-2015, 10:54 PM   #16
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M2 should be in a totally different class. M3/4 suspension bits and brakes, M tuning, more power. I'm a fan of a lot of these cars but they are not comparable.
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      07-24-2015, 11:00 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spook410
M2 should be in a totally different class. M3/4 suspension bits and brakes, M tuning, more power. I'm a fan of a lot of these cars but they are not comparable.
It needs to be, but I'm not giving it a bye based on brand loyalty. It needs to compete at a price point, and the bar has been set at $40K by VW. At 50K it needs to be substantially better.
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      07-24-2015, 11:08 PM   #18
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Might as well throw in the 2016 375hp CLA45. Hope that will help raise the hp on the M2.
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      07-25-2015, 12:01 AM   #19
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I am looking at the Golf R, RS3, A45 AMG, M2 and possibly the M3/M4. I want a smaller car than the F80/82 though (have a F30 now) so that is way all the hatchbacks are interesting. Since I live in Sweden (home of the station wagon / avant / touring) I really love the RS3 but I need to see the unmasked M2 before making any deals.

I never buy the "best" car. I buy the one that my heart wants. So I never test drive the car before I just set my mind on one and then have it for a few years, so I tend to cross shop the strangest cars sometimes.
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      07-25-2015, 02:07 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by den525
The golf r and s3 are great cars. So is the m235i and m2 probably will be...

I chose the m235i because personally I think it's a better car, internal external looks and better engine. It's a great daily car, interior just feels right, I think it will age well, while golf r interior is a bit average. S3 does have awesome interior, but ever since the announcement of the tt with the new dash infotainment system, I didn't want to get into the s3 after.

But one thing I've learnt after owning the m235i is that vw/Audi are a lot more tune friendly, one thing I'm most disappointed about the bmw is the difficulty in tuning, jb4 might be "awesome" to some but no I don't want a piggyback system! A system that tricks the car into something, is completely different to actually modifying the ecu safely.

So yea if you want a rocket 0-100 the golf r and s3 after a tune will give you that. The m235i is a better drivers car tho still
All this buddy all day long.
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      07-25-2015, 02:12 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by m3bs View Post
It needs to be, but I'm not giving it a bye based on brand loyalty. It needs to compete at a price point, and the bar has been set at $40K by VW. At 50K it needs to be substantially better.
Who said anything about brand?

The Ford Focus RS is going to hammer everything else in the $40K performance car market. Predicting they won't be easy to get though.

For $6K more (or so) will a BMW 235 be worth it over the Focus RS? For some yes, for some no. It's a nice car that addresses the compromises of daily life well. That, and at least the 235 will be readily available to buy before 2017. Bet we can get good ED deals in 2016.

For $12K more (or so) trade off's on the M2 depend on just how good it is and just how important money is to a given individual. For some the price of admission is no big deal. To others it's a stretch or even prohibitive. If I were a younger guy that could barely afford an M2.. the purchase would get a lot of scrutiny.

Last edited by Spook410; 07-25-2015 at 02:17 AM..
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      07-25-2015, 03:28 AM   #22
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m2 and its not even close. the only close comparison is a cayman s, but that will be priced a bit higher i assume.
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