[MUSIC]
I'll be BMW does not classify the M235 i with it's other M performance Car.
They don't seem to think it's quite qualifies but I think it does.
BMW use to offer a fairly limited model range.
You had the 3-Series, the 5-Series, the 7-Series and the occasional six and then eight.
But now go to a BMW dealer lot and you'll be able to count from two to seven without a stop.
There's Xs for SUVs and crossovers.
There's also GTs and grand coups.
As a long time BMW fan, I find it a little bit bewildering.
But then I drove the 2015 BMW M235i and it all began to make sense again.
This is a really fun little car.
It has fantastic handling.
Easily cat power.
This is really what BMW used to be all about.
This is a really pure expression of a sports car.
[MUSIC]
This a completely stocked m235i, so we have none of the options that are available in the cabin tech We do have this basic iDrive controller, the dial here on the console.
We got a few buttons for audio and telephone and main menu.
If I hit the main menu button, on the screen here I get some basic functions.
I get Multimedia, Radio, Telephone.
So this has hands-free phone.
I've got my iPhone paired to the car, and, if I click this menu option, I get my phone book, I get a Ability to dial numbers individually.
For audio I've got my choice of radio or media sources.
Right now I'm on radio.
I've got HD radio here so that's a nice standard addition to the car.
If I go to my media sources, right now I'm looking at Bluetooth here.
And the coolest thing about this is that if I go to the music search screen I actually get a full list of the music library that's on my phone.
Not too many cars do this.
So I can choose artists, songs, albums, podcasts, whatever I wanna listen to, with a wireless connection from my phone to the car.
Now, I also have a USB port in the console here.
Now, I could option this up with the tech package.
That's $2,150 to get the full navigation system System, app connectivity, and BMW has a lot of good features with all that stuff, so I would definitely consider getting that.
I mean, you might say, well, this is a sports car.
You don't need all that stuff.
But this car is just so comfortable, I might want that navigation system to find the cool places to drive.
The driving character, the handling feel, that's what This MC35I is just really all about it.
It's just a great car to sit in the drivers seat and drive really anywhere.
Under the hood we've got a standard BMW engine now.
It's an inline, six cylinder, three litre and it's got a scrimscroll turbo on it.
In this instance they have it tuned up to 325 horsepower, 332 pound feet of torque.
It's great power for this little car.
And that's styled into a 6-speed manual transmission.
At least in this example, you could also get an 8-speed automatic, but this car you're really gonna want the 6-speed manual.
So right now I'm in eco pro mode.
That's this little rocker switch on the console.
And that dials it's most fuel efficient settings.
It activates idle stop feature.
Don't be afraid of that.
It will actually save you some gas at the stop lights.
But then I push it into Sport modes.
And that's where the throttle sharpens up and that actually stiffens the suspension a little bit, too.
Because this actually has an adaptive suspension.
That's a pretty cool feature in this car to get standard, BMW usually charges you extra for performance features like that.
It's one thing I like quite a bit about this car.
The suspension in this mode You know, it stiffens up the car a little bit, makes it handle better.
But, it's not too stiff, it's still a very comfortable car to drive.
I'm not feeling too many of the bumps in the road.
The trick is pushing this rocker switch once more to support plus mode, and that actually adds BMW's dynamic traction control to all the different Sport settings.
And what that does is that just lets the rear wheel spin a little bit harder when you come off the line, when you come through a corner, it lets that back end swing out a little bit further.
And that's, to my mind, classic BMW handling.
That's really what makes this car just loads of fun.
I mean, you really want to get this out into a Twisty windy road and just feel it run.
I've been pretty impressed even in city streets, a fast corner.
I didn't feel that I didn't come out and it makes me want to take this car to anywhere that I can find.
[MUSIC]
Let's price out our 2015 BMW 235I.
Base price $43,100 Now we have the technology package, that's $2,150.
BMW also wants $500 for what they call advanced Bluetooth and USB, I think that makes the phone work better with the car.
All in With destinations, we're looking at $46,700.
That's a lot of money for a small car like this.
But it is a lot of fun and it has a lot of BMW's great performance technology with it.
[MUSIC]
