VIDEO REVIEW: Agent 001 Takes You Out In BMW's New Bad Boy, The M235i — Is It One Of The TRUE GREAT BMWs In Recent Memory?

If you drive this car around, people might tell you like "Buy a real BMW"

It is a real BMW with still the segment best engine, most performance and most efficiency with straight-6 smoothness and sound…and no I don't worship BMW and Europe, I'm a patriot and am exercising my freedom of choice. In before you.

Yah, a true patriot who is into Lambo and Ferrari, and calls this overpriced inferior version of 3 series a "real BMW".

If the Americans had 500,000 dollars to spend on a car (or cars), then about over 90% of Americans would most likely purchase the European cars, and make fun of people driving Japanese and American (People generally say the Japanese cars can never be compared to European, no matter how good they may be, and the American cars are generally always ignored. Thanks to such perception, the Japanese and the American brands can never be the status symbols, no matter how hard they try. So, for those Americans with money, their salvation lies only within the European brands. After all, around more than 90% of Americans would rather say 'I drive a Porsche' than say 'I drive a Lexus' or Lincoln. It is true that the European luxury brands are very much appealing to the majority of people around the world, but it is not just because those brands themselves are appealing, but it also has something more to do with cultural heritage. For example, let's say Japan makes the most advanced watches in the world, which they do. But which one would you rather have? A most advanced watch made in Japan, or a watch that may not be the most advanced, but a traditional, Swiss watch like Rolex? I'm sure more than 90% of Americans and the world would choose Rolex)

And I am sure you wouldn't be one of those 90%, "patriot".

I would say that kind of phenomenon is due to the fact that, the Western and the Northern parts of Europe generally always have been the envy of the world (Many Americans blindly believe they are the envy of the world, when no one is really jealous of America, especially the America that exists today).

The standard of living is higher in Europe than in America, over 70% of luxury brands in the world are from the European countries (And over 70% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck). There certainly are many brands that the Europeans are so proud of, and what does America have? Oh ya, America has...uh.... Lincoln. And Cadillac XTS, that is "trying" to compete with....uh..."S CLASS"? (Yah right)

The Japanese have always been making cars and watches to challenge the Europeans, not Americans.

Really, will I ever see America producing goods and brands that can even be called the "status symbols"? Most likely we will never see the day, because in fact, pretty much no one wants a luxury brand that is "non" European.

@JDM

Please refrain from your illogical rants and stick to what you know.

Buick is actually considered a status symbol in the Far East.

JDMUSMuscle

You shouldn’t talk about watches, its sounds like you know less about timepieces than you do cars and to what I’ve read you don’t know much about cars.

Far East hahaha! If you don't know much, then I would not say anything. You mean "China". Buick is not even considered as anything in countries like South Korea and Japan. Buick and China's history goes all the way back.

scenic, if you know nothing about watches, I would not talk about it. Can you tell me how "advanced" Rolex watches are, compared to Seiko's latest models?

It is pretty obvious why your comeback is all just "Oh hey, that ain't true! You are dumb!" because I spoke the "truth".

Can you please tell me what you would buy if you had a half million dollars in your bank account? Would you buy a Lincoln MKT? Or Porsche 911?

Ya, that is exactly what I thought. Don't try arguing, when you already know I am merely telling the truth.

I assume you comments are target at me, so MKT or the 911 (have driven both) my first choice is neither. The MKT is a rebodied Ford Flex and the 911 is over priced by 25K minimum. 500k in the bank, to many variables to answer correctly, is spare cash, is it investment, is it 401k, is my home paid for? I you put a gun to my head I'd choose the Porsche at least it's fun to drive.

@JDM

Though your illogical question is not directed at me, I just have to point out it is not thought out at all.

Could you, at minimum, at least make an apples-to-apples comparison to make your question somewhat strong?

Let's say $500,000 and the choices are two sports cars, one being domestic and the other being European. Wouldn't it make more sense to ask, say, a Camaro ZL1 vs. an M3? Or let's take a luxury spin on it — a Cadillac XTS vs. a Mercedes-Benz E-Class?

I weep for people like you.

I'm sure this car drives like a dream. But, from an exterior stand point, it's just "BMW as usual" or more like "rehashed BMW styling cues". It just doesn't look fresh or new…or something. And that steering wheel is just ridiculous gimmickry, IMO. Sorry, not interested.

If the car did not have a BMW Badge you would throw rocks at it.

Correct answer.

This car looks to be the return to BMW's core - excellent, well balanced sports coupes and sedans. I like the traditional styling, am not interested in some new new flame surfacing. I'll take one loaded with the manual.

Right on.

The last-gen 135i and 1M were also throwback cars, IMHO.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....geesh, another kidney grille on a box...just like all the rest. I honestly do not understand the appeal of these things. To each his own. I don't understand 'return to core' comments. why did they stray from their core? I understand the 3 series lost its appeal because it no longer handles like it used to. Why did they change it? So they could replace it? I've walked the dealer lot and all these cars look the same to me from 20 feet...have to walk down the rows behind them to see their badges to know which is which.

You would of had to of driven an E36 or E46 3-Series to understand what 001's getting at.

The cars used to have more steering feel and were VERY communicative. Everything was tuned to let the driver know exactly what was going on. As time has gone forward, BMW has moved away from this rawness to create products a more broad market would like. This means more numb steering, softer riding suspension, etc.

Now the appeal, at least to me, is pretty simple. The cars tend to have better driving dynamics over the competition and really have integrated technology into the products arguably better than everyone else. iDrive finally makes sense, the instrument panel is great and if you get the head-up display you'll find it hard to live without it. Oh, and BMW has begun to really focus on its mpg.

JDMUSMuscle - your comments are completely ignorant... from your opinion Japanese ANYTHING is better than everything else.... complete moron... Id buy ANY car over any Toyota, Lexus or Infiniti...

It's pretty obvious you don't know how to read.

Do you know how to read? Where did you get the idea that "all Japanese stuff is better" from? I'm sure my statements were about, why the people go after the luxury European goods and the reasons for it, not about how good the Japanese products are.

I guess you never really did well in school. Sorry for you.

@xjug1987a...so, I guess it is OK in your rant against JDMUSMuscle, you do the exact same thing in your response against Asian makes. I thought you were complaining about his bias, then you displayed your own.

As a longtime BMW owner, I get it - the appeal that is. As maybe a new to BMW prospective customer, I might say "what's so different?"
It will be perfect if its as light and nimble as the e46 330i, has more torque than the e92 M3, and includes the refinements such as quiet doors in the F30. I've had all of those cars so if this new 235i combines those attributes, and maybe more, then it's a clear winner.

hey agent, just curious how much is the m performance upgrade kit, like the whole thing , wheels, side skirt, muffler , etc ?
I personally had the e46 m3 ( 2005) and loved that car more than any other bmw i ever had, more than my e92 m3 with competition package even.. its hard to beat a car thats a perfect size, with perfect balance of power and handling, this m235i might be the closest thing to it..

@iamdabest $17k euro for everything

001

wow, thats steep ! thanks

This direction for BMW is encouraging. However, it is over priced and over weight. There are mid-size sedans and CUV's that are in that weight neighborhood.
I know they packed a lot of gear and tech into it, but I'd do with less to have a lighter ride that is more affordable and less complex--which reminds me of another issue I have with BMW, less reliability than the least expensive cars on the market.