2023? 2024?? BMW 228xi Gran Coupe: Honey I brought a Kia home.
Welcome to your entry level BMW, which is actually a Mini underneath. I got the pleasure of having this in my hands for 3 days because the X5 was in for service and warranty work and we need a car for school bus duty. I asked for a BMW SUV or 3 series, and they gave me a 2GC.
What is it?
B48 2.0t AWD that puts out ~230hp, 4 door coupe thing.
Driving
It actually drives decently well. BMW still does have the whole driving dynamic thing more figured out than MB/Audi/Lexus imo. All the entry level luxury things are FWD based now so you can no longer get away. Being in my 30s and coming off of a slew of hot hatches or named performance/icon cars (MS3, DC5S, F56 Mini, NC1 Miata, F80 M3), this actually slots right in. The suspension is firm but not too firm. There's a big lane wide pothole that is extremely harsh in the M3 but this soaked it up no problem.
Around town, what used to be a low profile 225/40/18 tire is now a standard tire, it never showed any poor behaviour and did what I asked of it..... until I pushed it around a right turn rather quickly and while the car did what it was asked, it understeered through the whole thing. It's drives well, just don't ask it to do anything crazy.
While I liked the suspension tuning, I can see how some one who's less inclined on a sport ride may find it a little busy around town. The steering is typical of most BMWs nowadays, heavier and not much feel.
Day-to-day
Most of the car was fine, what you'd expect from an entry BMW, much nicer than a Corolla and really no complaints in the driver's seat.
With that said, the trunk is really dumb.
With the stubby rear end, the trunk isn't so much a trunk but rather a door that swings upward. It's actually decently deep but if your groceries are loose and rolls all the way in, you are going to have to bend and reach.
The other major complaint was the audio. The car I had was decently loaded with options with a "premium" audio system by HK. When I received the car I was wondering why bass was turned up to max and treble was turned all the way to minimum. As I played with the audio I quickly learned why. This is hands down the WORST upgraded audio system I've ever had the misfortune of using. Most cars I have driven with the base system would sound better than this. On a song that I quite enjoy normally, the vocals came out so shrill on this system I went and turned the treble all the way down as well.
Will it baby?
If push comes to shove, which in our case, shoved.
My 20 month old didn't want to get in. It was tight and challenging to put her in and to retrieve her after.
Conclusion
I'm not the target buyer, I can see it being a great car for a single bachelor guy who wants the badge. But at the 50k price you are a stones throw away from a 330i, which is an infinitely better car. It explains why there are so little on the road despite being on sale for almost 4 years.