[Franklin Joseph]

The 3 cars i'm considering is the M2 (#1 at my dealer) and the RS and also recently the gt350. I'm still leaning towards the M2, but will wait till i hear official pricing, options and production quantity. M2 i would buy sight unseen, the other 2 i would want to test drive before buying. I'll have a tough decision in the coming months...

[HawkZ4M]

Originally Posted by kovsky

This is where I'm at to. I've owned a fbo e85 wrx hatch and it ran like a raped ape but ultimately You get used to the performance and you're left with a cheap interior and a motor waiting to blow up.

I'm looking forward to a little more sophistication without losing the thrill and excitement and that's the M2 for me. I just can't put the RS, golf R, sti, evo type cars in the same classification. Or maybe I'm getting old.

Couldn't agree more I came from older BMWs and bought a high hp American V8 because I was seduced by the power. Once that was over the interior just drove me crazy. Looks like it was made out of old trashcans and the cheapest plastic they could source. I sold it and am now looking at the M235i or M2.

The GTI has a nice interior but ya the other stuff Focus Evo is pretty low quality.

[redux]

The M2 chassis will undoubtedly be brilliant. The looks, however, are another story. It didn't give me the "I have to own one" feeling that I got from 1M or that I'm getting from the Focus. My deposit for the fancy 2 has been returned and I've kept the slot for the RS. Ford has been on a roll in the dynamics department as of late and petty sure they've waved the magic wand over the RS chassis a few times during it's development. So, I'm hoping I won't be disappointed. The econo-box(ish) interior is somewhat expected when you're looking at a $15,000 price difference and still better than what you get in a GTR.

[JustChris]

Considered both and had 4th allocation at dealers for the RS. No longer considering either. RS great all season option, I'd love the M1/235is in UK with Xdrive.

[E92cannon]

Originally Posted by hangover

True..

RS is AWD, has more torque, 4 doors, a 20k bonus check when compared to the overpriced, underpowered, impractical, 60k pseudo M"2".

RS > M235I >>>> M2

Who is this guy

[hangover]

Originally Posted by redux

The M2 chassis will undoubtedly be brilliant. The looks, however, are another story. It didn't give me the "I have to own one" feeling that I got from 1M or that I'm getting from the Focus. My deposit for the fancy 2 has been returned and I've kept the slot for the RS. Ford has been on a roll in the dynamics department as of late and petty sure they've waved the magic wand over the RS chassis a few times during it's development. So, I'm hoping I won't be disappointed. The econo-box(ish) interior is somewhat expected when you're looking at a $15,000 price difference and still better than what you get in a GTR.

RS AWD with drift mode > M2 rwd
RS 4 doors > M2 2 doors
RS 40k equipped > 20k more for M2
RS more room on inside > M2
RS torque > M2
RS looks >>>>>> M2 ricer
RS no piped in fake exhaust sound > Utterly embarrassing on 2 series

Need I go on?

And please, no comparing a an M2 to the Ford GT350 with flat plane crank V8.

[Adem1534]

Originally Posted by hangover

True..

RS is AWD, has more torque, 4 doors, a 20k bonus check when compared to the overpriced, underpowered, impractical, 60k pseudo M"2".

RS > M235I >>>> M2

Hahaha I always love a good laugh in the morning

[Adem1534]

Originally Posted by hangover

RS AWD with drift mode > M2 rwd
RS 4 doors > M2 2 doors
RS 40k equipped > 20k more for M2
RS more room on inside > M2
RS torque > M2
RS looks >>>>>> M2 ricer
RS no piped in fake exhaust sound > Utterly embarrassing on 2 series

Need I go on?

And please, no comparing a an M2 to the Ford GT350 with flat plane crank V8.

No you don't need to go on, now stop posting this nonsense in the m2 discussions forums and go play with your m235i

[hangover]

Originally Posted by auf Deutsch

Besides drift mode that the RS will have, how else does Ford's awd system trump xdrive?

I don't know, maybe the fact that BMW charges a 15k premium for an M235ix you'd think that the system would be superior in SOME aspect other than just being MORE EXPENSIVE. Alas it's not and actually missing things like drift mode.

But spend more for the badge please... helps profits and stockholders of BMW.

[Adem1534]

Originally Posted by E92cannon

Who is this guy

A butthurt m235i owner coming in and shitting on the M2, trying to subconsciously make himself okay with his inferior car?

[JustChris]

Hmm well this got interesting quickly. AWD RS3 will beat the M2 in a straight line or in any form of precipitation, otherwise M2 all the way as a drivers car. No manual even offered on the RS3 too. Love me a 6MT

[zayzay]

just paid down on a focus RS, they are asking $3000 over msrp and i am keeping my 1M

[redux]

Originally Posted by hangover

RS AWD with drift mode > M2 rwd
RS 4 doors > M2 2 doors
RS 40k equipped > 20k more for M2
RS more room on inside > M2
RS torque > M2
RS looks >>>>>> M2 ricer
RS no piped in fake exhaust sound > Utterly embarrassing on 2 series

Need I go on?

And please, no comparing a an M2 to the Ford GT350 with flat plane crank V8.

Some of those are valid points. But you are missing the most important factor:

Driving a high strung stiffly sprung economy car on a daily basis become can rather grating when you are over the age of 30.


If I only had room for one car in my driveway, the M2 would be the one filling the spot.

[G8rGrl]

Originally Posted by DS_BMW

Who else is looking at both of these? Focus RS will be here in the spring also. Should be about 13k cheaper than the M2. I'm looking very forward to driving them, despite how much different they are. I have a Fiesta ST and it's very good. So I think the RS will be no joke. M2 has it on looks and sound though for sure over the RS.

Not me. Looks are subjective and I think the Focus/Fiesta cars are hideous.

[IEDEI]

The Focus RS is a very exciting car.....i will definitely consider one next year when i have the budget to get a 2nd car for family use. Really glad that Ford USA have finally started bringing the cool euro stuff to this market!!!

[Spook410]

Experience is sometimes the only teacher.

If you haven't owned an economy car with greatly enhanced performance (Subaru WRX, STi, Mitsubishi EVO) then I think you should. I believe you'll find there are good things and bad. In the end, we leave these behind as we get older and more prosperous. They are fast. However they lack the quality of fine things we appreciate more over time.

Maybe the same could be said for the M2 and it's direct competitors though certainly to a lesser degree. However, I think it will be nice enough and fast enough to keep multiple brain centers concurrently happy.

Experience also teaches us that if you get in people's faces on forums, you will be viewed as a troll and nobody will take you seriously. And if you do not wish to contribute your views to a group and be taken seriously, why would you bother to post? Expressing views out of the mainstream is a good thing. There are ways to do this that show you have insight into who you're addressing.

[OrangeCrush]

Originally Posted by E92cannon

Who is this guy

He's mad because he can't get an M2. That's all.

[DS_BMW]

Originally Posted by redux

Some of those are valid points. But you are missing the most important factor:

Driving a high strung stiffly sprung economy car on a daily basis become can rather grating when you are over the age of 30.


If I only had room for one car in my driveway, the M2 would be the one filling the spot.

I bet the M2 will be set up pretty stiff. Probably not quite as much as the RS though.

[Seagull]

Originally Posted by Spook410

Experience is sometimes the only teacher.

If you haven't owned an economy car with greatly enhanced performance (Subaru WRX, STi, Mitsubishi EVO) then I think you should. I believe you'll find there are good things and bad. In the end, we leave these behind as we get older and more prosperous. They are fast. However they lack the quality of fine things we appreciate more over time.

Maybe the same could be said for the M2 and it's direct competitors though certainly to a lesser degree. However, I think it will be nice enough and fast enough to keep multiple brain centers concurrently happy.

Experience also teaches us that if you get in people's faces on forums, you will be viewed as a troll and nobody will take you seriously. And if you do not wish to contribute your views to a group and be taken seriously, why would you bother to post? Expressing views out of the mainstream is a good thing. There are ways to do this that show you have insight into who you're addressing.

I absolutely appreciate this post. Although I am not considering another car besides a BMW ( my own narrow mindedness ) I do like to see an honest, well thought out discussion on what other possibilities are put forward. Some of the posts seem knee jerk reactions and represent this forum pretty poorly.

[the_phew]

I feel like the tide is shifting with respect to performance cars; it used to be, you could have cheap power with a domestic, but the handling and interior would be garbage.

Now? The AMG45/M2 have interiors that are no more premium than the new Camaro 2SS, and the domestics are even ahead in the performance tech department (torque vectoring AWD/MR shocks, for Focus RS and Camaro, respectively). And this should make us happy, because I would hope we're all car enthusiasts first and BMW enthusiasts second. Cars like the Focus RS are a gift to enthusiasts, whether you choose to buy one or not. The more automakers are competing to offer amazing performance cars, the better for consumers.

Buy an M2 because you like the small size (there isn't a competing RWD 2+2 that small), but don't have some illusion that it's a performance bargain or more luxurious than Detroit's latest.

[PackPride85]

Originally Posted by the_phew

I feel like the tide is shifting with respect to performance cars; it used to be, you could have cheap power with a domestic, but the handling and interior would be garbage.

Now? The AMG45/M2 have interiors that are no more premium than the new Camaro 2SS, and the domestics are even ahead in the performance tech department (torque vectoring AWD/MR shocks, for Focus RS and Camaro, respectively). And this should make us happy, because I would hope we're all car enthusiasts first and BMW enthusiasts second. Cars like the Focus RS are a gift to enthusiasts, whether you choose to buy one or not. The more automakers are competing to offer amazing performance cars, the better for consumers.

Buy an M2 because you like the small size (there isn't a competing RWD 2+2 that small), but don't have some illusion that it's a performance bargain or more luxurious than Detroit's latest.

The interior of the Focus is garbage no matter what model it is. If you're wanting a nice interior for econobox, Mazda is on top of that list. I would say its just a step below a 2 series interior, where the Ford is 3 steps below.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by PackPride85

The interior of the Focus is garbage no matter what model it is. If you're wanting a nice interior for econobox, Mazda is on top of that list. I would say its just a step below a 2 series interior, where the Ford is 3 steps below.

i'd say the Mazda 3 interior is muuch nicer than the 2-series interior; it's very Audi-inspired i'd say.



...but i agree with you that the Focus RS interior, aside from the fantastic looking seats, looks terrible!! It looks like a late 80s/early 90s korean boombox cd player!!!