[ChefBorOzzy]

A couple months ago I drove a 5 series, A6, E class, and CTS.. 5 series was pretty disappointing. 2-3 year old car with rattles that none of my cars had, and we're talking about 20-25k cars when new for some of them. Throttle response was absolutely atrocious on the 3.0. Would choose the E or the A6 over it. Sat in a 3 series. Disappointed. I absolutely love the proportions of the 2 series, but would in no way choose it over the Camaro.

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

People have these biased perceptions of BMW 3-series cars, thinking that the interior is CNCed from one giant solid piece of aluminum, inlaid with goat leather and diamonds. To a large extent, it's what they "want to believe" about these cars. The bottom line is that they are no 6, 7, or even 5 series as far as that goes. Once you are paying 100K things change dramatically, but an M2, M3, M4 is not all that interior-wise IMO. My 4-series SQUEAKED over curbs because the damn door seals gripped the windows and creaked with the body-flex. Sill-less frames, just like the Camaro...but BMW couldn't seem to not make them creak all over the place. Don't get me wrong, the interior isn't horrible, but the BMW has little to nothing over the Camaro in terms of ergonomics and features, although BMW does piece-meal you more, making you pay for stupid stuff like alarm system, keyless entry, cross-traffic alerts, etc. Lots of stuff that is standard on an 2SS was all sorts of extra $$$ on the BMW. About the only thing my BMW had over it was the adaptive cruise control, which for obvious reasons doesn't make a lot of sense with a manual car like the Camaro. Otherwise a lot of stuff like the cluster, HUD, driving modes (and not having to select sport every time I start) is better. 1SS is definitely stripped out more in terms of features, but 2SS gives you a lot that when you compare with a 3 or 4 series BMW, stacks up pretty well.

I have to say that the quality of my 2 Series was really good. It was the best interior I personally ever had in a car. The ergonomics were also much better than the 2SS in regard to the center storage console, ingress/egress, being able to rest your arm on the window sill, and lack of blind spots. And mine was squeak and rattle-free over the 3 years I owned it. The ride also was the best I ever experienced in a sporty car, combining a real luxury feel with sharp handling.

That said, agree 100% that they nickel and dime you for everything you get. The $44K base price on mine included vinyl seats and trim - yes, it was decent quality vinyl, but still vinyl. I went for the $1450 leather option. Also had to pay $950 for a rear camera and parking sensors, and $2000 for the navigation/tech package. I did not opt for the blind spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, keyless entry, heated seats and steering wheel, or Harmon/Kardin stereo, so I ended up with a $50K car without a lot of the niceties that are standard in the 2SS, and a stereo that sounded no better than the one in my 1984 Z28.

Also agree that while the BMW 2 Series interior was nice, it wasn't like it had been sprinkled with magic dust. It was nowhere near the interior of a Mercedes or even most Audis. Forced to choose, I would say the quality was slightly better than my 2SS, but it's splitting hairs really. I enjoy the interior of my 2SS better overall than the 2 Series, because of the cluster, HUD, infotainment, heated steering wheel, heated/cooled seats, and no fake pumped-in engine noise.

[wjones14]

A picture of my 2 Series interior. Draw your own conclusion whether this is a nice interior or not.

[DaveC113]

^ I like the e-brake!

[hotlap]

I went back and forth between the M2 and the 2SS before I ordered my 2016 A8. Then again before I bought the 18 M6 ...while adding Audi and Lexus to the mix.

All very tempting but a 2SS gives so much more content and performance for ~$8-10k less. Most interesting was that as a tall driver (6’-4”) the Camaro fit much better. My left arm missed the M2’s door arm rest with the seat all the way back. It was like in the middle of my forearm IIRC.

I still love the M2 so who knows what the future... Honestly, I’d prefer a conservative coupe more like my 04 GTO was but the SS shortcomings aren’t a dealbreaker for me.

[Triple D]

I own a 2017 2SS Camaro and a 1995 BMW M3. The M3 is a restoration project and a track car. The Camaro is more of a dual personality car. I can drive the Camaro comfortably when I want to and then switch modes and let the car rip. It's hard to compare the two. The BMW has a more refined interior, more leather, better fit and finish, better carpeting. The BMW is easier to drive fast as it is smaller, less powerful, and has a very forgiving chassis that lets you know when you are about to get into trouble. You also have to work the car harder to go fast and it has limits that are approachable for street driving.

When you drive the Camaro, you can tell that GM spent the money on the engine and chassis, not on making a standout interior for the cost of this car. The SS is so powerful and the chassis is so good, it is hard to feel like you are making the car work until you are moving at more than 80 mph.
I love that the an oil change for the Camaro costs about $60. BMW charges about twice that. My Porsche Boxster would cost $250 for an oil change. That is part of the reason I traded the Boxster for a Camaro. Despite the somewhat challenging visibility in the Camaro, it really isn't any worse than what the Boxster offered. I like the Chevy because it is easy to live with- not too expensive to buy, reasonably priced to own, and very fun to drive. The BMW is way more expensive to maintain. You really have to love German cars to justify the cost of living with them.

[50MileSmile]

Having sold my M2, I can add that insurance on the 1LE is about half that of the BMW.

[SliChillax]

Originally Posted by wjones14

A picture of my 2 Series interior. Draw your own conclusion whether this is a nice interior or not.

As an ex M235i owner for 3 years, how can you say it's a nice interior design and material wise? The horrible hard plasticky leather on the seats, the horribly bland looking center console and gauge cluster. The only thing saving that interior isnthe idrive screen and steering wheel which imo is oversized. The 2SS and above has way nicer interior than any similar priced BMW has.