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2 years with my BMW 220i M Sport Gran Coupe: Detailed ownership review

15th September 2024, 11:47 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

There are times I miss the Christmas-y lights and flashy interiors of the Mercedes A200 but this is a much better fun-to-drive car and that’s how I shun the thought.

BHPian nileshbhatiaa recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

My search for the car began in 2022 with an upgrade needed for my 2012 VW Vento 1.6L TDI Highline. The car has aged very gracefully but we were in need of a second car from the higher segment. Requirements were identified as:

Car in the Luxury segment
Sedan
5-Star rated safety
Good stability being the most important criteria, and finally
Budget at < Rs. 50L

I am a huge fan of sedans and hence SUVs were out of the equation from the start.

Cars considered

1. Skoda Octavia L&K

I test drove the car multiple times and found it great. I personally loved everything about the car from handling, interiors to engine and performance. I finalized the same and decided to take my family for a test drive for their approval before handing the cheque. I carried the cheque book with me thinking the last drive to be a mere formality. As luck would have it, the car offered to us for a test drive that day came with very dirty interiors, my family rejected the car on first look without even wanting to go for a test drive. A new demo piece wasn’t available for me to show and convince the family of how lovely the car actually looks.

2. Skoda Superb L&K

I knew the car was going to be discontinued soon and hence did not want to risk shelling out a big amount. Also, the interiors looked dated.

3. Audi A4

Coming from VW, I found the interior design language very similar to my existing Vento. Sitting inside, it did not feel like a huge upgrade and hence we dropped the idea. Moreover, the sales team were surprisingly quite disinterested, not very keen to push for the sale and did not spend enough time with us. I almost had the feeling of walking into a Govt. office.

4. BMW 220i

Knowing my love for sedans, the SA introduced 220i to me as a sports coupe, the car was parked in the showroom with rimless doors open. Hearing the words “sports coupe”, my son refused to budge from the scene and wanted me to book the car then and there without looking any further. Upon my insistence to complete our circle of search, we decided to head to Mercedes as well.

5. Mercedes A200d

We sat in the car and there it was. This was the car we all wanted. Lovely interiors, good build, decently powerful engine. This car ticked all the boxes in our checklist.

The decision

Front-wheel drive? Yes, it is! Cheapest entry-level BMW? Yes, it is! Does it make this car any less of a BMW? With 190hp, 280NM of torque (now trimmed down to 176 hp to meet the emission norms)....definitely not!

I did not find many reviews on 220i and hence thought I should detail my experience for others who might want to consider this car.

I have completed 18,000 Kms and 2 annual maintenance services. My car runs in the city and on highways in 70:30 ratio. I have done round trips from Bangalore to & fro Chennai, Goa, Pondy & Trichy with roads in mostly good conditions but having occasional bad patches. I have had the service inclusive and repair-inclusive maintenance package for 5 years.

What I love (this is a long list, and that’s good news):

It's a BMW! The aspirational value of this brand is amazing; the car gets a lot of attention on the road, even while it is parked.
Super refined, powerful engine for its size and weight. The engine is super quiet at slow city speeds and growls well at higher RPMs in Sports mode with paddle shifters which is music to the ears.
An inline 4 cylinder, 2 ltr. 190 HP engine with 280 NM torque, dual-clutch and twin-powered turbo delivering 0-100 in 7 seconds make it a rocket that’s faster than many EVs available in India.
220i shared the same petrol engine with its longer and heavier 3 series sibling, making the 2 series 1 second faster in 0-100 run. Of course, the latest 3 is much more powerful than earlier.
Turbo kicks in at as low as 1350 rpm and the automatic gearbox keeps the car in the right gear at all times.
Highly aerodynamic, road-hugging, bottom-heavy, coupé styling, sports car-like seating and handling generate confidence at high speeds. The car remains completely stable and grounded at high speeds.
5-star rated safety with plenty of safety features.
Launch control with paddle shifters in sports plus manual mode makes this car fun to drive.
Run-flat tires are an added safety, though they give it a firm ride and are expensive to replace, but I still love the confidence they give me when driving in lonely places.
Ambient lighting is subtle and not distracting. For more sensitive eyes, the brightness can even be reduced, and the infotainment screen can be switched off.
Love the sports seats, the adjustable side padding holds the body in place during high-speed manoeuvres, though the seats are more comfortable for people with lean body frames. People with broad frames might find the seats a bit narrow.
The car cocoons itself around you, some might find the cabin a little cramped but I prefer it this way since the car tightly hugs you which ultimately inspires confidence. It is like the comfort of wearing a right-sized, tightly snugging sports shoe vs the feeling of emptiness when you wear a shoe that's one size above what you need. An analogy to explain how I personally feel in a Coupé vs an SUV. That's my preference; others may prefer it differently.
Wireless Android Auto and Apple Car Play work well without a glitch.
Ten touch-sensitive memory buttons which can store favorite functions/settings and not just radio stations.
Automatic reverse assistant, this is not just a marketing gimmick, I use it every day to take out the car from my parking lot automatically, hands-free with the touch of a button.
Auto Park takes complete autonomous control of the car including forward, reverse, brake, accelerator etc. Always perfect in both parallel and perpendicular parking. NOTE: If sensors are dirty, this feature can misfire.
Large panoramic sunroof. I keep the blind open to let in the light, but for safety, I never open the sunroof itself.
Feature-rich infotainment system, lots of hidden tips and tricks available on the internet. The screen display is sharp and crisp. Display of on-board maps both in the driver display and on the infotainment system is helpful.
Powerful LED headlamps, LED tail lamps and LED fog lamps. The projection of the BMW logo from the driver-side rear-view mirror is another party trick.
High-quality soft-touch interiors everywhere including the space under the steering wheel where knees often knock.
Feels very well built; everything you touch is of high-quality leather, and plastic, soft touch, and appears well put together.
Key-based recognition of drivers, including the welcoming function, is a boon for me and my wife with both of us having different driving positions. Preference of seat position, ORVM position, radio station, AC settings and ambient lighting color can all be set as per driver preference, all these settings change depending on the key fob used.
Rear camera is sharp & provides good clarity in low light conditions; automatic emergency breaking upon detecting collision is beneficial and has already avoided a collision or two.
You can flaunt rimless doors all the time; the trick never fails to get you attention. Although the downside is that due to the absence of rims, road noise in the cabin increases marginally especially at high speeds or in noisy surroundings.
Gesture controls, auxiliary ventilation, journey data, driving behavior analysis, and coffee break reminders (analysis-based and not just timer-based) are a good addition.
Key fob is attractive with M badging.
Emergency breaking while reversing is a good safety feature and does kick in to provide safety. It has already saved me from hitting the car with objects behind while reversing on at least two occasions.

Big miss

Absence of connected car features at this price point is sad.
Front parking camera, although there are sensors but having a camera would be nice.
Light buttons on the right side of the dashboard are a major ergonomic failure. Buttons on the control panel hide behind the steering wheel and not visible unless I lean right, forcing me to take my eyes off road to use fog lamps.

An ergonomic failure, look at the light buttons behind the right side of the steering wheel, shown by an arrow

Strangely, there is no dedicated button in the car to open the boot lid, I need to use the button in the key fob, which works only after pressing P on the gear lever. Every time I enter a mall and the security needs to check the boot; it is a mini procedure in itself.
Auto start-stop is too sensitive for my preference and sometimes triggers even at crawling speeds. As a workaround, I keep this feature off and use it only after the car has come to a complete halt.
Speakers are okay and should have been better, newer variants come with improved speakers.
Cornering light function is a miss, though mentioned in the brochure.
Arm rest does not slide forward, though mentioned in the brochure, but not a big miss.
Padded bottle holders to reduce the vibration.
Passenger seat memory functions.

Nice to have, but can live without

Cooled glove box
Ventilated seats, this would push up the cost substantially and hence I am okay with this miss. Also, okay because I am blessed with Bangalore weather.
Wireless charging these are often slow and hence not a big miss but is offered on the newer variants. I have an option to add wireless charging as an accessory however that will take away some storage space and hence I did not opt for it.
4. Keyless entry, clicking a button on the remote while walking up to the car is hardly an effort. In fact, I prefer the car to not open automatically since many a times I am closer but not ready to get into the car, and it is always safer to keep the car locked till I want it to unlock.

Not complaining about:

Low mileage - this is meant to be a fun-to-drive, high-speed, sports coupe with a powerful engine. You can drive this car for mileage in Eco mode. But Naaah!! You are not be BMW'ing then.
Front wheel drive, I have seen a lot of critics writing about this car not being a typical rear wheel drive BMW but trust me, you will hardly ever notice it, maybe because the weight of the car is very well balanced. I don't know for sure, but it feels like a 50:50 weight distribution. If you are a car enthusiast, you will notice the difference only while launching the car using launch control, but then one doesn't always do that and not every driver on the road is a car enthusiast.
Low ground clearance – This is a sports coupe with a low profile and deserves respect. Only those who appreciate a low-profile sedan should buy this so that there is no mismatch in expectations. One cannot buy a car that doesn't match purpose and complain later.
Space: this really depends on one's driving style & seating position preference. I am 6 ft tall. I like to sit upright without leaning the seat back too much. Space at the rear could be an issue in case the passengers in front like to sit with seats pushed all the way behind which isn't the case in my family and hence the car feels just right for us. Please check your requirements upfront, one cannot buy a Coupe and complain of the headroom later.

With 2 years since my purchase and two annual services behind me, this is a comprehensive detail of my ownership experience.

In-city experience:

First, let’s address the elephant in the room. I have heard a lot of people loosely commenting that this being a FWD is a duplicate BMW or does not have the DNA of a BMW, while I understand the concern however trust me, BMW knows what they are doing, they will not risk the reputation of providing ‘sheer driving pleasure’ for anything. As commented earlier, the difference will only be noticed by experienced enthusiasts who look for rugged performance and let’s be clear, this car is not for them. Buy this car as a daily commute, even if you are a fun-loving driver, you would not notice the difference unless pointed out. People who criticize the car for being a FWD are either enthusiasts (in which case I respect the opinion) or those who have not driven it and are merely commenting without experiencing the car's capabilities. After all, how many office goers would drift the car into the office or apartment basement and perform donuts!
The 4-cylinder engine is super refined and delivers quick power on the slightest touch of throttle. This isn’t a big car and hence maneuvering in and out of traffic or fitting the car in a tight parking space is not a challenge.
The next thing to note is that this is a compact sedan. My family comprises of my wife, my son and I. We did not require a big car, we had a small budget and a small parking space and hence needed an entry-level luxury car, 220i fits our purpose very well and gives us the bragging rights of owning a BMW. If you have a large family, this car is not for you.
In the city, the car delivers mileage between 8-10 depending on traffic conditions. In the notorious traffic conditions of Bangalore, this mileage is in a perfectly acceptable range.
I am not a fast driver by any means, but I am a quick driver. By that I mean, I like to get out of traffic conditions quickly without exceeding the speed limits and this car meets my requirement of being quick very well.
This is a low-profile coupe and hence needs respect when approaching a bad speed breaker. So far, I have only touched the bottom twice and that is because I am extremely careful and slow while approaching bad speed breakers. Suspensions are firm and hence the car does not bottom out easily. If you are traveling with 4 on board and luggage, low ground clearance could become an issue. Do not buy this car if you frequent rough patches in your daily commute.
Gear shift is very smooth and effortless.

Highway experience:

The car is extremely stable at all speeds. The car is very aerodynamic, has a firm suspension and a low stance. To improve stability further, I push the seats down to the lowest setting possible which gives the car a great center of gravity and hence I am able to approach corners with confidence.
I have managed to get a mileage of 14 kmpl on outstation trips (including city traffic while exiting, highways and city traffic while entering) however if mileage is measured only on expressways end to end, it can go up to 16 kmpl cruising at 100-120 with a light foot.
Air conditioning is very effective even in the super hot summer conditions of Chennai, Pondy and Trichy although one will have to close the sunroof and blind at all times.
In sports mode and high revs, the engine growls very well
The one issue I have is with BMW maps, they are not updated frequently. In my last 2 years, I have not received any updates and as a result, some of the newer highways are not available in BMW maps. I have had a few occasions where I was driving on an expressway with onboard maps showing a completely empty patch as if I was wandering somewhere in Rann of Kutch.

After-sales and service experience

The car has received two annual services so far. There were no complaints in both services except the regular check-ups, scheduled maintenance, engine oil change, fluids etc.
I was asked to pay for the wheel alignment at about Rs. 10K since that is not covered in the maintenance package. I felt this was quite high but being a new BMW owner I did not want to take a chance getting it done outside. If any other BMW owners can comment on this aspect it will be appreciated. Is it okay to get wheel alignment done outside?
I did not opt for washing at the BMW service center since that would cost a bomb, hence got this done outside from my regular detailing guy.
I did notice a little bit of rust on the disc breaks which were cleaned during the servicing.
Overall experience of giving the vehicle on servicing and taking it back was very pleasant.
Though I did not pay anything for servicing, the invoice generated by service center on BMW was in the range of 20K – 25K each year. This means, without the maintenance package, I would have paid this amount out of my pocket. Taking the cost of 5 years, this might sound like a break even with a lump sum paid during the initial purchase of the car however having a maintenance package gives me peace of mind since it prevents me from the cost of any bigger maintenance issues that might arise in the future.

Occasional problems with the car:

I am very sensitive to the slightest vibration/sound/smell. Occasionally while going over rough patches, I hear a metallic vibration sound coming from the front wheelbase, possibly from the rack rod however this is very rare. As luck would have it, every time I take the car for a test drive with a technician the sound does not come and hence we are unable to catch the issue. Service staff carried out a visual inspection as well however found nothing. It is extremely insignificant at the moment and hence I have not bothered escalating the issue.
There have been two instances (in the last 2 years) when the center console did not connect to Apple CarPlay. This is a rare phenomenon and hence I have not paid much attention to it.

Wow Factor:

On the day we were supposed to drive on vacation to Pondy, I woke up sneezing with a mild cold and stuffy nose. My family was all set for the trip and hence I did not want to cancel the trip at the last moment. We left home at 6am. I noticed that the car's alert assist would remind me to take a break after every 2-3 hours. Initially, I thought this was a clock-based reminder which gets activated every couple of hours however it was during our return journey that I realized, the break reminders are based on an analysis of driving behavior. By the time of our return journey, I was feeling perfectly alright. I did not get a single reminder to take breaks on the same stretch of road even after driving continuously for many hours. Evidently, the car analyses driver inputs from the steering wheel, brakes, acceleration among others.
3D layout in maps is great, iconic buildings of central Bangalore (Vidhan Soudha, High Court, Chinnaswamy Stadium etc.) are displayed in 3D very well with a fair amount of attention to detail including color, lighting etc.
Overall attention to detail, fit and finish are definitely notice-worthy.
BMW sends routine invitations to various events sponsored by them in the city, I have so far attended 2 such events already which build brand loyalty reinforce your sense of being an accomplished self.

Modifications/Add ons:

PPF from @Bangalore_Bigfoot_Cars, Kodigehalli. It has been 2 years and the PPF is holding on well with no discoloration, no yellowing, no peeling or bubbling. Occasional touch ups might be needed as usual and the detailing studio is happy to attend to the requirements. A highly recommended detailing studio in Bangalore.
BMW logo projector lamps on doors, just an added party trick to make the car stand out in the dark and gain some attention.
The usual accessories like the coat hanger, rubber mats, key fob cover etc.

Overall I am extremely satisfied with my purchase. There are times I miss the christmasy lights and flashy interiors of the Mercedes A200 but this is a much better fun-to-drive car and that’s how I shun the thought. A few pictures of my car are given below for you to admire.

Two party tricks that never fail:

1. Door Projector Lamps