Next car purchase following Mk7/7.5?

[clubsport]

I don't know much about the latest Civic Type R, a friend has an order placed on one, purely on the basis he was told 200 are coming to the UK, you have to be in it to win it....
I looked at the previous R and found it to be more Passat size than Golf, so that wasn't for me!

200? Seems unlikely doesn't it? Maybe that's just the initial allocation.

I guess they are built in Japan again now, not Swindon.

I know it tops the hot hatch reviews but I don't think I'd want one. Bit much for a daily driver.

I don't know for sure, that is what he has been told up to now, they are coming to the UK between Jan - July 2023.
The new (regular) Civic available in the UK from the Autumn is due to be a hybrid, so the Type R may well be a halo car, as in generate interest in the marque, keeping residuals high?

After the UK success of the GR Yaris, selling something around 2500 cars, the GR 86 Coupe UK allocation of 400 cars over 2 years sold out in 90 minutes, apparently that is it!?

I think this low allocation of specialist high end sports hatch/coupes from manufacturers of economy cars may be a thing, the higher output cars negatively affect the overall C02 average of cars produced by the company, hence lower, defined production runs?

[Exonian]

Having been in the same predicament, and not knowing what to go for next, I went with the S4 Avant - though god knows when it will arrive, currently being quoted March / April - £10k discount after extras added - which was about £1k more than the R estate.
Though still seems a lot just to throw two dogs in the back !

So much more class than a Golf Estate for hardly any price premium. Shows how weird car pricing can be.
Nice choice btw. 

Had a 240i out for an afternoon few days back   And  it was a good alternative to   Consider  not as hard core as an m2but much more user friendly   Definitely an option if changing the golf for some people

Review required!

Slightly controversial looks (although by current BMW standards only very slightly!) but again it’s a lot of car for the money when you weigh up what you get, especially compared to some of the Golf R type hatches.

[Meister]

I was out and about today and a car made me absolutely stop in my tracks and stare! This is extremely rare for me, especially as a 7.5 GTI owner! The car in question was a BMW 230i coupe in the deep purple colour they do and I am surprising myself in actually loving the design. I usually absolutely hate all things BMW with a passion but this seems to me an excellent, well proportioned and aggressive design. It certainly made me stop and look!

Would need to go and have a closer look at one, but does look good in my humble opinion! Has anyone driven one and what are other people's opinion!

[willni]

I was out and about today and a car made me absolutely stop in my tracks and stare! This is extremely rare for me, especially as a 7.5 GTI owner! The car in question was a BMW 230i coupe in the deep purple colour they do and I am surprising myself in actually loving the design. I usually absolutely hate all things BMW with a passion but this seems to me an excellent, well proportioned and aggressive design. It certainly made me stop and look!

Would need to go and have a closer look at one, but does look good in my humble opinion! Has anyone driven one and what are other people's opinion!

Much of the same opinion, brilliant looking car imo the M2 should look a lot more like it at the front. Hoping the prices drop like the old ones before I feel the need to change, ideally in the m240i's.

Thunder Purple or Portimao Blue would be my colour choice as I have a feeling there will be too many brooklyn grey's driving around in a few years.

[AGB]

I was out and about today and a car made me absolutely stop in my tracks and stare! This is extremely rare for me, especially as a 7.5 GTI owner! The car in question was a BMW 230i coupe in the deep purple colour they do and I am surprising myself in actually loving the design. I usually absolutely hate all things BMW with a passion but this seems to me an excellent, well proportioned and aggressive design. It certainly made me stop and look!

Would need to go and have a closer look at one, but does look good in my humble opinion! Has anyone driven one and what are other people's opinion!

Much of the same opinion, brilliant looking car imo the M2 should look a lot more like it at the front. Hoping the prices drop like the old ones before I feel the need to change, ideally in the m240i's.

Thunder Purple or Portimao Blue would be my colour choice as I have a feeling there will be too many brooklyn grey's driving around in a few years.

Afraid you're both on your own with that.  Every time I see a BMW these days, I just think 'WTF were the design team on?' A mate got an M3 Touring and I saw it recently in person. I don't....hate..it but it's hard to like aesthetically.

I think cars with dramatic bodywork need flat colours. Thundernight/Twilight (not up on my BMW colours) is quite attractive but it's like Viola Metallic in Porsche choices, I think it's going to be a niche option.

[Exonian]

Those 2 series coupes have good presence on the road and seem properly put together. As AGB says, BMW have some err ‘unusual’ and ‘challenging’ designs amongst their range and some plain scarily hideous SUV’s that are clearly aimed at markets where a buyer wouldn’t run away screaming if a pan fried collie was served up.
There are a few new shaped M3’s dotted around very close to my home and I actually quite like them, especially the green.
Therefore there are still a few offerings from Bavaria that don’t repulse me, and they still build interiors properly and… if you’re relatively flexible you can still pick up in stock cars directly advertised on BMW’s website rather than wait 18 months plus like you would generally have to for those handmade super cars called mk8 Golfs.

[Snoopy]

I know someone who's ordered an Alpina B3 touring in green over the new M3 due to the look.
I also know a mk8 R owner who's ordered a new M2 which in my view looks terrible compared to the previous generation M2.
Its all personal taste at the end of the day.

[AGB]

I know someone who's ordered an Alpina B3 touring in green over the new M3 due to the look.
I also know a mk8 R owner who's ordered a new M2 which in my view looks terrible compared to the previous generation M2.
Its all personal taste at the end of the day.

Subjective taste is just that although I refuse to accept that anyone defending the new 7 Series M has any taste whatsoever. Same goes for the new XM. And the X4. I'll accept taste varies on the rest. 

Friend with the touring has his in Tanzanite Blue and I see there is one for sale at Hairpin. His interior, wheel choice and option of heritage bonnet badge are the only other differences. Shows that the right colour can make a difference.

Richard Tipper at Perfection Valet is currently doing a new vehicle prep on an Alpine B3 in green - might be of interest? An Alpine in green over tan is a lovely thing although I wonder how long you'll be at the wheels with a wheel woolly! 

Friend who bought the M3 had the exact same debate but drove them back to back at Sytner. His view was that the B3 is more refined and a tourer where the M3 is more performance car with space. His solution was to pick Tanzanite Blue to knock back the ugly on the M3 and I think he succeeded. It has an E61 M5 Touring vibe and I can't quite put my finger on why.

[symonh2000]

I couldn't bring myself to buy a 4 cylinder BMW. BMW for me are all about straight 6's and I don't consider the 4 cylinder B48 as good as the EA888 in the GTI. It is less reliable, lacks dual injection and in the real world is worse on MPG.

The B58 however is a masterpiece that is happy pootling along one minute but is a monster of an engine onces your foot goes down. It is capable of 40mpg on a steady run as well.

 

[willni]

I couldn't bring myself to buy a 4 cylinder BMW. BMW for me are all about straight 6's and I don't consider the 4 cylinder B48 as good as the EA888 in the GTI. It is less reliable, lacks dual injection and in the real world is worse on MPG.

The B58 however is a masterpiece that is happy pootling along one minute but is a monster of an engine onces your foot goes down. It is capable of 40mpg on a steady run as well.

Controversial but I'd go the diesel route with the N57 for a normal BMW, although it would be at the lack of noise. Although when looking at newer cars with GPF's anyway it's not that much of a difference.

Had a M340i as a loan car a while ago and was very quiet, but mpg similar to the GTI which is impressive for a 6 cylinder petrol.

 

Afraid you're both on your own with that.  Every time I see a BMW these days, I just think 'WTF were the design team on?' A mate got an M3 Touring and I saw it recently in person. I don't....hate..it but it's hard to like aesthetically.

I think cars with dramatic bodywork need flat colours. Thundernight/Twilight (not up on my BMW colours) is quite attractive but it's like Viola Metallic in Porsche choices, I think it's going to be a niche option.

I think we can all agree on where the source of the poor aesthetic design choices originate on the new bmw range... the beaver teeth. Otherwise the design is fairly in keeping with previous generations, but the best looking ones are a normal 3 series or 2 series with properly proportioned faces.

But I have to agree the previous generation of M2 was a lot prettier, although a little awkward at the boot lid.