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That is our old car we bought from new. My husband looked after it and was sold in condition as if it was off the production line. It’s made his day seeing it and cared for.

In 2018, I had a new M140i on PCP. £500 down, £379 a month. Crazy. I was 27 and my insurance was £550 a year too. Better times. We knew we had it good then too.

One thing reviewers always miss when they talk about the OG M2 that Irks me is the N55 in the OG M2 is a bespoke N55. Forged Crank , S55 Rods, S55 Pistons , Iron Cylinder liners and a second oil pickup pump to avoid Oil Starvation at track.

Insurance has killed the value of these cars although, it stops proper spanners buying them now.

I've owned a 140i with Birds suspenion and an M preformace LSD from new, best car i've ever owned. Has been 100% faultless and with the exception of insurance cheap to run.

And all the good things you said about the gearbox and engine are the reason I sold my m135i xdrive after only 18 months to get back to the B58 and ZF

I’ve had my 440i for 3 years and still not bored. The B58 is amazing. Stage 1 + XHP Stage 3 @ 430bhp is enough for me, especially with no LSD.

Thanks for the video. Bought a used m240i convertible in 2021 and never regretted it. Goes very well on the autobahn.

I have an e82 135i with the N55 and dct and it’s really incredible I love it, so easy to drive and the steering feel is amazing

Had a 2016 M140i in early 2017 a few months after it came out before every Tom Dick and Harry oversaturated the roads with them, elite engine and car.

TY J! 🙏🙏

Awesome video. 👍 So tempting as a trade-in of my S212 ‘Retirement car’. My brother has an M135i and it’s incredible. A perfect mix of performance but with have an eye on frugality. I really like that. 😁

Thanks for the video :)

Brilliant review!

The M140i and M240i were incredible performance value, and they are still are today. Great video!

I drove the M140I last year and that car blew my mind. What a machine. I haven't driven a car since that has grabbed my attention like that one did. I need to own one.

Had a M140i as project car, to essentially see how ridiculous I could make it. Great fun! Loved it, wish I never sold it. Limited slip dif and upgraded fuel pump are essential on these. The ZF gearbox is very reliable but a little slow on the shifts. Mapping the gearbox is a good shout too 👍

Brilliant review, Jay. I had a 135i back in 2016. (Last of) she was amazing. Who else has been auto trader while watching 😂

I've had an M240i for 4 years now and the insurance has just sky rocketed. I can only assume a lot of 135/140/235/240s have been smashed into walls or other cars. I do really enjoy the car and I've only had a few minor issues - both brake clusters replaced under warranty and both window regulators snapped which I replaced myself. I've not made any modifications and I won't be planning to, as others have said they are VERY difficult to cover under insurance if you tell them you've modified it. A note on the difficult handling in the wet - the Michelin Pilot Super Sports are the sole cause of this, they are absolutely brilliant in warm, dry conditions but anything less than that they are miserable. I've slipped on wet cobbles, lost traction in puddles etc. In the winter I run Michelin Cross Climate 2 tyres that get me through absolutely everything, including snow, and in the summer I use Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tyres which are slightly lest responsive than the Super Sports but provide much more confidence in wet or cold weather.

Great review as usual, I had a 235i and upgraded to the then new M2 and now have a Z4 M40i and it is the best BMW to me although not practical for some

I have a 225d. I absolutely love it. I've come in to some money and want to upgrade. Weighing up between a m240i and an m2 competition. Tough choice. both fantastic packages

Wow pretty cool how it all comes together

I understand why Morgan Motor Company installed the BMW B58 engine under the Plus Six bay

You and Number 27 always cheer me up, thank you.

Had a 2018 240 for about 2 and a half years. Excellent fun, but those skinny rear tyres and lack of LSD became an issue, so sold it just at the right time when used prices rocketed. Rattled around in a nothing car for a couple of years, then got the Comp, and that is the car that solves all the problems with the 240: big fat rear tyres, LSD, better suspension, bigger brakes. And the icing on the cake is it looks so much better. But they are all great cars.

Had a 2017 m240 and threw on a set of AC Schnitzer 19”AC1 rims and ACS suspension. It was good, fast but it never felt quite as fun as my 46m3🤷🏻‍♂️ ran it a couple of years and accidentally found myself with a M2c. Many mods later, ACS coil overs, billet bushes and full suspension secrets rear arm package I’m still craving for my m3. The M2c is a big step up on performance and handling compared to m240 but the B58 is right up there with the best modern engines and for me is sweeter than the S55

I’ve long thought these were a sweet spot bang for buck performance BMW, very practical too!

I've got Michelin Pilot Sport 5s on my M140i and they grip for days in the dry and are very good in the wet, so may solve the narrower tyre issue somewhat. Otherwise I absolutely love it!

I originally fitted slightly lower Eibach progressive springs to my M140, which were a big improvement, and more recently added Bilstein dampers, which have transformed the ride - it could be the only car you'd ever need ...!

I have had my M135i since 201,7 and once in a while think what do I replace it with. It’s practical, fast when you want it to, enough creature comforts, sounds good, I think still looks good. I call it my multi tool of a car. What more do you need for an everyday car that you can have fun in. Until something better comes along (unlikely) I will hang on to it.

Had to do a double take when I saw the thumbnail, looks exactly like my 2018 6mt I picked up last December. Loving it so far, but at low speed wish I had that Zf. That being said, on a nice b-road, the manual is also a joy :)

Still a good looking coupé. Goodness knows what's happened over the last few years; exteriors are influenced by shock and awe and controls designed by teams with more experience of gacha games than driving. Beware of that rear end though, lively is an understatement as a neighbour found out one wet night in his 135i that ended upside down on the opposite side of barrier on a dual carriageway.

Having bought a 2016 M135i manual during Covid with its unbelievable inflated price, the only thing I would replace it with is an M140i. Bang for buck great cars.

I bought a F21 M135i new in 2016, £362 down and £362 a month. Took it to Santa Pod & Nürb. Amazing amount of fun for the money.

I had a grey m240 in that exact spec from new, i do miss it! Have an s3 8Y now but it just didnt give me the same feelings that did.

Very interesting, I haven't owned them myself but I reckon the pick of the bunch is still the standard M2 with the N55, the S55 in the comp is great but riddled with problems, I think the N55 is the perfect engine for the platform and is strong and reliable so pair that with the M2 chassis and set up you have one hell of a usable performance car. £22k ballpark for a nice M2 now which isa lot more than this of course but wow what a lot of car for the money!

People give the 140i's and 240i's stick as certain owners run out of talent. In terms of performance, character, value, reliability, usability, noise and looks I'm confident there is nothing close. The let down is the suspension, but a gap has to be left for the 'M' variants. The big question is can you throw enough money at it to sort the suspension/handling to an 'M' car equivalent? Very hard to say- Current M2 Comp owner, ex m240i and M140i owner.

I had been looking at the 240 and now the new M2.... I really wish the 1-series came to the US, available with an S54 or the new S58. Those engine choices would really make it two different cars.

One of my favourite cars, ever

Just a simple remap 430bhp was a little rocket miss my m140i but only because the ZF gearbox is smoother in traffic than my current OG m2 DCT. Looks & sound no comparison 👏🏽

Good looking motor, good performance. Wise buy.

I've got one in black with carbon pack, upgraded factory wheels that look so much better. Remap to over 400, switchable exhaust. And it's damn near perfect. Especially for the money. Nothing can touch it in the price bracket. Super reliable all rounder, looks epic and ridiculously fast. And still averages 33mpg!

Hmmm fond memories of my old 140i 👍 wife hated it though

Had 2 M135i's. One manual, one auto. Both sorted by Birds (mandatory). Incredible cars for the money. Could get two road bikes in the back, comfy, quick and fun to drive. Cheap to buy and sensible costs to run. 👍

I've had my manual M240i for 3 years, adjustable bilsteins fitted, 450hp upgraded brakes and other things and I still love it Funnily enough I did offer it to jay for review

I love my manual 3dr 140i. Yes the suspension isn't great, but that can be fixed. My main issue is being broken into twice, in an attempt to swipe the keys. 😠😠

Great video. Currently weighing up a 240 or an M2. A remapped 240 and save 10 k sounds the better option

I had a M235i that I recently replaced with a new GR86. Car was good and did a lot well but I do think the car was a little too soft to be anything too special. If you really want a sportscar this isn’t it but it is just a great daily driver comfy GT.

Yes. Just bought an m140 and loving it!!!

Had a 135 LCI for 18 months. Great all round car, but the lack of diff, awful primary ride and dreadful manual box eventually led to me selling it. Went to a 981 cayman after that and I then understood what a sporty manual gearbox should feel like. Still love these, but without mods they were very flawed cars.

James you're normally bang on, but I find the rear of these and the 1 series oscillates, on faster corners, rather disconcerting. Apparently M4 rear arms sort it out 🤷🏼‍♂️

Great video as ever. I am very close to buying one of these or a 370z for a second car, yet to drive both and I am an ex BMW guy…. Should be interesting as both offer fun in a differing way…

Sold my M235i for a GR86. Not regretting my decision. The 2 series seemed to age its interior touch points (steering wheel rim & controls, gearknob) very quickly (in comparison to an E46), and while it is overall faster than the Toyota, the traction, suspension & too longer gearing make the Toyota better at sensible speeds. Yes, there's way more rear seat & boot space in the BMW, but my wallet's appreciating better real-world fuel economy

I would NEVER complain about a smaller screen! Giant TVs in cars are ugly and distracting.

They're missiles. Performance bargains. Add a locking diff for £1500 and a simple map to the engine and they are so much fun to hoon around. Capable of scaring much more expensive equipment due to 400 horsepower and modest kerb weights. ZF8 transmission is fast and smooth. B58 engine is tough and tunes up superbly. The N55 engine not quite as good but still excellent and arguably sounds a lot better. You can't lose.

So my first BMW was the 3 series E46. I didn't really love the way it looked. I really liked the E36 but did decide on the E46. I thought it looked bubbly. Fast forward to last fall I got a 2023 M240i xDrive. I thought it looked like an alien that Disney made. It's funny how us BMW people hate the changes and then buy them. The more I looked at in the driveway the more I liked it. Haha I live in New England so I need xDrive. I love this car. Such a great drive train. It's a tank in the snow. Actually I think it is only a couple inches smaller than me E92. The car pulls I am in my mid 50's so I am probably not going to mod it much. It needs exhaust and maybe a small tune. Honestly the car can still make me say "Holy shit"! Great video I still love the old ones too. Oh! The screens I now like. But no shifter is as you guys would say "Daffed". Am I using that right? 😀

I had an M135i. Got an 8k dealer deposit contribution and it was 347 a month. Take me back!

I would imagine a change of car from a fiesta ST to this bmw must feel quite the upgrade.

Jayemm would love to see you do a review on a convertible version of one of these to see what you think compared to the coupe

I had a manual M140i a couple of years ago and didn’t really like it! The engine was outstanding, it sounded awesome & was bloody fast. But, the suspension was horrible & I found the drivers seat very uncomfortable to. Thankfully I was able to sell it back to the dealer I bought it from after 15 months for £2.5k more than I paid for it due by buying it when prices low, more luck than judgement there 😂.

I have been looking at moving into one of these if I need to downgrade from my 981 Cayman. It looks like a great all around package if you need a sports car with a bit more space

Bmw gave it a amazing engine and transmissions then wrapped it up in a 118i with a terrible chassis and suspension and if that wasn't bad enough it came with an open diff with my m140i did the lsd, h&r spring & b8, 15mm spaces under body brace, rear subframe bushes, front control arm bushes, front strut brace. For me handling come first especially for these cars so when I add the power it can handle it and put it to the road . I've had so many cars in my life but this is the only one that puts a big smile on my face when I get into it. This one will be missed when I finally have to part with it.

I bought one late 2019 when I was 21 (67 reg with 12k miles on it) £2k down, £310 a month. Unbelievable car, insurance started at £1.5k and crept down to just under £1k on second year of ownership so not crazy. Sold it during Covid after 2 years and 12k miles for £26.5k (£2.5k more than bought for) to same dealer I bought it from

I’ve had a few of these cars and covered around 170,000 miles in them (and a lot of fuel!) Early M135i, m235i, m140 etc. excellent cars, especially with the b58 but they’re flawed in many ways as far as a performance car goes. Steering, chassis, suspension and brakes let them down. Fast on road, awful on track.

Well, that's set me off looking at a 2 series as my car! 🙂

always liked my m140 but lacked steering feel compared to the M2

a different price bracket but how does this compare to 125 (128 is US) ? I know you reviewed that couple years back, I actually step down from F83 M4 to a convertible E88 128 and I find the old 1 series more fun to drive (in the road at least, not in track), NA engine + Hydraulic steering + smaller chassis. didn't consider m240 because the steering maybe the same as F83 which isn't very good, should I ?

I remember finance offers of £399 down and £399 a month.

As others have said - the M240i values are largely down to the fact insurance has absolutely skyrocketed (I’m aware it’s gone up across the board, but these have been particularly hard), and by all accounts it’s primarily because of the factors you mentioned in the video. Good value/finance deals, tuneability and a very wayward open rear diff - this sat it perfectly in the crosshairs of the yob brigade. 19 year olds still living at home and coming from a 1 litre Corsa (limited edition, of course) found themselves able to step up by a few hundred horsepower, and for the reasons above frequently found themselves backwards in a ditch. Insurance costs have therefore gone into orbit due to crash stats - and the culprit cars are mostly still for sale around the midlands… Something else of note is the ST180>M240i>Aston progression - it’s the exact same journey I made. The 240 was a great car but not practical enough for a daily yet also not fun enough to be a toy, it sat as a kind of mediocre half-way house. Sold it when prices went nuts in early ‘22 for the same as I’d bought it for two years earlier, bought a Golf to rattle around in and then got myself a Vantage… which to come full circle is ENTIRELY your fault, Mr Emm.

Bought a 2 year old M140i, completely mint and standard. Took it to 455bhp, 634nm, had the ZF8 flashed with XHP3, upgraded the brakes, and much more. It was a missile in a straight line, and very comfortable as a daily. I just felt it lacked that 'special' feeling, it was a bit uncomposed when pushing on (rear end wiggle, pogo dampers), and the steering was a bit numb. I now have an OG M2, which is actually slower in a straight line, but oh boy, it is levels above in every other way. I feel like every drive is special.

You need to review a E82 135i

What’s the mpg like on these as I’m interested and need something ulez

You need one in your life Jay. Just do the suspension mods. 😁

That M240i in the video is likely pushing nearly 450bhp, Stage 1 on the B58 can range from 420bhp to 450bhp. I had an M140i, brought it in 2022, and liked the engine and gearbox are brilliant. I wasn't a fan of the interior. I might buy one again as a weekend toy, but recently left my job and pursuing new avenues. Small note on these, beware every BMW up to the 4 Series like a steering rack. High mileage B58 engines like to lose coolant at high mileage for some reason. The VANOS system, there is solenoid which fails on this generation of engine.

only car you ever need

Probably worth mentioning is the reason they're cheap now is all the 20 year old lads in Birmingham crashed them so the insurance has skyrocketed over the last few years

I had a M240i for 12 months and loved the engine and performance of the thing, but the steering and controls were completely dead. Great fun in a straight line, less so on the B roads and twisty A roads.

I've been looking, problem with the M140i is that for me its £1200 to insure vs £400 for the M135i. But its the same with the Golf GTI vs the R.

Am I remembering things wrong? I thought the B58 was more oversquare than the N55?

Are you really sure Toyota developed the B58 (together with BMW) already in 2013-2014 (B58 was launched 2015) ? 5:06 I‘m not so sure

I have a 2022 540i xdrive M sport waggon. Best car I have ever owned, it literally does it all. Though im looking forward to tuning it once the warranty has expired.

I've owned a M240i since November 2018. I made sure to go for the lighter oyster leather interior which brightens the inside considerably as I've never been a fan of the austere black interiors. Once purchased I thought the handling was not quite right, therefore I had the Motech "Stance" fitted along with Bilstein shocks. That sorted it out. Yes, I also had it wrapped in a dark green/black flip and although the wrap is 5 years old, pretty much perfect. It's a brilliant car and for £20k less than the M2 at the time a massive bargain.

Ive heard that the manuals in these 2 series feel like an after thought. Is it true?

Still wish I never sold my M135i, best car i've ever owned.

I've always thought the 2 series is really strangely proportioned; the three box shape makes it look like a weirdly truncated saloon. It's like they got to the B pillar and gave up. I will freely admit that BMWs aren't really my thing, but I feel like it'd look much better if they'd made it a fastback. This applies to the newer one too.

For the money you can’t beat the old m240.

I have an OG M2 and came from a 240i and tbh sinking 5k into a 240i and you’ll have a funner car. I only got rid of it due to high mileage and wanting a canyon carver (plus the looks), so if you aren’t looking for big power the M2 is still the better car in every way.

Is that a Batik that you are wearing?

I believe 10 minutes or less video will work well jay

How would you compare this to a Giulia Veloce? Obviously a lot more power but how do they compare as “drivers” cars?

We can probably thank these fantastic 2-series releases to the success of the 1M. It’s too bad BMW lost the way.

I own an M140I and have done so for 4 years. It is stock bar the M Performance exhaust (preventative, since the factory butterfly valves can fail). If you want to know anything about the car that isn't covered in the video, let me know. In summary, it is the best car I've ever owned. Faultless ownership experience. Without wanting to sound like a noob, I'm a decent driver, and you need to know what you're doing behind the wheel before you send it in one of these. It won't save you like an R, RS3, S4, etc. Learn to corner properly, and it'll reward you infinitely.

I wanted one of these but the insurance is ridiculous, well over £2500 a year and I’m 26, So looking at E92 M3’s instead as the insurance is less than half 😎

I do miss that sound of those engines, as all the new ones are 4 pots

When you say 2 series I think dumbo MPV

Loved my M240 and sorted the suspension with some Bilstein coilovers. Traded it for an M2 Comp and quickly forgot about it. Sold the Comp when the market was starting to slow last summer and was moving house, bought a low miles CW FN2 with the equity and have had 7 months of old school VTEC fun 😂😂

How are UK cars so cheap? M240i's are twice your prices in Sweden :( Thinking about getting this or an 435/440i

I’ve actually had 3 of these cars over the years; the first an early M235i which I loved and regrettably sold far too quickly, that one got to an indicated 165mph on the German autobahn between Munich and Stuttgart (literally right off the end of the speedo which goes to 155mph), then an early M240i which I kept over 4 years before realising they were soon to be replaced (and its replacement would most likely be ugly) and so contacted my BMW dealer to get what I was told was the last orange M240i still available to buy new in the country back in 2021, a car I still have today and, barring an apocalypse, I intend keeping as long as I possibly can. Yes, there’s the odd thing that could be improved, but as you say Jay and I think, as a package and for what they cost, they’re really hard to beat for someone like me who wants something sporty without being too crazy, fast yet not ruinous to run either fuel consumption or servicing, is reliable, really nice and easy to drive, not too big and looks decent. The engine is the highlight; it’s truly magnificent, closely followed by the transmission. I often think a smaller BMW coupé is just perfect and this demonstrates that. A real Goldilocks car for me, not too much, not too little, just right for the road. I absolutely love mine and, if it’s been a few days since I’ve driven it, a few yards down the road reminds me why I do love it. A final thought, sorry this is long, but adaptive suspension is well worth looking out for if buying one. My car has it and it makes quite a difference in comfort mode on our appalling roads. The dampers react quicker to sharp ridges etc in the road too, so it’s possible to carry more speed and remain comfortable.

I always thought these were great cars, I test drove an M135i years ago and was very pleasantly surprised. The things that put me off were the garbage interior (typical of German cars of the time), the excessive level of anonymity and the sheer number of the things on the road. For me, the interior is what I look at so that stopped me seriously considering one (although I test drove multiple BMWs recently to double check that...), but then if someone is looking at a Golf R over one of these...why?