[nileshbhatiaa]

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 for a second car from higher segment. Requirements were identified as a) Car in Luxury segment, b) Sedan, c) 5 Star rated safety d) good stability being the most important criteria, and finally e) 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 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 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 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

: In coming days and weeks, I took multiple test drives both in BMW 220i and Mercedes A200d. Between them, I drove both cars for ~100 kms (in city & highways) back-to-back so that I could feel & compare both cars in my mind. Both the cars stood equally good in my opinion with their own merits and demerits. There was one strong differentiating factor though: 220i had a lower ground clearance and also a lower approach angle making it difficult to get the car inside my apartment having a huge entry ramp, the front bumper would often touch. We decided to go for Mercedes with a promised delivery date of 1 month.

Booking experience

: We booked A200d in April 2022 with a lot of excitement and a mini celebration of sorts. Having grown in a middle-class family, this was a huge milestone for me in particular, it was a real sense of accomplishment. Booking experience was smooth and well managed.

The wait

: I was promised delivery within a month, but the promise was quickly broken. Those were covid days with semi-conductor shortage. Within few days of booking, the date started moving. It moved by a month, then two, then three and then four with no line of sight of delivery. Finally, out of my desperation, I visited BMW once again in Aug’2022 to give 220i another try. I took the car out for a test run once again, took it up the entry ramp of my apartment and found that the car could maneuver in sideways without touching the front lower body. I took the car over few nasty speed breakers to check if it would clear and it did without scraping the bottom. BMW had a newly arrived white 220i in stock ready for registration. I went back to Mercedes, and they were still not able to give me a date for delivery and hinted at possible delay of another 2 months which was not acceptable to me after multiple broken promises. By then I had also seen the global rankings released by US based global research firm consumerreports.org which ranked Mercedes at bottom of the stack and BMW amongst the top 5. I decided to cancel my booking with Mercedes and go for BMW 220i.

BMW 220i it is

:
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 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 city and 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 the service inclusive and repair inclusive maintenance package for 5 years.

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

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Turbo kicks in at as low as 1350 rpm and the automatic gearbox keeps the car in the right gear at all times.

6. 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.

7. 5-star rated safety with plenty of safety features.

8. Launch control with paddle shifters in sports plus manual mode make this car fun to drive.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. Love the sports seats, the adjustable side padding holds the body in place during high-speed maneuvers, though the seats are more comfortable for people with lean body frames. People with broad frames might find the seats a bit narrow.

12. The car cocoons itself around you, some might find the cabin 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.

13. Wireless Android Auto and Apple Car Play work well without a glitch.

14. Ten touch-sensitive memory buttons which can store favorite functions/settings and not just radio stations.

15. 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 touch of a button.

16. 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.

17. Large panoramic sunroof. I keep the blind open to let in the light, but for safety, I never open the sunroof itself.

18. 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 driver display and on infotainment system is helpful.

19. 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.

20. High-quality soft-touch interiors everywhere including the space under steering wheel where knees often knock.

21. Feels very well built; everything you touch is of high-quality leather, and plastic, soft touch, and appears well put together.

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. You can flaunt rimless doors all the time; the trick never fails to get you attention. Although the downside is that due to absence of rims, road noise in cabin increases marginally specially at high speeds or in noisy surroundings..

25. Gesture controls, auxiliary ventilation, journey data, driving behavior analysis, and coffee break reminders (analysis-based and not just timer based) are a good addition.

26. Key fob is attractive with M badging.

27. 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 to objects behind while reversing on at least two occasions.

Big miss

1. Absence of connected car features at this price point is sad.

2. Front parking camera, although there are sensors but having a camera would be nice.

3. 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 right side of the steering wheel, shown by an arrow


4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Speakers are okay and should have been better, newer variants come with improved speakers.

7. Cornering light function is a miss, though mentioned in the brochure.

8. Arm rest does not slide forward, though mentioned in the brochure, but not a big miss.

9. Padded bottle holders to reduce the vibration.

10. Passenger seat memory functions.

Nice to have, but can live without

1. Cooled glove box

2. 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.

3. 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:

1. 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.

2. Front wheel drive, I have seen 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 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.

3. 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.

4. 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 rear could be an issue in case the passengers in front like to sit with seats pushed all the way behind which isn't a case in my family and hence the car feels just right for us. Please check your requirement upfront, one cannot buy a Coupe and complain of the head room 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:

1. 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 are those who have not driven it and are merely commenting without experiencing the car's capabilities. Afterall, how many office goers would drift the car into office or apartment basement and perform donuts!!

2. The 4-cylinder engine is super refined and delivers quick power on slightest touch of throttle. This isn’t a big car and hence maneuvering in and out of traffic or fitting the car in tight parking space is not a challenge.

3. 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.

4. In city, the car delivers mileage between 8-10 depending on traffic conditions. In the notorious traffic conditions of Bangalore, this mileage is in perfectly acceptable range.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Gear shift is very smooth and effortless.

Highway experience:

1. The car is extremely stable at all speeds. The car is very aero dynamic, has a firm suspension and a low stance. To improve stability further, I push the seats down to lowest setting possible which gives the car a great center of gravity and hence I am able to approach corners with confidence.

2. 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.

3. Air conditioning is very effective even in super hot summer conditions of Chennai, Pondy and Trichy although one will have to close the sun roof and blind at all times.

4. In sports mode and high revs, the engine growls very well

5. 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 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

1. 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.

2. I was asked to pay for the wheel alignment at about Rs. 10K since that is not covered in 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?

3. I did not opt for washing at BMW service center since that would cost a bomb, hence got this done outside from my regular detailing guy.

4. I did notice a little bit of rust on the disc breaks which were cleaned during the servicing.

5. Overall experience of giving the vehicle on servicing and taking it back was very pleasant.

6. 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 lump sum paid during initial purchase of the car however having maintenance package gives me the 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:

1. I am very sensitive to slightest vibration/sound/smell. Occasionally while going over rough patch, I hear metallic vibration sound coming from the front wheelbase, possibly from 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.

2. There have been two instances (in last 2 years) when the center console did not connect to Apple car play. This is a rare phenomenon and hence I have not paid much attention to it.

Wow Factor:

1. 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 after every couple of hours however it was during our return journey that I realized, the break reminders are based on analysis of driving behavior. By the time of our return journey, I was feeling perfectly alright. I did not get a single reminder for taking breaks on the same stretch of road even after driving continuously for many hours. Evidently, the car analysis driver inputs from steering wheel, breaks, acceleration among others.

2. 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 fair amount of attention to detail including color, lighting etc.

3. Overall attention to detail, fit and finish are definitely notice worthy.

4. 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 reinforces your sense of being an accomplished self.

Modifications/Add ons:

1. 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.

2. BMW logo projector lamps on doors, just an added party trick to make the car stand out in dark and gain some attention.

3. 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 Mercedes A200 but this is a much better fun to drive car and that’s how I shun the thought. Few pictures of my car are given below for you to admire.

Two party tricks that never fail:

1. Door Projector Lamps


2. Rimless doors giving the car sporty look


Brilliant ambient lighting




Informative MID



Well packed engine



Timeless elegance







Armed with full body PPF armour



Key fob with BMW branded leather cover

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[turbowhistle]

Congratulations, it's a great starter BMW and good car if you know what you are getting into. B48 will keep you happy for years to come, you can also tune it after few years to bump the power by 10-15% without pushing the stock internals.

Me ( and most BMW owners) will advice you to ditch the RFTs as soon as possible, get regular tubeless tires and you will see the difference in ride/comfort/road noise as well. Since you are at 19k km, there's not much life left now, switch for PS4s/PS5 and you will be golden.

Another tip for maps is to simply skip BMW and head over to eBay, plenty of vendors who will provide you the latest OEM maps and steps to update yourselves for 20% of what BMW will charge. BMW charges every year for the map update after the first update and it has no effect on warranty if you do it on your own.

[nileshbhatiaa]

Originally Posted by turbowhistle

Congratulations, it's a great starter BMW and good car if you know what you are getting into. B48 will keep you happy for years to come, you can also tune it after few years to bump the power by 10-15% without pushing the stock internals.

Me ( and most BMW owners) will advice you to ditch the RFTs as soon as possible, get regular tubeless tires and you will see the difference in ride/comfort/road noise as well. Since you are at 19k km, there's not much life left now, switch for PS4s/PS5 and you will be golden.

Another tip for maps is to simply skip BMW and head over to eBay, plenty of vendors who will provide you the latest OEM maps and steps to update yourselves for 20% of what BMW will charge. BMW charges every year for the map update after the first update and it has no effect on warranty if you do it on your own.

Very useful tips, thank you.

Any guidance on the wheel alignment please? I was told that BMW service centres have sophisticated machines that are required for aligning wheels on these cars and hence I shouldn’t opt for external vendors. Is that even true?

[Tvk1991]

Congratulations, I read everywhere the GC is 152mm but I don't think so it's 152mm. What is the actual GC of the car. With the B48 you can easily get 15-20% power raise with just a tune. There are plenty of options.

Banglore is the worst city to be in with a low GC car. Its good to know you dont have much issues.

[turbowhistle]

Originally Posted by nileshbhatiaa

Very useful tips, thank you.

Any guidance on the wheel alignment please? I was told that BMW service centres have sophisticated machines that are required for aligning wheels on these cars and hence I shouldn’t opt for external vendors. Is that even true?

If you are in Bangalore then simply visit Madhu’s. They cater to even Ferraris so getting an alignment for BMW should not be a problem.

[Pkumarblore]

Congratulations, the car is definitely a looker with those rimless doors. BMW's are definitely fun to drive cars. You'll fall in love with it. Madhu's can take care of all your tyre and alignment issues, as another forum member mentioned.
Happy and safe motoring.

[ssjr0498]

Congratulations on the car, the ambient lights look amazing ! If IIRC, the F30 330i does a 0-100 in 5.9 seconds and the G in 5.5, which is more than a second faster than the 220i!

Originally Posted by nileshbhatiaa

3. 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.

4. 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.

[nileshbhatiaa]

Originally Posted by ssjr0498

Congratulations on the car, the ambient lights look amazing ! If IIRC, the F30 330i does a 0-100 in 5.9 seconds and the G in 5.5, which is more than a second faster than the 220i!

The new gen 330i is definitely more capable. My review compares the 220i of 2022 with the then 330i. At the time, they shared similar engine specs. Of course now the engine specs have changed quite a lot and they are no longer comparable, I have clarified that in my review as well.

[ssjr0498]

That is what even I am saying my friend! With no disrespect meant to the 2, the older 3 with the older spec B48, which made 248hp,would hit the ton from the dead in under 6 seconds, which by all means is still faster than the current and the old gen 2.

Originally Posted by nileshbhatiaa

The new gen 330i is definitely more capable. My review compares the 220i of 2022 with the then 330i. At the time, they shared similar engine specs. Of course now the engine specs have changed quite a lot and they are no longer comparable, I have clarified that in my review as well.

[nileshbhatiaa]

Originally Posted by ssjr0498

That is what even I am saying my friend! With no disrespect meant to the 2, the older 3 with the older spec B48, which made 248hp,would hit the ton from the dead in under 6 seconds, which by all means is still faster than the current and the old gen 2.

Okay may be I am mistaken. If so, I stand corrected. Cheers.

[g_sanjib]

Originally Posted by nileshbhatiaa

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 for a second car from higher segment.

Awesome choice Nilesh and many congratulations on your pick! I do remember reading your post sometime back on the missing features in the car as compared to the car brochure. Hope it doesn't bother you any more. By the way we both work in the same office and hope to meet you soon and congratulate you in person. Wish you a joyful motoring experience with the car.

[nileshbhatiaa]

Originally Posted by g_sanjib

Awesome choice Nilesh and many congratulations on your pick! I do remember reading your post sometime back on the missing features in the car as compared to the car brochure. Hope it doesn't bother you any more. By the way we both work in the same office and hope to meet you soon and congratulate you in person. Wish you a joyful motoring experience with the car.

Thanks Sanjib. Let’s definitely catch up, this will be my first meeting with a fellow bhp’ian in person I will send you a private message.

On the point related to missing features, dare I say, I do miss them even now particularly the arm rest not sliding forward and absence of cornering lights, but over the years I have gotten used to it and they don’t bother me anymore.

[rkv_2401]

Congratulations! How do you find highway runs to be? I have a Vento, and even with high profile tyres for additional ground clearance I end up crashing into a pothole or too high-set speed breaker at least once every trip. It doesn't affect anything (mostly) but it still feels uncomfortable...

Additionally, how do you feel the 220i compares to the Octavia in terms of performance and ride quality at highway speeds? Both being FWD cars with similar power figures, I'm curious how they compare.

[nileshbhatiaa]

Originally Posted by rkv_2401

Congratulations! How do you find highway runs to be? I have a Vento, and even with high profile tyres for additional ground clearance I end up crashing into a pothole or too high-set speed breaker at least once every trip. It doesn't affect anything (mostly) but it still feels uncomfortable...

Additionally, how do you feel the 220i compares to the Octavia in terms of performance and ride quality at highway speeds? Both being FWD cars with similar power figures, I'm curious how they compare.

So we share very similar DNA , I have a 2012 Vento TDi 1.6L Highline too which has aged very gracefully over the years. A lovely car that I want to retain for ever to come.

Both in my Vento & BMW - I am extremely careful at all speeds to avoid the cars bottoming out, I would do anything to avoid a bad speed breaker hitting the bottom (from going dead slow to off-boarding the passengers to even turning back, if needed).

Coming to BMW 220i, it is extremely planted on the highways & generates lot of confidence on tight corners. However if you were to compare 220i with Octavia (which I test drove as well), I found both had their own positives. Here's a summary of my observation (I am no expert, please take it with a pinch rather handful of salt)

Both Octavia and 220i are very capable cars with very similar engines and FWD however Octavia with a longer & wider body felt better planted on the ground at high speeds whereas BMW with a super refined & noiseless engine felt buttery smooth. Octavia's engine felt a lot more engaging, however that's compensated by BMW having multiple drive modes which were absent in Octavia.

So you see, both having their own strengths, I can not rate one over the other. If you remove the badge, I would any day have any one over the other. As your signature says, at the end of the day "it's not the car, it's about what you do with it that matters".