‘The Straight Pipes’ Reviews the M235i Gran Coupe
BMW M235i Gran Coupe may be the redheaded step-child of the BMW lineup, but it still has plenty of charm to offer.
Our favorite Canadian car reviewers, Yuri Tereshyn and Jakub Ciesla, AKA The Straight Pipes, recently took the new BMW M235i Gran Coupe out for a date. Naturally, they documented said date for our viewing pleasure.
The all-new BMW M235i Gran Coupe is odd, to say the least. A 4-door BMW 2-series coupe based on a Mini Cooper? But hey, it does have quite a few things going for it according to The Straight Pipes. 301 hp, 332 lb-ft of torque, AWD… not bad. But what else?
M235i Gran Coupe Styling
The Straight Pipes hosts feel that, despite the frameless doors, the new Gran Coupe has an awkward look; even mentioning that the rear 3/4 looks a bit like a Ford Focus.
Other qualms with the appearance mentioned were the small wheels, odd taillights, strange side-portrait, and overall compressed look. 
“It looks like they turned something else into a BMW,” states Tereshyn. “Which is actually what they did. But I don’t mind it. It’s kinda cute.”
The rear diffuser, large grille, and front portrait of the vehicle, however, were noted as visual wins for the new Gran Coupe. The aggressive headlights really set it off for the pair as well.
M235i Gran Coupe Features
Sadly for The Straight Pipes hosts, BMW’s Gesture Control is missing from the M235i Gran Coupe. Lane keep assist and 360º view are also missing, but the M235i Gran Coupe does have 360º sensors.
Lastly, the M235i Gran Coupe currently only has Apple Car Play. But fret not Android users, for Android auto is coming this summer.
As for things BMW got right, Hey BMW and a foot-activated liftgate are available. And they love the ambient lighting.
“This trim right here and on the dash, lights up. The lines in the pattern are the lights; instead of going underneath,” says Ciesla. “And it looks so cool! I got in here, I’m like ‘Wow, this is the best!’ It’s so good that I don’t even mind the BMW colors because they present them in such a different way now,” continues Tereshyn.
The Straight Pipes team additionally found the wireless charging tray to be a major plus.
“This wireless charging tray is great because when you put your phone in there, you really have to slide it in, and it locks it in,” says Tereshyn. “And it’s really hard to grab it while you’re behind the wheel. So it keeps you from grabbing your phone if it’s tempting for you.”
2.0 L Turbo Performance
When it comes to performance the Gran Coupe seems adequate for The Straight Pipes duo. It makes 0-62 in 4.8 seconds, which The Straight Pipes team labels as “normal people fast.” The lag is minimal, which is a large improvement from when they tested the Mini, which shares the same platform.
The M235i Gran Coupe is AWD with a front-wheel bias. The Straight Pipes hosts note how the M235i doesn’t really understeer, but that it still has to be driven like a FWD car. An LSD upfront and M Sport suspension dramatically assist the ride quality but don’t quite push it into true M territory.
“This doesn’t have that terrible M5 steering,” remarked Ciesla. “But it’s also not as good as the M2, because that’s a real M. This is an M Performance.”
Interior Comfort
The Straight Pipes team had mixed feelings about the M235i’s interior comforts. They found the seats to be comfortable, but not accommodating for anyone of above-average height in the rear. The seats and steering wheel came heated, which is always a plus. Like most cars, it too failed The Straight Pipe’s signature visor test. The pair also found the glossy black trim to be too-easily dirtied.
Conclusion
The base model M235i Gran Coupe starts around $36k. The car in this video starts at $42,000.
“It’s got a good amount of power. The transmission is good. From the front, looks pretty good. This is a pretty good value for the price,” remarks The Straight Pipes hosts. “Especially that it has the coolest interior lighting of any BMW at the moment.”
Some things are left to be desired, but overall the BMW M235i Gran Coupe is a solid car. Mission accomplished.