Ignore The Haters, The 2025 BMW M235 Is Worthy Of The M Badge

BMW's naming conventions have always been unique. The names are always alphanumeric and are generally a pretty good indicator of what you're getting into. No letter prefixes, and you've got the keys to a nice luxury or executive sedan. "X" indicates an SUV, and "M" means you're getting a performance car. "xDrive" means all-wheel drive. Oh, and the higher the number is, the bigger the car is. The X3 is bigger than the X5, for instance. Congratulations, you can now identify every BMW on the road today.

Using that key, you can already tell that the 2025 BMW M235 is a performance sedan that's towards the smaller end of the automaker's range. Like with most BMW M-Cars, I was anxious to get behind the wheel. I had driven the M235 last year around BMW's track in South Carolina and I wanted to get more time with BMW's "entry" level sport sedan. After all, while it proved convincing after 20 minutes, now it was time to see how it impressed for a whole week.

The Beemer's full name is the 2025 BMW M235 xDrive Gran Coupe. Despite the coupe nomenclature, it's a sedan and a fairly small one at that. Under the hood is a 2-liter twin-turbo four-banger that generates 312 horsepower through the assistance of a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. That, BMW says, is all sufficient to go from 0-60 in 4.7 seconds. 

It's no BMW M5 when it comes to power or capability, but I am absolutely not going to complain about a 300+ horsepower sport sedan with BMW M-badges everywhere. Fuel economy is even pretty decent at 27 combined miles per gallon (I saw that go up to 35 driving in eco mode). A small four-cylinder may not give you an ungodly amount of power like a V8 or inline-6, but it sure is efficient.

I am not one to bemoan less cylinders. It makes no real difference to me how many cylinders it takes to make power. It's no "less" of an M-car because it's only a four-pot. In fact, it's pretty impressive that BMW was able to squeeze that much horsepower out of such a small engine.

The M235 is billed as a performance car, so you'd best believe I drove it a little harder than your average family crossover SUV. As such, the BMW absolutely ripped. It was a lot of fun to drive and I felt like it could explode down back roads all day every day without an issue. While I didn't attempt anything dangerous on a public road, I can attest that the little Beemer sticks to the road like a bad habit and it's actually quite difficult to break traction. The xDrive system does right what it says on the box, giving you a bit of extra grip when it gets sketchy.

The computer wizardry that runs the internal traction control and stability systems very much do their respective jobs as effectively as you could ask of them. It's a well composed Ultimate Driving Machine, that wouldn't disappoint even the most opinionated BMW forum posters. During more boring highway sprints, the BMW sat like any other luxury car should and ate up all the bumps and road imperfections with aplomb. It's mechanically as good as you would expect from any larger BMW M-Car.

Although a lot more sporty than the regular 2-series or your average non-M BMW, the Alcantara-clad interior and sporty seats were certainly comfortable enough, and driving in the "Comfort" mode wasn't a pain at all. Occasionally, more performance oriented cars are not that tame on regular roads and are a trial to sit comfortably in for more than a sprint around the track. This was not the case with the M235. My 82-year old grandmother was able to get into the passenger seat and was just fine.

But here is where my issues arise with the M235, and that was with the infotainment system. As with most contemporary BMW's I've tested, it just wasn't all that functional. It routinely forgot settings and prompted me to "log in" (I was the only user of the car) every time I turned the car on. Even then, it never remembered the climate control or seat settings and I needed to re-pair my phone every single time I got in the car. It was a huge hassle and absolutely detracted from the overall experience. 

I'm making a big point about this because the rest of the car is so good and it's marred by something very annoying. It's clear that BMW knows how to make a compelling sport sedan where all of the mechanical parts are nearly perfect. It's deeply frustrating when you are driving along and tearing up the roads as much as you desire, and the infotainment system that holds the whole car together is screaming in pain because it can't figure something out. It was also very hot out the week I had the car, and requiring several taps of the screens and various gestures to get the climate control system to even respond was not a good time.

Since the 2-Series sits towards the lower end of the BMW spectrum, the starting price is pretty reasonable all things considered. It's only when the options are added on, does the price inflate pretty dramatically. Without any options, the 2025 BMW M235 xDrive Gran Coupe starts at $49,500, making it the least expensive BMW M-Car. For what it's worth, the non-M 228 Gran Coupe, with 241 horsepower, starts at $39,600.

Back to the task at hand, that MSRP starts to get a bit higher when you add in the numerous extras. The "Vegas Red Metallic" paint color will set you back 650 vibrantly colored dollars. BMW's "Driving Assistance Professional" package — which includes active cruise control and lane keeping assistance — is $1,700. The M-Performance package is a hefty $2,550; it includes 19-inch wheels, bigger brakes, M-Sport seats with some aggressive stitching for good measure, and some trim pieces for extra exterior sportiness. The $1,600 Premium Package consists of a heads-up display, keyless entry, remote start, and a wireless charging pad.

The Technology Package includes a 360-degree camera, and it's $1,500. The $200 heated steering wheel, $200 garage door opener, and the $100 interior camera round out the M235's extras. Add in the destination charge of $1,175 and you arrive at the final price of $59,175 for the M-car privilege. It should be noted that BMW has already listed 2026 model year prices on its site. As such, an identically spec-ed version of this car is now $59,425.

The luxury sport sedan world has gotten smaller over the years and the M235 doesn't have very many direct competitors. Perhaps the most likely contender to steal the Beemers crown is the Acura Integra Type S. It starts a bit lower at $52,900 for 320 horsepower and the honor of a 6-speed manual. The Mercedes-AMG C 43 sedan has much more power at 416 German horses; it's also priced higher, at $62,500.

The 2025 BMW M235 xDrive Gran Coupe is an excellent car that's hampered by an uncooperative infotainment system and interior controls that are maddening at times. Are those qualms enough to forgo it in favor of the Acura or AMG? It depends on how committed you are to the Ultimate Driving Machine. If you absolutely need that BMW roundel on your grille and you will settle for no less, the M235 is the sport sedan for you and you already made your decision before you clicked this review. If you, on the other hand are more brand agnostic and just want a performance sport sedan on a budget, the Acura might be an easier car to live with.