…but, kinda, right?! I mean, it says something when the car that really best fits my criteria is another 370Z.
I did seriously think about getting another one: for the longest time, that was my plan in case anything happened to my car. But now I want something different. And, I’m almost 50: I think I’m ready to move to something like a BMW. Even if it’ll make people assume I’m an asshole. 
(would be surprised if you did.)
I think the M240i is a brilliant car. Once you get past the looks of it. Which is an entirely subjective thing. Some, if they can be believed, even claim to like the design. I doubt reliability will be a real issue in the first 5 years. Things tend to start adding up as the car ages and regular wear & tear items need addressing. Things like new brake service, strut bearings, engine mounts, control arm bushings, diff. fluid flush, spark plugs, battery, all come into play once you pass manufacturer warranty. I would advise you to get an extended manufacturer warranty, even if it’s a couple of thousand, or three. Worth the peace of mind for possible major drive train issues, IMO. Ten years down the road, you better still love the car and not mind the maintenance costs. I doubt it will leave you stranded if you don’t neglect it. Sounds like you are good about maintenance with your Z so unlikely the BMW will be a source of additional major worry for you. They remain well built cars. I don’t think there is much cause to worry if it’s the right choice compared to others in it’s class.
On that note, FWIW, a couple of weeks ago I had a new VW Jetta for a few days while my car was in the shop, and fell in love with it. I’m not typically much of a car guy, but this was genuinely fun to drive, and loaded with high-tech features (many of which are optional, though) at a reasonable price. VW seems to score quite well in reliability according to the list below – $7800 over 10 years compared to the BMW’s average of $17,800, precisely $10,000 higher!
Not sure I’m especially thrilled with the idea of a turbocharged 4-banger, though. My current car has a nice sturdy V6. It’s kind of like the difference between a well-bred horse and a chihuahua on steroids.
VW has two main manufacturing facilities for the North American market, Puebla, Mexico, and Wolfsburg, Germany, during the '80s and '90s the Jetta was made in the Puebla plant, and the Golf was made in Germany, the Jetta was the more affordable and “lower end” car, and it was during this time, mostly, that VW gained the reputation for “poor reliability”, there was a clear dichotomy between Jetta and Golf owners, Golf owners had an almost snobbish attitude and looked down on the “crappy Mexican VW’s”
this reputation has persisted for a while, but VW has sunk a LOT of money into Puebla, they pretty much exclusively used that plant for both revisions of the New Beetle, and produced the Jetta Sportwagen (and now the Golf Sportwagen) in Puebla, and now, the 2005 and later model Golf hatchbacks are made in Puebla
the Puebla plant is now equal quality to the Wolfsburg plant, but the residual snobbiness still remains, many potential VW owners still are concerned by the “Cheap Mexican VW” reputation, which is basically a non-issue now
Go on YouTube and do a search for the “Annie” beetle restoration video, you can see the care that goes into the restoration, they truly care about the automotive craftsmanship.
yes, both of my VW’s were Wolfsburg built models, but that’s just because I happen to prefer the Golf hatchback over the Jetta sedan, if it was made in Puebla, I wouldn’t have any hesitation, I just don’t like the MkVII and newer for other reasons…
on the TDI diesel models, the 2015+ models added in the Diesel Exhaust Fluid tank which required downgrading the rear suspension from Independent to Twist Beam Link, so a small amount of handling was compromised, not to mention the additional expense of DEF refills 2008 to 2014 models have Independent ear suspension and no DEF tank
I’m not sure if the current standard Golf (non GTI) is torsion or IRS, i’m pretty sure the GTI/R have always been IRS
Thanks for the good background info. As I said, I’m not much of a car guy, and didn’t know any of this. I take it, then, that the current Jetta is built in Wolfsburg. The name “Wolfsburg” brings back fond memories as I associate it with my very first car, which, needless to say, was a VW Beetle as it was for millions of other boomers! 
Apologies for digressing the thread a bit, although we’re still on the subject of “high-tech German cars”. I fear that the idea of going out and buying a VW Jetta has lodged itself in my brain like an itch that won’t go away. 
Maybe things are different now, but when I was looking last year in the SoCal region, M2s were available by order only. For me, when it comes down to M2 vs M240i, I reeaaally want to want the M2, but my favorite driving down here is all about hustling along some canyon road with the top down.
I feel boxed with the top up. Too many years of being a motorcycle first and foremost maybe. Of course my current car is a hard top, but it’s just a city and commute electric car for us that my wife now drives more than me.
I believe the current new retail stock Jetta is made in Pueblo MX, country of assembly is basically a non-issue, as most cars are assembled by Robot Arm(s) (no, not OUR Robot Arm ), they’re bolted together in a factory that conforms to the manufacturer QC standards with parts sourced worldwide, even a “German built” car will have parts from outside Germany, when you come right down to it, the country of “manufacture” is basically only where the manufacturer’s original factory was built
for example, a Toyota built in the USA is no different from one built in Japan, or Canada, or Mexico, or Korea, Or Qo’nos, or Vulcan, or Ferenginar (those have too many unfair tarrifs added though…) or wherever else they choose to open production plants
the days of "100% made in <country> " days are long gone
that said, the Jetta is VW’s most affordable, entry level car and will have base features (front disc/rear drum brakes, torsion beam rear suspension, etc…), the Jetta SportWagen is the next step up and is basically a stretched Golf, it’s also known in Europe as the Golf Variant, Golf Estate, the Golf is their next step up in features and performance
plus, hatchbacks (and wagons) rule for versatility and practicality, the current Jetta is a pretty nice car now though, I’m just not generally a fan of the sedan/coupe chassis, gives up too much versatility and utility when compared to a hatchback or wagon.
this is no longer true. no single-countershaft manual transmission can handle more than about 700 lb-ft of input torque. the 717+ lb-ft Challenger Demon is automatic only. Ram is the only full-size pickup which still sells a 6MT in the HD line, and they have to de-rate the Cummins diesel to 660 lb-ft with the manual. if you want the full 1,000 lb-ft you need to put the Aisin 6-speed auto behind it.
For general purpose driving, i’d still argue over the superiority of the manual, but there are some pretty tough autos out there, I just think the manual is more immersive, personal preference, the DSG in my '12 Golf TDI isn’t horrible, it’s actually pretty decent, and the only substitute for a manual i’d accept, no torque converters or belt CVT, although I am intrigued by Toyota’s E-CVT, but until Toyota puts it in a FUN car, I won’t drive one, as to me, the Prius is the antithesis of driving enjoyment.
anyway, here’s a cool video of how automated car factories are now… I especially like seeing the frames go into the anti-corrosion bath at around 6 minutes in…
My 2000 Jetta GLX VR6, manual, was built in Wolfsburg. Drove it out of the showroom brand new. Kept it for nearly 20 years. Taught both my kids to drive in it. My youngest had it as his car for the last year or so, until he joined the Navy. Still had it’s original factory clutch and full exhaust. I donated it to NPR and I’m sure someone else is driving it now because it was still in good working order and the black leather seats were in the most wonderful condition - soft as butter and without a scratch on them. I miss that thing.
FTR, no, all Jetta models come with disc brakes all around, and I’m pretty sure that all new cars have done so for a long time.
I agree that a hatchback is more practical but IMO the Jetta just looks much more elegant, so much so that I honestly thought it was the next model up from Golf! It’s surprising, but indeed, the Golf is a bit more expensive. Here in Canada the base model Jetta upgraded with 8-speed automatic is $22,395 while a similar Golf is $23,900.
If I wanted utterly practical in a VW without spending a lot I have a chance to buy a used Tiguan from a friend who has two coming off lease, both perfectly maintained over four years, but I’m not sure I’m that fond of the Tiguan’s boring appearance. If I had the money I might consider the VW Atlas SUV, but with upgrades you can end up paying over $50K for one of those without even trying.
Well, if nothing else, I’m consistent and know what I want even if I tell myself a different story. I went down to the Carvana vending machine and bought the convertible M240i I should have bought a couple of years ago.
Well it’s been two years now. It now has 81,000 miles and I have had very few problems with it. OTOH, I don’t drive it in the winter, nor do I drive it in the rain. So I suppose that helps.
But… I belong to a couple Z4 Facebook groups, and I understand where the weaknesses are. Apparently the cooling system usually craps out between 70K and 90K miles. So this winter I’m going to replace everything in the cooling system. The VANOS system is also a weakness.
Good to hear that ownership is treating you well. I think it’s a good idea to know where your trouble is most likely to come from, and maybe even to preemptively replace some parts here and there. I’m always a little skeptical of the conventional wisdom on the forums though. They seem to suffer from a “failure flavor of the month” mentality sometimes. Although I’ll say that the groupthink is more obvious in terms of the must-have upgrade that everyone is rushing to do, at least until the next shiny new thing pops up over the horizon.
OP here: I’m kind of amazed that I never came back to this thread to mention that I bought a new M240i in late January 2020! Two months later the world shut down, so now I have a 20-month-old car with less than 5,000 miles on it.
It’s funny that I just noticed the new posts in this thread, because tomorrow will actually be the first road trip: ~250 miles from Northern Virginia to North Jersey (with the return ~250 miles on Sunday). I love driving this car, so I’m looking forward to some highway time — even if part of it will be the NJ Turnpike. 
Nice! Congrats!
As a fun story not relevant to much of anything, I took my new M240i up CA 33 last weekend. 50+ miles of freshly paved, twisty Heaven. And then ran over a chunk of something in the road that left me with two flat tires 50 miles away from anything.
Yikes! I have the run-flats. I know they’re supposed to take something away from the experience/handling/etc., but they feel fine to me.
