[Evilmoretea]

So I’ve had my G42 M240i for 7 months now done over 9k miles and I am still really struggling with judging the width of the car.

I’m in the UK and we have a lot of narrow roads and in London we even have width restrictions which are big metal bollards that can be as small as 7’ or even 6’6”

For me I just cannot “feel” or see where the front nearside tyre is (front tyre, furthest from driver)

Any tips?

I’ve tried increasing my seat height, I’ve picked markers out on the car body as reference points. But I’m just constantly focused on this and not looking ahead.

What’s weird is I never had this issue with my G42 230i I could “feel” the front just a little better. But now I have no confidence and I was even so far over that recently clipped my wing mirror on an oncoming car on narrow road.

This is really ruining the car for me. Didn’t even have this experience in the i5 which I borrowed for one day and 200 miles. Could get in and out of airport car parks easily. I dread trying to park my m240i in multi stories as I just cannot feel the sides of the car.

Help!

Edit: main issue im having is I’m so anxious about hitting the curb that I am leaning over to the oncoming lane right on the line.

[RockCrusher]

For maneuvering in tight places at low speed you might turn on the Park Distance Control.

With my 230ix I get a "360" image of the car and can see its placement in -- usually -- the parking space.

But I have occasionally used it when presented with a tight squeeze.

[Rdurty2]

Stick your head out of the moonroof

[Evilmoretea]

Originally Posted by RockCrusher

For maneuvering in tight places at low speed you might turn on the Park Distance Control.

With my 230ix I get a "360" image of the car and can see its placement in — usually — the parking space.

But I have occasionally used it when presented with a tight squeeze.

I feel like it’s 2 separate issues.
1: definitely struggling in tight spaces, don’t have the 360 cam just parking sensors and rear cam
2: still struggling on keeping it centred in lane on faster narrow roads

[sikotic]

I suggest test driving another M240i to see if you experience the same thing, that way you'll know whether its your M240 or all of them

[Red_sir]

I had a similar issue in the beginning. The bulge in the hood threw me off about where the front passenger corner was. I found sitting up and leaning over when parking helped. Also, have you looked into monoballs? It might improve the steering feel a bit and make it easier to feel small changes in direction. Stock, on center steering feel is very numb.

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by Evilmoretea

I feel like it’s 2 separate issues.
1: definitely struggling in tight spaces, don’t have the 360 cam just parking sensors and rear cam
2: still struggling on keeping it centred in lane on faster narrow roads

After 7 months and 9K miles and struggling to keep the car in the lane and difficulty judging the width of the car...

Maybe the 240i is just too big of a car for the roads where you are?

Before I bought my 230ix my daily was a 2023 MINI JCW. Even though the 230ix is not that big of a car moving from the JCW to the 230ix was a bit of a change.

I still miss the smaller JCW.

[Pentland]

Originally Posted by sikotic

I suggest test driving another M240i to see if you experience the same thing, that way you'll know whether its your M240 or all of them

It can’t be all of them otherwise we’d all be reporting it.
Much of the city I live was built in the Middle Ages so we have some very narrow and car unfriendly streets. I’ve never had a problem. The only issue I’ve experienced is the M240i has a relatively large turning circle.

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by Evilmoretea

I feel like it’s 2 separate issues.
1: definitely struggling in tight spaces, don’t have the 360 cam just parking sensors and rear cam
2: still struggling on keeping it centred in lane on faster narrow roads

Was out in my 230ix yesterday and driving on a variety of roads. And noting how I kept the car in its lane.

The car has no real distinctive sight lines (if that's the right term). All I see out the windshield is that bulging hood. I can't see the fender edges. And my seat is raised some.

But as I drove I noted I was able to keep the car between the lines.

I positioned the car to where as the driver I was just to the left of the center of the lane. Thus the car's center was in the center of the lane. This had the car equal distance from the center line of the road and the right edge of the road.

This for roads with lanes marked by lines on either side or on narrower roads with only a center line and no line at the edge of of the road.

However, I dare say the roads I was on were not as narrow as you experience where you drive.

While I've been in the UK (on business) I didn't drive there. I had a driver.

But I was also in Switzerland and drove there. Some roads in Zurich and its suburbs were quite narrow. But my rental car was a Mercedes Benz A (W168) model. A very small car. Even so on some roads I had to take extra care when there was oncoming traffic. A few times I pulled over to the right as far as I could and stopped and let the other vehicle go past.

[Evilmoretea]

Originally Posted by RockCrusher

Was out in my 230ix yesterday and driving on a variety of roads. And noting how I kept the car in its lane.

The car has no real distinctive sight lines (if that's the right term). All I see out the windshield is that bulging hood. I can't see the fender edges. And my seat is raised some.

But as I drove I noted I was able to keep the car between the lines.

I positioned the car to where as the driver I was just to the left of the center of the lane. Thus the car's center was in the center of the lane. This had the car equal distance from the center line of the road and the right edge of the road.

This for roads with lanes marked by lines on either side or on narrower roads with only a center line and no line at the edge of of the road.

However, I dare say the roads I was on were not as narrow as you experience where you drive.

While I've been in the UK (on business) I didn't drive there. I had a driver.

But I was also in Switzerland and drove there. Some roads in Zurich and its suburbs were quite narrow. But my rental car was a Mercedes Benz A (W168) model. A very small car. Even so on some roads I had to take extra care when there was oncoming traffic. A few times I pulled over to the right as far as I could and stopped and let the other vehicle go past.

Yeah I’d say actually it’s not an issue of keeping it centred or straight that’s quite easy. But judging the width and trying to avoid the curb and an oncoming car on narrow roads and tbh most normal British roads are very narrow. It’s a struggle