Entry-Level Excellence
If BMW’s nomenclature wasn’t already a bit confusing, this new 2-series won’t help. The 1-series is dead, but yet it still exists – just not in North America. So this 2 is now the entry point into BMW ownership. Entry level luxury cars can come with a degree of compromise, such as an interior that’s not always up to par, like we saw on the BMW X1. But sometimes they nail it, like Volvo did with the XC40. So how did this new Baby Bimmer do?
Admittedly in photos, we weren’t too keen on some of the design language on this new 2-series. The chunky front end is all well and good, but the oddly thin and narrow rear lights didn’t seem to work. It does look better in person, but there’s still something slightly off about the back end, especially in such a compact body. It’s almost reminiscent of the X4 or X6 ‘coupes.’ We’d have liked to see something more along the lines of a compacted 4-series. But it’s not a bad looking little BMW at all – especially in our test unit’s shade of red.
Interior-wise, adults will have no issue in the front seats. The car is smartly laid out for both driver and passenger alike, with plenty of head and legroom. But things take a different turn when you move to the rear seats. For children or shorter grown-ups, it’s fine for short journeys, but taller individuals had better call shotgun. That said, take a look at the traffic around you some time. Many of us rarely have more than one passenger with us. If you’re not dealing with kids, chances are the new 2 will be just fine. If you don’t have to worry about rear-seat use, you can always fold them down to make the fair-sized trunk more akin to a cavern.
There’s plenty of tech inside too. BMW’s digital dashboard has made its way down from the mighty 7-series to the humble 2. BMW touts its versatility and indeed it is quite configurable. You can add or remove information to your fancy, display map directions, have smaller gauges and more. For iPhone users, there’s an added treat that comes in the form of wireless CarPlay. And speaking of smartphones, know how you can just shout ‘Hey Siri’ or ‘Ok Google’ at your device? The Bavarians brought that familiarity to this too. Say ‘Hey BMW’ and the car will listen to your commands. And feel free to rename your BMW to whatever you’d like. It’ll still listen. Keep it PG-13, now.
BMW has not called themselves ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’ for some time now. But we still find they tend to hold driving dynamics in high regard. So how does the new 2 fit in with the rest of the lineup? Some purists might be shocked to learn this 2 is actually a FWD-based platform. It’s only AWD here in Canada, but the FWD bias means you won’t really get much back-end action in spirited driving. But lets be real – the average buyer will not give a schnitzel about that. This little BMW still feels planted and agile – especially with the meaty rubber, massive brakes and larger wheels on our tester. The punchy little 2.0L turbo-four under the hood honestly feels a lot more like a straight-six. It’s only available mated to an 8-speed automatic, which does a well enough job. As much as we’d love to see a manual transmission, again, we need to be realistic. Hardly anyone here buys them. Maybe the M2 of this generation will have one. The last M2 did, and we adore that car.
Starting at around $42,500, the new 2-series nestles in nicely alongside competition from Mercedes-Benz and Audi. Is it good value for money? If you’re buying a BMW, that’s not likely as important of a factor. Sure, you could buy a fully loaded Honda Civic and have some cash left over for that level of money. But our friend reality once again interjects. If you’re considering a BMW, you’re likely not looking at more budget-friendly brands. Like with practically every car on the market, cost can add up quickly with option packages so be wary. Our tester had an option pack costing well over $8,000 that added features like leather surfaces, remote start and a cruise control system that works in stop-and-go traffic. The cost of convenience. But if wearing the roundel is part of your brand, it’s hard to find major fault with the little 2-series. It may be your entry point into BMW, but it sure doesn’t feel entry-level.
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