Item: BMW 2 Series 2014-2021
Rating: 4.5

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There’s a graph BMW uses. It has body styles along one axis and car size along the other, thus allowing you to see what kinds of cars it makes and how big or expensive they are.

Twenty years ago it would have been a pretty straightforward noughts and crosses-size affair. But these days it looks like a giant Connect 4 board. Coupé SUV a bit bigger than a mid-size executive SUV? But of course.

The 2 Series Coupé can be traced to the 1966 BMW 1600-2
Matt Prior
Editor-at-large

And now this 2 Series Coupé. Not to be confused with the new front-wheel-drive 2 Series Active Tourer and Gran Tourer, the 2 Series coupé is to the 1 Series what the 4 Series Coupé is to the 3 Series. Geddit? It’s a rear-drive, two-door, three-box variant of the 1 Series that, while effectively a replacement for the old 1 Series coupé, is said to offer more space and style than the old car did.

And thus far, we’ve been mightily impressed, including by the two descendants of the 1 Series M Coupé - in the form of the BMW M240i and M2 that sits atop the range. You could argue that the 2 Series Coupé’s history is quite short, extending as the direct lineage does only as far back as its 1 Series coupé predecessor.

But BMW has a long history of three-box coupés with the presence of a number 2 in the name, starting with the 1600-2 of 1966 and followed up by the splendid 2002 in 1968, whose turbocharged version BMW would doubtless cite as an inspiration for the new M2 40i.

Trim levels for the 2 Series comprise of SE, Sport, M Sport and M Sport Plus, and engine options consist of a range of petrol and diesel units. BMW offers the 218i 1.5-litre three-cylinder, 220i and 228i 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrols, and the hot straight-six M240i petrol, while the diesel range is punctuated by the 2.0-litre four-cylinder 218d, 220d and 225d. Topping the range is the smallest official M car made by BMW in the shape of the 365bhp M2, which uses a more powerful tune of the unit under the M240i's bonnet.

So is the new BMW 2 Series set to repeat the success of its predecessors? Our comprehensive road test will reveal all.

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 9

Used BMW 2 Series 2014-2021 review

Good

Honed, balanced handling

Appealing interior

Strong performance and economy

Bad

Could be better equipped

Some options are pricey

Below-par diesel refinement

DESIGN & STYLING

BMW’s claims about the 2 Series Coupé being a more practical car than the 1 Series are founded in some undeniable hard data. At 4432mm long, the 2 Series is 72mm longer than the 1 Series Coupé and 108mm longer than the 1 Series hatchback.

Not so long ago a 3 Series coupé was this long, and while the current 3 Series saloon has stretched to more than 4.6m, it still gives you an idea of this car’s positioning. The 1 Series Coupé was strictly a compact two-door; the 2 Series is a distinctly more accommodating proposition.

The trademark Hofmeister kink makes it on to the rear window, as you'd expect
Hilton Holloway
Associate editor

It’s also a relatively conventional BMW one. You’ll know the familiar layout; there’s a longitudinally mounted engine in the front, driving the rear wheels here through a six-speed manual gearbox. Suspension is by MacPherson struts up front, with a multi-link set-up at the back.

As with most BMWs, a wide range of engines is offered. The economy-concious can opt for a 218d, 220d or 225d, each with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel; on the petrol front there's a 218i 1.5-litre three-cylinder, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder 220i and 228i, and also a six-pot 3.0 which powers the BMW M240i and M2.

Specified in basic form, your 2 Series comes with passive springs and dampers and an electrically assisted steering set-up that uses the Servotronic system – which means the level of assistance alters as speeds change.

However, as is typical, that’s not all you can choose. You can also specify Variable Sport Steering, which brings with it a rack that is quicker well off the straight-ahead than it is near a straight line. Ergo, there’s less wheel twiddling for corners and greater stability on motorways.

You can also spec M Sport suspension, which means a 10mm suspension drop and ‘extra-stiff’ spring and damper rates. Or you can opt for Adaptive M Suspension, which gets the 10mm drop in ride height but dampers that are electronically controlled and less stiff than in M Sport spec until you ask them not to be.

On top of that, from the accessories range there’s BMW M Performance suspension, which has a 20mm drop in ride height, red-painted springs and bespoke passive dampers.

In July 2017, BMW gave the 2 Series a mid-life facelift, which saw new LED headlights fitted as standard, with adaptive variants an option, a LED foglights and rear lights, newly designed front kidney grille and air intakes as the largest asethetic changes. Inside also received a refresh while buyers also get a choice of three new colours and four alloy wheel designs.

INTERIOR

In many ways, we’ve seen what’s inside the new BMW 2 Series Coupe before. BMW’s ‘layered’ dash architecture has been carried over from the 1 Series and therefore makes the car feel every inch a downscaled 3 Series. The 2017 facelift also saw the interior given a mid-life refresh with a new instrument cluster, new air vents, touches of chrome and better driver's ergonomic with the headline act an updated version of the iDrive infotainment system complete with a refreshed design, sat nav and a touchscreen display.

Downsizing owners of the latter will, therefore, find themselves right at home, if a little thrown by the uncanny shrink-wrap effect that makes it that bit harder to get totally comfy behind the steering wheel and apparently far-flung pedals.

The clutch action is typically long, which could be a problem for shorter-legged drivers
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

Nevertheless, compared to the old 1 Series coupé, the car is noticeably roomier inside. Few will appreciate the extra 6mm of headroom, but 21mm more rear legroom is not to be sniffed at, although taller rear passengers might find the coupé roofline too close for comfort.

Getting in and out isn’t overly difficult, but the pitch of the rear backrests can make it something of a stomach muscle workout.

Those backrests will fold down should you have the need, but it’ll take quite a load to exhaust the space available in the 2-series’ handsomely proportioned boot. It has grown by 20 litres to 390 litres – a total volume that makes it marginally bigger than a Volkswagen Golf’s.

The effect of the packaging grows on you the more you think about it. Two usable back seats and that (comparatively) large boot place the new model far higher up the practicality scale than a current Audi TT or a Peugeot RCZ.

And thanks to BMW’s insistence on a driver-focused ambience – with low-set ergonomic precision to match – the 2 Series has the pedigree to rival the implied sportiness of those alternatives.

There are four trim levels to choose from - SE, Sport, M Sport and M Sport Plus. Entry-level SE models get 17in alloys, climate control, heated mirrors and washer bottles, automatic wipers and lights, LED lights all round and reversing parking sensors as standard, alongside BMW's fabulous iDrive infotainment display complete with a 6.5in display.

Upgrade to Sport and you get ambient interior lighting, sport seats and instrument cluster, while M Sport cars get an aggressive bodykit, 18in alloy wheels, sport suspension, and headlight washers. For those wanting to add a little more luxury to their 2 Series can add the M Sport Plus pack, which adds bigger alloys a Harman and Kardon stereo, a rear spoiler and tinted rear windows - the latter two features are only available on the coupé version.

Craving a bit more power? The BMW M240i may very well be the answer - as part of the M Performance bracket of the BMW range, in between the standard cars and the full fat M variants - with its 335bhp 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine. The M240i also gets treated to an aggressive M Sport bodykit, braking system, rear spoiler, individually tuned sports supension and variable steering rack. Other luxuries include leather upholstery and dual-zone climate control.

Topping the range is the M2 - which uses the same engine as the M240i just cranked up a bit to produce 365bhp instead. It also gets 19in alloy wheels on mixed tyres, an active differential, a BMW M derived and tuned fitments including a specific braking system, sports suspension and an aerodynamic bodykit.

As standard, the BMW includes ‘Enhanced Bluetooth’, which gives you a cradle mount for your phone and adds voice control to the telecoms system, is a cost option. It’s also a prerequisite of the web browser, internet radio and other BMW Online functions on the options list. Pairing a phone is easy, call quality is good and Bluetooth media streaming works well.

BMW’s Professional Multimedia set-up is among the best fitted nav systems. The upgrade, including an 8.8in screen, online functionality and real-time traffic system, costs just under £2000 but justifies the premium. The standard screen is 6.5in wide, and there’s a lower-rung Business navigation system that operates through it.

DAB is standard too, but it only operates through a 4x25-watt, six-speaker system. An ‘advanced’ upgrade is sufficiently powerful to impress, or you can go the whole hog on the Harman Kardon set-up, which will probably make your car easier to sell if it’s a private buy.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Outside of the flagship BMW M240i and M2, we've only tested the 220d, but it's a model that'll most likely prove a popular choice among buyers and shares much with the 218d and 225d. It's perhaps harsh to judge this engine’s pitfalls first, but as a barometer of excellence, BMW’s four-pot diesel has slipped from pole position.

The measure of its fall will become apparent; the gearknob rattle, the clatter from cold, the disgruntlement dismissed before must now be reappraised as simply not good enough – especially in the compact BMW 2 Series, where any refinement deficit is even more apparent.

I love the 220d as a long-distance motorway cruiser
Matt Prior
Editor-at-large

Beyond the obvious, the side effect of all this excess noise and vibration is a potential dissatisfaction with the accompanying performance. The 220d actually pulls adequately from low engine speeds, but the splutter that greets gentle throttle openings is all too easy to mistake for a mortal struggle in the powertrain.

This means starting the car and getting it to the end of the road becomes a chore that must be endured before one can get to the business of enjoying it. It needs to be quieter, or at least pleasantly noisy. If refinement is a key buying criteria, the petrol engines would be a better choice.

While the engine’s din never completely dissipates, its proficiency elsewhere is so exemplary that you simply fail to take any heed. The introduction of forced induction comes on more subtly here than elsewhere and seems to assist for longer, giving the 220d an energetic rev range apparently far keener to work at high crank speeds.

Its spirited rendition is not merely subjective, either. In the smaller car, BMW claims 7.2sec to 62mph, which seems reasonable considering we managed 7.8sec to 60mph with two up on a very damp track.

Its parsimoniousness is equally unimpeachable. Our 62.2mpg touring figure and a staunch refusal to drop below a 45mpg average despite frequently savage mistreatment (making a claimed combined economy of 58.9mpg appear achievable) continue to mark it out as special.

All the more of a shame, then, that this engine can do none of these remarkable things without shouting about them.

RIDE & HANDLING

BMW’s criteria for a successful outcome in this department will doubtless have been multi-faceted, but we’d lay good odds that renovating the 1 Series’ po-faced and ultimately uninvolving character was as high on the engineers’ priority list as it was on ours for the BMW 2 Series.

Certainly that’s the impression one gets from even the briefest stint in the car. The hatchback’s precision and basic fluency have been preserved, largely courtesy of BMW’s springy steering and its insistence on a balanced weight distribution.

We'd opt for the 17-inch rims and avoid the M Sport suspension and variable steering
Nic Cackett
Road tester

Everything beyond it now seems the result of a chassis tune considerably more in sync with the kind of interactivity expected of the brand. Emphatically, this is a rear-drive coupé – pleasingly adjustable on the throttle, patently agile (partly a virtue of the optional variable-ratio steering rack) and instilled not just with a capacity for brisk progress but an obvious relish for it.

Better still, the 2 Series is almost as adept at making the transition from trundling to pressing on (and back again) appear as seamless as it is in the 3 Series. Play with the standard performance control toggle if you must, but the differences here – even with the adaptive dampers – are subtle. In other words, the coupé’s composure largely seems default.

Perfect, of course, it isn’t. The 3 Series’ remarkable ability to soak long-wave undulations into its longer wheelbase isn’t ideally replicated. At times, the 2 Series’ body control wavers on tricky UK roads, faintly bobbing and weaving where others might already have settled.

But the infringement on poise and comfort is minimal. In fact, its initial tendency to lean comes on like an old-school hint of adhesive strain, letting both car and driver settle into the plentiful grip before collaborating on how best to exceed it.

From there on there can be work to do but, on the road and in the dry at least, the half-doused driver aids of Sport+ mode permit just the right amount of sanitised fun.

With a notably better handling balance and in particular better body control and more precise steering than a 1 Series hatchback, the 2 Series felt effortlessly agile and willing to be hustled along much more quickly than most owners will ever drive.

At the limit of grip, the car had a slight tendency towards power-on understeer – but that could have been exacerbated by the conditions. On turn-in, the car dives towards the apex with incisiveness at the front axle allied to a sense of involvement and neutrality from the rear that could be developed into proper throttle steer if only there was a bit more power to deploy.

There isn’t quite the balance or amusement factor of a proper rear-drive sports car here, but there’s more than enough of both to get your teeth into and maintain your interest.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

BMW has put the BMW 2 Series on a typically strong footing as an ownership prospect. The middle-sitting 220d enters its segment with not only distinguishing power, torque and consequent performance but also lower CO2 emissions than any proper three-box compact coupé you could compare it with.

Only the Seat Leon SC and Vauxhall Astra GTC – three-door hatchbacks playing at being coupés, really – offer better claimed economy.

It'd be good to see an EfficientDynamics model with super-low emissions
Matt Burt
Executive Editor, Autocar

Claimed economy isn’t always to be believed, of course – unless you drive a BMW. On our touring schedule, the 220d returned a true 62.2mpg – almost 10mpg better than the Leon SC 2.0 TDI FR under identical test conditions.

Although our overall test economy result doesn’t quite confirm as much, running this car in a typical usage pattern would certainly produce better than 50mpg.

You'll have to do the mileage to justify the extra cost of one of the diesels, though. If not, then a four-cylinder petrol might prove a more sensible – not to mention refined – option.

On the specifications front, it's worth paying out for the optional Harman Kardon audio system, sports seats and Professional nav. Avoid the variable sports steering and M Sport suspension, and be mindful of ticking too many boxes lest you crank the price up significantly.

Typically strong BMW residuals would complete the picture, but this is where the 2 Series lets the side down a little. Up against desirable, short-supply rivals such as the Peugeot RCZ and Audi TT, the 2 Series doesn’t look quite as strong as you might expect.

Running costs and reliability should prove good for all 2 Series models, and a three-year/unlimited-mileage warranty is standard.

VERDICT

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 9

Used BMW 2 Series 2014-2021 review

Good

Honed, balanced handling

Appealing interior

Strong performance and economy

Bad

Could be better equipped

Some options are pricey

Below-par diesel refinement

This is our favourite small BMW. The firm’s new range demarcation promised a better-defined compact coupé with which to capture the enthusiast’s imagination, and that is what has been delivered. The procurement of Autocar’s favour, then, is utterly by design.

This is an easier car to like than BMW’s other badge-engineered coupé, the 4 Series. The BMW 2 Series’s ingratiating verve better captures the spirit of the 3 Series, and although clearly somewhat less practical, its large boot means that it should serve most buyers as a two-seater just as well.

The Volkswagen Scirocco remains by far the best of the front-wheel-drive contenders
Matt Prior
Editor-at-large

For those less devoted to the brand, the 2 Series is equally compelling. It’s more rewarding than either the Audi TT or Peugeot RCZ and is more functional than both. And now there is a full blooded version to take the fight to the Audi TT RS too.

Even for buyers resolutely camped in the premium three-door hatchback market, it ought to make food for thought.

Our mounting conviction that our lives could be made to fit the 2 Series is evidence enough of its canny positioning and overall quality.

Matt Prior

Title: Editor-at-large

Matt is Autocar’s lead features writer and presenter, is the main face of Autocar’s YouTube channel, presents the My Week In Cars podcast and has written his weekly column, Tester’s Notes, since 2013.

Matt is an automotive engineer who has been writing and talking about cars since 1997. He joined Autocar in 2005 as deputy road test editor, prior to which he was road test editor and world rally editor for Channel 4’s automotive website, 4Car.

Into all things engineering and automotive from any era, Matt is as comfortable regularly contributing to sibling titles Move Electric and Classic & Sports Car as he is writing for Autocar. He has a racing licence, and some malfunctioning classic cars and motorbikes.