Often you don’t hear about a car, even a luxury one being exciting at the entry level position. The BMW 2-Series certainly is an exciting car to drive and one you can have a lot of fun in. This car is more powerful than the Audi A3 and Acura ILX while giving you the AWD that is able to give the Audi Quattro and Mercedes-Benz 4Matic each a run for their money. When you want a luxury car that will let you play, this is the right car to choose and you can have it in either a coupe or convertible form.
Many of us love the performance BMW has built into their cars and when you don’t want to pay the price that a 4-Serieces comes in, the 2-Series makes perfect sense. At a price that is at least $10,000 less this car is so much fun it’s impossible to ignore. For 2016 the 2-Series gains some great updates in either build and the Sport Line is standard on the 228i and AWD has been added to the M235i convertible. Adding to the niceties the Premium Package has become standard on the M235i and M235i xDrive to give you even more driving pleasure.
Under the hood you will be greeted with one of two engines depending upon the vehicle you choose to drive. The 228i is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that puts out 240 horsepower and 255 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine is attached to either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission to bring in fuel numbers that range from 22 city/34 hwy mpg on up to a high of 23 city/35 hwy mpg. While not a great difference in fuel numbers you can have this car in coupe or convertible and with either RWD or AWD to give you the power and mileage you want.
The second engine which is the power plant for the M235i is the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine which comes in with 320 horsepower and 330 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine is also attached to the same transmissions to bring in fuel mileage numbers of 19 city/26 hwy mpg at the low end on up to the 20 city/31 hwy mpg on the high end. With these two engine choices to make you have the most powerful entry level luxury car on the market today.
When you step inside the 2-Series you don’t feel as if you have chosen an entry level vehicle. Instead of feeling as if you settled for something less expensive, you see the impressive styling that continues the athletic look that BMW has become known for. With good rear leg space and a comfortable driving position you can be sure every passenger of the vehicle is comfortable and able to enjoy the ride. Controls up front are easy to use and modern to let you see and know what is going on with this excellent small luxury car.
The base model of the 2-Series comes with eight-way manually adjustable front seats, sport front seats, a 60/40 split rear seat, 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, a ten-speaker audio system, a 6.5-inch display, HD Radio, a USB port and dual zone climate controls. These features give you what you want and need in the base model of this great little luxury athlete.
The optional features that you will find on this car include AWD as one of the most chosen options. Other additional features you can add include a Track Handling Package which lowers the car by 10 mm and adds the Adaptive M suspension, variable sport steering, M sport brakes and high performance tires. Some more options you can add include the Driver Assistance package which brings in a rearview camera that offers active guidelines and also has front and rear parking sensors. There is no doubt these packages are able to be added to make this a car that offers even better performance to give you more fun on the road or at the track.
Of all the cool features this car has two of the most impressive are the BMW Apps on the infotainment system and the parking assistance system. You can sit back and enjoy the social media features of the apps while the car does the parallel parking for you.
As the replacement for the 1-Series this car is a little larger and looks more muscular, which gives this car a much more appealing look overall. The headlights are swept across and the car offers a long hood with a wonderful low angle from the hood to the roofline. Across the body you see how BMW has become artists in the build of this car which looks gorgeous and more physically impressive than some other models.
Looking to the price, which I mentioned is much less than the 4-Series, the 228i starts out at just a little over $33,800 and the M235i begins at a little over $45,000. For either model the AWD will add $2,000 to the price of the car and when you start to add options the price can raise incrementally. At the top end, with every option available the 228i can reach $50,000 and the M235i will cost you nearly $55,000. Of course if you want the convertible you will have to add even more to the prices with $5,800 added to the 228i and $4,600 to the M235i which can give you the car you want to drive.
As a car that was designed to be a rear driving car this is one of the most impressive drives on the market. Regardless of the model you choose you will have an active and athletic car to enjoy and one you look forward to driving. The suspension, steering and braking will give you the control you desire when you go out and look for the curves that are part of the rural roads in your area, which are perfect for you to find an even greater appreciation for a car that is built to drive.
This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning a commission is given should you decide to make a purchase through these links, at no cost to you. All products shown are researched and tested to give an accurate review for you.