Item: BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

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Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

The 2 Series Gran Coupé only carries a very slight&nbsp;price premium&nbsp;over the closely-related <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/1-series/hatchback/review/n26">BMW 1 Series</a>. So, if you aren’t worried about the compromises in practicality that we’ve outlined above, and you really like its looks, it has value on its side, too. That’s especially true when you consider that it undercuts the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/cla-class/city-car/review/n19245">Mercedes CLA</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/arteon/hatchback/review/n176">Volkswagen Arteon</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a5/hatchback/review/n170">Audi A5 Sportback</a>.

Two trim levels are available – Sport and M Sport – while the M235i stands alone as a trim in its own right. Sport trim highlights include 17in alloy wheels, cruise control and dual-zone climate control. M Sport brings different suspension and steering, 18in alloys and some slightly sportier styling. Along with the performance upgrades highlighted earlier, the M235i brings more styling tweaks and adds sports seats to its equipment list.

Official CO2 emissions and fuel economy figures aren’t exactly outstanding, but the 2 Series Gran Coupé is certainly competitive with rivals in this respect. Euro NCAP has yet to put the car through its <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/euro-ncap-safety-ratings-2019-%E2%80%93-how-safe-is-your-car/n17044">rigorous crash tests</a>, but the 1 Series scored the full five stars when it was tested in 2019. Every model has <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-is-aeb-and-how-does-it-work/n3283/">automatic emergency braking (AEB)</a>, lane-departure warning, traffic sign recognition and speed limit assistance, as well as a system that will warn you if you get too close to the car in front. However, it should be pointed out that the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/a-class/hatchback/review/n88">Mercedes A-Class</a> out-scored the 1 Series for safety in each individual test areas,&nbsp;and the CLA has achieved similarly outstanding results.

On top of all the standard safety features, you can also add the optional Driving Assistant package (available on all trim levels) for blindspot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and rear cross-traffic alert. The latter provides a warning of approaching traffic when you're reversing out from a driveway, for example.

In the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2019-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n20069">2019 What Car? Reliability Survey</a>, BMW finished one place behind Audi; a slightly disappointing 21st of 31 brands. Mercedes trailed in 24th place.

The 2 Series Gran Coupé is covered by a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty, matching the cover offered by Mercedes for the A-Class and bettering Audi’s three-year warranty, which is limited to 60,000 miles.

The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé is available with three different engines, each of which can also be&nbsp;found under the bonnet of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/1-series/hatchback/review/n26">BMW 1 Series</a>. The line-up opens with a 138bhp 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that brings a 218i badge and can get you from 0-62mph in a respectable 8.7sec.

Although that’s quicker than the equivalent Mercedes CLA 180’s time, the BMW suffers from a shortage of low-down pull, so it feels a bit sluggish unless you work the engine hard. Once up to speed, it cruises along happily enough, and at least acceleration is smooth and linear when the gearbox wakes up.

The other petrol option is the hot 302bhp 2.0-litre&nbsp;four-cylinder engine of the M235i. Performance is brisk; it pulls really strongly all the way through to the rev-counter’s red line and, while its&nbsp;exhaust note may sound slightly contrived, it’s still a powerful and exciting engine. For reference, it can match&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/cla-class/city-car/review/n19245">Mercedes-AMG CLA 35</a>&nbsp;for pace, but the hotter <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/cla-class/coupe/review/n19851">CLA 45 S</a> is quicker.

The 188bhp four-cylinder diesel 220d completes the lineup. This is a strong, gutsy engine that offers good performance and will happily chew through motorway miles. The 218i gets a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, while the other two engines get slick-shifting eight-speed automatics.

No matter which version you go for, the 2 Series Gran Coupé is good to drive, and its responses are sharper than the CLA's. The steering is excellent, feeling very lively and alert with every interaction you have with the wheel. The M235i has its own bespoke steering and suspension to help it keep flatter in corners, and, with its limited-slip differential and four-wheel drive, has superb traction on greasy, winding roads.

Three types of suspension are available: standard, M Sport (which is 10mm lower and stiffer), and adaptive (this is available optionally only on the M235i). All setups are very slightly softer than their 1 Series equivalents, but not by enough to make the 2 Series Gran Coupé much less fun to drive.

What’s more, the Gran Coupé manages to maintain tight control of its body movements while remaining impressively cosseting. The stiffer springs of M Sport versions exaggerate any initial jolts, but even this setup is never crashy and manages to stay comfortable on ragged surfaces.

The interior is pretty quiet. You’ll hear some road noise and a bit of wind noise, but it’s easier to hold a conversation while travelling at speed than it is in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/cla-class/city-car/review/n19245">Mercedes CLA</a>, which has a lot more suspension noise.

The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé has more than a little in common with the BMW 1 Series family car. In fact, you can think of it as that model’s more glamorous&nbsp;sibling; in essence, it’s the same car, but very slightly stretched, with a lower roofline and a swoopy, eye-catching makeover.

It’s the smallest member of a family of four-door BMW coupés, playing understudy to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/4-series/coupe/review/n17260">4 Series Gran Coupé</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/6-series/hatchback/review/n17303">6 Series Gran Turismo</a> and range-topping <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/8-series/coupe/review/n18853">8 Series Gran Coupé</a>.

Its main rival is the similarly style-focused <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/cla-class/city-car/review/n19245">Mercedes CLA</a>, which itself is a sleeker coupé version of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/a-class/hatchback/review/n88">Mercedes A Class</a> family car, but it also counts cars such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/arteon/hatchback/review/n176">Volkswagen Arteon</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a5/hatchback/review/n170">Audi A5 Sportback</a> among its competition.

The Gran Coupé’s kinship to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/1-series/hatchback/review/n26">1 Series</a> extends to its mechanical underpinnings, with front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive versions available, unlike the two-door <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/2-series/coupe/review/n125">2 Series Coupé</a>, which remains rear-wheel drive in the time-honoured&nbsp;BMW tradition. The 1 Series&nbsp;confounded naysayers by proving terrific to drive –&nbsp;can the Gran Coupé follow in its footsteps?

Of course, to be worth your consideration, the 2 Series Gran Coupé has to more than just drive well; it has to stack up well against <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/executive">executive rivals</a> when it comes to comfort, efficiency, and much more besides. Read on to find out what it’s like inside and how much it’ll cost to run, as well as how it performs on the road.

And whether a Gran Coupé or any other model takes your fancy, visit our <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/category/executive">New Car Buying</a> pages for a great deal without the hassle of haggling.

Slip inside the 2 Series Gran Coupé and you'll find the same excellent dashboard as graces the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/1-series/hatchback/review/n26">BMW 1 Series</a>. As standard, you get analogue instrument dials with a digital fuel-economy display between them. M Sport cars get fully digital instruments (as do Sport versions if you tick this feature&nbsp;on the options list).

The driving position is top drawer; there's&nbsp;lots of height and reach adjustment for the steering wheel and plenty of movement in the comfortable, supportive driver’s seat. It seems a bit stingy that adjustable lumbar support is only offered optionally, although this is a criticism you can also apply to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/cla-class/city-car/review/n19245">Mercedes CLA</a>. Also optional is fully electric seat adjustment.

BMW’s iDrive infotainment system is outstanding. It gives you a touchscreen display, along with a rotary dial controller on the centre console, and it’s the easiest of its kind to use, whether you’re parked up or on the move. It also comes with voice command, and gesture control is an optional extra. <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a>&nbsp;smartphone integration comes as standard, while Android Auto is due to be added later in 2020.

If there’s one area in which the Mercedes undeniably trumps the BMW, though, it’s the visual pizzaz of its dashboard, thanks largely to the eye-catching widescreen layout of its infotainment system. However, there’s no doubting the rock-solid build quality on display in the 2 Series Gran Coupé. Indeed, build quality is one of the strongest areas of the car.

The view out of the front is as good as that of the CLA’s, but just like that car, the view out of the back is compromised by its sloping roofline and sharply angled rear window. However, with front and rear parking sensors as standard, along with a rear-view camera and an optional system that enables the car to park itself, manoeuvring isn’t a problem.

Saloon

Munich-based BMW is most famous for its sports saloons, in particular the 3 Series and 5 Series. However, it actually builds almost every type of car imaginable: everything from two-seat convertibles to seven-seat MPVs.

The cheapest model in the BMW range is the 1 Series hatchback, which is a rival to the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Volkswagen Golf. Meanwhile, at the other extreme is the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car, which costs more than £100,000.

BMW was also quick to capitalise on the rise of the SUV and now has six in its range: the X1, X2, X3, X4, X5 and X6.

All of this makes it one of the big three German prestige brands, along with Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

2 Series Gran Coupe

Great driver appeal, ride comfort and individual looks, but&nbsp;limited rear head room.

You’ll have no complaints about space in the front; there’s plenty of head and leg room, and lots of elbow room, too. The door bins are a decent size, and you also get a big glovebox and a generous cubby hole under the central armrest. Add the tray at the front of the centre console and there are plenty of places to stow your bits and pieces.

In the back, leg room is identical to that offered by the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/1-series/hatchback/review/n26">BMW 1 Series</a> and slightly more generous than that of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/cla-class/city-car/review/n19245">Mercedes CLA</a>. It also gives passengers more foot space under the front seats than the CLA. Unfortunately, though, that shapely sloping roofline really cuts into rear-seat head room. So much so that a six-footer won’t be able to sit up straight without&nbsp;their head being wedged uncomfortably against the ceiling.

The boot is actually bigger than that of the 1 Series, and gives you some handy underfloor storage spaces, but it’s slightly smaller than the CLA’s overall, and its 60/40-split rear seats don’t match the flexibility of the CLA’s three-piece 40/20/40 arrangement unless you pay extra for that option. The practicality of both cars is also hampered slightly their&nbsp;small boot openings.

The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé delivers a similarly fantastic blend of driver appeal and ride comfort to that offered by the 1 Series, along with a great interior. It doesn’t cost much more than its sibling, and many will love its swoopy coupé looks, but bear in mind that rear head room is pretty limited.


<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Effortless long-distance capability</li> <li>Strong standard specification</li> <li>Low running costs</li> <li>Comfortable driving position</li> <li>Comprehensive yet easy-to-use infotainment system</li></ul>

Executive cars are often the choice of company car drivers, so factors such as CO2 emissions (which govern your monthly tax bill) are just as important as cruising refinement for those long motorway journeys, a plush cabin and (whisper it) the image of the badge on the bonnet.

The good news is that there are options for all budgets and tastes. If rear space is crucial and you’re willing to put up with a less-than-premium badge, the Skoda Superb is tough to beat, while if you want a premium badge on the bonnet then the BMW 3 Series is consistently one of our favourites in this class.

And don't think you're limited to just petrol or diesel-powered choices in this class,&nbsp;because at the top end the Tesla Model 3 is well worth considering for its long range and engaging driving style.

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