Item: Used BMW 2 Series Convertible 2014-present
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a3/sports/used-review/n815">Audi A3 Cabriolet</a> is a comfortable car that’s also really good to drive. Its interior is classy, too, and features Audi’s excellent rotary controller for its infotainment system. It’s not especially spacious in the back, but if that doesn’t bother you the rest of the A3 Cab is a bit of a peach.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/beetle/sports/used-review/n706">VW Beetle Cabriolet</a> is viewed as rather a left-field choice these days, but it’s based on sound mechanicals and there are plenty of them to choose from on the used car market. They’re not as sharp to drive as some VW Group products (see the Audi A3 Cab) but there’s no doubting their open-air appeal.

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If you're interested in finding a used 2 Series head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

<h3>Engine may stall</h3>

There is an issue that relates to the fuel pump on some cars;&nbsp;it&nbsp;can cause engine stalling&nbsp;and relates&nbsp;to models produced from the start of production to 30 April 2014. You may notice a warning lamp and error message display in the instrument cluster before the engine cuts out. Check with a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/bmw">BMW</a> dealer to find out if your example is affected by this because it will need the fuel pump to be replaced if so.

<h3>EGR cooler</h3>

There have been a few recalls for leaking EGR coolers and apply to various BMW models, but for the 2&nbsp;Series it affects those built between 16 October 2014&nbsp;and 20&nbsp;December&nbsp;2017. With such a broad timescale, contact your dealer for further information, because you'll need to have the vehicle inspected if it is suspected to be one of those affected.

<h3>Seatbelt mechanism</h3>

There is a possibility that some examples manufactured between 1 September 2014 and 31 March 2015 could have a&nbsp;faulty Driver's side&nbsp;seatbelt mechanism that makes it difficult to use in cold weather. Find out from a BMW dealer if your car is affected, as&nbsp;it will need to have the mechanism replaced if so.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h3>Crankshaft sensor</h3>

A problem with the crankshaft sensor of some examples built from 10&nbsp;May 2018 and 7&nbsp;June 2018 could lead to the engine going into an emergency reduced power mode, limiting&nbsp;performance. A BMW dealer will be able to confirm if your 2&nbsp;Series&nbsp;is affected by this and arrange to have the sensor replaced.

<h3>Rear axle bolts</h3>

Additionally, the rear axle bolts on cars produced between 1 January 2015 and 1 September 2016 can fail when reused, so if any work has been carried out on the rear axle (for example as a result of an accident repair), you need to be certain that new bolts have also been fitted.

<h3>Power steering</h3>

A potential issue with the power steering affects&nbsp;some cars manufactured from the start of production up to 8 December 2015, and the driver may notice heavier steering than usual if&nbsp;it&nbsp;fails. Affected examples will need to have a new power steering system fitted to fix the fault.

<h3>Airbag modules</h3>

Faulty airbag modules in some examples built between 8 August 2016 and 14 November 2016 may not deploy correctly in a collision,&nbsp;increasing the risk of injury to occupants. Find out from your local BMW dealer if your 2 Series is affected by this because it will need to have new modules fitted to solve the problem.

It seems it is. In&nbsp;our most recent reliability survey, the 2 Series came&nbsp;top of the&nbsp;coupé,&nbsp;convertible and sports car class, with owners&nbsp;mostly encountering&nbsp;minor issues fixed under warranty with&nbsp;no charges&nbsp;being incurred.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/bmw">BMW</a>&nbsp;as a brand has improved dramatically over the&nbsp;results of previous years, and is presently in 9th place out of 31 manufacturers.

If you'd&nbsp;like to see the full reliability list, head to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>&nbsp;pages for more information.

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Sports

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

The BMW 2 Series Convertible is&nbsp;a comfortable, fun-to-drive open-top that's good value used

Used BMW 2 Series Convertible 2014-present

<h3>MPG</h3>

The diesel-engined cars are the most economical, but there’s not so much in it. The most economical 218d and 220d both manage a claimed fuel consumption of 58.9mpg under the older NEDC tests in some trims, while the rest of the variants manage 54.3mpg. The best figure for a petrol-engined 2 Series is the 218i Sport with an automatic gearbox, which achieves a claimed average consumption of 50.4mpg.

Under the newer, more realistic WLTP tests, the 218d averages 46.3mpg, the 220d also 46.3mpg, the petrol 218i 36.2mpg, the 220i 35.8mpg and the M240i 34.2mpg.&nbsp;

<h3>Car tax</h3>

For cars registered after April 2017, road tax will be £155 per year for petrol and diesel cars. For models costing over £40,000 from new, owners will have to pay £335 per year for years two to five (a total of £1675) on top of the standard rate of VED for the vehicle.&nbsp;You can&nbsp;find out more about road tax costs&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">here</a>.

<h3>Servicing and insurance</h3>

Insurance groups start off quite reasonably for the lower powered cars, at group 26 for the 218i, but anything approaching performance will boost that up to as high as group 46, in the case of the M240i.

Servicing is due every 18,000 to 20,000 miles, and on the whole costs are reasonable. There are a number of transferable BMW service plan options open to the used purchaser, covering the car for three years or 36,000 miles or sometimes more, for a fairly priced one-off payment, depending on the level of cover required. There are also plenty of independent specialists who will look after a 2 Series, at a reduced rate over that charged by a main BMW dealer.

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The BMW 2 Series Convertible is a comfortable, fun-to-drive open-top that's good value used


Prices start at around £9,500, this for a 2014&nbsp;220d with an average to high mileage for the year and a full service history, bought from a trader or an independent dealer. If you’re prepared to spend between £11,500 and £14,000 you’ll find plenty of good 2015/16 cars of varying trims and engines, while £15,000 to £16,000 bags you excellent 2017 or some 2018&nbsp;cars from franchised dealers. Look to spend around £17,000 to £22,000 on 2019 or some 2020 cars, with that figure rising to circa £26,500 for 2021 models.

The four-cylinder diesel engines have enough performance for most situations, even if they are a bit gruff. The 220d can reach 62mph from rest in around 7.0sec and is decently punchy at low revs, but even the lower-powered 118d isn’t slow. The three-cylinder 218i and four-cylinder 220i and 230i petrols lower down the range aren’t sluggish either, but do have to be worked a little harder for a quick turn of pace.

Our pick of the trims is entry-level SE and it’s well equipped: 17in alloy wheels, air-con, BMW’s 6.5in colour screen iDrive infotainment system with DAB radio, sat-nav and Bluetooth, LED headlights, rear parking sensors and automatic lights and wipers are all included. It means there’s little point in seeking out the Sport or M Sport, unless you particularly like their more aggressive styling.

Our favourite BMW 2 Series Convertible: 220d SE

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What we're looking for:<ul><li>Wind-in-the-hair excitement</li> <li>Roof that’s quick and easy to raise and lower</li> <li>Comfortable seating for four adults</li> <li>Sufficient practicality for everyday use</li> <li>Little wind buffeting</li> <li>Quietness, whether the roof is up or down</li> <li>Minimal shaking and shimmying over bumps</li></ul>

Despite the British weather, UK car buyers are among the biggest enthusiasts for wind-in-your-hair motoring, so convertibles have always been surprisingly popular here. It’s best to be able to react to the fickle climate, though, so we’re after a roof that opens (and closes) slickly and quickly and good top-down cruising refinement.

There are precious few bespoke drop-tops these days, so your choice of models is generally limited to soft-top&nbsp;versions of existing models. Mini will sell you a drop-top version of its style-focused hatchback, if you’re after a bit of flair. The Audi A5&nbsp;Cabriolet, meanwhile, brings all of the benefits of the regular A5&nbsp;– refined engines and a beautifully finished interior. Alternatively, the much more expensive Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet is one of the most luxurious convertibles on sale.

Convertible

Check the electric operation of the folding hard top. This should fold away in just 20 seconds. These cars may well have been used enthusiastically so check the bodywork for any dents and scuffs, and the alloy wheels for kerb damage. Check the service history carefully, and make sure any oil changes have been performed on time.

So far, reported issues with the 2 Series are remarkably few. Check for any trouble with a blocked diesel particulate filter (DPF), especially on the diesel cars that might have been used for short, city journeys. Otherwise, there have been a few reports of interior trim creaking and some issues with the plastic flaps in the boot working loose, but nothing seemingly large enough to worry about

Such was the success of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/1-series/hatchback/used-review/n17384">original BMW 1 Series</a>, despite what some considered its rather divisive looks, that it wasn’t long before the hatchback spawned a traditional <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/1-series/coupe/used-review/n250">three-box coupe</a> and convertible version.

In time, the 1 Series, which continued with its <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/1-series/hatchback/used-review/n798">updated hatchback</a>, begat the slightly larger 2 Series, and that range expanded to include not just a coupe and convertible combo but also two MPVs, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/2-series/estate/used-review/n819">Gran Tourer</a> and the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/2-series/estate/used-review/n795">Active Tourer</a>.

For fresh-air freaks, though, it’s the 2 Series Convertible that offers a premium product in a relatively compact package. Being larger than the 1 Series Convertible, there’s more room than before and a bigger boot. Being a convertible, there’s an electrically operated folding roof, that goes up or down in a mere 20 seconds. Being a BMW, there’s a good range of punchy and efficient engines, with either three or four cylinders, petrol or diesel, and three trim levels.

For true lovers of speed there’s even a range-topping M240i version, with a six-cylinder petrol engine providing real motive force.

Whichever engine you choose, the rear-wheel-drive 2 Series is good to drive, with a chassis that is composed and balanced and a ride that is comfortable. The diesel engines can be a little gruff, but overall refinement is impressive.

Inside is an interior that feels well built and is of high quality, with the traditional and logical BMW layout of major and minor controls and the excellent iDrive infotainment system with its rotary controller.

So if you’re after wind-in-the-hair fun but don’t want to compromise on build quality or driver appeal the uber-competent 2 Series Convertible is certainly well worth a look. It might not be the last word in dynamic finesse but it’s good enough to make those summer back-road journeys with the roof down a pleasure, and used you’ll find some pretty good deals, too.

If you're interested in finding a used 2 Series head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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Used BMW 2 Series Convertible 2014-present review

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used BMW 2 Series sports?