2015 BMW 2-Series

BEIRUT: If I’ve learned anything since I started to review cars, it’s that test-driving anything would be impossible without the support of many people. And sometimes the lengths to which those people go to in order to accommodate your requests leave you speechless.

Although demonstration models for the BMW 2-Series are still not available, two of those extremely helpful and determined people (you know who are!) pulled off a minor miracle to secure one for me. As a matter of fact, they arranged for the same Estoril Blue 220i in M garb that floored me when I saw it at its debut at Bassoul @ Hneine’s BMW showroom a few months ago.

So I arranged to take a day off from work to try out the car, picked it up at the BMW showroom in Baouchrieh … and promptly fell in love with it. Yeah, I do that a lot!

I often say I like a certain car, or that I wouldn’t mind owning it, but ask me again an hour later and I’ll have forgotten all about it. In this case, I actually spent a great a deal of time going over my finances to figure out the best way to get a new 2-Series without hurting the bank too much. I even told myself that my performance as a car journalist would improve if I owned this car. Yeah, I don’t see the relevance either but hey, it was worth a shot!

Now let me explain why I find the 2-Series so alluring. Some 30 years ago, I learned to drive on a BMW, my Dad’s silver 1977 4-cylinder 320, which subsequently became my first car. That Bimmer was small, light, simple, pretty (for its time) and built like a bank vault. It was also extremely fun to drive, like the 2002 that preceded it. Since then we’ve had at least one example of each new generation of the 3-Series in our household and they invariably keep getting bigger, heavier, more sophisticated, more performant and more luxurious.

Today I drive an E92 328i, and as much as I love my car and all its creature comforts, it simply is not as much fun to drive as my old 320. And that’s where the 2-Series comes in.  

For starters, it’s remarkably pretty, looking as it does like a smaller version of the new 4-Series. Its long nose, arched roof and stubby tail are classic, and that the blue 220i I drove came with Bi-Xenon headlamps, an M Sports Package, a dark gray Alcantara interior and a boatload of features only made it more enticing.

But to truly appreciate the 2-Series you have to actually drive it. Weighing only 1,350 kilograms, the car is brisk, incredibly nimble and surefooted, while the driver-car interaction is almost unbelievable. Its chunky steering wheel, studded with all the essential controls, feels light but also extremely responsive, surgically precise, and lets you feel fully connected to the car.

As a matter of fact, although BMW is known for its incredible attention to ergonomics, it feels like the ergonomics in this car are even better thought out: Your hands find everything where they expect them to be, and the controls are just as intuitive as they are clear.

One thing your right hand immediately finds is the shifter, which controls the eight-speed automatic transmission in Normal mode or Sport mode, and allows you to shift up and down in Manual mode. That last one can also be controlled by the even more convenient pair of paddle shifters situated behind the steering wheel.

And regardless of what mode you’re driving in, the shifts are quick, fluid and imperceptible, while the transmission feels clairvoyant because it changes gears exactly when you need it to.

When it comes to handling, the 2-Series excels. For example, the sprint up to Bikfaya offers a nice mixture of straights and bends, some of them tight and others less so, and the 220i’s agility shines on the run up the mountain. The Bimmer eats up the straights like they were so much confetti, takes the shallow bends at speed without batting an eye, and whips around the tight ones confidently and without drama, thanks to the incredible dynamic traction control, the superb suspension setup as well as the 17-inch light alloy rims and low profile 225 cm-wide runflat tires.

Back along the coast, the 220i powers down the highway with resolve, always stealthy and silent. It remains composed as you maneuver through traffic, and the slightest nudge on the throttle lets you quickly overtake slow-moving traffic. And, thanks to its powerful ABS brakes, it stops just as efficiently as it accelerates.

Do keep in mind that I’m talking about the 220i, which is powered by a 2.0 turbocharged inline four that puts out a mere 181 horses and 270 Nm of torque, and is good for a sprint from 0 to 100 km in 7 seconds and a maximum speed of 235 km. And this is only the smallest of the engines available.

If you want to take things up a notch, you’ve got the more muscular 228i, which produces 240 ponies and hits 60 mph from a standstill in 5.3 seconds, while the magnificent 3.0-liter turbocharged M235i delivers a whopping 322 horsepower and hits 60 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds.

The tasteful interior, though not as spacy as the larger 4-Series, is certainly bigger than the 1-Series and quite comfortable. Space in the back is obviously not going to set new benchmarks, but if I want more space in the back there are cars built just for that.

However, if you want to spend all day driving around with a grin on your face, this car will do that for you – you’re going to keep finding excuses to go for a drive.

You can get behind the wheel of the 220i starting from 34,500 euros, plus VAT and registration. The 228i starts from 39,500 euros, again without VAT and registration, while the superb M235i will set you back a cool 51,000 euros. Yes, again without VAT and registration. Options, like a great many of the features on the test car, are not inexpensive and do add up quickly. But with the euro floundering as it currently is (the reason I cited the prices in euros), it may be just the right time to get this car fitted out with options.

I had more fun driving the 220i than I’ve had in a long time, and that’s saying a lot considering that I’m a complete car lunatic. And also, I’m still convinced that a car like this would make me a better journalist. I’m not exactly sure how, but give me time, I’ll come up with something.

A version of this article appeared in the February 27, 2015 edition of The Daily Star.