Yahoo Autos The 2020 2-Series Gran Coupe Doesn't Feel Like a BMW
Enthusiast's reviews of cars like the 2020 BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe will always be tainted. No matter how the car performs on its own merit, an undercurrent shapes the narrative: deep down, most of us believe BMW shouldn't build "cars like this".
"Cars like this" are front-wheel-drive based, but often equipped with all-wheel drive to mask pedestrian roots. "Cars like this" lack the athletic proportions of their ancestors: those legendary vehicles that cemented their brands as premium. "Cars like this" are built to a low price, furnished with materials unfit for luxury cars. The CLA, A3 and 228i are prime examples.
Yet because of the proud badges on their trunk lids, and upgraded running gear, "cars like this" tend to cost more than mainstream transverse compacts. My 228i Gran Coupe tester, with its $47,845 price tag, fell into all of those classic traps.
Some of them are unavoidable. Because the 228i xDrive starts at about $5000 cheaper than an all-wheel-drive 330i, you'll see cut corners. The cabin's accent trim pieces, while noticeably cheaper-feeling than those in the rest of BMW's sedan lineup, are at least modern and creative looking. They're still plastics, but creatively textured and backlit to look more expensive. There are tasteful applications of aluminum, and a lovely thick steering wheel, but BMW's a step behind Audi and Mercedes when it comes to entry-model interiors.
That's in no small part because BMW held off building a transverse-engined compact car longer than Audi or Mercedes. But with the sedan market sinking, the Bavarians opted not to die as heroes. But BMW's first full-force effort already looks behind the times, visibly frumpier than transverse options from Audi, Volvo, and even Mazda.
Good news, though: the 228i xDrive isn't dull. BMW's is masterful at pairing turbocharged engines to 8-speed automatics. The drivetrain combo delivers seamless, uninterrupted power. There's no better drivetrain in the segment. Even in its base trim, the 2-Series Gran Coupe delivers 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. In sport mode the BMW's exhaust will happily spit out pops and crackles, occasionally approaching the playfulness of a current Mini.
