Used BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe (Mk1, 2020-date) buyer's guide: classy but flawed

Verdict

Despite its obvious flaws, the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé has sold well, proving that for many car buyers practicality is a lot less important than a decent drive or a smart cabin. Our verdict after driving the Gran Coupé was: “It has a rather awkward stance, and feels very much the niche car it is – full of compromises and shouting that you wanted the bigger 4 Series Gran Coupé, but couldn’t quite afford it.” For some people the greater affordability seals the deal, while others just want a smaller car that’s as good to drive and as well built as you’d expect a BMW to be.

Car makers have created niches within niches over the past few years, leading to an array of cars that can leave you wondering who is meant to buy them. The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé is just such a car, because it’s a four-door saloon with limited space for those in the back. As such it doesn’t offer the practicality of a 3 Series, and it’s more costly than a regular 2 Series, without offering much extra in return.

Even so, the 2 Series Gran Coupé has sold in good numbers, so if you want a compact saloon that’s good to drive, well made and generously equipped, but offers relatively limited usability, it could be the car for you.

History

The 2 Series Gran Coupé arrived in March 2020, just as the first Covid lockdown was being imposed. Petrol fans could choose between the 138bhp 218i with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine, and the 302bhp M235i xDrive, with four-wheel drive. Diesel lovers had the 187bhp 220d, which like the M235i, featured a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.

Used - available now

2020 BMW

2 Series

37,690 milesManualPetrol1.5L

Cash £12,920

View 2 Series

2020 BMW

2 Series

79,992 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L

Cash £12,488

View 2 Series

2020 BMW

2 Series

36,858 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £17,025

View 2 Series

2020 BMW

2 Series

57,560 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £14,199

View 2 Series

The range was extended in July 2020, to include a 148bhp 218d, still with the 2.0-litre engine. At the same time a 220d xDrive option was introduced with four-wheel drive.

A facelifted 2 Series Gran Coupé is about to appear, with a refreshed exterior design and new driver-assistance systems. There will be just the 168bhp 220i M Sport, with mild-hybrid tech, and the M235i xDrive. Diesels are no longer offered.

On the road

The 2 Series is front-wheel drive, so its handling is reassuring, but it’s also an enjoyable car to drive.

There’s a lot of pleasure to be had on a twisty road, thanks to decent grip and excellent feedback through the steering wheel. Even the three-cylinder 218i has reasonable performance, but the 220d has more punch while the M235i is seriously quick, but it’s hampered by an automatic gearbox that isn’t quite slick enough.

Which one should I buy?

We wouldn’t suggest that you avoid any 2 Series Gran Coupé, whatever the engine or transmission. However, the M235i isn’t quite as sensational to drive as the M badging might suggest, so the sweet spot comes in a model lower down the range.

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There were just two trim levels: Sport and M Sport, with the latter by far the most popular. The Sport has 17-inch wheels, adaptive cruise control, cloth trim and LED headlights, along with parking sensors front and rear. The M Sport has 18-inch alloys, leather trim, a black headlining, a bodykit, heated front seats and sports suspension.

Alternatives to the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe

The BMW doesn’t have that many direct rivals if you’re keen on buying something with a premium badge, because small saloons haven’t always been popular with posh brands. But one obvious alternative is the Audi A3 saloon, which arrived at the same time as the Gran Coupé; it’s as easy to live with as you’d expect, it comes with some really efficient engines and it’s well made, but it isn’t as good to drive as the BMW.

Mercedes offers two options: the A-Class Saloon and the CLA, with the latter essentially a more swoopy version of the first. Better to drive than the Audi, both of these Mercs are also well equipped and have nicely made, hi-tech interiors that are easy to live with.

Use our free car valuation tool to check the price of a BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe.

What to look for

Suspension

Poor ride quality is a common gripe with BMWs, and that’s the case here, thanks to firm suspension and (usually) the fitment of 18-inch wheels.

Spare wheel

BMW supplied an inflator kit, but a space-saver spare wheel was available for all models apart from those with four-wheel drive. It was priced at £150.

Camera bug

The rear camera can stop working altogether, but more likely is it will work okay, then stop working soon after being activated. A software update will usually fix things.

Headlights

Condensation can form inside the headlights. Sometimes it clears, sometimes it doesn’t. Some owners have had headlights replaced under warranty because of this problem.

Interior

The cabin isn’t especially spacious, but it’s relatively luxurious, with plenty of equipment and high-quality materials. It’s also hi-tech, with digital instrumentation and an 8.8-inch display in Sport models; M Sport editions have a 10.25-inch screen. You’ll love the sharp graphics and user-friendly interface of the infotainment, which is typical of the 2 Series; the tech is intuitive and easy to live with.

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While rear headroom is tight, legroom isn’t too bad, and the 430-litre boot space is bigger then the 1 Series hatch. Usability is boosted by the standard fitment of a back seat that splits and folds 40:20:40, so you can fit in longer loads, but access isn’t great because the boot opening is quite small.

Running costs

All of these cars have condition-based servicing, which allows up to two years or 20,000 miles between services. There’s no set schedule for replacing specific parts, but an oil change costs £337; add air and fuel filters and this becomes £558. A diesel fuel filter is due every other service, at £152, while fresh brake fluid every two years is £155.

The engines are chain-driven, so there are no cambelts to replace. Insurance groups are as low as 17 (218i) but go as high as 36 (M235i). The 218d sits in groups 20-24, while the 220d is in groups 24-28.

At launch, all Gran Coupés cost well below £40,000, but many newer cars breach this price point, so they’re subject to the £490 luxury road tax supplement until their sixth birthday.

Check the tax status of a specific model with our Car Tax Check tool. 

Recalls

The original 2 Series was subject to a raft of recalls, while the second-generation 2 Series Active Tourer has been recalled twice. But the 2 Series Gran Coupé has had just one recall so far.

It was issued in November 2024, and it affected just a handful of cars made between April and June 2023. These few cars left the factory with some front-end panels that weren’t properly attached to the structure, because the fixing screws weren’t done  up tightly enough. The solution  was easy enough: BMW dealers replaced the original screws with new ones, and tightened them sufficiently to ensure the panels didn’t come adrift.

Driver Power owner satisfaction

The 2 Series hasn’t appeared in our Driver Power surveys since 2021, when it came 37th out of 75. In our 2024 poll there were four BMWs, which ranked from 18th (the Mk7 3 Series) to 36th (X3 Mk3) out of 50.

BMW came a middling 14th out of 32 in our 2024 brands survey, with owners liking their models’ performance, infotainment and ergonomics, but not the value, running costs or exterior design.

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