• Surprisingly economical in petrol form
• No PHEV or electric options
• No real reliability concerns

What are the running costs?

The discontinued diesel is the most economical version of the BMW 2 Series – naturally. The official WLTP figures show its capable of averaging as much as 60.1mpg and our experience of that engine in other BMWs suggests it’s possible to match or even exceed that on motorway drives.

The petrol engines are more efficient than you might expect, as well. The 220i can average up to 44.1mpg, the 230i can reach 42.8mpg and the M240i is rated at 34.9mpg. We actually exceeded the M240i’s official average driving from Coventry to London, achieving 36.6mpg.

There are no plug-in hybrid versions of the 2 Series, so it’s not the best choice for company car drivers. CO2 emissions of 150g/km for the 220i, 159g/km for the 230i and 200g/km for the M240i mean benefit-in-kind taxes will set you make a chunky sum.

Those emissions also mean the 2 Series currently costs between £540 and £3,300 in first-year vehicle excise duty. After that, all models incur a flat-rate annual fee. Be aware that cars costing more than £40,000 new also incur an extra charge from their first through sixth birthdays that takes the annual VED bill beyond £600. A 220i with metallic paint only just comes under the £40k barrier; it’s easy to get caught when buying a used 2 Series, as well.

Check out our BMW 2 Series specs pages to see all the economy and emissions figures for every model.

12

Reliability

• Shares many parts with proven models
• We’re not aware of any significant issues
• Some very minor recalls

The 2 Series is built from many of the same components as an awful lot of other BMWs, all of which have a strong reputation for reliability. We’re certainly not aware of any horror stories emerging since it went on sale in 2021.

There have been a few very minor recalls issued that affected small numbers of cars; you can find the details on the Government vehicle recall check website. Rectification should have been carried out all the affected cars; if you’re buying a used 2 Series, a dealer should be able to tell you if it’s had necessary work done. Outstanding recalls are listed on the MOT certificate of any car more than three years old.

What not tell us about your experience with the 2 Series by leaving an owner’s review?