2023 BMW 2 Series

　　

2023 BMW 2 Series Review

byMark TakahashiCorrespondent

　　Mark Takahashi has worked in the automotive industry since 2001. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Mark has also contributed to Motor Trend, Auto Aficionado, Chevy High Performance and several motorcycle magazines in various roles. Mark is also a juror on the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards and can be seen regularly on the zzdcar YouTube channel and sometimes representing the company in media interviews.

　　, rating written byMark TakahashiVehicle Test Editor

　　Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at zzdcar in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.

　　BMW's foundation is built largely on its history of producing sporty compact luxury coupes, and that tradition continues with the 2023 BMW 2 Series. As other vehicles in BMW's stable have gotten significantly larger over the decades, we're pleased that the 2 Series is able to deliver the pint-sized thrills of its ancestors.

　　The 2 Series received a full redesign last year, with more muscular styling and an increase in power. Sadly, there's no longer a convertible variant or an option for a manual transmission. For 2023, the changes are minimal. You now get a striking curved glass enclosure for the digital instrument panel, but some exterior and interior trim finishes have been shelved.

　　Those changes won't affect the 2 Series' standing in zzdcar' rankings, and that's a good thing since it's our favorite in its very limited class. The Lexus RC is one of its few two-door rivals but we also count small coupe-like sedans as worthy rivals. These include the Mercedes-Benz CLA and the Audi A3 and S3. We cover all the areas where the BMW 2 Series holds an advantage over the competition, as well as a few items that could use improvement, in our Expert Rating below. We think you'll agree that the 2023 BMW 2 Series deserves its top spot.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Great

　　8.1

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.5/10

　　How does the 2 Series drive? This is what we want from a BMW. Overall handling and performance are excellent, though it should be noted that our 230i test car was equipped with the M Sport bits (suspension, steering, brakes and rear differential) as well as summer tires. We recorded a 0-60 mph sprint of 5.5 seconds. That's quicker than the Audi A3 or Mercedes-Benz CLA 250, and we expect the M240i will be similarly competitive with the Audi S3/RS 3 and AMG versions of the CLA. The turbocharged four-cylinder engine makes excellent low-range and midrange power, though it loses steam a bit toward the top of the rev band. It feels plenty strong around town or on the highway.

　　Braking and handling are nearly as impressive. The M Sport suspension helps keep body motions well in check, with only a mild amount of roll at the limit. The M Sport differential does an excellent job of managing traction, though the 230i will elicit a slide if you coax it. Braking was excellent, stopping from 60 mph in a scant 107 feet at our test track. The brakes are also easy to control when you're on the street.

　　The main disappointment here is the car's steering feel. It's weighted pretty well, but there's next to no feedback available to give you a sense of the front tires on the road.

　　

Comfort

8.0/10

　　How comfortable is the 2 Series? The 2 Series coupe isn't the most comfortable compact on the road, but we'd say the ride quality and overall refinement are about what we expect from a sporty coupe. The optional M Sport suspension obviously firms things up, but overall it strikes a decent balance between comfort and performance.

　　The front seats don't offer a huge amount of adjustment, but they're supportive and well padded. The heated seats and steering wheel work well, too, and we like that BMW continues to use dedicated physical controls for much of the climate control system.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below