2018 BMW X2 Long-Term Arrival: One Year in a FWD BMW

I was pretty bummed out by the departure of my previous long-term Mazda CX-5 as I’d grown to really like it. My sadness quickly turned into excitement, though, when I learned my new whip would be a 2018 BMW X2 sDrive28i. My long-term car past is filled with SUVs, and I’ve been yearning for something fun yet practical, like a hot hatch. Although BMW calls the X2 a “sports activity coupe,” it has the proportions of a tall hatchback, and our First Test reveals that it also behaves less like a small SUV and more like a Volkswagen GTI. It’s still not quite a like a true hot hatch like the Honda Civic Type R, but first impressions point to fun times ahead.

Our First Test X2 rang in at $50,920. That’s pretty steep for a small hatch or SUV, so we practiced some restraint when we specced out our loaner. The X2 starts at $38,400, and we shaved off $2,000 by skipping all-wheel drive. That’s quite a bit cheaper, but it doesn’t mean you have to suffer without any luxuries to get a BMW roundel on your hood. Notable standard features include 10-way power and heated front seats, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, power tailgate, automatic climate control, ambient lighting, one USB port and hands-free Bluetooth, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and cruise control. The exterior includes LED headlights with cornering lights, LED foglights, and matte chrome exterior trim.

Being typical auto journalists, we had to add the M Sport X package to enhance the X2’s fun factor. It includes 19-inch wheels, sport seats, M steering wheel, M Sport exterior package, black exterior trim, and Sport Automatic transmission. That’s well worth the $4,650 price because it transforms the look of the car and also includes the Convenience Package, a $2,350 option without the M Sport package. This gets you power-folding mirrors, universal garage door opener, SiriusXM radio with a one-year subscription, Comfort Access keyless entry, and lumbar support. We also ticked the box for the $400 M Sport suspension and the $2,600 Premium package that gives you head-up display, advanced Real Time Traffic Information (RTTI), and navigation touchpad. Add in the $875 Harman Kardon premium system and a $150 rear spoiler, and our X2 stickers at $44,920 after destination.

That’s much cheaper than our previous X2 test car thanks to the standard Alpine White exterior and tan leatherette interior (or Oyster SensaTec, in BMW speak). My favorite option, the moonroof deletion, saves us an additional $1,150 on an option most people only ever use once.

Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder mated to an eight-speed auto. The rated 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque is a welcome power bump over my CX-5’s 187 ponies. I’ve been tootling around in the X2 since it’s still in its break-in period, but I can already feel the torque I dearly wished my old CX-5 had. We’ll report on the drivetrain performance in future updates.

As a former BMW owner and fan of the brand, a FWD BMW is a bit of an odd proposition, so I’m looking forward to my time with the X2 to find out if BMW can make a FWD the Ultimate Driving Machine. I’m also curious to see whether shifting from a mainstream brand leaning toward luxury to an actual luxury-branded crossover is worth the jump in price.

2018 BMW X2 sDrive28i
BASE PRICE	$37,395
PRICE AS TESTED	$44,920
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV
ENGINE	2.0L/228-hp/258-lb-ft turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4
TRANSMISSION	8-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)	3,450 lb (59/41%)
WHEELBASE	105.1 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	172.2 x 71.8 x 60.1 in
0-60 MPH	6.4 sec
QUARTER MILE	15.0 sec @ 93.2 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	121 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.87 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	26.7 sec @ 0.66 g (avg)
REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB	27.5/36.7/31.0 mpg
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	23/32/26 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY	147/105 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.74 lb/mile

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