BMW 2 Series

Sometimes heroes can come from the unlikeliest of places. Take the 2022 BMW 220i coupe as a prime example, which we can all now admire as an inspiration for assured self-confidence in the face of a baying mob.

If you don’t want to be wrong, it’s important that you consider your opinions carefully when it comes to the entry-level BMW coupe.

The straight facts on the 220i are such: it’s the cheapest BMW sports car you can buy today, offered to the public for $61,900 before on-road costs as the entry point to the G42 2er family (sitting below the peachy but nearly $100K M240i xDrive).

It uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine to send 135kW and 300Nm to the rear tyres through a silky smooth eight-speed torque converter auto.

Inside, the cabin is spacious for its handsome two-door form, with a 2+2 configuration making it as practical as you could expect from a small coupe. This is reality, not perception.

As such, all things considered, the collective view of the 220i should overall have a rosy tint, no? Not to the baying mob. For that hive-minded collective, all things BMW are dreadful, the 220i no exception.

You see, the cult of criticism has BMW in its sights for a slew of perceived transgressions, ranging from heated seat subscriptions to bold grille designs. For the 220i, much of that unhappiness is centred on the engine. The online cacophony would have you believe it is 'straight-six or bust' for BMW sports cars.

The E30 M3 begs to differ. Back in the present, though, the B48 is a sweet unit that balances its performance requirements nicely with day-to-day useability. Its outputs of 135kW and 300Nm aren’t headline-grabbing, but perfectly enjoyable in the real world.

Lean on the B48 and it revs happily, thrusting the 220i down the road in a way that’ll put a smile on your face without also immolating your license.

We would like a little more perhaps in terms of character from the exhaust, though, which can be a bit one-note in its tenor.

The 220i proves there’s more to sports cars than outright power. Horsepower fetishists need not apply. Think of the little BMW coupe as a premium version of the driving style celebrated by the Subaru BRZ and Mazda MX-5 – and if you know anything about that pair, you know we mean that with sincere positivity. Flow and momentum is the name of the game.

Like that Japanese duo, the 220i teases you into this cat and mouse game where you try and scrub as little speed as possible heading into a bend, using the surprising front-end bite to tip in at pace, finding the apex and getting onto the throttle as early as possible.

Unlike its siblings the M2/3/4, you aren’t dancing on an oversteer-prone knife’s edge with the 220i’s throttle.

Lean on the B48 and it revs happily, thrusting the 220i down the road in a way that’ll put a smile on your face without also immolating your license.

There’s a good amount of torque, and the 135 kilowatts are readily available but relatively modest, without leaving the car feeling underpowered.

Instead, you get to relish what is a well-sorted and balanced chassis. There’s plenty of mechanical grip to plunge into, and the suspension maintains impressive body control without being as rigid as a torture device. In fact, the damping is more aligned with everyday use, and all the bumps, potholes and bitumen imperfections that come along with such duty.

Complementing this are the goldilocks proportions of the current-generation 2 Series. Not too small, not too big, it fits wonderfully in even tight urban lanes, allowing you to drive it without staring at the mirrors as anxious sweat pours off your brow.

The biggest shortfall dynamically is the steering, which while having the requisite weight that gives the car a feeling of purpose in your hands, is bereft of feeling. Sharp and immediate off centre, the steering does also suffer from more artificial springiness than we’d like.

Special mention to the part leather, part suede seats, which offer exemplary cushioning, with plenty of bolstering that doesn’t impede you every time you attempt to enter the cabin.

On that note, for the money, the 220i offers a well-appointed interior and standard specification. For no additional outlay, you get M Sport styling (no bargain basement visuals here), 17-inch wheels, LED headlights and taillights, interior ambient lighting, a wireless phone charger, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, head-up display and dual-zone climate control.

More luxurious items are hidden in optional bundled packages. The $3400 Comfort Package adds heated seats, a heated steering wheel, electric front seat adjustment with driver’s side memory function and the convenience of proximity key entry.

Another $3400 adds a suite of extra driver assist features like adaptive cruise control, and $3000 upgrades the standard six-speaker sound system to a 14-speaker Haman Kardon set-up.

Perhaps most inspiring about our time with the 220i coupe was how useable we found it day-to-day, rather than the fact it was a surprising amount of fun to thrash. If you are comfortable with its proper coupe proportions, the 220i is a compelling everyday proposition.

Even for a two-door, the little Beemer offers plenty of space inside rather than feeling tight and cramped. The rear seats are useable from time to time for adults as well.

VERDICT

The BMW 220i isn’t the final word in sports car perfection, but it’s a worthy part of the line-up, and Australians are fortunate it is available locally.

Boiled down to its finest points, our assessment of the cheapest BMW sports car is that it is well-balanced.

It maintains an equilibrium of everyday utility with grin-inducing dynamics. If you are looking for an affordable way into BMW sports car ownership, the 220i M Sport is a convincing proposition.

Drive it and relish the wave of smugness that you are someone willing to defy the mob of wrong.

2022 BMW 220i specifications