BHPian mobike008 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:A Little BackgroundDuring my recent visit to Boston, MA. I got the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my niece’s 2019 BMW X2 xDrive 28i which was bought a couple of years ago. This is primary car for my nieces now aged 18 & 20 and they use it for their school runs, friends meet-up, weekend getaway to New Hampshire/Cape Cod and elder one occasionally drives to New Jersey to meet her friends. Since they got the car, they have clocked in about 20,000 miles despite elder one being full time at college and stays in college campus in Boston and comes home once or twice a month over weekends. The younger one uses this car like a bicycle- she is always out meeting friends for coffee, breakfast and whatever young girls of their age do. Her schedule is busier than Trump. Haha! Don’t even get me started on the cleanliness of the car. It was a mess when I landed in Boston so the first thing I did was take it to a car wash and cleaned the whole car (exterior and interior). I’m particular that cars inside out has to be spotlessly clean. Over a period of 12-odd days we spent in Boston/East Coast. I drove this car for roughly about 750 miles (including a 500+ mile round trip to New York City and New Jersey). Here is a review of a 6 year old car with nearly 100,000 miles (Odometer is 97,000 miles which is 155,000 kms). I have driven plenty of BMW’s and this one is possibly the first BMW that I have driven with so many miles on the odometer so keep that in perspective which was also a big reason for me to be impressed as I normally change cars pretty early in it’s lifetime.2019 BMW X2 xDrive 28i: Likes And DislikesLikes:* Sporty Handling and Fun to Drive: Fantastic chassis and engaging driving experience despite not overtly powerful. The steering wheel is a joy with precise feedback and good feedback. * Attractive Exterior Design which is coupe-style and looks different with a unique aspect and first in a BMW-A badge on the C pillar. * It has got the same B48 engine from the 3-series and is in X1 too and offers lively acceleration but, is quite muted with zero noise characteristics. * I’m already very impressed with the x-drive in my car and the same qualities shine here too especially when taking fast corners in rainy conditions. * Comfortable Seats even for my 6.1 feet big frame but, overall the interior cabin space is quite restricted and good for small sized 4 adults. * Excellent Fuel Average.Dislikes:* Immediately you will notice the ride is quite firm. I like it but, many people may not like it. It is BMW firm meaning the drivers will love it but, not the passengers. * Thankfully, the interiors are beige which is super nice but, overall the interiors is pretty basic for a $50K car. * Complicated Infotainment System: The touchscreen system can be frustrating to use and is from a different era. I don’t know which version of iDRIVE is this one but, it was pretty average and basic functions. * Rear visibility is non existent due to the coupe body style. * When new, it retailed at $50K but, does not feel or look like a $50K car. Buying preowned was a great decision by my sister.EngineBMW X2 xDrive 28i comes with a 2.0 liter B48 engine detuned to 228 horsepower with 8 speed automatic transmission. Exact same engine can be found in the BMW X1. I was pleasantly surprised by this B48 engine. While it’s neither ballistic nor loud like the B58 but, in this iteration of X2 which is a compact package is a real fun to drive car. The engine is smooth (Does not have the silky & butter smooth characteristics of a B58) and has no gruffness at any rev range and is enjoyable to drive. I tried driving in Ecosport and Comfort and found the power to be inadequate but, when it’s slotted in Sports then everything becomes lively and this car darts around like a go-cart and keeps you entertained. The engine is a sweet in the sports mode and like a kid running to get a candy is eager to rev and does a 6.5 second sprint to a 100kmph. I had just too much fun with this car. If anyone has driven on Boston-New York-Boston section, you will know what I’m saying. This route for most part of 200+ miles is narrow (2-lane) and has a lot of windy sections especially when in New York State. There is a particular section that blew me away where I was able to corner this car at speeds that is unmentionable here and yet it felt stable and totally confidence inspiring. VideoRide And HandlingRide of the car is nothing to write home about as it’s harsh and suspension also does not feel “upmarket” comparing to my BMW X3 M40i or my sister’s BMW X5 50i (Another car that I drove quite a bit during my stay in Boston) both of which feels much superior from a suspension perspective. Boston roads aren’t the best especially now as lot of construction is going on and driving over rough stretches of road, I could feel most every imperfection on the road. The trade-off is a high level of agility on a twisty road. It’s a joy to pitch into fast corners and rewards the driver with its predictable nature.Interiors and InfotainmentThankfully the interiors are beige leather so it does feel little upmarket but, the space leaves a lot to be desired especially for a 6ft. 1inch frame like mine. My sister is tall like me and almost never drives this car and likes to stick to her roomy X5. Infotainment is so basic that I lost interest after I scroll through the features as it feels quite primitive but, then probably when it was released, it was a norm. An 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation is standard and runs BMW’s intuitive and attractive iDrive software interface, which can also be controlled by a center-console-mounted rotary knob. Upgrading to the Premium package adds a head-up display. Apple CarPlay capability is standard, but Android Auto capability is not offered. A seven-speaker audio system will be good enough for casual listeners, but a Harman/Kardon premium sound system can be added and should appeal to audiophiles.Build QualityI had to keep a separate section for this parameter to praise the build quality. It never felt like I am driving a 155,000kms driven car as there was absolutely zero rattles, engine felt as eager as it must have when it rolled off the assembly plant and since they got it, it’s been fill it, shut it and forget it.MileageDuring the time with it, it gave superb FE of about 30 miles to a gallon when driven on Ecosport and Comfort but, I hardly drove on these modes as I was 80% of the time in Sports mode and it still averaged pretty good at over 26mpg. What the X2 lacks in refinement, it makes up in its agility and fun to drive factor. I never had respect for this car as it felt the odd man out and thought it would drive nice but, after spending time with it over 750 miles, it left me impressed and would be an ideal car for yuppies or teenagers. My younger nieces absolutely love this car and says its drives so much better than their previous brand new Toyota Corolla which is but, so obvious. Driving in Times Square, New York City. 97K miles on the odometer and drives like a dream. Unbelievable. X2 & X5 together !!! Check outBHPian commentsfor more insights and information.
