BMW M2 (2016 – 2021) Review

Every now again, BMW introduces an M model that reminds us all why the company is the master of this type of fast car, and the 2016 BMW M2 was just such a machine. Packing 370PS, it wasn’t its most potent machine, but everything was in perfect balance – power, handling, size, the lot. It put the likes of the Audi RS3, Mercedes-AMG A45 and Volkswagen Golf R in their place. Read on for our full BMW M2 review.

The BMW M2 is a blue touch paper version of the already quick BMW M235i. Instead of 326PS, you get 370PS, and 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds from the M DCT (this rises to 4.4 on models with the manual six-speed).

There’s a top speed of 186mph, which is limited to 155mph for cars that were sold outside Germany. A BMW M2 Competition model arrived in 2018 with 411PS to replace the existing version and was even quicker, and was followed up by the BMW M2 CS model in 2020 with a whopping 450PS.

Very competently reworked and more trustworthy than the BMW M235i at the rear due to wide Michelin Pilot Super Sport rear tyres on 10-inch wide rims from the factory, the BMW M2 delivered superb handling that could be used to superb effect on the road or track.

M Drive lets you switch from Comfort to Sport, which tightens things up and holds the gears longer, then to Sport Plus which switches off the electronic aids and allows you to burn tyres and drift luridly if you feel so inclined.

All of this was packaged in the BMW 2 Series two-door coupe bodyshell, so it was easy to park and live with, and it didn’t attract too much unwanted attention.

As a used buy, the BMW M2 is up there with the best fast cars of recent times and makes rival hot hatches from Audi, Mercedes and Volkswagen all look a bit pale by comparison.

Fancy a second opinion? Read heycar's BMW M2 review here.

The BMW M2 can carry four people thanks to generous space in the front and decent room in the rear.

Admittedly, headroom at the back is at a premium for anyone six foot or above, but it’s fine for kids, so you could realisitically use this car to head off on a family holiday.

The front seats have plenty of adjustment and if the original owner ticked sufficient options boxes, electric operation with memorised positioning and backrest lumbar adjustment were also available.

Heated front seats were also offered, and worth checking for on potential used purchases.

All-round vision is good for the driver, and the cabin is light enough not to feel gloomy in the way that some performance cars can.

At the rear, the boot offers generous space for a car of this size and the back seat can be tipped forward thanks to a 60-40 split. Alternatively, there was an optional 40-20-40 division for even greater flexibility.

There is an air of higher quality inside the BMW M2 compared with other BMW 2 Series models, helped by M Division touches such as stitching on the steering wheel, seats and centre console.

Everything is very well put together and easy to use, while all the buttons deliver a reassuring click when pressed.

Indeed, many buyers will be pleased that the car does have buttons, rather than controls operated via the infotainment screen – particularly its user-friendly ventilation system.

The iDrive system in the BMW M2 is typically easy to use and understand.

The Professional Navigation set-up was standard for the car, and features a high-set infotainment screen with clear graphics that is quick to respond to inputs. It still feels up to date now.

Prices for used BMW M2s are not what you’d describe as bargain basement, but you can have all of its charm and character for £27,000 if you go for an eight-year-old example with around 50,000 miles on the clock.

Choose something newer, and a three-year-old BMW M2 Competition model will cost around £37,000 with only 15,000 miles under its belt.

Make full use of the BMW M2’s performance and the claimed 33.2mpg fuel economy – 35.8mpg for the DCT model – will go right out of the window.

Reckon on mpg in the low 20s when using the car as BMW’s M Division intended. However, a more moderate approach to daily driving will see 30mpg achievable, even from the mighty 450PS BMW M2 CS.

Most early BMW M2s will cost £180 per year for road tax, as the majority were registered from 1 April 2017 onwards, although there will be a few that pre-date this.

Cars that have not yet passed their fifth year on the road will also be liable for the £390 surcharge applied to vehicles that cost more than £40,000 when new.

Insurance for a BMW M2 won’t be cheap, with premiums calculated on a Group 42 rating for the original model. That goes up to Group 47 for the BMW M2 CS version.

Maintaining a BMW M2 will be expensive, too. Although BMW dealers are the most likely destination for this, there are plenty of good independent specialists that can reduce some of the financial sting from routine work.

Also keep an eye on tyre wear, as this car gets through its rear set quickly and good quality replacements are costly.

The point of the BMW M2 is instant acceleration any time, anywhere, a huge top speed and a trustworthy rear end that doesn’t get overwhelmed by all of the power and torque (unless you want it to and switch to Sport Plus mode).

So when cornering, it isn’t slow in, quick out. You can enter bends very quickly, then power out in Comfort or Sport modes smoothly and with no more than a wiggle if you get it slightly wrong.

The optional automatic gearbox gives you the choice of manual or auto. On top of that, there is the M switch that offers Comfort mode, Sport (which tightens everything up, is noisier and holds the gears longer) or Sport Plus (which knocks out the cruise control, ESP and traction control).

The latter is probably best reserved for use on a track day.

In less extreme driving conditions, the BMW M2 is as comfortable as any high-end performance car and only some road noise from the tyres intrudes at faster speeds.

BMW and six-cylinder engines are synonymous with each other, and they come together perfectly in the BMW M2.

The engine dominates the overall character of the car, and at launch it came with 370PS. In 2018, that increased to 411PS, before the BMW M2 CS arrived in 2020 with a sensational 450PS.

Which suits you will come down to just how fast you want to go. But in the real world, the 370PS version is more than enough for road driving, so it’s only for bragging rights that used buyers will opt for the more potent models.

Whichever you pick, the turbocharged engine – which features twin turbos in the two more powerful models – revs brilliantly and sounds superb.

Purists will want the six-speed manual gearbox for maximum engagement, but most drivers will be better served by the DCT dual clutch automatic gearbox, which is easy to live with, and offers marginally faster acceleration.

The BMW 2 Series Coupe was not submitted to Euro NCAP for independent crash testing.

However, the related BMW 1 Series hatchback gained the maximum five-star rating when it was evaluated. 

Front, side and curtain airbags, plus rear Isofix child car seat mounts and stability control, are all part of the standard safety package. The bonnet can pop up to protect pedestrians, too.

All BMW M2s come with rear parking sensors.

The BMW M2 isn’t officially rated for towing, so you cannot attach a tow bar or pull any trailer with it.

The BMW M2 came in a single well-equipped specification that included sport seats in black Dakota leather with blue contrast stitching and an M logo on the backrests, plus adjustable side bolsters.

An M footrest and kneepad on the centre console were provided for the driver, continuing the sporting theme. Plus an Interior Comfort Package was included as standard with extra storage, automatic two-zone climate control and extended lighting.

The instruments have BMW M2-specific dials and needles, a speedometer scale reaching round to 186mph, and a rev counter reading up to 8000rpm.

Other M-themed highlights include M logos on the rev counter, gearshift lever, door sill plates and an M leather steering wheel with shift paddles.

A unique body kit marked out the BMW M2’s exterior, which also used wider front and rear wings to cover the big wheels and tyres.

There were 19-inch wheels as standard, with the option of 20-inch items, and BMW fitted uprated brakes along with firmer, lower suspension.

The BMW M2 Competition model has unique kickplates, plus the dashboard displays the M2 Competition logo for a few seconds when the ignition is switched on.

You also get a red start-stop button, and M1 and M2 buttons on the steering wheel to provide quick access to the range of driving modes. BMW M2 Competition models also have front Park Distance Control (PDC).

The BMW M2 CS version gained a carbon fibre bonnet and exterior details, different alloy wheels and that 450PS engine.

It also has an uprated exhaust and larger brakes. Inside, much of the cabin is trimmed in Alcantara and there are M Sport seats as standard, as also used in the BMW M4 CS.