BMW X2 (2018) Review

BMW X2 (2018) At A Glance

Handles well for a crossover. Quiet and comfortable on the motorway. Diesels are very economical.

Cramped rear seats. 18d only comes as a manual. Around £1000 more than an equivalent X1.

Real MPG average for a BMW X2 (2018)

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

Satisfaction Index

Reviews for BMW X2 (2018)'s top 3 rivals

Honda CR-V

Excellent Hybrid model is the pick of the range. High quality and well finished interior. Usefully large...

Volkswagen T-Roc

Comfortable and refined on the move. Available with lots of personalisation options. High quality feel...

Kia Sportage

One of the best crossovers on the market, well-equipped, seven-year warranty, practical and spacious.

Ask Honest John

I'm irritated by the EU and want to change our cars for non-European alternatives. Suggestions?

"Irritated by EU machinations, I’m increasingly inclined to change our BMW X2 and Audi TT Sport (both 2-litre petrol & auto) for non-European alternatives, which frankly is proving a very difficult proposition. The TT in particular is a wonderful, versatile machine. China (thus, Volvo) is also off limits! Grateful for your suggestions."

Are you familiar with the expression 'cutting your nose off to spite your face'? You could consider Jaguar Land Rover alternatives, I suppose, like the Range Rover Evoque and Jaguar F-Type. They're pretty good alternatives to your X2 and TT, although JLR is owned by Indian firm Tata.

Answered by Andrew Brady

Is a Volkswagen T-Roc R a logical upgrade from a Golf R?

"Do you think I should buy new or secondhand Volkswagen T-Roc R? I drive a Golf R but my husband finds it difficult to get into. Thank you."

There are some really strong savings to be had on nearly-new T-Roc R models, as long as you're not concerned about having a factory order or the latest registration plate. £35,000 will get you an ex-demo model with just a few thousand miles on the clock. That's a saving of around £6000 but it'll look and feel like new. If you like your Golf R, the Volkswagen T-Roc sounds like the perfect choice. Also consider a Cupra Ateca or BMW X2 M35i.

Answered by Andrew Brady

How much AdBlue will my car use?

"I have recently bought a BMW X2 20d which has an AdBlue system. Can you tell me the average consumption rate I might expect to get for this AdBlue (the main dealer I bought the car from says it depends on how you drive the car but didn't give a typical consumption rate). Is it wise to carry a bottle of AdBlue around with you?"

The capacity will be between 10 and 20 litres. But, as the dealer says, it's impossible to predict any one driver's usage rate. What happens is that when there is enough AdBlue for 1500 miles average use, a light comes on warning you to refill the AdBlue tank, and that gives you plenty of time so no need to carry a container in the car. Best to use 3.5-litre or 4.7-litre containers with a spout. 10-litre containers without a spout make a very messy job of it and you have to get any spilt AdBlue off the paint promptly. Also, wash your hands.

Answered by Honest John

What's a suitable car for a 70-year-old?

"I drive an Audi A3 which I have had for seven years and am pleased with. However as we get older, we find long journeys are less comfortable and have thought of getting a SUV giving us easier access and a more comfortable driving position. Would the Audi Q2 or Q3 be a good choice for us and would we quickly adjust to a SUV? Other choices you suggest would be helpful."

I think you'd find a crossover SUV like the Q2 or Q3 would suit you well. They're just as easy as a hatchback to drive, with the advantages you've mentioned. There's a new Q3 now on sale and it's much better than its predecessor. If you don't need as much space, the Q2's a good choice. We're currently running one for six months and Georgia is an SUV convert (https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/our-cars/audi-q2/). As an alternative, look at other cars from within Volkswagen Group, such as the Skoda Karoq. If you'd prefer something premium, the Volvo XC40 is excellent, and the BMW X2 is definitely worth a look too.

Answered by Andrew Brady

On the inside of an BMW X2 (2018)

• Boot space is 470 litres
• Euro NCAP rating of five stars

The X2 doesn't exactly break any boundaries inside. This is essentially a BMW interior by numbers. So it's all very well finished and functional, but hardly what you'd deem interesting. Stylish flourishes are few and far between which is a shame given how striking the styling of the exterior is.

That's not to say there's anything wrong with the cabin of the X2. It echoes the X1 and 3 Series with the same layout that - including a CD slot which, for some reason, BMW thinks should take pride of place - simple air con controls and a colour screen plonked on top of the dash.

That screen is not a touchscreen, instead it requires BMWs iDrive controller dial to navigate. This is pretty easy, even on the move, but it gets frustrating when you're trying to use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Not that this is unique to BMW. Audi uses a similarly frustrating non-touch system.

But there are plenty of positives here. The driving position is slightly raised over something like a 1 Series but you still feel like you're sitting 'in' rather than on the X2. You get a decent view out so judging the extremities is pretty easy.

Like all BMWs, the seats are excellent with lots of lower back and side support. It means few aches and pains even after a long stint behind the wheel. There's also plenty of legroom up front, so even six-feet tall drivers won't feel hemmed in.

It's not as good in the back for big 'uns though. The sloping roofline means headroom is limited and with the front seats all the way back, you'll find yourself having to origami your legs in and out the back seats. It's fine for kids in car seats and younger teenagers though.

Obviously the X2 is not as practical as the X1, but the boot is a reasonable size for this sort of low-down-crossover-thing with 470 litres of space - that's equivalent to a Honda Civic. It has a wide square opening and a low load lip too, so getting a pushchair or equivalent in is pretty easy.

Child seats that fit a BMW X2 (2018)

Our unique Car Seat Chooser shows you which child car seats will fit this car and which seat positions that they will fit, so that you don't have to check every car seat manufacturer's website for compatibility.

Which car seat will suit you?

Driving BMW X2 (2018)

• Engines range from sDrive18i to M35i
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 32–56 mpg

You won't be surprised to find out that the most popular engine in the X2 is the ubiquitous 20d unit - the same engine that seems to be in every other BMW.

There's a good reason it's so popular though. This is one of the best four-cylinder 2.0-litre diesel engines around when it comes to blending performance and economy. It has 190PS but it's the 400Nm of torque that counts here and means the X2 pulls strongly. If you're on the motorway a lot, you'll appreciate this.

The 20d only comes with xDrive - that's BMW talk for four-wheel drive - but it should be reasonable on fuel. The official figure for economy is close to 59mpg but Real MPG shows that you're realistically going to get 50mpg. Not bad at all for a car with this power.

If it's outright economy you want - and you don't need four-wheel drive, you can opt for the 18d engine. It's the same 2.0-litre diesel but with power reduced to 150PS and less torque at 350Nm. The only fly in the ointment is that the 18d is manual only - if you want a diesel auto you'll have to choose the 20d.

In everyday driving, there's actually little difference between the two and it's not as if the 18d is the poor relation. It's available as an sDrive (two-wheel drive to you and me) which sees economy improve to an official 63mpg with Real MPG showing 52mpg.

The diesels aren't especially quiet - especially on start-up - but at a cruise the sound proofing and aerodynamic profile of the X2 means there's actually very little noise - either from the engine, tyres or wind.

Of course, if you're not covering big mileages then the petrol is your best bet. The X2 comes with the impressive 20i engine - this 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol has 192PS and is very smooth and quiet too. It comes as standard with a seven-speed dual clutch automatic (there's no manual option) which makes it stress-free to drive around town. Plus you don't have to worry about DPF problems.

Around town the slightly raised driving position means it's easy to park. That said the rear view is pretty terrible, but fortunately parking sensors are standard across the range. 

Where this X2 differs from the X1 is when it comes to corners. The steering is a lot better and thanks to the stiffer suspension set-up, it has much more agility in bends. It's here where the differences between the X2 and X1 become apparent.

There's less body lean, it's more composed and overall just feels much keener if you drive it with a bit of gusto. There is of course a pay off here. And that's the ride. With that stiffer set-up, you lose some of the comfort of the X1.

It's not terrible, but you're always aware that the ride is somewhat firmer than you'd expect of a crossover. That said, even on M Sport models with sports suspension and bigger alloys, it's comfortable enough on your average A road.

BMW X2 (2018) Models and Specs

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What to watch out for

Recalls

Model History