2024 BMW X2 xDrive28i Review: Good Enough To Make You Almost Forget About The X4

Summary

• The 2024 BMW X2 replaces the X4, growing larger and continues utilizing a front-wheel-drive platform.
• Despite front-wheel-drive roots, the X2 maintains BMW’s driving reputation, offering a sporty driving experience.
• Despite the X2’s polarizing exterior, it still delivers BMW’s signature “ultimate driving machine” experience.

Times are a changin’, if not for the transition away from fossil fuel-powered internal combustion engines, but from constantly changing dynamics and a post-pandemic economy that still continues to be haunted by its effects even to this day. That has automakers doing a lot of different things to try and trim the fat, sustain profitability, while also investing in the future as customer demands continuously change more and faster than a prepubescent teenager’s mood going through their coming of age.

Enter the BMW X2, which just arrived in its second generation as a 2024 model-year car to replace the soon-to-be discontinued X4, as part of BMW’s efforts to consolidate and simplify its lineup to reduce manufacturing complexity and operating costs. The result is that the new X2 is significantly larger and more practical than the initial first-gen model it replaces. But it also means that the rear-wheel-drive-based X4 is no more, striking a blow to the bow of the boats of all kinds of driving enthusiasts who wanted BMW’s signature rear-wheel-drive driving dynamics in a more practical package.

And that’s because BMW built and always maintained its reputation for building practical sports cars wrapped in unassuming everyday bodies, a reputation that was also embedded into society by Munich’s dependency and pride in using rear-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-drive-based platforms. Switching to front-wheel-drive for a BMW is about as sacreligious as the Pope vomiting on the Queen of England. But the X1 and previous X2 proved that they can make it work. Does the X2 still carry this momentum?

In order to provide you with an honest and unbiased review, I drove the vehicle reviewed in this article on a daily basis throughout the course of daily life for a period of one week. For detailed insight into testing procedures and data collection, please review
our methodology policy
.

2024 BMW X2 xDrive28i First Impressions

Because the X2 is now being sold as the stand-in for the X4, which BMW will discontinue sometime next year, it expectedly takes on BMW’s signature “SUV coupe” *ahem*, “SAV Coupe” shape and profile. That’s immediately apparent with the X2’s very raked and low-slung roofline, especially when compared to the more conventionally-shaped and upright X1 and X3 SUVs.

While appearances are largely subjective, the X2 sort of takes a few steps back in the beauty department, especially when compared to the X4 it soon will be replacing. BMWs have always been a love-it or hate-it or deal, though their SAVs (Sports Activity Vehicle, BMW talk for SUV), were always a bit of an excetion. However, BMW’s designs as of late have taken on a bit of a more controversial theme than before and the X2’s design isn’t really one that garners a lot of “love-it” reactions.

Thankfully, the X2 is mostly spared from the trend of BMW’s signature kidney grilles growing to an unappealing size, like on the M3, the 4-Series and M4 coupes and convertibles. But overall, the X2 simply comes across as polarizing and incohesive, with jagged squared edges festooning and shaping the front fascia and odd curves elsewhere. It’s certainly unique, but not in the best way, and it sort of makes you sad at the fact that this is the X4’s replacement, which when equipped properly, like with the M Sport package or in X4 M guise, looks pretty good, all things considered.

Exterior Dimensions

Driving Impressions And Performance

No matter the model, BMWs have always lived up to their “ultimate driving machine” mantra and thus, the story actually remains the same with the X2. If you were skeptical like I were, there’s proper reason as the X2 utilizes BMW’s latest UKL front-wheel-drive modular platform, or the same underpinnings that provides a structure for nearly all of MINI’s entire lineup.

And that raises a lot of eyebrows among buyers of all kinds, enthusiasts or not, because BMWs, being known for the “ultimate driving machines,” always prided themselves as sports cars wrapped in practical, unassuming bodies . Part of that reputation came from the fact that all BMWs were at least rear-wheel drive, or rear-wheel-drive-based if they featured optional all-wheel drive. A front-wheel-drive BMW is about as sacreligious as Porsche putting the engine at the front of a 911. But they make it work, and it works really well.

Though despite the X2 being based on a front-wheel-drive platform, xDrive all-paw traction is standard across the board for us Americans and within the first few miles, it’s almost impossible to tell that the X2 rides on the same platform as a MINI. Body control is still BMW excellent, as well as the ride and handling compromise. When pushed on some of the harder corners at more aggressive speeds, the X2 holds the road a lot better than majority of its counterparts, living up to its reputation for sports car-like handling.

The steering still leaves something to be desired, especially if you’ve always loved the BMW’s older, hydraulically-assisted racks. But we’ve all gotten used to that at this point. And the X2 only really gets un-BMW-like, at the very limits of the X2’s adhesion, where understeer is much more likely to happen because of the front-wheel-driven roots, though xDrive and BMW’s superior Electronic Stability Control steps in to balance everything out.

If you really chuck the X2 into a corner, you can get the backend to step out with a little bit of oversteering, even with the stability control left on. All in all, the X2 still drives like a BMW and it’s only at the very limit would you notice its front-wheel-drive roots.

A front-wheel-drive BMW is about as sacreligious as Porsche putting the engine at the front of a 911. But they make it work, and it works really well.

Braking And Acceleration

Motivation happens thanks to BMW’s venerable “B48” 2.0-liter gasoline turbocharged inline-four, punching out 241 horses and 295 torques. The horsepower rating may seem modest, but the X2 manages to sprint to 60 MPH in almost six seconds, which is impressive, considering the X2’s power-to-weight ratio.

Though it’s the B48’s clever tuning and bountiful torque that makes the X2 feel a lot more powerful than its paper specs suggest. And if you’re familiar with BMWs, the Bavarian automaker has a well-known reputation for underrating the power output of its engines. The brakes are equally more than adequate for spirited and everyday driving, which is expected from a machine bred and engineered for the standards of the German Autobahn.

• Acceleration 0-60 MPH: 6.2 Seconds (Manufacturer Claimed)
• Top Speed: 130 MPH (149 MPH with Performance Package; Electronically Limited, Manufacturer Claimed)

Performance Specifications

2024 BMW X2 xDrive28i Fuel Economy

The Environmental Protection Agency rates the X2 xDrive28i to achieve up to 24 mpg in the city cycle, 33 mpg on the highway, and a combined average of 28 mpg with a requirement of premium fuel, or a minimum of 91 octane. For a nearly two-ton crossover SUV with solid acceleration performance, these figures are pretty impressive, especially when considering that the X2 in this tester’s xDrive28i spec doesn’t come with any of BMW’s clever mild-hybrid 48-volt tech.

During our testing, our average fuel consumption hovered around 27-29 mpg in a mixture of suburban and highway driving around Northern New Jersey, just outside of New York City.

Interior Design And Comfort

Thankfully, the insides of the X2 are spared the polarizing aesthetics when compared to its exterior. If it looks familiar, that’s because the X2 takes on BMW’s latest corporate interior design theme where an ultra-wide dual-LCD screen layout, dubbed BMW Curved Display, makes up most of the information displays for the front occupants, as seen with some other BMWs as of recent.

The highlight of the new X2, however, is the overall increase in interior dimensions over the previous X2. Since the new model is longer in overall length by 7.6 inches, with almost a full inch going into the wheelbase, and wider by almost a full inch, with an increase in height by 2.6 inches, the interior confines are much more spacious and accommodating, which is befitting the X2’s role as a replacement for both the old X2 and the X4.

The other notable interior upgrade is the seats, which BMW claims are completely new from the ground up. And because of that, anyone who had complaints about old BMW seats being a bit too hard and firm can lay those to rest as the new buckets in the X2 definitely struck a very nice balance of being sporty and supportive, yet comfortable for long hauls.

There is room for up to five adults, though getting in the back if you’re of average male size or larger, is a bit of a crunch, leaving those left in the rear quarters wanting some legroom. Front occupants have plenty of space, but might feel crunched if they’re asked to move the seats up for the rear occupants.

Interior Dimensions

Technology And Ease Of Use

Running the X2’s Curved Dispay is BMW’s latest Android-based iDrive 9 on the software front with the familiar round dial control knob sitting atop the lower center console. Though obviously being a smaller model, the X2’s Curved Display screen dimensions are slightly smaller than those found on some larger vehicles, like on the X5 and X6, where the X2’s driver information display is of 10.25-inch diagonal size with the infotainment touchscreen measuring in at 10.7 inches diagonally, versus the X5 and X6’s 12.3-inch driver display and 14.9-inch infotainment display.

Overall, I found the X2’s system to work just like the ones in all other BMWs with the system, which is what the engineers want. All the passive and active safety gear and driver assist aids worked as they should. Though one glitch that kept being a bother was inconsistent Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, particularly when it came to music playback. Regardless of whether my iPhone 13 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra were connected, music playback would stutter and cease to work, in some cases, requiring closing the app on the phone and reopening it. It was very frustrating.

Cargo And Storage Space

Although BMW’s coupe SAVs always compromised hauling capacity in favor of style, they were always a bit less practical than their more upright siblings. This is obviously attributed to the cut-down roofline mimicking that of a coupe. But because the X2 grew in size overall, despite its sloping roofline, the insides of the X2 are still somewhat accommodating, like an upright five-door hatchback.

On paper, the X2 boasts up to 25.3 cubic feet behind the second row and up to 51.7 cubes with the seats folded down, which is more than plenty for a bunch of weekend backs if the X2 is backed with four adults and their things. It’s definitely enough for a month’s worth of Costco goods as well. Helping the flexibility with the space is a 40/20/40 folding rear bench.

BMW X2 xDrive28i Vs. Its Competitors

As a subcompact five-door crossover SUV coupe of the premium luxury breed with a $43,445 price of entry (including BMW’s mandatory $995 shipping charge), the X2 continues its battles against the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLA, the Audi Q3, the Lexus UX, the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque, and may even be cross-shopped with the Volvo XC40, the MINI Countryman, Infiniti QX50, the Mazda CX-50, the Acura RDX, Alfa Romeo Stelvio, and the larger Lexus NX because of its price. Though because BMW’s main rival has always been the folks at the Three-Point Star up to the north in Stuttgart, the X2’s main rival continues to be the Mercedes-Benz GLA and even the GLB.

How The BMW X2 Compares To The Mercedes-Benz GLA

Because BMW and Mercedes-Benz have been rivals for as long as both have been making cars, the X2s strongest competitor is the Mercedes-Benz GLA crossover SUV. Like the X2, it rides on a front-wheel-drive platform, though the GLA is offered in front-wheel-drive form here in the states with 4MATIC all-wheel drive optional (the X2 only gets front-wheel-drive in Europe). Both sport 2.0-liter turbocharged gas engines under the hood, and with both being five-door subcompact crossover SUVs that nearly match each other spec-for-spec, it only makes sense to compare the X2 to the GLA. Though while the second-gen X2 is new as of this model-year, the GLA is the older model of the two with it being in its second generation, which arrived in late 2019 as a 2020 model-year car.

Performance

Because both sport 2.0-liter gasoline turbocharged four-cylinder engines, outputs and performance are very similar. Though the Mercedes is notably less powerful with 221 horses versus the BMW’s 241. And this is reflected by the Benz’s slower 0-60 MPH sprint by about a half second with its manufacturer-claimed 0-60 time of 6.8 seconds, versus the X2’s 6.2.

But the Mercedes does sport a 48-volt mild-hybrid drive system, meaning it might be a little bit more fuel efficient. Should more power and performance be desired, the GLA has is the GLA 35 AMG model and the X2 does have a more powerful, M35i variant with the same B48 four-cylinder, but with 312 hp, dropping the 60 MPH sprint down to 5.2 seconds. That X2 M35i is on par performance wise with the GLA 35 AMG.

Handling wise, both are rather quick on their feet and do just as well on curvy, mountainous roads as well as long, highway trips. Though the Mercedes GLA 250 is ideally more geared towards comfort, whereas the X2 does offer a slightly sportier drive, overall.

Comfort

Both the X2 and the GLA 250 offer plenty of comfort, especially with the X2’s new clean-sheet seats, which are far more comfortable than any of BMW’s La-Z-Boys as of recent and in the past. Though if comfort is the priority, the GLA takes the cake, but only by a few hairs, with a slightly more supple ride. That’s assuming you don’t opt for the GLA 250’s AMG Sport package, which adds larger wheels.

Technology

Both BMW and Mercedes-Benz are dead rivals when it comes to technology and both nearly match each other in terms of capabilities, options, safety and driver assist tech. It simply boils down to how they go about them and a matter of taste. I personally prefer Mercedes’ MBUX system as I find it easier to use, while BMW’s iDrive 9 can be a little enigmatic at times.

Is The X2 A Good Buy And Does It Succeed The X4 Well?

Overall, I walked away impressed with the X2’s overall packaging, performance, and overall experience behind the wheel. It drives very much and feels like a modern BMW ought to and thus, will do well to keep its intended clientele happy and satisfied, that is, if they can get past the polarizing looks.

More die-hard BMW fans and lovers of the X4 may feel the differences between the X2’s front-wheel-drive-based roots, compared to the X4’s more traditional rear-wheel-drive setup. But that’s only if they’re pushing the car really hard on some back roads or on a racetrack. Otherwise, if it was possible to drive the X2 with a set of blindfolds on, you almost would never be able to tell the difference and the X2 xDrive28i provides plenty of go-power, grip, and expertly tuned handling to satisfy driving enthusiasts.

If you have the coin to get the more powerful M35i variant, however, that’ll certainly deliver with its 300+ horsepower output and sportier underpinnings. But at that point, it becomes a case of picking and choosing your battles as you start to tread into BMW X3 territory with the X2 M35i’s $47,450 starting price, without the destination fee.