Yahoo Autos 2024 BMW X2 xDrive28i Tested: One for the Casuals
Sometimes, a car can be perfectly fine and also an enigma. Such is the case with the 2024 BMW X2 xDrive28i. It's easy to understand BMW's rationale for building it—hit "reduce size" on the X6 to get the X4, then do that once more to create the bottom rung on your SUV-coupe ladder. But why a consumer would choose the X2 over other, better-executed variations on the theme (some in BMW's own brand portfolio) is a bit of a mystery.
The X2 28i has a base price that's about $3000 higher than the mechanically similar Mini Countryman S All4, and the X2 M35i costs more than a 2025 X3 30 xDrive. In the who-wore-it-better battle of transverse-engine BMW Group products, the Mini wins all day, while the longitudinal X3 ought to stomp the X2 on dynamics and look better doing it. The X2's saving grace is that most of its buyers will have no idea what the previous two sentences mean.
Are we being snobs? Maybe, but snobbery is integral to the appeal of the X2 28i, otherwise you'd get your 241-hp 2.0-liter four and all-wheel drive in the aforementioned Mini. And if we're indulging our haughty airs, there's an undeniable front-wheel-drive look to the X2 that contradicts Bimmerphile aesthetic expectations. Drilling down to the math behind these not-so-golden ratios, the 2024 X2 is 7.1 inches longer than its predecessor, but its wheelbase grew by only 0.9 inch. Translation: more overhang. And unless we're talking about a 1971 Cadillac Coupe deVille, the relationship between overhang and visual appeal tends to be inverse. Here we'll mention that the previous-generation X2—this one is new for 2024—sold more than 380,000 copies worldwide, so perhaps beauty is in the eye of the 36-month leaseholder.
The X2 drives as you'd hope a BMW would. That turbocharged 2.0-liter now employs both port and direct fuel injection, and its 295 pound-feet of torque arrives (and sticks around) between 1500 rpm and 4000 rpm. The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is smooth when you're loafing and quick with the rev-matched downshifts when you're not, but the powertrain takes a beat to awaken from hibernation if you haven't been driving like Augusto Farfus at Daytona. The 28i hits 60 mph in 5.7 seconds and clears the quarter-mile in 14.3 seconds at 98 mph—respectable numbers, all. But the 5-to-60 time—6.6 seconds—illustrates the delta between hammer-down and action from the engine room. All that torque might manifest at low rpm, but it takes a moment to summon it, such that you time your left turns across traffic to allow for boost buildup: throttle first, then steering. The M35i is quicker, of course (0–60 mph in 4.7 seconds), but its off-boost lethargy is even more pronounced, with 5-to-60 requiring an extra 1.3 seconds, versus the 28i's 0.9-second delta.
Our X2 28i rode on 245/45R-19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. That's serious rubber—Michelin classifies the Pilot Sport 4S as a max-performance summer tire—yet the X2 generated only 0.85 g on the skidpad. The M35i, outfitted with 21-inch Continentals, fared slightly better at 0.89 g. For a frame of reference, the 2024 Chevy Trax on Goodyear Assurance all-seasons posted a 0.84, and a 2016 Mini Cooper S Clubman knocked out a 0.87 on skinnier 225-width tires. Perhaps BMW isn't accustomed to tuning a chassis that carries 56 percent of its weight on the nose, but at least the M Sport's adaptive dampers help deliver an unflustered ride. Owners are probably more likely to notice the X2's quiet cabin—we measured 67 decibels at 70 mph—and impressive highway fuel economy of 35 mpg at 75 mph. That test result beats the significantly slower Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Even the hybrids.
The 28i fared better in braking, stopping from 70 mph in 156 feet with consistent, fade-free performance. Its performance actually surpassed that of the M35i, which required 161 feet of pavement for the same stop. This is more surprising given that our 28i was a very early build that didn't have the larger brakes that typically come with the $2500 M Sport package (the $52,195 price of the car included a $500 credit for the missing brake upgrade), while the M35i did have the M brakes. Good news, we suppose, for those who eschew the M Sport package.
The X2 interior is convincing in its BMW-ness, especially when it comes to the lavish choices of color and trim. There are four choices of interior trim styles and six color palettes for the upholstery, which is BMW's convincingly realistic Veganza faux leather (paired with Alcantara in the M Sport trim). Although subscription-based options seem about as popular as ebola, X2 buyers can unlock features such as new interior ambiance modes and groovy door-unlock lighting sequences by subscribing to the BMW Digital Premium service, which starts at $9.99 per month. The BMW salespeople who manage to set that auto-renewing-payment hook should get some kind of award, possibly called the Selling Sand at the Beach Trophy.
The X2 28i will probably work great for its intended audience, which is to say, the casuals. We can't imagine anyone who knows what an E46 is would opt for an X2 over an X3, which BMW-heads regard as the true foundation of the BMW SUV lineup. But for those who do, an X2 will work fine in its likely contexts. Going skiing? Then the 8.1 inches of ground clearance and the AWD system's limited-slip front differential will get you up the mountain. Moving into your dorm at Pepperdine? Fold down the seats, and there's 52 cubic feet of cargo room. And, of course, that spinning-propeller badge fits in anywhere, from the local country club to the resident parking spaces at your doorman building. If all the X2 does is whet its owner's appetite for an X4, it's probably accomplished exactly what it was designed to do.
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