Best for: Interior quality
BMW’s junior coupé is a stylish option that boasts more character than your average hatchback or saloon, along with one of the finest interiors in its class.
Let’s start inside. The 2 Series is equipped with a 12.3in gauge cluster and a 14.9in centre touchscreen as standard – but the most impressive aspect is the materials.
Our road testers said that sitting in the 2 Series was like sitting in a car from the class above, thanks to its brilliant fit and finish.
There’s also a 390-litre boot, which is larger than the Audi S3 Saloon and the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35.
The 2 Series range opens with the 220i, which uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine with 184bhp, which is good for a 0-62mph time of 7.5sec.
That’s not exactly rapid, and the 242bhp 330i slashes that time to 5.9sec – hot hatch territory.
There’s also the M240i, which boasts 372bhp, four-wheel drive and a 0-62mph time of just 4.3sec.
Each variant is great to drive, but we would recommend moving up from the entry-level model to the 330i or even the M240i, if your budget allows.