BMW 2 Series Active Tourer MPV 2014 review - Carbuyer

[@rimmerblues1586]

Yeah it's not really an MPV, think more along the lines of a Golf Plus - a slightly raised/extended hatchback - so that's one reason why the boot isn't as big as those MPVs but having the sliding bench & tilting rear backrests make a huge difference and it has a large carry capacity for the exterior size of the car - in fact with seats down it has the same load capacity as a 3-Series Touring! The underfloor boot space also helps and you can even have a space-saver spare wheel under there. Rear passenger space is really very good and although the seating positions aren't as high as an SUV they are higher than a standard hatchback and older members of the family will find it much easier to access than many other cars including those 3-series'. The SE cloth seats are the most comfortable but lack the upper body support of the sports-seats which only come in a stiffer-cloth/artificial-leather mix or leather. Lumbar Support is an optional extra... The quality also felt slightly better than the cheap feeling F2x 1-Series of the day. It handles well as Mat said but after around 30K miles the adaptive dampers become too soft in Comfort/Eco-pro mode so the body sways too much for my liking although it smooths the ride well, however in Sport mode the ride is really too hard so i'd say stick to base/luxury or M-Sport set-up, maybe. Run-flat tyres hurt the ride making it crashy and increasing road noise. Driving the 220i LCI version i've found it has loads of power with a 7.4sec (maybe less!) 0-60 time and with the DCT sports auto gearbox it really does feel surprisingly sport and can be fun to drive (it even has Launch Control!!) - really doesn't need more. Pick-up at slow-speeds is strong & quiet - almost EV like compared to some other gas cars. Also it has twin exhaust pipes which look nice and well-integrated into the rear bumper and do give a nice sound but inside the cabin engine noise is minimal and thankfully no fake engine sounds played through the speakers! You can hear the engine & gearbox if you rev the nuts off it though and it has no soft-limiter and can can manual shift the gears with either the gear-selector or paddles on the steering wheel. However the brakes aren't so great, initial bite is way too late as i think the energy recovery systems get in the way (why the non-hybrid versions have this system i don't understand, surely the battery can cope with the start/stop system just fine?) and just lack strength which reduces your confidence in them. Having a reversing camera is ever so helpful as too the Parking Assistant that can parallel park the car itself. The front corner A-Pillar blind-spots _are_ annoying but forward view is very good. LED headlights have a good spread and the LCI hexagonal style DRLs look great and make the car appear more modern. The rear-wiper is nicely hidden but the downwards sweeping-style can leave the wiped residue to run-down and doesn't often look great. The standard 6-speaker is very good with good clear punchy base and although it lacks the door tweeters i've never craved for the Harmon-Kardon upgrade. Voice input for the sat-nav recognized the address first-time and is very useful as too the touch-screen function for the map whilst the rotary i-Drive controller is much easy to use on the move. Heated seats *and* steering wheel so nice to have! Roof Rails are useful for that roof box too! Overall despite one or two points in need of improvement the F45 2-Series Active Tourer is/was a very well thought-out under-rated car, the F48 X1 SUV is a fair alternative but is a touch larger & heavier. [Incidentally over the years when searching for 2er AT reviews this review (which is well presented by Mat W) never appeared in the results and only today it randomly appeared in my YT suggestions - the KZbin search algorithm really is a bit pants.]

[@TheOneDanTek]

nerd

[@jirodriguesjirodrigues1642]

Lovely car. Ive drove one, spacious nice fit and finish and very good on the corners. Im in my thirtys, I would have hate it ten years ago. Im getting old

[@catherinecrowe3522]

I bought this car because:- I wanted a larger vehicle as I have two young children for school run and it get hammered at the weekend taking them to activitiesI didn't want a vehicle that was too large as I am often driving on my own in the day with work on the motorway but also urban around London This was the first time I could afford a premium badge car and wanted to treat myself a little bit I had a rav 4 for a few weeks it was great but too big and also tried an a3 sports back but too small This 2 series active tourer is great for me - PERFECTIts auto gearbox is amazingIt fits my needs perfectly Appreciate BMW hardcore fans 'hate' this car and say it's not a proper BMW blah blah blah - but that fact it's fwd really doesn't not bother me in the slightest I also appreciate that some say it's ugly. I too see a luxury model with its skinny wheels and it can look odd. I have the sport model, nice trim, larger wheels, dark windows and I think that it looks great I ask that the haters simply appreciate the audience this car is targeting, that's all

[@R3nchi]

Yeah I think that there is lots of folks like u and me for who this car is perfect!

[@djuraster]

should got C4 picasso

[@kevcrowther5248]

@@djuraster c4 Picasso is the worse car I have ever owned. The amount of problems I have had with Citroën electrics

[@tommyd7371]

Completely agree with your thoughts. This car is perfect for our family, and a very easy drive.

[@Leonaristo]

Good to see that BMW finally makes and launches front-wheel-drive MPV, though it's a bit late, and they gave this lucrative segment to other manufacturers for years! Since they made the fun-filled front-wheel-drive MINI for over a decade, no doubt the 2 Series Active Tourer should perform well ahead of the others. Plus, BMW is still making rear-wheel-drive models like 3, 5, 7 Series, etc., it's perfectly right to make a front-wheel-drive model, hitting sales, gaining profit for making their other rear-wheel-drive products Series much more exciting.

[@MordFustang1966]

I couldn't agree more. The stone-age people are complaining without any understanding of business and market. The ones that also complained when in the 70s BMW made the 7 series, or in 1999 with the X5. Now these cars bring in so much profit that cheaper cars like the 1, 2 and 3 series can have their technology trickle down for a fraction of the price and many more people can enjoy driving.

[@sly715091]

They could've made it look nicer though. The interior is very nice but the exterior is just plain hideous.

[@Zero1Zero1]

Aidan Haiqal I think that's so that they can fill a gap in the market (people who need an MPV and want a BMW) but not lose customers of their other cars to this

[@sly715091]

I get what you're trying to say but still doesn't explain why the design is hideous. I mean given a chance, the targeted customers would have prefer to buy a BMW MPV that actually looks nice like the other series.

[@MordFustang1966]

Aidan Haiqal yeah well the design is not hideous. Its an mpv, what were the proportions you were expecting? a 2m long hood with the driver sitting nearly on the rear axle? come on, just read a bit and you'll understand the consumer this is marketed to.

[@toysandgameswithesmeeandis4096]

We had the 225xe and loved it.

[@Avrelivs_Gold]

MPV is the body style of future, that's why they needed this car to be.

[@djmaxwell1325]

This comment didn't age well lmao 😂

[@furulevi]

Don't add too much image stabilization to the video at 1:42, it's wavy ;)

[@misterosc]

Great review but please that image stabilizer in 1:41 is deforming the car

[@moverecon]

How can you not be fan of BMW´s manual gearbox? Owned a E39 with manual gear once, it felt very good.

[@x3merx3mer]

3:15 i never noticed in your videos this much distortion in order to make it stable (the car is constantly transforming).. does that mean that this is one of the bumpiest rides or you just didnt have a proper equipment this one time?

[@zubairahmed6177]

His shirt reminds me of a tea towel, I can't unsee it now

[@iAMChrisCC]

Looks OK.. To all those bleating 'Waaaah FWD BMW' - shut up - BMW know more then you about marketing cars.

[@alexgravelle164]

It's not about marketing, just cheaper to make. RWD is categorically better, and that's one thing BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar have on other manufacturers. Well, had.. this is disappointing from BMW.

[@alexgravelle164]

..and it's 'than', not 'then'.

[@iAMChrisCC]

@alexgravelle164 My current car is a RWD BMW, my previous car was a RWD BMW, and the car I've just ordered is, guess what, a RWD BMW, so yes, I know how good they are. The 1 series is a shopping hatchback, it does not need to be RWD, but it does need safer handling for most people and better interior space. Cost is a factor, and the last one was RWD, because it was cheaper to develop it that way. The new one shared a platform with the mini so it was then cheaper to use that. Maybe I should have said 'Making and marketing cars'.

[@iAMChrisCC]

@@alexgravelle164 Great 👍

[@SebWDesign]

You can tell this car was designed for LHD use and not for RHD, why are the idrive controls and the electronic parking brake on the left hand passenger side and not on the drivers side?

[@Allwin-lz6yj]

I got a bmw 218i 1.5 liter and it is a twinpowerturbo and it is a grandtourer

[@ahmedhosny2412]

is it a reliable car comparing to the other cars?

[@Moultonist]

I thought of buying one of these. When I sat in it I was disappointed by the A pillar blind spot and realised it wasn't great for busy urban areas with lots of junctions/pedestrians.

[@friederich66]

+Moultonist so go shop another.

[@Out-Of-The-Box-AU]

Just letting you know the Video Link Click is not working..but great video!

[@jaswinderahluwalia]

What is the seat height ? Does the driver sit as in a hatchback or in a van Thats what mainly is the difference betweem a hatch and a mpv...the seating position The other distinguishing thing is the vehicles body breadth..what im referrinh to is the height minus ground clearance MPVs have above 55 inches. SUVs are lower.For example the lowest is that of the Subaru Crosstrek at just 51 inches despite a ground clearance of 7.8 inches and its an AWD

[@hermes969]

Do you prefer Bmw Active Tourer 218i or Vw Golf SV 1.5 Tsi? Can you specify the prominent (+) and (-) sides?

[@jxtr3m3]

R there any news on the new Ford Mondeo? I cant understand why its taking them this long to release it here in Europe since it's on the American market since 2 years ago under the name of Fusion

[@MagicMike87]

Best bmw ever!Can't wait fot the M version of this amazing car!

[@eaglemihnea]

"wheels are a little bit like men, helpless at multitasking" - that's from the Fifth Gear review of the Ford Focus RS in 2008... I think.

[@BGZPro]

Pretty decent but realistically they should of re launched it as a hatchback. Has the same similarities as the new astra 5 door and a bit of golf plus elements.

[@eric19875]

Looks like more a failed redesign of the 1st B-Class.

[@BoraMarkovic]

The new b class looks so much better than this piece of ugliness, i agree

[@MordFustang1966]

Bora Markovic haha your comments aren't going to improve the resale value of your Renault engineered B-Class. The B class is anemic !

[@kristiaan1]

I think that it looks quite a lot better than any (first or second) B-class.

[@love_is_sacrifice9414]

***** Your in every comment section of an Carbuyer review of an BMW and you complaining about others opinions (Not to mention that profile pic). Do you think your changing anyone's mind?

[@zkambov]

Bora Markovic You must see the 2 series in flesh much better looking than the B class and real head turner, stands out in traffic

[@piotrwyszynski4930]

I don't get it. BMW now calls sport oriented cars with even numbers and practical with odd numbers. So why is MPV with FWD called 2 series?

[@rimmerblues1586]

Yeah this really doesn't fit - and in 2023 it still doesn't make sense! IMO it should be either a *1-Series* Active Tourer, as really it's like an estate/extended hatchback and with the latest F40 1er they _are_ basically the same car - or call it an *X0* ( _x-oh_ or _x-zero_ ) to put it between/below the SUV line but above the hatchback/saloon/coupe car lines, particularly with latest U06 version of the AT.

[@KimSong11455]

Nice video. However, in my opinion,Mini is not mini any more, and now, BMW is not BMW anymore. Nicely done. BM.

[@tatehead]

is there an upgrade in terme of the recording equipment...the voice recording is waaaay mush clearer and smoother

[@INUMIMI28]

If it's my money, I'd buy B-Class, because your friends be like... Merc B-Class→"Oh you bought a B-Class, that's nice" BMW Active Tourer→"YOU BOUGHT A FWD BMW LOLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!"

[@luttrell1973]

BMW Zafira 😅🤣😂

[@AdamAus85]

Is it me or is there no plastic trim to cover inside door upper to cover outside paint colour? Another first for a modern BMW, and not a good one in my opinion.

[@bl00dra1nn]

+Adddam it's not that bad, what's the point of that plastic trim in the first place?

[@AdamAus85]

Makes for a more complete, luxurious interior in my opinion. Love it in my E39. Matches the quiet of the interior in keeping the outside out (outside colour of the car).

[@KrystianZakrzewskiferrero]

What engine dose it have is it a Peugeot?

[@corditeshade]

This reminds me to much of the previous Merc A Class... its not nice

[@Blackboyswabi]

***** you're ugly

[@love_is_sacrifice9414]

***** Your in every comment section of an Carbuyer review of an BMW and you complaining about others opinions (Not to mention that profile pic). Do you think your changing anyone's mind?

[@Ashivlogzz]

Neighbour's envy.. Owner's pride 😄

[@thecarboy95]

By VW Golf Plus, i think he's referring to the new Golf Sportsvan (SV).

[@TuddecBMW]

It doesn't compete with the Citroën C4 Picasso, it competes with the Mercedes B Class, and VW Golf Sportsvan. The C4 Picasso is much bigger.

[@dicksonlee9517]

prefer the b class or the golf sportsvan more

[@lashaisobers8922]

Mercedes b class is the best

[@BoraMarkovic]

www.autoblog.com/2014/09/15/mercedes-benz-b-class-facelift-paris-official/ the new one kicks the 2 series ass in the looks department

[@kristiaan1]

yeah, B-class is ugly and sportsvan is a bit bland (just as many VWs). (says a Passat owner :)

[@kr0pp]

As a BMW-fan, I'm very disappointed that such a car was ever made. Why didn't they use one of their sub-brands like Mini or Rover or whatever to create the MPV. Double-kidney grille, double round LED headlights and low stance should NEVER be part of any MPV. I feel like this particular model has degraded all BMWs to some extent.

[@BoschExxcel]

Rover?

[@peterc2373]

BoschExxcel why not BMW does still own the name Rover....

[@Kavasacation]

They need that badge to sell it.

[@mardamek]

All very true points, but if you ask me, they started their degradation long before this model. The difference is that they finally went all out in their "transformation" with this particular model.

[@smashedpotato99]

kr0pp look at it from the positive side, at least you can now buy an MPV that's actually a little fun to drive

[@MadR6]

not sure whats going on with the onboard cam, but it kinda made me seasick.

[@JustGeorgeGG]

Can you upload a video with BMW 2 series gran tourer?

[@pedrof830]

Will this come to the States?

[@technick7986]

Common mistake its now the Golf SV not plus

[@zepaposecoable]

I love your Reviews. The image stabilization was quite bad though

[@nigelsaunders7378]

No rear windscreen wiper? How does the back glass get cleared with road spray etc. given it is relatively vertical?

[@rimmerblues1586]

It has a rear wiper, it's hidden under the rear spoiler :)

[@muhammadrenuman3369]

I love your review Mat, Im curious to find your review on 225xe hybrid. Sounds quite economical and practical.

[@dave_thomas]

Nice BMW. Cool video. I'd get one if I could afford it....lol. Thanks for posting.

[@Zero1Zero1]

If it has a transmission tunnel in the rear, then they missed the whole point of FWD. Might as well have made it RWD and saved a lot of negative press from the core BMW fans

[@rimmerblues1586]

They still would've hated it, besides the transmission tunnel isn't as high as many of the pure RWD beemers and still has much better legroom than a 3 or 4 series, width is about the same but leg & head-room with a higher seating position make the rear cabin much better for the rear passengers.

[@R3nchi]

I saw him live..Beautiful..I want it!!

[@thedumboelephant]

What sizes were those luggage / suitcases shown in the video above please?

[@bobbytoor1951]

With all these car reviews , why can't you just get the base model ? A lot of your reviews tend to be top of the range , I can't afford this one !

[@jamesgordon783]

They use top of the range probably to showcase the (exclusive) features only offered on the higher spec trims

[@arjayandres246]

Please test the Mercedes Benz V-Class

[@Box0rz]

Are you going to review the new B-class next?

[@grungehead2]

9

[@sugarlove3696]

The whole car was shaking when he barely moved how good the car is??

[@panaceiasuberes6464]

Funny how only Mat's videos get decent viewage at Carbuyer. He was the sun and they let him go.

[@kristiaan1]

BMW they've got to be kidding: they make a FWD MPV and then leave a transmission tunnel for 4WD availability? WHY didn't they make it RWD from the beginning then? Why, when it's technically possible with this body and chassis? Jesus.

[@bens9468]

Because the engine is the wrong way round. The awe model will have an extra drive shaft fed from the front transaxle. They put the engine in sideways to make the car shorter for city use

[@Allwin-lz6yj]

And Btw why did you leave carbuyer

[@FrankSandqvist]

Why did they name it 2-series? Dumb move IMO. Why not start a new letter series instead. Like BMW V2 or whatever.

[@MyGroo]

Perhaps they wanted analogy with Mercedes lineup in a way: i.e. from A/B/C klasse to BMW Series 1/2/3, it makes it more obvious what to compare it with. But I agree, creating a separate lineup would perhaps give it even better visibility.

[@polla2256]

Lol think about that for one more second. V2, probably not the best advertisement for a German product.

[@XenonOzHID]

Did I happen to notice no rear wiper?

[@rimmerblues1586]

It has a rear wiper, it's hidden under the rear spoiler :)

[@RoonJetDo]

How big is the boot of car ?

[@darksideofmind91]

I think this is the real innovation for BMW, not the M4 or the M235i. (don't get me wrong, they're excellent cars, but there's nothing "new" there :p)

[@lashaisobers8922]

Comment below on what your favorite looking car is. i need some ideas.

[@doseoffousey6460]

bmw m3

[@NikesZ28]

Aston DB9 :)

[@gezarald]

Ferrari 458

[@TobyWilks]

Holden Monaro or the Maloo GTS.

[@ACEcolorado1]

E39 5 series

[@weed46]

*FWD BMW? just NO*.... How Cool would have been a RWD MPV doing some drifts in roundabouts?

[@TheMusicFan1297]

That would look rather stupid.

[@weed46]

TheMusicFan1297 Better than a FWD understeering into a ditch

[@TheMusicFan1297]

Because you will drive your van like this, sure. 😄

[@weed46]

TheMusicFan1297 If you have sense of humour, Yes.

[@ImYourRealDad]

I think it would be bad if they made it RWD. A family losing control in the wet and being spun into other motorists.

[@CivilAviation1]

BMW should've made it more aggressive, but a lot of families will def. buy it.

[@Stitchpunk9]

I've got the perfect nickname for it - The 2AT.

[@carmatazz]

Really good car, no major drawbacks

[@ottodob]

seems like it would be a great success in america. perfect for well to do families that live in cities who will never take advantage the rear wheel drive performance.

[@SvetlioPrice]

+Samwise Drogod It has a gigantic front pillar blind spot - it's terrible for the city. I've seriously never seen such a thing on another vehicle.

[@kingspharm1]

Love the interior, but the exterior design isn't nice imo.

[@dailyforman]

looks not bad

[@ANDREWSAMY562]

So it's just a redesigned mini contryman by BMW

[@1958plymouth440V8]

I'm just going to sit here and read the comments...

[@SharuSRG]

Same!

[@borjastick]

Another slick and professional video review, pity about the ugly car in this case.

[@THERUBBISHPCKID]

I think it looks like a big hatchbag rather than a proper mpv

[@jamiep61]

I like BMW 2 Series Active Tourer MPV 2014 review - Carbuyer

[@samanthafraser8560]

Active tourer you say? MAYBE BMW X3 Sport Tourer 20e and 20d

[@TheSwedishGamerstsg]

Make videos more often

[@rscosworthfan]

Bmw always maintained that the best way to push an object forward is from behind thats why all bmw,s are rear wheel drive...mmmmh seems theyve changed their mind..tbh i prefer rear wheel drive front wheelers always seem to squat and dive under acceleration

[@MdBoss-qg5zd]

I drove 1.5 petrol and 2 litre diesel but it is not comfortable

[@ballouksalim9384]

BMW changed the automatic gearbox looks ! The previous one was waaay better ! This one looks pretty old though !

[@tepeke88]

Here in the states this would be useless. This isnt BMW in my opinion, just stick to saloons, suv's and coupes.

[@nickg9561]

Why does it have to be front wheel drive?? Why are these called M.P.V's it looks like a hatchback.

[@harryc266]

I'm sorry but this is going to be polar with parents, and cmon if you where given the option to get this you wouldn't say no would you?

[@carbiify]

I thought BMW believed the front wheels steered, and the rear wheels drive?

[@bl00dra1nn]

+carbiify i also thought that, until they unveiled the x5 in 1999

[@AnyTechReviews]

Would much rather have a B-Class over this.

[@warren6815]

I don't understand why manufacturers (Audi, Mercedes, etc) are starting to stick their infotainment/sat nav screens on the dash like that. Looks like an afterthought to me.

[@turbo_s]

So they can put the screen in your line of sight without making the dashboard so big and bulky.

[@woodmasta22]

It's not that ugly, it's just kinda boring. Even a van should have more character, especially if it's a BMW. It's nice to look at but it's no head turner...

[@robertbidochon7949]

BMW & MPV see the fail?

[@kirbyswarp]

Parking sensors come standard for a reason. Because soccer moms who can't drive for shit will buy these, and since it's a BMW, automatically lowered driving skills.

[@kaloyanski85]

what is soccer?

[@mrafeht]

Sub-titles make no sense, can't have the sound on as my wife is watching Downton Abbey.

[@reapertheunique]

It looks to me that they put too much focus on the "active" part of the name. they kept it too "sporty" and not enough MPV. Because of this it's not really good for people that like a more sportier model, they'll get the break version of the 3 or 5 series if they want more room, nor is it good for families, they'll get another brand or go with a larger SUV.

[@mahirsheikh3820]

much better then a gti!

[@marcoprins4880]

The camera view inside is so bendy! What the hell?

[@JOFEALVI]

At 6:37 that is your wallet or is only for purpose of capacity and storage, is so old, it need a new one. Is mi point of view, not be offended.

[@Efficienz]

Thanks for review the car. I am really interested in this car and considering buy it.

[@zkambov]

drove one today, average driver comfort but passenger side is bad, the dash is pointing at you, average fuel consumption city is 6.3 litres for the 218d which is ok

[@Redmailnet]

Those seating adjustments exist since 94' as far as I know. Optional panoramic is nice, but expensive as fuck. An well equipped one versus a lighter 3 series? Anyone? It's a rich girl car - or her mother's. Should be called Audi A1. Not to mention the 3-cyl engines...

[@Peter1Europe]

Rebecca's on Telegraf Cars now !

[@ChrisFromBesak]

OUAH ! I love this car !

[@jackfille3910]

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!!!!!!!!!! New vedio!!!!!

[@autodelta93]

Kia is it you?

[@eugn86]

Am I the only one who thinks it looks terrible?

[@zanthony1286]

yes only you. I love it.

[@PrimorisOrdo]

They should've just put a mini badge on it instead of a BMW badge.

[@freshklinki93]

@UzzyFuzzyy You're so embarassing, hating on Mercedes on every video. The Active Tourer is almost as embarassing as you. BMW with FWD? A Minivan? Wtf? The B-Class looks so much better in every angle. Sleeker, more elegant and I have to say that the Active Tourer looks actually older than the B-Class (which shows that the BMW- design is not timeless or modern...except the 5 series)

[@madant7777]

Meh to this and the new Golf Sportsvan, I'm waiting for the new SEAT Altea!