BMW M135i vs BMW 2 Series

What's the difference?

When the iPhone first appeared just over a decade ago, I can remember thinking a phone without buttons would be a giant pain in the neck. Until I used one, and now the idea of a keypad phone sounds akin to starting a car with a crank handle.

The new 1 Series is likely to offer most buyers a similar revelation, with its move from the BMW-traditional rear-drive layout to more conventional front and all-wheel drive. That is assuming you gave a damn in the first place, as I suspect it’s only hardcore BMW traditionalists that care about a rear-drive premium hatchback in 2020.

And that’s not who is buying the 1 Series, with the Bavarian brand’s cheapest model intended to appeal to younger buyers who are more likely to care about connectivity, practicality and personalisation options than the excitement of losing grip from the rear. It certainly hasn’t stopped plenty of people from buying 1 Series-rivalling A-Class and A3s from Mercedes-Benz and Audi over the years.

Coupes are back.

Heading into the second half of the 2020s, buyers of affordable sports cars seem better-served for choice than when the current BMW 2 Series Coupe surfaced earlier this decade.

Mazda’s MX-5 keeps gently evolving. Toyota and Subaru have rejuvenated their respective firecracker 86/BRZ twins. The glorious Nissan Z is as evocative as it is entertaining. The recent Ford Mustang revamp serves rousing American muscle car. The reborn Honda Prelude looms as a hybrid hero. And even Audi’s TT is set for resurrection soon.

All reinvigorate the genre. Just like the (G42) 2 Series Coupe, the third in the series since 2007, released during 2021 and facelifted in 2024.

Here we revisit the M240i xDrive, our favourite version (sorry, M2 owners), to see if it remains the definitive brand experience.