Jeep Wrangler vs BMW 2 Series

What's the difference?

The Overland is (surprisingly) not atrocious on-road and (not surprisingly) very capable off-road. It costs a lot but, geez, it's a barrel of laughs.

If your heart is set on a four-door mid-size 4WD that's a whole lot of fun to drive, but rather impractical for daily life, then it’s difficult to over-look the Overland.

If you’re really gung-ho about hard-core off-roading – rock-crawling etc – then perhaps you should focus on the Rubicon, but for everything else the Overland, even on standard tyres, is more than capable.

The sleek 2 Series Gran Coupe has injected some life into the sedan segment and adds another dimension to BMW’s line-up.

After spending a week with the 118i hatch and another week with the 218i Gran Coupe, I would pick the hatch because it suits my needs better and has a more understated design, at least from the A-pillar back.

But there is little to fault in the 218i, aside from the obviously higher price compared with a mainstream sedan like a Mazda3. But, as with the hatch, if you want something a little more premium and a little more special, then this funky sedan is well worth considering.

The Wrangler's appearance has been tweaked throughout the years without ever sacrificing any of the ol’ Wrangler spirit.

It has stuck to its traditional roots and, as such, retains its old-school chunkiness, which is good, but the Overland is less of a hardcore-looking 4WD and more of a lifestyle-suited off-roader than its Rubicon stablemate. 

Though the Overland version has a certain blocky appeal, I reckon the Rubicon is better for having fully embraced the all-out off-road look and feel, tyres and all. 

From the front, the 2 Series Gran Coupe carries the same face as the handsome 1 Series hatchback. But from the A-pillar back, it’s a completely different look. 

BMW’s ‘Gran Coupe’ series of models - 2, 4 and 8 Series - are not just regular sedans. They are sleeker, with a coupe-like sloping roofline and a more squat stance. It’s BMW’s way of making sedans sexy. And it has worked on each of those models.

The 218i’s boot sits up high and the rear treatment with the wide slimline tail-lights and integrated boot lip spoiler make the car visually appealing. I prefer the look of the 1 Series hatch, but appreciate the sleek sedan.

As with the hatch, the 218i’s interior is a modern take on the unmistakable BMW cabin, and for the most part it’s a successful design.

What can you say about a vehicle that has a “wash-out interior with drain plugs” listed in its specs?

This is a purpose-built off-roader and the Overland’s five-seat cabin is a basic but functional space, in which it’s easy to immediately feel comfortable. 

All dials, knobs and switches are easy to locate and chunky enough to operate while skipping over corrugations or climbing up steep rock steps.

There's leather everywhere – seats, steering wheel, shifter knob – but durable outdoors-tough surfaces also abound.

What always strikes me about the Wrangler interior is the fact that it’s abundantly clear Jeep designers regularly experience – or at least are familiar with – the type of life that Wranglers are aimed at: fun, dirty, rough-and-tumble adventures in the great outdoors.

There isn’t a lot of storage space inside but there are a few small, deep, and textured receptacles – ideal for keeping your bits and pieces in the same spot while you bounce around off-road – as well as grab handles, including a big sturdy one in front of the front-seat passenger. 

There are also tensioned net pockets on the doors so you can throw stuff in there, but beyond those there aren't a lot of storage options.

There are air vents, two USB-C ports, and a 230V inverter in the centre console.

Rear cargo space is listed at 898 litres; with the rear seat stowed away, there is a claimed 2050 litres of room.

The main key difference between the 1 and 2 Series is the boot capacity. But in terms of interior appointments, not much separates the two.

Our 218i test car was optioned with black ‘Dakota’ leather trim, which does not look or feel particularly premium. The blue pattern trim in the 118i hatch was much more visually appealing, helping to break up the dark greys of the cabin. But in the 218i, it just makes everything look rather dark and gloomy.

As with the 118i, the BMW 'iDrive' controller and multimedia touchscreen are top notch, all controls come to hand easily, and the dash is angled to the driver. For more details on the interior, check out my 118i review.

The bigger differences are in the second row. The Gran Coupe has less headroom compared with the hatch, due to the sloping roofline and the optional sunroof.

Both body styles share the same 2670mm wheelbase, which should mean legroom is the same. For some reason the 218i feels ever so slightly tighter in the rear, but we are splitting hairs here.

Rear-seat occupants have access to two USB-C ports, map pockets and, unlike the hatchback, the Gran Coupe has a central fold-down armrest with two cupholders. Tall bottles will fit in the door storage compartment. Sadly the 218i lacks any rear air vents.

The doors also have a smaller aperture, so it’s not as easy to get in and out of compared to the hatch.

The rear seats fold 60/40 via levers in boot. Speaking of which, the boot can swallow 430 litres of cargo, which easily exceeds the 380L capacity of the 118i hatch. It also matches the boot space in the Mercedes-Benz A180 sedan and is just five litres bigger than the Audi A3 35 TFSI sedan.

Determining whether the BMW 218i Gran Coupe represents good value is tricky. Because you can get any number of small sedans from mainstream brands - like the Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, Subaru Impreza and more - for much less money, but with similar, or in some cases, more kit.

But if you’ve been 'glamoured' by the BMW badge and couldn’t possibly buy something non-European, the good news is the Bavarian brand is much better at including standard features than it used to be.

Could there be more standard gear for the price in this car? Absolutely. But, it’s not a slim features list either.

The 218i kicks off the 2 Series Gran Coupe line-up from $56,900, before on-road costs. From there you can step up into the 220i ($59,900) which gets a little more power and torque, and then there’s the sporty M235i xDrive Gran Coupe in Pure ($74,900) and regular guise ($79,900).

The price difference between the 218i sedan and the 118i hatchback I reviewed recently, is $7000. That is a massive uptick in price for a vehicle that, underneath, is identical. Essentially you’re paying for the boot.

It’s especially surprising when you consider the price gap between the hatch and sedan versions of its chief rival - the Mercedes-Benz A-Class A180 - is just $1700. While the Audi A3 35 TFSI sedan is only $2500 more than the Sportback hatch.

A lot of mainstream brands don’t charge any extra for a sedan body style over the hatch model in the small segment. Take a bow Mazda3, Kia Cerato and Toyota Corolla.

This Jeep has a 3.6-litre 'Pentastar' V6 engine – producing 209kW at 6400rpm and 347Nm at 4100rpm – and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

It's an effective engine-and-auto pairing for driving on sealed surfaces and well suited to high- and low-range 4WDing.

Mirroring the 118i, the 218i uses BMW’s three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, with power and torque outputs of 103kW and 220Nm, respectively. This compares to 110kW/250Nm for the base Audi A3 and 100kW/200Nm for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

The 218i uses a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission driving the front wheels only.

According to BMW, the 218i can complete the 0-100km/h dash in 8.7 seconds - 0.2sec slower than the hatch.

Official fuel consumption is listed as 9.7L/100km on a combined cycle. 

Actual fuel consumption on this test, from pump to pump, was 13.6L/100km, largely attributable to the fact I did a lot of low-range four-wheel driving on this test, as always. 

The Wrangler Overland Unlimited has an 81-litre tank so, going by that fuel figure above, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 595km from a full tank.

Note: Drop 30km to 50km from your total calculated fuel-range figure for a better idea of your vehicle’s safe touring range – so that figure above would be 565km.

Also, remember that numerous other factors affect your fuel consumption and so impact your touring range, including how much extra weight you have onboard (passengers, camping gear etc), whether your vehicle is fitted with any aftermarket equipment (bullbar, spare-wheel carrier, etc), whether you are towing (a camper-trailer, caravan, or boat etc), your vehicle's tyre pressures and the conditions.

On the official combined fuel cycle, the 218i uses 5.9 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres - the same as the 118i hatch. After a week of mixed driving, I recorded a figure of 9.1L/100km, which is quite a bit more than that official figure.

In terms of CO2 the official emissions figure is 135g/km and the 218i requires 95 RON premium fuel for its 50-litre fuel tank.

The Wrangler Overland is a fun, go-kart style drive and yields a real driver-direct experience you get from few other contemporary vehicles on the blacktop and the dirt.

But while it’s nowhere near as atrocious as you might expect on sealed surfaces its planted, squared-off stance gives it a definite composure on bitumen. It’s certainly no sports car in terms of ride and handling.

It’s quite soft on-road, soaking up most imperfections with ease, but it also takes quite a lot of effort and concentration to keep this Jeep in line on the open road because it tends to float around on the blacktop if not constantly reined in. 

Also, its steering has a lightness about it that can sometimes be a bit disconcerting. 

The V6 is a gutsy unit, capable of punching the Overland along at a fair clip, all while the eight-speed auto handles clever and nicely controlled shifts.

Because it’s so blocky, straight up and down, with big wing mirrors and the like, the Overland is rather noisy on sealed surfaces.

But it remains one of the few modern vehicles that deserves to be driven with the windows down, because it offers that kind of visceral driving experience – as the LC70 Series, or Suzuki Jimny do.

So, how does the Overland perform off-road? Bloody glad you asked.

Spoiler alert: The Overland is not as good an off-roader as the Rubicon because it does not have that variant’s BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain tyres, 'Rock-Trac' active on-demand 4x4 system (with 4:1 transfer case*, and 77.2:1 crawl ratio), front and rear locking differentials, or the Rubicon’s very handy electronic front sway bar disconnect. (* The Overland has 2.72:1.)

But, having said that, the Overland is still an extremely capable off-roader.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting any strife because it retains all the traditional goodness of the Wrangler with very few compromises. It’s a genuine 4WD with a dual-range transfer case, a ladder chassis, solid axles and well-proven 4WD heritage.

In terms of size, the Overland is 4882mm long (with a 3008mm wheelbase), 1894mm wide, 1838mm high. It has a listed kerb weight of 1900kg.

Steering has a nice weight to it at lower speeds, giving the driver a great sense of sustained control through even the most severe obstacles, but the Overland’s turning circle is a listed 12.44m, so this off-roader can sometimes feel like a mini-bus to steer through tight turns.

However, this is a purpose-built off-roader with a wide wheel track and low centre of gravity, so it feels planted no matter how rough and bumpy the terrain gets.

On the gravel track to our off-road testing site, there are numerous steering-wheel-jolting corrugations but overall the Overland – with a coil spring at each corner – soaked them up.

Our 4WD loop included the aforementioned gravel tracks, light to medium corrugations, undulating mud tracks and mud holes, and some very challenging low-range 4WD sections (in particular, a steep rocky hill), and a few other set-pieces to see if the Overland was able to do everything safely and comfortably. 

As a true 4WD worth its weight in gold, the Wrangler is immediately more at home taking on low-speed 4WDing than it is negotiating suburban traffic.

Again, the V6 engine comes into its own, delivering smooth, even torque when needed, but not ever over-working to achieve that.

Considered driving is necessary as is slow and steady throttle, but that's easily achieved in the Wrangler as its go pedal is none too sensitive to a bouncing boot.

It’s refreshing to note that switching to 4WD High or 4WD Low range is still done via a stubby stick to the left of the auto shifter, rather than the push of a button, or the turn of a dial. 

Low-range gearing is very good and the Overland has a well-calibrated off-road traction control that seamlessly launches into action when required, and wasted wheelspin is kept to an absolute minimum.

This Wrangler has 242mm ground clearance and a standard wading depth of 760mm, and was never troubled on climbing steep rock steps, traversing deep ruts or punching through mudholes.

It’s supremely sure-footed during low-range work but visibility can be an issue: over-bonnet visibility has improved slightly over previous generations but the driver’s view to the front and side is still a bit squeezed, making it at times difficult to visually pick correct wheel-placement, especially when driving steep terrain at sharp angles.

It can go hardcore, no worries, but it simply requires a bit more thought and you know what? That’s fine with me because it makes the off-roading experience an even more engaging one. 

The Overland has approach, departure and breakover angles of 35.8, 31.2 and 20.4 degrees, respectively.

With live axles front and rear, the Overland has plenty of wheel travel to keep moving and under control through truly off-grid country.

The only real compromises in the Overland’s 4x4 set-up are its standard Bridgestone Dueler (255/70R18) highway tyres and, even on those, the Overland walked up and over our toughest off-road challenges.

Though the Overland is not historically regarded as a towing platform, it’s handy for you to know that it has listed towing capacities of 750kg (unbraked trailer) and 2495kg (braked).

If you love the look of the 2 Series Gran Coupe but are after an extra dollop of performance, the all-wheel drive 225kW/450Nm M235i xDrive is the pick of the range.

But don’t think the 218i is a lazy performer - it’s far from it.

The 218i’s acceleration is responsive, even quick, and it offers more than enough straight-line performance to satisfy most drivers. 

On take-off there is some turbo lag, which isn’t helped by the fuel-saving idle-stop system, however that can be switched off, which we did every time we got behind the wheel.

Momentum was a little blunted by a steep hill, but other than that, no complaints about the sweet engine.

Steering is weighted on the heavier side but it is sharp.

As is expected of a BMW sedan, the 218i is engineered for engaging handling, and the balanced chassis and well-tuned suspension set-up encourage enthusiastic driving.  

Excellent road-holding and grip ensured it did not come unstuck on uneven roads and overall the 218i feels really solid. Those front-wheel drive naysayers have officially been put in their place!

'Sport' mode livens things up with a noticeable improvement to throttle response.

The ride seems more supple at speed, but can feel on the firmer side in urban driving. But nothing that would strike it from your shopping list.

The 2 Series Gran Coupe carries over the maximum five-star ANCAP crash safety rating awarded to the mechanically related 1 Series hatch. The test was conducted in 2019.

Standard safety equipment includes low-speed auto emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention alert, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, cruise control, and six airbags - although it doesn’t include a front centre airbag.

The Overland Unlimited is covered by a five-year/unlimited km warranty.

Servicing is set at 12 month or 12,000km intervals at a total cost of $1995 over five years, with servicing capped at a maximum $399 per appointment.

Lifetime roadside assist is available to Overland owners when they service through Jeep.

The 218i comes with BMW’s three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty - a term that is well behind the majority of its competitors that offer five-year/unlimited kilometre cover. 

Rather than an annual service schedule, BMW uses ‘condition-based servicing’, which essentially means that the vehicle’s computer will inform you when the car needs a service.

BMW’s 'Service Inclusive' pre-paid plan covers owners for five years or 80,000km for the 2 Series, and involves a $1700 up-front payment. It averages out to $340 per service, which is actually pretty reasonable for a high-end brand.