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I don’t necessarily understand why you would pay more for less or why you would want a sports version of the BMW X1, but the BMW X2 F39 exists on the market and is for sale. So let’s see what it’s all about, because if you see a queue everywhere you have to go and find out what it’s all about.

I know it may leave you dazed and confused, but at BMW currently the odd numbers in the model list are for regular cars (1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, X1, X3, X5 and so on), and the even numbers are for the sports versions of normal cars (2 Series is a sportier 1 Series, 4 Series is a sportier 3 Series, X4 is sportier a X3, X6 is a sporty X5 and so on) . And this is how the BMW X2 F39 was supposed to be, the sportier version of the X1.

Except that it should’ve been the sportier version, because the engines are the same, the platform is the same, the only real difference is the appearance and the slanted back characteristic of the sports versions. This creates the classic problem of the X6 and X4, namely the cramped room in the back. And maybe you could live with the non-existent room in the back if it weren’t for the problem with the rear windows, which are as thin as my salary. But my thin salary is not a problem for 2 reasons. The first reason is that I don’t need a salary because I’m getting rich on your backs muhaha. The second reason is that if you can afford a BMW X2 F39, you most likely have no friends.

And then there’s the used car market, because that’s what we’re raging about here. If for the new models the differences are not so great, but on the used market the BMW X2 is consistently 5-7000 pounds more expensive than the X1, same trim level, same year. What’s worse is that it’s 7-10,000 pounds more expensive than the 1 Series. I’m throwing the 1 Series into this kettle because I can’t figure out if the X2 is an X3 sport or a slightly taller and bigger 1 Series. And apparently the market didn’t figure out either, because at the time I wrote this article there are 3726 1 Series 2018+ for sale, 966 X1 and only 742 X2 on autotrader. And maybe we brits have a problem, but not even on mobile.de the situation is not excesivelly rosy.

So why buy a BMW X2?

Simple. Because it’s a status BMW and that’s about it, just like the X6 was when it was launched. It’s an expensive car, which not everyone can afford and which you buy only because you can and, most importantly, so that the world can see that you can. BMW X2 F39, the most prestigious BMW among the smaller BMWs. Kind of like the tallest dwarf.

BMW X2 F39 Engines

Petrol

• 1.5 Turbo B38 of 141 horsepower – Now I will have to be careful not to repeat myself from other reviews of BMWs with this engine because otherwise Google will come and give me a beating worthy of Birmingham Zulus. It’s the same engine used on the X1, 1 Series , 2 Series Active Tourer and even the i8. And on the X2 it’s almost the only petrol engine seen through ads, because the kind of person who buys an X2 thinks about consumption and taxes, and those 12 pounds saved on insurance and tax matter when you have an expensive entry-level BMW.


• 2.0 Turbo B48 of 190 and 230 horsepower – Or maybe an 2.0 turbocharged petrol X2  is too expensive and because 230 horsepower is too much for the average X2 F39 buyer. Who knows. In any case, both engines are reliable as long as you stick to the service interval, which is a plausible scenario for the X2 because it’s not the most popular car in the range and thus doesn’t fall prey to the typical BMW buyer who only has the money to buy it but not really service it. And I’m not talking dealership maintainance, I’m talking any sort of maintainance.

Diesel

• 1.5d B37 of 114 horsepower – The smallest diesel for the sportiest of the X1s. There is only one problem though – no one bothered to buy it.


• 2.0 B47 of 150, 190 and 230 horsepower – This is because if you are still willing to pay 40-45-50,000 pounds for what’s basically a smaller X1, you probably don’t want to commit to a 114 horsepower 3-cylinder diesel. Plus, most of the big manufacturers offered a diesel in 4 cylinders of 2 liters and 150 or 190 horses, so you can’t be left behind the crowd. As for reliability, BMW went all-in on the 2 litre diesel and there are no notable issues to mention. Just change the oil on time and you’ll be good.

Hybrid

1.5 Turbo xDrive25e with 217 horses – Again, if I want a hybrid that can get you around town cheaply, I’d buy a Series 2 Active Tourer because it does exactly the same thing, only with more room and less elegance and cheaper.

BMW X2 F39 Common Issues

• Just like the fur-coated owner, the BMW X2 F39 is very demanding and picky when it comes to it’s shoes. So do your homework beforehand and see which tires fit and which don’t scream like they were called to work on the weekend. Especially since there are high chances that the tires will be run-flat.


• It’s a BMW, so I have to talk about the complementary electric gremlins. And there are many, except that the BMW X3 F39 has a specific issue with the tail lights and headlights.


• As with the other sports versions from other models, the BMW X2 is so packed in the back that realistically speaking only children can fit. Which wouldn’t necessarily be a problem, because the X2 is a school run kind of car anyway. Plus, if you ca afford an X2 you most likely don’t have friends so you don’t have problems with the room in the back. Or from the boot.


• I would also say something about the dubious assembly quality and the cheap plastics, but the reality is that all modern cars have this problem and the X2 is effectively like roulette, so check the cheap plastics car that creaks like the bed of the neighbor above and that won’t let you to play Heroes 3 quietly BECAUSE IT HAS AN ACTION PART AND YOU STILL PLAY SINGLE PLAYER BUT AT LEAST PLAY HEROES 3. IT IS NOT A PAID ADVERTISEMENT FOR HEROES 3, IT IS JUST THE STORY OF MY LIFE EVENING EVENING DAY AFTER DAY.

BMW X2 F39 Verdict

Mysteriously the sports version of the X1 did not sell all that well. It seems that the X6 recipe does not work everywhere, because the X2 is in an area where the competition is very high and the main rival is it’s own BMW X1 brother. Because seriously, you have no reason to buy anything other than an X1 if you want a taller and more practical BMW that’s easy to drive and won’t break the bank with running costs. And because you have no real reason to buy the X2 apart from looks because it has the same engines as the X1, the same front-wheel drive configuration and the same automatic gearbox. If it had come with engines bigger than 2 liters and with some sports options that would show exactly what is the difference between X1 and X2 as is the case with Series 3 and Series 4, then maybe it would have been sold. But this is not justified and this is also agreed upon in the market.

Which engines do I recommend? For petrol power you can go for the 1.5 turbo 140 horsepower unit and front-wheel drive, and for diesel the market is anyway invaded by 2.0 diesel with 150 or 190 horsepower (usually 190 horsepower).