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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
The 2 Series Cabriolet continues forward with a similar fabric soft top to the 1 Series, instead of the retractable hardtop used by the larger 4 Series Cab, which is probably good being that the 2’s stubbier length would’ve made graceful C-pillars
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
The optional red leather, replacing standard leatherette, was wonderfully supple and nicely stitched together, the heatable power-adjustable seats extremely comfortable and typically supportive (typical for a BMW at least). Beautiful brushed
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
What BMW does much better than any luxury badged rival, let alone those volume branded models just mentioned, is provide best of the best switchgear. Compare the buttons, knobs and toggles in this 2 Cab to any competitor and you’ll walk away knowing which brand is wholly premium, most others embarrassingly ill fitted with cheap feeling hollow switches that aren’t as nicely damped and therefore wiggle to and fro like Greg Page and his rambunctious down under gang. The
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Additional standard 228i Cab features include 18-inch alloys, automatic HID headlights with LED Corona rings, front fog lamps, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, heatable and power-adjustable side mirrors, rain-sensing wipers with heatable washer jets, adaptive cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate control, AM/FM/CD display audio with USB input and Bluetooth hands-free, heatable and powered front sport seats, a sliding front armrest, a wind deflector, BMW Assist emergency
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
My tester’s beautifully crafted and ideally shaped multifunctional, leather-clad M steering wheel, also part of the $2,000 M Sport Line package mentioned earlier that includes the aero package along with seven interior inlay choices, mine done out in brushed aluminum with oxide silver highlights, immediately reminded of a brilliantly fun M-badged 235i xDrive coupe I drove recently, this latest model’s optional magnesium paddles aesthetically alluring, well engineered, and a joy to row through, but they only enhance what is already a driver’s car of the first order.
No other compact feels as connected to the road or nimble through the curves, an expected
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Sport mode is best for all-round performance with Sport+ for those moments when you want to let the tail hang out in wild abandon, while the default Comfort mode is ideal when requiring performance here and there but not all the time. I left
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
As with all modern BMWs the 2’s engine shuts down at idle when it would otherwise be polluting, which makes for a chilled quietness while sitting still, and then when ready to go it automatically comes back to life and you’re off to the races. The 2 uses regenerative braking to trap otherwise lost kinetic energy from brake friction and then redistributes it to the car’s electrical system, these being just two of many EfficientDynamics systems that help make BMW an environmental leader and the 228i xDrive Cabriolet miserly with its 91 octane premium, its claimed
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Along with the 2’s economy and aforementioned performance is a compromise in size and spaciousness, but you’d need to be seriously large in stature not to fit into the front seats comfortably. The rear seats are less accommodating, however, working for smaller adults in a pinch and quite adequate for their primary purpose of toting along the kids.
Likewise the 2 Series Cab’s 334-litre (11.8 cubic-foot) trunk is slightly smaller than the 4 Cab’s and shrinks to 283 litres (10 cubic feet) when the top is dropped, although that makes it larger than the larger Bimmer’s 221-litre (7.8 cubic-foot) “cubby”
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
BMW offers a $200 storage compartment package for securing luggage in place, while additional standalone options include the sport automatic transmission with paddles I mentioned earlier at $500, the adaptive M suspension at $850, leather upholstery for $1,500, powered lumbar support for $300, park assistant at $400, lane departure and collision warning for $700, and metallic paint for $895.
Along with the M Sport package I commented on earlier, my tester also included the $1,200 M Track package featuring high-speed summer performance tires and M
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Something that might be easy to pass over yet could be quite useful for very little money
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
At the risk of making an experiential review sound more like a brochure, I’ll let you figure out what combinations of packages and standalone features fit your style and budget, and sum things up by saying that you’ll likely be pleased with the result no matter your selection. While my tester was kitted out with most available
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
That last number pretty well sums up the little 228i xDrive Cabriolet. It’s a compact drop-top that punches way above its weight class, delivering plenty of squeal behind the wheel while coming close to matching its larger sibling in style, luxury and refinement for a much better price.
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