Compared to the old 1 Series Coupe and Cabriolet, the 2 Series two-door hardtop that arrived on the scene last year and this

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drop-top, new for 2015, seem to have grown up. They’ve transcended from cute and somewhat pudgy shapes to sleeker more athletic profiles, each model’s longer, narrower twin kidney grille and sharply angled headlamps looking downright menacing, my tester’s upgraded M Sport lower front fascia more aggressive, curvaceous side panels more mature and shapelier angled taillights more upscale. The 2 Series twosome are altogether more alluring than their predecessors.

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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and rear glass in the latter challenging, while a complex folding mechanism and the various metal panels would have robbed the trunk of its current usability. As it is the 2 Cab’s top looks just right, especially in standard black, a sharp contrast to my tester’s shimmering Glacier Silver metallic paint and ultimately classic when combined with Coral Red Dakota leather seat-tops peaking through the greenhouse.

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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aluminum inlays and satin silver metal detailing made it seem as if the 2’s exterior paint had seeped inside, creating a rich yet sporty ambiance that suits this little tyke’s personality perfectly. As expected, the rest of the 2 Cabriolet’s interior was nicely finished, with appropriately soft-touch surfaces across the dash top and midway down the instrument panel, plus along the door uppers and mid-sections, but BMW doesn’t provide pliable synthetics all the way down the door panels as it does with 3 Series and above. Likewise for the lower portions of the centre stack, while the plastic under the steering wheel is a higher grade than the hard stuff used for the glove box lid, lower centre stack, and lower door panels. The A-pillars are hard plastic too, not uncommon with premium convertibles

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yet still a bit disappointing if you’re used to the usual fabric-wrapped pillars found in the premium set. Still, 2 Series refinement is a step up from the 1 Series that came before and both cars were/are true to their singular mission of pulling Civic Si and Golf GTI owners into the premium sector, so therefore to that end it does its job well.

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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2’s graphic interfaces are also top-tier kit, with impressive depth of colour and crystal clear resolution, while the infotainment delivered, which includes a split screen that allows audio on one side and weather on the other, or navigation, etcetera, as well as the iDrive controller responsible for info access, is second to none.

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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call, an alarm system, plus all the usual airbags including driver and front passenger knee blockers.

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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BMW trait yet still a delight when delivered so effortlessly as with the 2 Series Cab, while the 228i’s N20 direct-injected and turbocharged four-cylinder sends an ample 241 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels via xDrive all-wheel drive, now standard with the base convertible, and between the two mechanical marvels is a standard quick-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox that produces slick, positive and ultra-smooth shifts no matter the Driver Select mode chosen.

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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it in Eco mode when driving around town or cruising on the highway as I’m usually trying to eke the most from a tank of gas unless the lure of fast-paced S turns gets the better of me.

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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five-cycle EnerGuide city/highway combined rating being 9.1 L/100km.

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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when going al fresco, either way an adequate cargo hauler for weekends away for a family of four very light packers (possibly to Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park?) and more than enough room to spare for two when the rear seatback is folded flat.

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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Sport brakes, but if you’d like to partake you’ll need to buck up for the $2,500 Premium package first, which includes a heatable steering wheel, memory for the driver’s seat, a rearview camera and rear park distance control. My tester also included the enhanced Premium package featuring auto-dimming side mirrors, an extended instrument cluster, navigation and satellite radio that replaces the Premium package while adding $1,195 to the sticker price, whereas a $2,200 Executive package upped the features set to include proximity-sensing Comfort access, auto high-beam assist, adaptive cornering headlights, a universal remote garage door opener, and excellent Harmon/Kardon audio. Finally, a $1,200 Performance package adds variable sport steering and an adaptive M suspension.

Something that might be easy to pass over yet could be quite useful for very little money

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is BMW ConnectedDrive for only $500, which includes Advanced Real Time Traffic Information (ARTTI) with up-to-the-minute traffic info; Internet access via iDrive with a complimentary one-year subscription; BMW Online & BMW Apps for access to weather, news and other info, plus integration of popular smartphone apps via iDrive; Remote Services for connecting your smartphone to your car; Concierge Services that provide a personal assistant via BMW’s Response Centre to help find POIs; and the BMW ConnectedDrive Services Package.

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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features, I feel confident any 228i xDrive Cabriolet will deliver daily experiences worthy of its considerable price tag. So equipped my tester added $12,990 worth of options to the car’s $45,200 base price for a total of $58,190, plus $2,095 for freight and pre-delivery prep, which is totally in line with others in the class and quite a bit less than a 428i Cab with similar features, a car the little 228i Cab whisks away from in a sprint to 100km/h, incidentally, the 2 Series Cab doing the deed in a mere 5.9 seconds compared to 6.5 for the base 4 convertible.

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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