2016 BMW 2 Series

BMW 2 Series

BMW’s 2 Series finds itself in a tight spot: it’s meant for those who want that blue-and-white badge, but want something sharper than a 3 Series and aren’t ready to jump to full-fat M territory. Right now, every 2 Series you’ll find for sale is pre-owned, with nothing new on showroom floors. The price swing is wild — anything from R199,990 for a first-gen F22 up to north of R1 million for the latest G42 and G47 models. That’s a bigger spread than most rivals, and reflects just how much has changed under the skin over the years. You’ve got everything from manual gearboxes to dual-clutch automatics, petrols and diesels, even a few oddball spec combos you’d struggle to find on a Mercedes C-Class Coupe or Audi A3 Sportback. Volkswagen’s Arteon tries to play in this space too, but it’s not really the same crowd. If you want the sweet spot for SA highways, the G47 220d M Sport A/T is probably your weapon — five on the market, asking between R659,900 and R749,950, and that diesel torque actually means something across the N1 or N4. Petrol fans pay about the same for a G42 220i M Sport, but the real bargains are older F22 220i coupes at R268,500 to R284,900, if you pack smart and don’t mind a bit of mileage. The average odometer reading is 73,765 km, which is reasonable considering the age spread. On paper at least, the rear-wheel-drive chassis is the clincher — it’s what the 2 Series should have been from the start. It’s the difference you’ll feel on a long haul to Durban, not just a bullet point for the brochure.