2024 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe M235i xDrive

The 2 Series Gran Coupe isn't a coupe at all, of course. This entry-level BMW is a sedan with a smoothed-out silhouette that gives it a sleeker, longer look. However, it's actually shorter than the other 2 Series cars and it rides on a substantially shorter wheelbase as well. Underneath the shapelier sheetmetal is a front-wheel-drive-based platform that gives this Gran Coupe — despite the promise made by its styling — very different dynamics than the standard 2 Series coupe and sedan.

With no significant changes for 2024, the 2 Series Gran Coupe carries on as a bit of an outlier in the 2 Series lineup. Give BMW credit for squeezing the most out of its small car offerings, but don't think that all 2 Series cars are created equal. The front-wheel-drive platform steals some of this tiny BMW's Ultimate Driving Machine credibility no doubt. It's sharp and nimble in its own way without the rear-drive-based balance found in its namesake-sharing brethren. But with one front-wheel-drive and two all-wheel-drive Gran Coupes, including the performance-focused M235i xDrive, there's probably a Gran Coupe here to suit you.

The Audi A3 and the Mercedes-Benz CLA are the 2 Series Gran Coupe's closest competitors. The A3 offers a more livable ride than the Gran Coupe, and its interior is remarkable although it's showing its age. The CLA has a slightly longer wheelbase and costs a bit more. Like the Gran Coupe the CLA is built around a front-wheel-drive platform, which brings these two diminutive Germans even closer dynamically.