{"id":39278,"date":"2022-12-30T11:02:09","date_gmt":"2022-12-30T16:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=39278"},"modified":"2022-12-30T11:02:09","modified_gmt":"2022-12-30T16:02:09","slug":"is-the-cheapest-bmw-a-good-buy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=39278","title":{"rendered":"Is the Cheapest BMW a Good Buy?"},"content":{"rendered":"

BMW makes aspirational cars \u2013 and they come at a price that not everybody is willing to or able to afford. And while we all know \u201c<\/span>that person<\/span><\/em>\u201d who simply wants to buy a BMW for appearances\u2019 sake, some of the cheapest BMW offerings boast a pretty impressive value. While you may be able to find vehicles that offer more extensive driver assistance or infotainment options in some areas, today\u2019s cheapest BMWs are a far cry from the rattly 320i penalty box of yesteryear. In fact, the cheapest BMW you can get today might even be the most fun: the 2 Series.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is the Cheapest BMW the Best BMW?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Well, let\u2019s not get carried away. The 2 Series Gran Coupe<\/a> is technically the least expensive BMW on sale today, with an MSRP of just $38,795. If that doesn\u2019t sound particularly cheap, you\u2019re not wrong; you might just remember that the 2015 320i started at $33,945. But the 2 Series Gran Coupe offers a lot of standard equipment that the starter 3 Series couldn\u2019t dream of. Of course, it\u2019s slightly less dynamic due to its front-wheel drive architecture.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to Get the Most Out of the 228i Gran Coupe<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Standard equipment on the 228i Gran Coupe is formidable. Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a one-year SiriusXM subscription, and a navigation system are complimentary. That puts it right in line with most competitors like the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class. It beats its contemporaries handily when it comes to power, though \u2013 besting the Merc by 20 horsepower and almost 40 pound-feet of torque and the Audi by considerably more. Plus, the BMW gets a better automatic transmission and, though understeery, is still less sterile to drive.<\/span><\/p>\n

If I was to build a 228i Gran Coupe, I\u2019d opt for the $1,650 Convenience Package and not much more. Keyless entry and a moonroof are all you need to make this entry-level BMW feel as premium as the badge suggests. Even if it drives like a wet shoe when compared to some other BMWs. Of course, there is another way\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

The Other Cheapest BMW<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Another, slightly more expensive BMW 2 Series<\/a> exists. For just $400 more than you\u2019d spend on the 228i Gran Coupe, you can get the authentic BMW experience: rear-wheel drive, classic proportions, and an almost usable backseat. The 230i Coupe<\/a> bundles old-school BMW fun with modern technology at a price that isn\u2019t entirely unattainable. You\u2019ll see mostly the same equipment you get in the 228i Gran Coupe, and the newest 230i Coupe receives iDrive 8 and the neat curved display.<\/span><\/p>\n

The only options you really need on the 230i Coupe come included with the $1,500 Convenience Package, once again to get keyless entry and a moonroof, along with some other goodies that actually come standard on the Gran Coupe. As long as you can live with a back seat, the 230i Coupe vastly outperforms its more bloated badge-mate from a driving enjoyment perspective.<\/span><\/p>\n

Honorable Mentions and Closing Thoughts<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Though I haven\u2019t yet driven it, the new BMW X1<\/a> looks like a commensurate upgrade from the previous generation and would definitely be the cheapest BMW SAV on sale. The important takeaway is that even entry-level BMW vehicles feature modern tech standard; gone are the days of needing to pay extra just to have power seats. <\/span><\/p>\n

Many purists will look for any reason to degrade a front-wheel drive BMW like the 228i Gran Coupe, but the reality is that it\u2019s a much better car than the old bargain-barrel 320i and its ilk for the people that are actually buying them. If you\u2019re looking for the cheapest BMW, you might just be surprised by how good it is.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BMW makes aspirational cars \u2013 and they come at a price that not everybody is willing to or able to afford. And while we all know \u201cthat person\u201d who simply wants to buy a BMW for appearances\u2019 sake, some of the cheapest BMW offerings boast a pretty impressive value. While you may be able to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":39279,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39278","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=39278"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39278\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/39279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=39278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=39278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=39278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}