BMW 218i Active Tourer
- Our new arrival - the 2 Series Active Tourer
- Is the 218i engine too small?
- Please release me
- Two become three in the baby BMW
- A premium car in a sea awash with MPVs
- Struggling for decent economy in our 218i
- The view from the other side
- Is the Active Tourer already redundant?
- Together in electric tailgate dreams
- The 2 Series Active Tourer - one of kind?
- Northern exposure - Geordie in small MPV love shame
- The end of our time with the 2 Series Active Tourer
Our new arrival - the 2 Series Active Tourer
With a new family arrival imminent, David has gone all sensible with his latest car - the family-friendly BMW 2 Series Active Tourer.
Date: 11 March 2015 | Current mileage: 3031 | Claimed economy: 57.6mpg | Actual economy: 40.1mpg
It's finally happened. Yes I've had to finally concede that it's time to go for a sensible family car. Not that I've had anything overly sporty in the past (although the Audi A6 3.0 TDI I ran was pretty quick...) but now I have to finally admit it - 'I drive a people carrier'. Just those words fill me with a sense of impending middle age and being far too sensible. Next I'll be talking about interest rates and how to pronounce quinoa. As I wheel a trolley full of organic produce around Waitrose. Where did it all go wrong.
With our new (and first) offsping arrival due very soon, me and my other half have decided a sensible car is the order of the day. I tried hard to resist those three letters - MPV - but thankfully there are three other letters which have made things a bit better - BMW.
Because BMW has built a people carrier. And a little one at that. Called the 2 Series Active Tourer (which is a bit of a mouthful) it's caused a bit of a stir among BMW enthusiasts and the motoring press as - shock horror - the 2 Series Active Tourer is FRONT WHEEL DRIVE. Quick, call the Daily Mail and complain to the car equivalent of Ofcom. This simply cannot be allowed to happen.
You see all BMW cars ever have always been rear wheel drive. Even that weird Isetta bubble car. Well not quite all BMW cars ever. The X5 (and X3 and X1) are four-wheel drive of course - or at least available with four-wheel drive - plus many models in the BMW range, like the 5 Series and 3 Series - now come with xDrive four-wheel drive as a rival to the Audi quattro models.
Every inch a quality BMW interior
So why all the furore about the 2 Series Active Tourer? I'm not sure actually. It's based on the latest MINI hatchback - and shares the same engines and gearboxes - which explains why it is front wheel drive. BMW isn't silly. It knows a BMW-badged people carrier will have more appeal - and can command a higher price - than a MINI one.
So here I am. Having decided to go sensible. In my posh BMW people carrier. And you know what. It's actually really good. I'd not had a chance to drive one before YJ64 TXY arrived with us but I've been mightily impressed since. It handles well for a people carrier, it's very quiet but most of all it rides well. With our new family addition coming soon the latter will be key. It makes for a very refined and relaxing car.
The other advantage is that it's not too big. My other half will be driving it occassionally and she's used to a little Volkswagen Polo, so stepping up to something only slightly larger is less daunting. At eight months pregnant I don't want to add to her stress levels. But to be on the safe side our 2 Series Active Tourer has front and rear parking sensors as part of the £590 Driver Comfort pack along with the extra security of a reversing camera, included in the £1095 Technology package.
Under the bonnet of the 218i is a 1.5-litre petrol engine. Yes the BMW naming system has now entirely gone out the window. The turbocharged three-cylinder unit has 136PS which means performance is more than adequate. In fact, the 218i is actually quite nippy with a nice character to it. It's an enjoyable engine to drive and makes a change from the ubiquitous 2.0-litre diesel that every BMW seems to be powered by. It seems I might end up quite liking life with an MPV after all...
Is the 218i engine too small?
Despite the badge - our 218i is actually powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine, albeit with a turbo. But is it powerful enough?
Date: 25 March 2015 | Current mileage: 3306 | Claimed economy: 57.6mpg | Actual economy: 39.8mpg
The badges on BMWs used to be easy to understand. A 320i had a 2.0-litre petrol engine while a 530d had a 3.0-litre diesel engine. When I was a youngster I always lusted after a 328i that was parked on our road. To this day I can still recognise the distinctive six-cylinder noise from that great 2.8-litre engine.
Now of course it's all gone to pot. A 328i now has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. Yes it may be just as quick and far more economical, but it doesn't sound or feel anything like a 328i should. I appreciate I'm starting to sound like an old gimmer now, but you get my point. It's all getting a bit confusing.
Take our 218i for example. You might expect it to be a 2.0-litre petrol engine - as used in the 320i - with the power turned down a bit. Or maybe the 1.6-litre unit from the 316i. In fact it's neither - it's a 1.5-litre engine that's borrowed from the MINI. The big question is - is it good enough for a BMW? Not that I'm saying a MINI is in anyway inferior to a BMW, but anyone buying a BMW is going to expect a certain level of quality, refinement and performance. Will a three-cylinder small output engine cut it?
Well on paper it has the right credentials. It may be small, but the 1.5-litre engine is fitted with a turbocharger which means maximum power is boosted to 136PS. It also has a decent amount of torque with 220Nm which peaks from just 1250rpm. The idea being that there's plenty of power from low down, which should make for nippy performance around town.
Don't be fooled by the badge that it's got...
So what's it like in practice? Well first off I'll be honest and say that initially the idea of a 218i with a 1.5-litre engine didn't fill me with too much excitement. But the engine is actually a little gem and the 2 Series never feels short of pace. It manages to blend the nice aspect of a three-cylinder engine - that characterful thrum and low down pick-up - without the usual vibration and noise.
True, it's not as smooth as a four-cylinder engine and there are downsides. At low speeds, for instance when trailing around supermarket car parks looking for a space, it doesn't like second gear and often tries to stall. So you either have to slow down and stick it in first gear, or slip the clutch a little.
That aside, it's good around town with a nice smooth power delivery. The positive six-speed gearbox helps. And out on a dual carriageway or A-road, the 218i zips along quite nicely. In fact you can keep up with fast traffic very easily if you want to. For me the key thing is that torque and the turbo, it means I can get off a short slip road and onto the A1 easily without upsetting HGV drivers.
My other half has been impressed with how quiet the 218i is, often she can barely tell it's running at all. But what hasn't impressed either of us so much is the fuel economy. At the moment we're struggling to see more than 40mpg out of it - way short of the claimed 57.6mpg. I'm clearly not alone, Real MPG users are only averaging 37.5mpg. Let's hope this improves as I put a few more miles on.
Please release me
Our 2 Series is dead posh as it comes with a electric parking brake. The problem is, it doesn't want to let go.
Date: 8 April 2015 | Current mileage: 3533 | Claimed economy: 57.6mpg | Actual economy: 35.1mpg
Progress is a wonderful thing. Well it should be. I'm no luddite - even I've got an iPhone and know how Sky Go works now. Just. And although I'll never get to grips with that there Twitter thing, I can find my way around most car navigation systems in a jiffy. But sometimes you have to question whether progress is for the best.
There is a saying that just because you can do something, doesn't mean you have to. And for me that applies to the electric parking brake. I may be a bit old school but give me an old fashioned handbrake any day. It's a handle, there's a button and you pull it. It couldn't get any simpler than that.
But a bit like reinventing the wheel, the electric parking brake has taken its place. And what was once the preserve of luxury and top end cars, is now finding its way further down the food chain. So while the 3 Series may have a traditional handbrake, the newer 2 Series Active Tourer gets a posh electric one.
The problem is, it's not as easy as having a handbrake. Yes it takes up less room and makes the central tunnel look a lot neater - plus it means more room for those cupholders that Americans love - but for me it's simply not as straightforward as just releasing a lever. Maybe I need to reprogramme my brain but I still go for an imaginary hand brake every time I go to drive off in the 2 Series Active Tourer.
Electric parking brake. Looks posh but is ultimately frustrating
The main issue is that unlike the vast majority of electric parking brake systems, the one in the 2 Series Active Tourer doesn't automatically disengage when you go to pull away. Instead there's a bong from the car and a sign on the dash telling you to release it. The question is Mr BMW - if you can give me a warning message, why can't you just release it for me instead.
I'm quite surprised it doesn't have this auto release function given that a) this is a BMW and b) this is a BMW aimed at family buyers. Our 2 Series Active Tourer spends most of its time around town, in and out of car parks and shopping centres and the like. If I spent all day on the motorway it wouldn't be so much of an issue. It's basically the opposite of the electric parking brake on the Lexus GS450h we ran, which seemed to work with a sixth sense.
There's also no auto hold system, so it's not as if you can let it hold in traffic. That said, there is a hill hold assist function, so when you turn the parking brake off, it holds for around three seconds allowing you to find the biting point before pulling away on a hill. But as my other half finds, that's not that useful when you have to reverse onto a steep driveway.
It may only be a small thing in the grand scheme of a family car, but for me it's these small details which can make life with a car easier. Or in this case not. With our first child due very soon I'm sure I'll be finding out more about family life with the 2 Series Active Tourer before too long.
Two become three in the baby BMW
David's new arrival made her appearance a bit earlier than expected but it seems she's a fan of the 2 Series Active Tourer.
Date: 22 April 2015 | Current mileage: 3766 | Claimed economy: 57.6mpg | Actual economy: 35.2mpg
In the very early hours of the 16th of April, our new arrival decided to make an appearance. Step forward Eden Ross, the first addition to our family (with the exception of Herbert the cat who is not a fan of a very small and loud baby in the house). She was 10 days earlier than we expected and there were a few complications which meant she had to spend her first weekend in hospital.
However, after the all clear we were all finally going home together. Our two having become a family of three. And of course the car for Eden's maiden journey was the 2 Series Active Tourer. This was, after all, the reason we chose the family-friendly BMW. So with our little girl safely in her car seat - once I'd worked out how the straps work - we finally left the hospital on a sunny Monday afternoon.
The first issue we faced was actually getting little one and her car seat into the back of the BMW. Having parked in a quiet hospital multi storey a few days previous, our car was now between two larger MPVs. And that meant not being able to get the back door open wide enough. I can see why parent and child parking spaces are so useful.
So I managed to edge the 2 Series Active Tourer out of its space so we could at least get the back door open properly. With our Isofix base already in place, our BeSafe iZi car seat easily slotted in and I was able to fold down the new pushchair (without losing a finger or my patience). The 2 Series Active Tourer comes with an electric tailgate as standard on all models and although I didn't think it would be that handy, it's actually proving quite useful when you have your arms full of baby-related stuff. Our iCandy pushchair fits perfectly in the boot too.
The extra height of the 2 Series floor makes this a lot easier
I did have a jealous glance at the Ford Grand C-MAX parked next to us though. Its sliding side doors come into their own in tight spaces and make getting a child seat in and out a lot easier. To be fair the BMW does have wide opening doors and of course the raised floor means you don't have to lean down too far. At my age anything that lessens the strain on my back is good news...
The one area where the BMW isn't so good is legroom. With our rear facing child seat in the back, the passenger seat has to move quite far forward. It's not too bad for my other half who is 5ft7in, but for me at 6ft3in it's very uncomfortable. Suddenly a 5 Series Tourer seems quite appealing. That said, given the 2 Series Active Tourers compact size - and great manoeuvrability in town - it's pretty good for room inside.
There are a few issues that have become noticeable though. The thick pillars as a result of the rather awkward front door design create quite a blindspot at junctions - or indeed in car parks. Elsewhere, the black gloss trim on the central console seems to have picked up lots of micro scratches and I'm surprised that the 2 Series Active Tourer doesn't have an extra wide angle mirror so you can see the back seats. I've resorted to a small suction mirror from Amazon so at least I can keep an eye on Eden.
On the plus side, Eden - like most children - loves being in the car. It's an instant way to get her to sleep. The quality of the ride helps, with the BMW being very smooth over the majority bumps and potholes. It's a very relaxed and easy car to drive. Let's just hope that this instant remedy continues...
A premium car in a sea awash with MPVs
The 2 Series Active Tourer is one of very few premium MPVs - so what does the competition look like?
Date: 6 May 2015 | Current mileage: 3906 | Claimed economy: 57.6mpg | Actual economy: 35.9mpg
A couple of months in with our BMW 2 Series Active Tourer and it seems they're breeding. Maybe it's because I'm now driving one, but I can't seem to stop tripping over them on the road. The appetite for a compact premium MPV is obviously healthy. Which begs the question why it has taken BMW so long to launch one.
Following on from the Active Tourer, BMW is also launching the 2 Series Gran Tourer in June - a longer seven seat version. BMW describes it as "the first premium compact model to offer up to seven seats and fully meet the mobility requirements of young families." Quite.
For a long time it seems premium manufacturers have shied away from traditional people carriers. The likes of the Volkswagen Caravelle aside. Apart from a big SUV or an estate like a BMW 5 Series Touring, there's not been much for family buyers from BMW or Audi. Unless you count the oddball Audi A2. Which we don't.
Mercedes has come closest. Just. There was the awkwardly huge Mercedes R-Class - which maybe seemed like a good idea at the time plus the short lived and frankly terrible Vaneo. But for a long time there's been no equivalent of a Ford C-MAX or a Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. So perhaps the 2 Series Active Tourer is the start several new MPVs from BMW? Considering the brand seems to be trying to fill every niche ever, it wouldn't surprise us.
The Mercedes-Benz B-Class is the only other MPV from a traditionally 'premium' brand
And given the choice on many company car lists, those wanting a family MPV have to look to the likes of Ford, Renault or Citroen for something. Leaving a big hole in the premium brands' armour. So what's the reason? Aside from certain brands getting their fingers burned (see R-Class once again), people carriers aren't readily seen as desirable products. And premium brands need to maintain their image by having models that people see as desirable and associate with style and affluence. And that's not really an MPV.
So it's quite a risk for BMW to go down the 2 Series Active Tourer route. The only real premium competition currently on the market is the Mercedes B-Class. Like the 2 Series Active Tourer it's not the best looker, but it does offer plenty of space and practicality. It's similarly priced too - a B180 Sport will set you back £22,225 - a few hundred pounds less than the 218i Sport.
Of course there is plenty to be had for similar money elsewhere. The Ford C-MAX is one of the best in the compact MPV market and you could get a 1.0T EcoBoost model in top Titanium X trim for similar money. The Citroen C4 Picasso is another strong contender too and comes with the impressive 1.6 THP engine.
So why choose the BMW? Well it's more than just the badge. The 2 Series Active Tourer may be based on a MINI platform but this is 100 per cent BMW when it comes to the quality of the interior and the attention to detail in the finish. This is undoubtedly a high quality product and that shines through. Of course image does play a big part and when I park outside our house, situated on an estate full of families and MPVs, the BMW does stand out from the sea of people carriers.
Struggling for decent economy in our 218i
The 1.5-litre engine that powers our 218i is designed to be economical but at the moment it's proving anything but.
Date: 20 May 2015 | Current mileage: 4222 | Claimed economy: 57.6mpg | Actual economy: 36.1mpg
It's finally happened. I've now arrived at that age where I'm starting to pay attention to things like mortgage rates and electricity tariffs. And those adverts about funeral expenses. Well, perhaps not the latter. But on more than one occasion I have heard myself saying "it's a good drying day out there". That's something I never thought I'd utter when I was in my early 20s.
Inevitably, this has lead to my minor obession with fuel economy in our 218i Active Tourer. Which at the moment is not quite living up to expectations. According to the official figures, the 218i returns 57.6mpg. However, our car is struggling to at around 35mpg - some considerable way short.
Of course, the figures given by manufacturers as part of the EU fuel economy tests are never achievable. Unless you drive in a laboratory. Because taxation is based on CO2 emissions, manufacturers naturally optimise their engines to achieve the lowest possible CO2 in the tests, but this skews the fuel consumption figures. There's a more in depth explanation here.
Basically, you'll never achieve the claimed economy in everyday driving. That said, some cars do fare better than others when it comes to their real economy compared against the claimed figure. You can check out the best in our Real MPG section - the best over the past 12 months has been the Honda Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC.
I'm all about the Eco Pro mode as I attempt to improve economy
Our users show that the Civic is averaging around 67mpg - that's 93 per cent of its claimed economy. Sadly our 218i Active Tourer isn't anywhere near as impressive. According to Real MPG it's returning 37.9mpg - that's 66 per cent of the official figure. I've had the same experience - for the first few months our 218i Active Tourer seemed okay at around 40mpg but since then it has dropped down to the mid 30s.
The reason? Well the 218i is now used far more in town and for short journeys. Previously it spent a lot of its time on the motorway. But then this is a small people carrier with a petrol engine - and the whole reason we chose it was that it would be used as a family car in town. The 51-litre tank means it has (roughly) a 400 mile range but that soon goes very quickly, even when you're just out and about at the weekend visiting family.
Of course we've not helped matters by having our first child. Our little girl may not weight much yet (although my arm would argue otherwise) but her car seat, Isofix base and pushchair - or travel system as they're now called - all add more weight to the 1.4 tonnes of BMW. Plus the 2 Series Active Tourer now seems to be a moving storage box for everything from garden centre plants to charity shop donations. Oh the joys of realising you're very middle class.
I have however attempted to stop the rot. First off I now always stick the BMW in Eco Pro mode which basically calms everything down and makes the 2 Series Active Tourer feel a bit asthmatic with a spongy accelerator pedal. Still, it will hopefully save a bit more fuel. Sport mode never gets a look in, although to be honest, it never did. This is an MPV after all. I've also tried to reduce the amount of junk we seem to be carrying around. As always, we're using premium Shell V-Power fuel which is always worth a few extra miles per tank. Hopefully things will improve over the next few months.
The view from the other side
David's other half has her say on the family-friendliness of the 2 Series Active Tourer along with its good and bad points.
Date: 3 June 2015 | Current mileage: 4381 | Claimed economy: 57.6mpg | Actual economy: 36.4mpg
Everyone needs a second opinion on things. What colour shorts to buy, whether to get a fixed rate mortgage, should I get a death metal tattoo. The same goes for cars. While I will happily give my two penneth worth to anyone who will listen, often it's the feedback coming the other way from friends and family which is more interesting.
My other half, Ella, drives our 2 Series Active Tourer a lot, pretty much always with our three-month-old daughter Eden in the back and occasionally with me in the front. She's more than happy to give me her thoughts on the BMW and the things she finds good and bad. So here they are.
The Good
1. The electric boot
I know David isn't a fan but I really like the electric boot. I wasn't too fussed about it at first but find it so handy now, especially as it's keyless. That means I don't need to go looking through my bag or the bottom of the pushchair for the car keys. Although I still always check before I drive off!
2. It's easy to park
The 2 Series Active Tourer is deceptively spacious, yet it's still compact in size. I find it easy to park although rarely use the reversing camera, instead I just rely on the audible parking sensors and my mirrors. I wouldn't say it has enough room for a big family, but for the three of us, it's more than enough.
3. Electrically adjustable seats
With our driving positions quite different, I have to move the seat after David has been driving. That's made a lot easier by the electric seats with their memory function. I also like the fact you can make small adjustments on the move which isn't always easy with a manual seat.
Odd window design creates an awkward blindspot
The Bad
1. The indicators
I can't get to grip with the indicators. They never seem to cancel when I want them too so I often end up indicating in the opposite direction trying to turn them off. I have similar issues with the windscreen wiper controls - the wipers never seem to be on the setting I want - whether I leave it on auto or control it manually.
2. Blind spot at the front
The design of the front door, where it meets the little triangle of glass by the windscreen, is all a bit awkward and there's a big plastic cover. It creates a blind spot which is very annoying in car parks or at junctions. It's not great for a family car designed for town.
3. The head-up display
I understand the idea behind the head-up display, but I find it very distracting. It's not the speedo so much but all the navigation info that appears. I know you can turn it off but David likes having it on and every time I get into the car after him, I don't have time to go into all the settings and work out what to press to switch it off.
Is the Active Tourer already redundant?
The Active Tourer was BMW's first MPV but now there's already the seven-seat Gran Tourer. So are the Active Tourer's days numbered?
Date: 22 June 2015 | Current mileage: 4674 | Claimed economy: 57.6mpg | Actual economy: 36.6mpg
People in the motor industry may have been surprised when BMW said it was going to build an MPV. But they shouldn't have been. The car buying public has been crying out for a premium MPV for a long time so it's hardly a shock that BMW - using the MINI as a base - came up with the 2 Series Active Tourer.
Worst for the purists is the fact that this is the first BMW to be front wheel drive. This means they can bore on about it not being a 'true BMW' whatever one of those is. But the reality is, it makes no difference in a car like this. No one seems to mind the fact a MINI is front-wheel drive and it makes obvious sense for a compact MPV like this. We can expect more BMW-badged people carriers in the future and more front-wheel drive models too.
The 2 Series Active Tourer certainly appeals to me. I'm no badge snob but I've always owned German cars (with the odd Vauxhall thrown in and a brief sojourn with a SEAT) and so has my family. So when I knew I was going to be a dad-to-be, a compact people carrier seemed the obvious choice. The Ford C-MAX was the main contender along with a Volkswagen Golf SV but when the 2 Series Active Tourer came along, I jumped at the chance.
But the problem is, our Active Tourer may have already been usurped by a new kid on the block. Another BMW in fact. The 2 Series Gran Tourer is - as the name suggest - bigger than the Active Tourer with a longer wheelbase and overall length, plus a higher roof. It's also got more boot space. But the real trick up its sleeve is the fact it's a seven-seater.
The Active Tourer has a big brother. With a fat back
We've got a full road test on the 2 Series Gran Tourer and as you can see, BMW has added an extra row of seats that fold down flat, so that in five-seat mode there's far more boot space than our Active Tourer. The third row isn't especially generous, with tight foot and knee room, but as with many seven-seaters, they're designed for occassional rather than regular use.
What does make it very appealing is the fact it has three Isofix points across what is now the middle row of seats - the Active Tourer only has two. Although if you've got triplets or need to accommodate three little ones still in size 0+ car seats, you won't be able to squeeze three in together complete with the Isofix bases.
So what does the extra cost you? Well a 2 Series Gran Tourer is £2235 more than an Active Tourer like-for-like. For me the extra length would be welcome - mainly due to the space the baby car seat and its base take up in the back, forcing the passenger front seat to be more forward than you'd like. Plus the bigger boot would be very useful - but that said I'd pretty much never use the seven seats. So i'd probably save the money and stick with the Active Tourer.
So what does this mean for the five-seat Active Tourer? Well many people wanting a seven-seater will often go for something bigger - like a Ford S-MAX or Volkswagen Sharan. When it comes to so called 'compact' MPVs, the five-seater is more popular so the Active Tourer is likely to still prove the bigger seller. Of course BMW doesn't have a larger people carrier so maybe this will be the exception to the rule. Or maybe a larger MPV from BMW is on the cards...
Together in electric tailgate dreams
The 2 Series Active Tourer comes with an electric tailgate as standard. But is it any better than a conventional boot lid?
Date: 6 July 2015 | Current mileage: 4991 | Claimed economy: 57.6mpg | Actual economy: 36.8mpg
The rate at which luxury car features have worked their way down to everyday cars is undoubtedly impressive. When I was a boy, air conditioning and central locking were deemed posh. Things like electric seats were the stuff of legend and if someone would have claimed that one day you'd have a boot that opened and closed automatically, it would have blown my 9-year-old brain.
Even ten years ago, features like a head-up display - which is an optional extra fitted to our 2 Series Active Tourer as part of the £1395 Navigation Plus package - were extremely rare on anything other than top end or performance cars.
But with us consumers demanding more and more from our cars. so the manufacturers have had to keep pace by developing new technology to keep us all amused. The question is - do we need much of it? The head-up display is a good example. BMW says it makes driving safer as the speed is constantly displayed right in front of the driver. And I'm as guilty as anyone of getting very used to it - so much so that when I get into a car without a head-up display, it takes me a while to reacclimatise.
There is of course a perfectly good functioning speedometer in the BMW. One of those now 'old-fashioned' ones with a big dial and a needle. I could use that. But the convenience of having the speed right in front of me means I've become lazy. On the plus side it's a constant reminder of how fast you're going, very useful in 30mph and 20mph zones.
Head-up display. Better than an overhead projector at school
So it's handy but not essential. Is this to be the point of new technology? To make driving easier but not actually be that crucial to everyday life with a car? Or maybe it's that with so many new cars offering a similar package, it's the gadgets, extras and frippery that will sway people toward one brand over another.
Which brings me back to the point of this update. The electric tailgate. A tailgate - or boot if we're being old school - is not that hard to open in my opinion. I've always found automatic bootlids more hassle than they're worth. I just want to quickly open the boot, chuck in my shopping and close it again. Simple.
Of course that was before I had children. And before I had a car with an electric boot. Because like the head-up display I've got so used to it that it's become the norm. With a pushchair full of baby, shopping and changing bags, being able to open the boot from the key as I approach the car is very handy. Especially if it's raining. It means I can have little one in her car seat in the back and the buggy in the boot without all of us getting soaked.
The fact you can both open and close it on the key is a great feature, as is the sensor which means that in a multi-storey car park there's no danger of it smacking the concrete ceiling above. Rather less useful is the 'kick' your foot under the bumper to open it feature. Nice in theory, but in practice it tends to want to swing up and smack you in the face unless you make a hasty retreat backwards. So close electric tailgate. But then, so far. When the BMW leaves us, its replacement will have a conventional opening boot...
The 2 Series Active Tourer - one of kind?
Giving buying advice to friends and family after a new car can be a minefield. But other times there's one car that is perfect for someone.
Date: 23 July 2015 | Current mileage: 5173 | Claimed economy: 57.6mpg | Actual economy: 36.5mpg
Being fortunate enough to have a job that involves writing about cars all day, I'm often asked for advice about cars by people. More often than not, people just want reassurance that the car they're about to buy is the right one. Although you often know that if someone asks you what you think of a particular car, chances are they either own one or are on the brink of buying one. At that point, it's best to be diplomatic...
Occassionally you do get questioned by someone who is looking to buy a car but has a specific set of requirements. Finding a car for those people can usually be a lot easier, but when they have particularly specific needs, it can get more challenging. A Volkswagen Golf won't suit everyone.
Recently a friend of the family was looking to buy a new car but wasn't sure where to start. She's in her in 50s but sadly lost an arm in a farming accident when she was younger so when it comes to cars, needs some particular things. She's not au fait with modern cars but certainly knew what she wanted from a car.
Her requirements? An automatic, obviously, a petrol engine as she doesn't do big miles, an automatic tailgate, headlights that could be switched to full beam without needing the use of the indicator stalk, a decent boot, keyless entry and start plus something that's easy to get in - and more importantly - out of. All that and she didn't want to spend loads. Simple!
Keyless entry and start is useful for those with limited mobility
So I took the methodical approach of going through all the cars I could find available with an electric tailgate that weren't more than £30k and then further narrowed that down by which ones had automatic headlights. Then of course it needed to be petrol and automatic.
The answer? Well after all that there was one car that fitted the bill perfectly - the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer. The fact we currently have one was very handy as she was able to try it out and see if it suited her needs. As she explained, it was a lot easier than going to a dealer. She liked it some much that she ended up buying one.
That was several months ago and seeing her recently, she was over the moon with the little BMW. She loves the features, the quality of the interior, and for someone who isn't supposedly that into car, says she likes the way the it drives. A very happy customer then!
Some critics are still not convinced by the 2 Series Active Tourer. I admit it's not the best looking BMW in the model range, but for many buyers - young and old - it's a car that will fit the bill perfectly. And it's a car that thanks to the useful equipment it offers, actually has very few rivals.
Northern exposure - Geordie in small MPV love shame
Our 2 Series goes up north to Mark Nichol for a while - and it changes his perception of a small MPV entirely.
Date: 6 August 2015 | Current mileage: 6022 | Claimed economy: 57.6mpg | Actual economy: 36.8mpg
Contributor Mark Nichol takes the 2 Series Active Tourer on a trip up north. And gives his views on the BMW people carrier.
"I didn't want to like the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer. Not because of some principle about the way a BMW must be, or because of any sort of prejudice - a BMW can be what it likes as far as I'm concerned, and my only prejudice in life is against dirty mackems.*
No, I didn't want to like it because it's ugly. Simple as that. Look at it. Those gawky lights. The bland, oblongy shape with added creases, like someone's crushed a showbox slightly in a vice. So when our photographer Matt Vosper handed me the keys and told me that he didn't really like it either, having spent a week or so with it, I felt vindicated.
But then I drove it home to Newcastle from our Peterborough office. I loved it. It had me at Wetherby Services.
It's a defining moment in any car person's life (I refuse to use the awful phrase 'petrol head' but I'm yet to find something that does the job properly) when they realise that they love a car that their very soul is telling him they should hate. This was mine.
I actually am prejudiced, see - we all are, when it comes to our cars. It doesn't matter what sort of person you are, you'll have a car brand or car type or driver type or something car-related that you just don't like. Ghandi couldn't stand Alfa Romeos – thought they were all style over substance.*
But on that 250-mile odd journey home I started thinking things like "with packaging like this, why would anyone buy a BMW X1?" I loved its space, its refinement, its sense of being 'premium' (another hateful word), and the fact it was being pulled along very nicely by just three firing cylinders. I loved this small, weird people carrier thingy...Oh dear Lord, what have I become?
But that’s how good the 2 Series Active Tourer is. In my opinion, anyway. It’s a car company going headfirst into guaranteed criticism (not for the first time) because it knows what works best. Well, that or it know what sells best. What’s the difference?
Whatever it should or shouldn’t be, this bland-looking, lanky-looking, ugly-looking front-wheel drive hatchback with a BMW badge on the front is very good indeed - it does a better job at simply being a family car than anything else BMW does on a similar wheelbase. I'm gutted I only got to keep it for a few weeks. Weird. "
*Asterix denotes this sentence being in no way true
The end of our time with the 2 Series Active Tourer
The last six months has seen big changes for David with a new arrival in the family. And the BMW has been there every step of the way.
Date: 20 August 2015 | Current mileage: 7334 | Claimed economy: 57.6mpg | Actual economy: 37.1mpg
Things have changed a lot since our BMW 2 Series Active Tourer arrived in March this year. In that six month period I've had a new arrival of my own - our first daughter who was born in April. Her appearance was a big factor in us choosing a 2 Series Active Tourer. It is after all billed as the ideal car for a small family. So as two became three, the BMW seemed a perfect fit.
So how has it fared over the past six months? Well it's been a bit of a mixed bag in all honesty. What did impress me the first time I drove the 218i was how good the engine is. It may only be a 1.5-litre three-cylinder unit borrowed from the MINI Cooper - the badge on the boot lid doing a good job of confusing everyone - but it's a real revelation in the 2 Series Active Tourer.
It has plenty of poke low down and will happily keep up with fast traffic thanks to its 136PS. It's certainly no slouch and is helped by a lovely six-speed gearbox which fortunately doesn't have that 'springy' feel that BMW manuals often do. The fact it's also borrowed from the MINI may have something to do with that.
While the performance in and out of town has been good, fuel economy has been less impressive. According to the official BMW figures it's capable of 57.6mpg but we've seen nowhere near that. True the BMW does spend most of its time pottering around Hertfordshire towns and supermarkets, but isn't that what a small MPV is designed to do? The best we've seen is 37mpg. We're not the only ones either, Real MPG shows an average of 40.4mpg.
As a family car it's been equally mixed. My other half liked the raised driving position and getting our little girl in and out the back was easy thanks to the high position of the seats. It's far easier than a conventional estate. However, as the car is fairly short, having a Group 0+ baby car seat - as shown above - means the passenger seat has to slide forward. For me at 6ft2, it means no legroom if I'm in the front passenger seat.
My other half Ella never quite grew to love the 2 Series Active Tourer. She never seemed that comfortable driving it and wasn't a fan of the things like the head-up display and also disliked the big blind spot caused by the awkward front pillar design. She did however like the electric boot. Easily impressed clearly!
While the BMW was good for day to day use we did struggle when it came to weekends away or holidays. The boot is decent enough and we could fit our iCandy Strawberry 2 pushchair in the back, but our friends struggled with their bigger Uppababy Vista. When the pushchair was in the back, there was little room left. So a wedding in the New Forest proved quite a challenge when it came to fitting everything in the 2 Series Active Tourer. Things like the moses basket had to go on the back seat with suitcases crammed in and suits hanging from the door hooks.
Ultimately that's why we've had to move on from the 2 Series Active Tourer to something larger. Our now six month old may only be small, but the amount of stuff that accompanies her on any extended trip away would give a Led Zeppelin world tour a run for its money. Sadly the Active Tourer isn't big enough - the 2 Series Gran Tourer would perhaps have suited us better. So we've now had to move to something far more conventional - a Skoda Octavia Estate. Which you can read all about very soon...
