I drove BMW's new $53,000 X2 SUV. It was sporty and fun, but there are better options for less money.

• The BMW X2 is a subcompact luxury SUV that competes against the Mercedes-Benz GLA and the Audi Q3.
• I liked the X2's peppy performance, well-designed interior and standard all-wheel-drive.
• I wasn't a fan of its funky styling, poor rear visibility, and expensive optional tech package.

Premium automakers like Audi , BMW , and Mercedes-Benz depend on subcompact crossovers as entry points to their brands, targeting younger consumers looking to get a taste of luxury at an attainable price.

Audi has the Q3, and Mercedes-Benz has the GLA .

BMW has mechanically identical twins: the conventionally styled X1 SUV and the sleek, second-generation X2, updated for 2024.

I recently had the chance to drive the 2024 BMW X2 xDrive28 on winding roads in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

I was impressed by the X2's peppy driving dynamics, well-designed interior, and standard all-wheel drive.

On the other hand, I did not like the X2's funky styling, poor rear visibility, and high price tag for the optional extras.

My test car came out to $52,745.

The BMW X2 comes in two flavors: the base xDrive28i, which starts at $42,000, and the more powerful M35i xDrive, which starts at $51,400.

Both models come with all-wheel-drive.

My X2 xDrive28i test car came loaded with optional extras, including a $1,200 Storm Bay Metallic paint job that added more than $10,000 to the price tag.

Exterior styling is not the X2's strong point.

The new X2's front facia, dominated by an outlandishly large iteration of BMW's signature kidney grille, just doesn't do it for me.

The bucky beaver grille throws off the proportions of a promising front facia, which boasts attractive LED headlight clusters and nifty lattice work in the grille.

The X2's side profile also doesn't do it any favors.

The biggest difference between the X1 and the X2 is its sharply raked, fastback roofline. The SUV Coupe trend has been a thing for over a decade now, and I've yet to see one that doesn't look weird or like someone Frankensteined the rear hatch from an unsuspecting sports car onto the back of an SUV.

This rings true here.

The sloping roofline serves no practical purpose. It doesn't make the X2 look more sporty or cool than the X1. All it does is make rearward visibility a veritable mess and eat into second-row headroom and cargo capacity.

However, I did like my test car's 19-inch double-spoke, bi-color alloy wheels.

They were part of a $2,500 M Sport Package that also included adaptive suspension, sport seats, and BMW-branded interior styling accents.

The X2 has an impressive 8.1 inches of ground clearance, although it's highly unlikely anyone would actually go offroad in this BMW.

The X2 is powered by a turbocharged, four-cylinder engine.

The B48 engine can be found across the lower end of BMW's lineup, including the X2, the 2-Series, and the 3-Series.

The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in my X2 xDrive28i test car produces a robust 241 horsepower and 295 ft. lbs. of torque.

The M35i xDrive trim gets a more potent 2.0-liter turbo four, producing 312 horsepower and 295 ft. lbs. of torque.

Both engines send their power through a seven-speed double-clutch transmission.

My X2 xDrive28i test car boasts EPA fuel economy figures of 24 mpg city, 33 mpg highway, and 28 mpg combined, which are on par with its competitors in this segment.

The engine can be started remotely using the X2's key fob.

When in proximity to the car, simply press the BMW logo, which doubles as the lock button, three times, and the engine will start.

The X2 is pretty fun to drive, and the brakes are fantastic.

BMW has long referred to itself as the purveyor of the ultimate driving machine.

While I wouldn't go that far in describing the X2, it was certainly entertaining to wheel around north Georgia's winding mountain roads — especially for a crossover SUV.

The adaptive suspension and sticky Michelin tires helped the X2 tackle each corner with aplomb. The steering response was direct, but the feedback was a bit muted.

With a hint of detectable turbo lag, the engine delivered ample power on demand, while the twin-clutch transmission provided quick, crisp shifts.

The X2 sounded surprisingly good in Sport Mode. Even though it's artificially enhanced using electronics, the whooshing sound of the X2's turbo wastegate and the burble of its exhaust made for a great soundtrack for spirited driving.

According to BMW, the xDrive28i test car can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in a fine 6.2 seconds, although Motor Trend's testing found it could reach 60mph in just 5.8 seconds. I'm inclined to lean toward Motor Trend's figures.

The X2's optional M-Sport brakes provided some of the most consistent and assured stopping action I've come across in an entry-level luxury SUV. They were simply sensational.

The interior is impressive, especially for an entry-level premium vehicle.

While I may not love the X2's exterior styling, BMW did an outstanding job on the cabin. It looks and feels like a legitimate luxury vehicle, not the watered-down outlet mall approximation of a luxury experience that once plagued previous offerings in this segment.

Fit and finish are outstanding. Real care and thought went into the details of the interior, from the clip that holds your phone in place on the upright wireless charger to the mix of materials and textures on different surfaces across the cabin.

The centerpiece of the X2's dash is a single-piece curved display.

The curved screen comprised of a 10.7-inch central infotainment display and a 10.25-inch digital instrument display in front of the driver.

BMW's iDrive system has come a long way over the past 20 years.

Once universally derided for being overly complex and difficult to use for anyone without an advanced engineering degree, the new iDrive9 system is now pretty intuitive and about as user-friendly as it comes in this segment.

In addition, screen quality is excellent, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability come standard.

As with many vehicles these days, many features that were once handled by physical controls, like the headlights and the air conditioning, are now integrated into the screen.

While the touch-sensitive shortcut buttons to the left of the screen are helpful, physical controls are easier to use on the fly.

The screen is also home to the X2's surround-view camera system.

The camera system is equipped with a built-in washer.

The washer can be manually activated to keep the lens clean.

In front of the driver is a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The steering wheel, bearing BMW's M Motorsport division branding, was well molded and easy to grip during spriting driving.

The digital instrument screen was clear and concise.

The screen can be configured to display various information from range and efficiency to the navigation map.

Information on the screen is augmented by a color head-up display projected onto the windshield.

The X2's seats are upholstered in imitation leather.

The mocha-color perforated seats looked great and were comfortable on long drives.

Instead of a traditional shifter, BMW went with a toggle-style shifter located on the center console.

The toggle shifter really opens up the center console, giving easy access to the camera activation button, drive mode selector, and volume scroll.

That allowed BMW to put a wireless charger and cupholders in front of the center console and a storage area underneath.

In addition to the wireless charger, occupants can access a pair of USB-C plugs next to the cupholders.

Above the center console is an optional interior camera.

The interior camera can be used to take selfies and record videos. It can also be activated by the X2's security system when the alarm is triggered.

The interior camera is part of a $4,000 premium package that also includes power folding mirrors, acoustic glass, and a premium Harmon Kardon sound system.

Also part of the premium package is BMW's Panorama Skyroof.

The glass Skyroof, which doesn't open, helped bring much-needed illumination to the X2's back seat that's starved of natural light thanks to the sloped roofline and small rear window.

The X2's rear seat passengers have their own air vents, USB-C plugs, and cupholders in the fold-down armrest.

The X2's rear seats provide passengers with 36.7 inches of legroom, just 0.3 inches short of the X1.

Headroom is where the X2 falls short.

At 37.1 inches, the X2 is down more than two inches of rear headroom versus the X1.

Open up the power rear hatch, and you'll find 25.3 cubic feet of cargo room behind the back seats.

The X2's cargo compartment is just 0.4 smaller than the boxier X1. With the rearseats folded, cargo space expands to 51.7 cubic feet, 6.1 cubic feet less than the X1.

There is additional storage under the rear cargo floor.

It's home to the X2's compact spare tire and tool kit.

The X2 comes with a host of safety and driver assistance features, but adaptive cruise control costs extra.

The X2 comes standard with active blindspot detection, frontal collision warning with city collision mitigation, lane departure warning, and active park distance control.

You'll need to pay for the $1,700 Driving Assistance Package to get features like adaptive cruise control and active lane assist.

The X2 is a fun, small crossover with a nice interior, but other BMWs are better choices.

The BMW X2 is not without merit. It's got a potent turbocharged engine, a user-friendly interior, and is darn fun to drive.

The problem is that not only are there better options out there, there are better BMWs for less.

The X1 has the same outstanding powertrain and cabin as the X2, but it looks better, is roomier, and is also about $1,000 cheaper.

For those who don't care as much about utility but desire an entry-level BMW with sleek, fastback looks, there's the 2-Series Gran Coupe. Although it's an older design, the 2-Series Gran Coupe has the swoopy looks and similar performance and is about $4,000 cheaper than the X2.

As much fun as I had driving the X2, my advice to anyone who must have an entry-level luxury SUV with a big ole BMW grilled is to go with the X1.

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