Among the petrols, the 1.5-litre three-pot in the 218i is characterful and frugal, with close to 40mpg achievable on longer stints. The 181bhp four-cylinder 220i offers a little more flexibility.
And if you want one of the smaller petrol lumps with a bit more zeal, the 242bhp 228i and the 249bhp 230i are punchy, but you’ll spend more time (and money) filling them up.
The diesel range is punctuated by the 2.0-litre four-cylinder 218d, 220d and 225d. The mid-rung 184bhp 220d is the best of these: it pulls well, has more than enough grunt for overtaking and won’t drop below 45mpg.
On the motorway it will do closer to 60mpg, but make sure you opt for a post-2015 car, because the earlier models with the ‘N47’ four-pot can suffer timing chain problems.
Whether you plump for petrol or diesel, the 2 Series is effortlessly agile and willing to be driven hard through a sequence of sweeps. But if you want to get the most out of the 2 Series’ chassis, you’ll want a six-cylinder one: the M235i or M240i.
“There isn’t a compact coupé that provides the same blend of handling agility and driver engagement as this,” we wrote of the M235i when we first drove it more than 10 years ago.
It corners flat and hard, and rides competently too, particularly with adaptive suspension fitted.
