2022 BMW M240i Review: BMW’s Tiniest Grand Tourer

Verdict: The 2022 BMW M240i brings markedly improved performance over the previous generation, but it has the same numb steering that’s plaguing BMW’s entire lineup these days.

Versus the competition: The 2022 M240i’s performance surpasses or at least matches cheaper hot hatches and sedans, but it lacks their engagement and sense of fun.

BMW redesigned its 2 Series coupe for the 2022 model year, making it longer, wider and lower. The result is a well-proportioned coupe that looks fantastic, particularly in our test vehicle’s Thunderknight Metallic purple paint, which was nicely complemented by the gold accents of BMW’s optional adaptive LED headlights. Also in its favor: BMW didn’t give the 2 Series the larger 4 Series’ garish grille design.

The more powerful M240i gets standard all-wheel drive and the brand’s familiar turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine, which makes an impressive 382 horsepower and 369 pounds-feet of torque — up 47 hp and 1 pound-foot, respectively, from the last generation.

Related: 2022 BMW 2 Series Coupe Gains Power, Loses Manual

Anything that gets a “nice car” comment from the guys doing the hand drying at the car wash starts off on the right foot with me. But does the M240i’s performance live up to its looks?

Tiger on Paper, Tranquilized on Pavement

Determining whether the M240i’s performance lives up to its looks is, well, complicated — fitting for a BMW. The automaker says the M240i can go from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds. Other BMWs with similar acceleration include the AWD M340i xDrive (4.2 seconds), the M440i xDrive (4.3), the rear-wheel-drive M3 and M4 with the six-speed manual transmission (4.1), and the upcoming 2023 M2 with a six-speed manual transmission (4.1). A 2020 M340i xDrive we tested rocketed from 0-60 mph in 3.89 seconds, so it’s possible the M240i is even quicker than estimated.

After driving it, I wouldn’t be surprised if it is. Straight-line acceleration impresses, pushing you back in your seat as the eight-speed automatic transmission (the only one offered) snaps off shifts quickly and crisply. It’d be nice to have a manual option, but the eight-speed is so good, I didn’t miss one — plus, BMW’s manuals haven’t been the crispest of late.

Unfortunately, the M240i tells a different story when the road gets twisty. Performance still seems to be there — the M240i consistently turned in the fastest autocross times at a gathering of automotive journalists — but the car also consistently elicited complaints about a lack of steering feel. We’ve complained a lot about the steering in other BMWs, and the problem continues here: It’s difficult to feel like you’ve pointed the M240i in the right direction, and the steering wheel doesn’t communicate enough about what’s happening to inspire confidence.

Handling feel isn’t helped by the M240i’s heft: BMW lists its curb weight at 3,871 pounds, and the larger M440i xDrive coupe tips the scales at 3,977 pounds. Between the weight and its long hood, the M240i feels like a bigger vehicle than it is. Fortunately, its brakes can handle that heft, with solid pedal feel and linearity.

Exhaust sounds, which can add to a car’s engagement and fun factor, is lacking in the M240i. There’s something disappointing about the fact that a variety of Hyundais, specifically the N versions, sound better than a BMW with an M in its model name. There’s a decent rumble to the M240i’s exhaust, it just lacks the sensations that make drivers grin.

The saving grace for the M240i is that in the 2 Series lineup, it doesn’t have to be the highest-performance model – that’ll be the upcoming M2. Instead, the more I drove it, the more I thought of the M240i as a grand tourer. Whereas a sports car feels its best during aggressive driving, usually sacrificing comfort for performance, a grand tourer is all about smooth, comfortable long-distance driving at higher speeds.

The heft and tuning of the M240i’s standard adaptive suspension, along with a longer wheelbase than the prior generation’s, significantly improves ride quality. It’s still a small car, though, and with our test car’s 19-inch wheels, we definitely still felt the bumps. But the bumps don’t unsettle the car — there’s an impact, then the M240i just settles again with no reverberation. The M240i just begs to eat up highway miles with its fairly comfortable ride and impressive straight-line speed.

The M240i’s fuel economy will help owners do that, at least to a certain extent. The EPA rates the car’s gas mileage at 23/32/26 mpg city/highway/combined, and that highway number in particular should come in handy. Because of its 13.7-gallon fuel tank, however, the M240i can only go a little over 350 miles on a single tank, according to the EPA.

A Grand Tourer on the Inside, Too

Another reason I always felt like I was driving a grand tourer in the M240i is that the car is extremely comfortable and well-laid-out inside — as long as you’re sitting up front. The front seats are comfortable and sight lines from the driver’s seat are mostly good. The control layout is intuitive, with a bevy of physical controls for audio and climate settings, as well as BMW’s easy-to-use drive mode buttons on the center console by the gear selector.

The M240i’s iDrive touchscreen display includes standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; they’re welcome, as is wireless device charging. As in most BMW’s these days, the touchscreen pushes the boundary of being overly involved and complicated, but it doesn’t cross it. I also noticed lag when using wireless Apple CarPlay, particularly when trying to quickly and repeatedly change songs, but overall connectivity was acceptable. All this combines to make the M240i a pleasant driving and riding experience over longer journeys.

Like a true grand tourer, the M240i’s backseat is best used for additional storage. Accessing the backseat is difficult thanks to a small door opening and interference from the front seat even in its most forward folded position, but that point is essentially moot because there’s no room back there for adults anyhow. Legroom and headroom are cramped, and I couldn’t come close to sitting up straight. It felt a little worse than the backseat in the 2 Series Gran Coupe, but in this case it’s forgivable because the M240i is a two-door coupe, not a four-door sedan.

The M240i’s trunk is fairly roomy, at least for a car this size, so you might not often utilize that backseat luggage space. BMW lists its capacity at 10 cubic feet; in practice, it was enough for a large grocery haul.

Our test vehicle included an optional Premium Package, which adds a head-up display and BMW’s Live Cockpit digital instrument panel with navigation. I found both useful and was especially pleased that the head-up display displayed navigation instructions from Apple Maps when connected to Apple CarPlay — but as a Google Maps person, it was frustrating (though understandable) not to see those directions on the display.

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Safety

The 2 Series Gran Coupe is a 2022 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick, but the 2022 2 Series Coupe uses an entirely different platform, and it’s yet to be evaluated by IIHS. If or when the coupe is evaluated, its rating will appear here. The same applies to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ratings.

Lots of Fun, But Is it Worth It?

The 2022 BMW M240i starts at $49,545 (all prices include destination); with options, our test vehicle came to $56,845. At that price, you could almost afford a base 2022 Audi RS 3, which is similarly sized and an absolute riot to drive, though its ride is harsher. There are also cars that cost tens of thousands of dollars less and are more engaging to drive, but these cars, like the Hyundai Elantra N and Honda Civic Type R, look less mature, have cheaper interiors and ride more firmly. Those more engaging mainstream cars are also much slower in a straight line.

The most similar car to the M240i is quite possibly the two-seat Toyota Supra (cue the jokes about the Supra’s BMW-sourced DNA), but the M240i’s borderline vestigial backseat provides extra utility for a daily driver. The M240i is enjoyable, comfortable and stylish, and it makes sense as a mini grand tourer — but that “M” in its name is a bit misleading. Sports-car shoppers should wait for the M2 or look elsewhere.

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