2015 BMW 228i Convertible
Type of vehicle: Compact four-passenger, rear-wheel-drive convertible
Price as tested: $53,825
Fuel economy: 23 miles per gallon city, 34 highway
Weight: About 3,650 pounds
Engine: Turbocharged, direct-injected 2-liter four-cylinder with 240 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Performance: 0 to 60 mph in an estimated 5.5 seconds
Small and a bit blocky, the compact BMW 228 radiates with all the usual BMW styling cues. Blacked-out kidney-bean grilles seem shaped to match a millennial’s sunglasses, and the car’s clean body looks more casually fit than lean and mean.
But don’t be fooled.
Although the Bimmer builds way too many clunky crossovers and porked-up sedans, it still soaks most of them in European spice and grit.
Actually, up close, the new 228 seems a lot less cloyingly cute than the old 128, singed maybe by that fire down below.
Just to keep all of us slightly confused — and make room for yet another model — BMW now calls the former 1-series cars 2s and has divided the 3-series into 3s and 4s.
The 228 looks a bit sleeker than the chunky 1-series cars did, thanks to 2.5 inches of additional length and a 1.2-inch longer wheelbase.
Mine arrived in standard-issue German silver, looking glossy and kind of perky.
The 2-series cars ride on a shorter version of the 3-series platform, so they inherit good genes. Up front, above those kidney-bean grilles, a long 3-series style hood abuts a nicely raked-back windshield.
Although the sides remain fairly flat and conservative, they draw definition from a prominent character line high on the body.
Short overhangs front and rear as well as traditional-looking BMW taillamps give the rear-wheel-drive 228 a familiar look.
As hard as it is for dinosaurs like me to accept, most 2- and 3-series BMWs these days pack four-cylinder punch, just like a Honda or Toyota or Nissan.
But, like many things BMW, the numbers don’t tell the whole story — or even add up necessarily.
The standard engine in the 228 is a turbocharged 2-liter four with 240 horsepower bolted to a well-engineered eight-speed automatic.
But just like BMW’s midlevel motor — the turbocharged 3-liter six — the four-cylinder’s official horsepower feels underrated.
In addition, it develops 255 pound-feet of torque at a really low 1,450 rpm. So, like some sugared-up teenager on a sunny day, it’s always ready to play.
How it handles
The 228 jumps away from stops on a wave of low-end torque, pushing impressively to 60 in an estimated 5.5 seconds, according to Car and Driver.
Moreover, the engine felt smooth and even sounded kind of richly substantial up to about 5,000 rpm.
Along the way, it should provide fuel economy of 23 miles per gallon in the city and 34 on the highway, according to the EPA.
Of course, with a BMW, straight-line acceleration is only part of the equation.
The roadster responds instantly to its quick, fuzzy steering, turning into corners cleanly and crisply rotating its rear into line.
With its eager four churning out plenty of low- and mid-range power, the 228 zings through curves as comfortably as cruising the lots at the mall.
The eight-speed automatic was a fine accomplice, downshifting on its own before most corners and holding the tranny in a lower gear for acceleration if needed.
As you might expect, the little BMW’s ride was a high-dollar German stride — firm and compliant in a long-legged way without feeling muscled up or springy.
But, hey, it should be.
At $53,825, with a backseat that forced me to fold my massive 66 inches into weird contortions just to get in, the 228 is not as mainstream as it pretends.
Inside view
The roadster I had arrived with a sort of dashing semi-classic black and red interior.
A traditional flat-topped black-plastic dashboard supported a display screen in the middle that looked like an iPad left to cook in the sun.
But the center-stack stuff was laid out horizontally and looked pretty sleek.
Don’t get too dazzled, though. Any change of channel on a modern BMW audio system requires two hands, a manual and a roadside stop — and maybe a quick consultation on the Interknot.
Or just drive in silence and relish the Bimmer’s fine-fitting seats. Mine were a sort of sassy lipstick red with good bolsters and patterned centers.
They looked even better with the top down.
Meanwhile, the car’s door panels matched the black plastic on the dashboard, featuring red centers and armrests. Also, a finely stitched black headliner made the back side of the convertible top look as finished as anything in a coupe.
If I were considering a BMW — which is right up there with my pondering a career in the NBA — I would probably limit my search to 2-series cars.
And while I would probably focus on the M235 coupe, I might overlook one of BMW’s best surprises — the likable 228, a car with white teeth and strong legs.
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