Mercedes Benz : BMW X2 And X3 Both Get More Affordable

Thanks to cheaper two-wheel-drive options.

Both the newly introduced BMW X2 and the recently redesigned X3 have just got more affordable after BMW quietly introduced the non-all-wheel-drive sDrive trim level. The X2 is BMW’s latest compact crossover offering and has only been on sale since January of this year. For the past two months, your only choice was the all-wheel-drive xDrive28i that starts at $39,395 including destination. Shoppers will now get the option of choosing the sDrive28i, which slashes the X2’s MSRP by two grand.

Like it’s all-wheel-drive sibling, the sDrive X2 will use BMW’s 2.0-liter turbo engine rated at 228 hp with 258 lb-ft of torque. It will still come paired with an 8-speed transmission, but no notable differences in equipment are expected. The sDrive model will be slightly more efficient as well, offering a one mile per gallon improvement over xDrive models. Production starts this month and dealers have already begun taking orders. According to CarsDirect, at $37,395, the X2 sDrive28i starts a mere $2,500 higher than a similarly-equipped X1. That could spell trouble for BMW's littlest crossover as it finds its value proposition being eroded by its bigger sibling.

The newly redesigned X3 will also get a new rear-wheel drive variant for the 2019 model year, which should begin arriving at dealers sometime this summer. Since the new model debuted last fall it’s only been available in xDrive30i trim with a starting price of $43,645. The new rear-wheel-drive only sDrive30i trim cuts that down to $41,995. Like the X2, the X3 uses a version of BMW’s 2.0-liter turbo rated at 248 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The price drop also helps the X3 undercut the Audi Q5’s entry-level price. The exclusively all-wheel-drive Audi starts at $42,475. Details for the rest of the 2019 X3 lineup have not yet been released.