BMW M235i Gran Coupe Fails the Moose Test, Tires Could Be to Blame

Caught between what customers want, market trends and constantly evolving legislation, BMW developed the 2 Series Gran Coupe. Essentially, it's their first compact sedan (as in Jetta-sized, not a 3 Series) for the European market. But it's also designed with a price premium in mind as a rival to the Mercedes CLA-Class.

Km77 is a Spanish magazine that likes to see if they can avoid a hypothetical moose in the middle of the road. It's something automakers and independent safety bodies don't account for. They might have radar that detects the moose and crumple zones protecting you during the impact. But prefer avoiding these 1,500-pound animals if at all possible.

Unfortunately, even though it tries to look agile and planted, the 2er isn't very good at that kind of stuff. They had to lower the speed all the way to 42 mph (68 kph) for the Gran Coupe to miss all the cones, and that kind of result should be called a fail.

It's on par with some cheap or tall vehicles, such as the Suzuki Jimny or Dacia Sandero. The problem seems to be a combination of weight balance and traction, as the M235i just understeers when those Bridgestone Turanza T005 standard tires pushed it into the cones. And while the car can send power to the rear wheels, this system is better suited to accelerating in a straight line than sticky situations.

To be fair, the VW Golf also did badly when subjected to the same test last month. Meanwhile, the new CLA-Class from Mercedes failed with a speed of only 41 mph or 66 kph. A BMW 3 Series costing virtually the same money performs much better due to its delivery and balance.