BMW has worked hard to give the 218d Active Tourer similar control weighting characteristics to the rest of its line-up, despite the adoption of front-wheel drive.
Its electro-mechanical steering is quite heavy by class standards. It also has a rather direct ratio, which makes it a little more pointy than is perhaps absolutely necessary in a car of this kind. The directness is welcome around town, where it aids impressive manoeuvrability, but I wonder if it might be better served by a slightly more relaxed helm, given the target market.
In a move that is sure to win it fans among enthusiasts, the 2-series Active Tourer is every bit as engaging as the C-Max on the right roads. The inherent directness of the steering lets it arc into corners with the eagerness of a well sorted hot hatch and, on the optional 18-inch rubber of our test car, the onset of understeer is controlled extremely well.
As a result, you can achieve genuinely impressive cornering speeds for such a tall car, making it quite an enjoyable drive. The Golf SV is not as much fun, but it is highly composed when hurried along. There is real depth to the chassis engineering.
It shrugs off excessive entry speed well and can carry quite a lot of momentum into corners before its electronic driving aids spring into action to stop the front end pushing wide. Superb damping contains roll angles well, although it can’t quite match the overall body control of the 218d Active Tourer. Nor does the VW plant its reserves to the road with quite the same authority as the BMW at the exit.
The Golf SV has a lovely consistency to its controls, though. The steering is lighter in feel than the BMW’s but no less effective for it. In fact, it is quite direct, and although it lacks for real feel, it is quite responsive to inputs. The weighting of the throttle and brakes are also lighter. So the VW requires a lot less effort and is less demanding in just about every situation than the BMW.
Read the BMW 2-series Active Tourer first drive review
The BMW can’t match the quietness of the VW while cruising, either. The 218d Active Tourer’s engine suffers from quite a bit of old-fashioned diesel chatter, both on a constant throttle and under load. There is also tyre roar from the front end and wind noise around those large A-pillars at motorway speeds.
The refinement of the Golf SV, on the other hand, is exemplary. Its engine, although clearly a diesel in aural character, is superbly isolated from the cabin. It masks tyre noise well and suffers less annoying wind noise at speed. The VW, which can be ordered with optional adjustable damping control, also possesses the better ride, although the BMW was hampered in this test by its optional 18-inch wheels
