I have owned a 73 (2024) V2 2.0L TSI (190) 4-Drive for 6 months now (acquired used at 8 months old). On the whole it has been great.
Things I like:
Looks - It looks great inside and out and I always get admiring comments. It's a nice place to sit and I always have a smile on my face when I get out and look at it.
Build quality - No rattles or squeaks so far. Yes the interior is not quite up to the standards of the 2 BMW's I have owned prior to this, but it isn't that far off the mark for the price differential. I think the 80/20 rule is evident here. The leather seats looks great and are very comfortable.
Handling and ride - The ride is very good for a sporty SUV riding on 19 inch wheels. Certainly FAR better than the 2 BMW M Sport coupes I have owned. It handles quite well too - Granted it isn't up the the BMW M Sport standards, but that is to be expected as they are apples and oranges in comparison.
Fuel economy - Having come from 2 BMW 2.0L diesels to a 2.0L petrol, I was expecting the worst. However, I was pleasantly surprised, and I'd even go on to say amazed at how frugal it is. My last BMW diesel averaged 46 MPG. The
Formentor is averaging 39 MPG for the same driving profile. I am not driving it like a granny either. Impressive.
Performance - It has all the performance that I need. It is certainly as quick, if not a bit quicker, than the BMW 2.0L diesels I had. Certainly so off the line, but a little slower in the mid-range, which is to be expected for a petrol v diesel and being 300kg heavier.
Value for money / Spec - This is where the
Formentor leaves the BMW far behind. My 2010 M Sport Coupe was a top spec car at the time and was £38k new. The spec was nowhere near the
Formentor (granted that was 14 years ago). Folding mirrors on lock was a £150 option, heated seats £250 each side, electric seats with memory £500 each side, reversing camera £700, metallic paint £1200, professional sat nav £1800, harmon karden 6-speaker system £700. Most of this is and more (auto headlights, auto park, road sign recognition etc.) is standard. My
Formentor was £38k new. The equivalent BMW X2 is £47k.
Practicality - It being a hatchback (after 2 coupes) is far better to live with daily. When the seats are folded down there is quite a bit of luggage room. It isn't quite as wide as the BMW as my snooker cue will not fit in the boot, but I use the ski flap, which works great.
4 Drive - Great for me as I do a lot of hiking / mountaineering and this means parking in some rough carparks / going down rough tracks. Having the option of 4-wheel drive is very useful. The BMW was useless in this regard being rear wheel drive and very little ground clearance. Also driving in the snow is far better, the BMW was hopeless and it usually stayed on the drive if it had snowed.
Things I don't like / Issues
Infotainment system - It was initially a bit slow and buggy. After I did a software update, it is quite a bit better. However, the volume / heater controls are touch sensitive and not backlit. So adjusting on the move and especially at night is a little tricky. Personally, it is isn't a major issue to me as I use the volume control on the steering wheel, and I do not regularly change the cabin temperature as that is what climate control is for. I dial in a temperature and let the car do the necessary. The voice control can also be used (if you know the correct keywords).
Reliability - It has not let me down as yet, I had the dreaded SOS fault along with the associated GPS issue leading to lost sat nav. This was fixed under warranty with a replacement antenna control module. So far the issue has not reoccurred. I still get the odd technical glitch with the onboard safety systems (front assist, auto headlights etc.) due to sensor shenanigans. This is more pronounced in colder weather and is linked to foggy / iced up windscreen. None of the issues were permanent (SOS fault not withstanding), but it can be a tad annoying. It has been a lot better during the warmer weather, but during the winter most drives were accompanied by a "bing-bong" and some warning or other on the dash.
Digital dash displays - The right side displays could really do with some more useful display options. The left is fine, but it would be nice if some of the left side displays could be moved to the right side, as there as some left side displays that I'd like to see at the same time, whilst the right side has nothing that is of interest to me - it normally has the G-Meter displayed.
Phone connection issues - It regularly suffers random disconnections from android auto / phone, even when using a wired connection.
Wireless changer - This is not the best. It takes the phone in portrait orientation, which means that it can slide about losing the charging connection - I have put a bit of non-slip mat in there which helps. However, I have given up using it as the phone overheats.
No space-saver storage - The BMW had run-flats, so I was covered. This does not, and there is no space for a space-saver wheel due to the 4-Drive rear differential. I am not a fan of the tyre repair kit as it (I believe) makes a mess of the alloys.
View of vehicle extremities - The car seems and looks a lot wider than it actually is. I have difficulty seeing where the corners of the vehicle are and I'm constanly concious of curbing the wheels. I find it difficult to park close to the curb.
Brake noise - When braking a slow speed the brakes do make a scraping noise. It is not intrusive and sounds far worse than it is. They all do it apparently. There is some circumstantial evidence that suggests that the pads are the issue and better quality pads fix it.
Tyre noise - There is quite a bit more tyre noise than the BMW (even though the BMW ran on 240/45R18 / 255/35R18 runflats. It is not too bad but certainly noticable.
Service intervals - The BMW was conditrion based servicing and it worked at that oil changes were every 12,000 to 15,000 miles or so depending on time of year. The
Formentor has to have oil changes every year / 10,000 miles. Maybe BMW extended the service intervals passed what was actually good for it. They do do this to make the vehicles look good for the lease market. So, maybe this isn't a fair criticism.
At the mo i own a 2020 leon ehybrid and its been nothing but grief so getting shot of it. I had a courtesy formentor for a week a while back and really liked the car BUT! after the leon i wanted to do some research first with thoughts from real life owners.
