BMW 2 Series vs Lexus RC

The short version

The BMW 2 Series is more fuel-efficient: 30 vs 25 MPG combined in its best version.

That works out to about $550 a year less in fuel for the BMW 2 Series (EPA estimate, 15,000 miles).

The Lexus RC is the bigger car, about 7 inches longer.

Across all model years since 2005, the BMW 2 Series has had fewer recall campaigns (0 vs 3).

The two cars

The 2025 BMW 2 Series is a subcompact car offered with 2 engines (2.0L 4-cyl turbo and 3.0L 6-cyl turbo) and rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. It measures about 178 inches long and 71 inches wide on a 105-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 3,541 lb (228i Xdrive Gran Coupe).

The 2025 Lexus RC is a subcompact car offered with 3 engines (2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 3.5L 6-cyl and 5.0L 8-cyl) and rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. It measures about 185 inches long and 72 inches wide on a 108-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 3,891 lb.

Buying used? The 2024 2 Series and the 2024 RC have the fewest problems in our data; avoid the 2017 RC.