With summer coming up fast, the season of convertible is upon us. Luckily for BMW enthusiasts, their favorite company has plenty of alternatives available and more in the works.
We had the pleasure of testing their latest model, the 4 Series Convertible a while back and we were actually impressed. Sure, it had its faults but the pluses counterweighted them by quite a margin.
Mat Watson also took one such model out for quick review and we tend to agree with him on most of the things he points out, both good and bad.
While he says that the M Sport version is the best looking one out there and that you might want to get it, we tend to disagree. The 4 Series Convertible is a well poised car that handles great and is definitely stiff at all times.
However, pushing it to the limit won’t bring any extra enjoyment. The ultra-grippy feel of the rear axle and the sharp handling won’t let you drift in any way. Actually, we got the feeling that the drop-top version of the 4 Series was even more stable than the Coupe.
Therefore, you won’t be able to ‘drive it like you stole it’ unless your name is Tiff Nedell or Jason Plato and you really know what your are doing. In this regard, the Luxury Line feels more appropriate for the character of this car, that is closer to a tourer than a sportscar.
Following in that line of thought, the 428i version will have plenty of power for your cruising needs. The 435i has 60 extra HP and 50 extra Nm of torque but the fuel efficiency difference isn’t really worth the extra performance.
The 2-liter turbocharged petrol unit on the 428i makes perfect sense, 245 HP and 350 Nm (246 lb-ft) of torque being plenty for every day driving and beach runs. Also, get the ZF 8-speed auto gearbox, not the manual 6-speed.
Neck warmers are also an optional feature you’re going to need, especially in cold weather. Using them, the heated steering wheel and seats and with the windows up, we managed to cruise along at temperatures down to 15 degrees Celsius. With the roof down, of course.
Speaking of which, the metal roof is great for winter months, allowing you to use the car all year long but it does take up quite a lot of the boot space and adds a lot of weight to the total of the vehicle. Even so, we’d pick it over any soft top, any day of the week.
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