A lovely way to take an open-air drive
Forget the turbocharged six-cylinder engine, the three-stage neck-warming system, the color heads-up display.
The most interesting feature of the 2014 BMW 435i convertible is the elaborate setup built into the caboose of this car.
With the car’s folding hardtop stowed in the trunk, it’s hard to access the 7.8 cubic feet of luggage space below it. So BMW devised an automated system that raises the folded roof out of your way when the trunk is open. Drop in your gear, push the button again, and the roof system descends back into place. (Pray that this system breaks while the car is still under warranty.)
That BMW would spend money and manpower on such an obscure feature indicates that the company believes it already has a firm grasp on the fundamentals of building a four-seat convertible.
The evidence confirms that view.
The 4 Series convertible picks up where the previousgeneration 3 Series convertible left off. The name change reflects nothing but BMW’s desire to separate its sedan and wagons from its coupes and convertibles — and charge more for the latter.
Two engine choices are available. The 428i packs a 2.0-liter turbocharged fourcylinder with 240 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque, and it starts at $49,675.
The 435i, starting at $55,825, offers a brilliantly smooth 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine that makes 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters is standard. BMW says this version scoots from zero to 60 miles per hour in 5.4 seconds.
Nearly $10,000 in options later, our tester cruised out the door. The add-ons included an adaptive suspension system, navigation with touch-sensitive iDrive controller, upgraded leather seats, the aforementioned heads-up display and the neck-warming air system built into the front seats.
That’s a tad cheaper than an equally opulent Audi S5 convertible, though for the roughly $3,000 difference the Audi gives buyers 33 more horsepower, all-wheel drive and a more robust dualclutch transmission.
But the Audi weighs in around 215 pounds heavier than the BMW 435i, despite the Audi using a fabric roof where the Bimmer uses a folding hardtop.
This means the rearwheel-drive 4 Series is more engaging to pilot. The steering has a muted but direct connection to the road, and the car goes where you point it without any drama.
A sports car this isn’t; with the top down, there’s certainly some chassis f lex, despite BMW’s claims that this model is 40% stiffer than the 3 Series convertible it replaces.
But that won’t interfere with the car’s intended use in any meaningful way; this is a lovely way to take in some open-air motoring. Occupants can do so in plenty of comfort and have a real conversation at the same time, without the wind whipping the words out of the cockpit.
The top folds and unfolds in about 20 seconds and can be operated up to 11 mph, BMW said. With the top up, the interior is so quiet, you’d never know this was a convertible.
The handsome yet restrained style of this car steps as close to elegant as a BMW can. Remember, this is a company that pens its cars with laser-like focus on Teutonic simplicity. It doesn’t have the emotional grip of Audi’s S5 convertible, but you’ll appreciate being seen in this 4 Series nonetheless.
These drop-top BMWs will start appearing in dealerships in early March.