BMW 4 Series Convertible Review

Overall the BMW 4 Series looks very similar to the older version. This being said I really do like the new shaped grille along with the sleek, smooth lines and contours within the bodywork.

I feel the car is very much stand alone in the market, with not many convertibles in this space. One thing I was a little bit disappointed about was a lack of colour choice, with the only main choices being white, silver and greys. This is one of the reasons why I chose the green, it makes the car stand out and goes really well with the black convertible roof.

It’s nice to see that BMW chose a glass back window instead of a plastic one that you see in some soft top convertibles.

Interior wise, the colour choice was interesting. There’s cream, black or brown. In my mind, the cream was going to get dirty and the brown meant there were going to be too many colours going on, so the best and obvious choice was the black.

The infotainment is through BMW’s iDrive system. When it works, it works very well, but can be a little temperamental at times. It comes with both wireless and wired Apple Carplay and Android Auto. I tend to use the wired option as it charges my phone quicker through the cable. Sometimes there is a delay between music being played through the phone, and it displaying on the infotainment system. Not sure if this is software related that BMW can fix in an update.

What can I say, the Harman Kardon speakers are absolutely brilliant. They really do not disappoint!

The digital dash is informative and very customisable with the option to show the satnav or music, along with album cover.

The seats are very comfortable, but could be a little softer. I’ve driven a Mercedes C-Class before and thought these seats were more comfortable. You don’t have to reach for anything as everything is in easy reach. Some cars I’ve driven, I’ve had to stretch to get to buttons. Even the seatbelt gets passed to you when you get in thanks to an automatic arm.

With the roof down you really don’t feel claustrophobic as the sky is literally your roof due to the ‘high roof-line’ when it’s down, fitting 4 adults in the car is comfortable which is impressive for a convertible sports car.

One of my favourite features are the neck heaters. This definitely comes in handy on those cold autumn or winter days when the sun is out and you want the roof down without feeling the cold.

With the roof up, the boot space is generous at around 385l, however as the roof needs the space, this is reduced to 300l when the roof is down thanks to most of the roof being stored above the compartment.

There are plenty of cubby holes in the BMW 4 Series Convertible, although not as many as the VW Multivan which is in a completely different league, but still a lot for a car of this size and more than plenty to store items and drinks bottles.

I really like the centre console, for it’s practical positioning of the iDrive infotainment wheel. There is an option to upgrade the phone charging to a charging pad instead of plugging it in, which I didn’t feel was necessary, however I know this is a must have feature for some people, so it’s nice to know the option is there.

The car will get you from A-B in style and is great for young professionals. The rear seats are ISO fix for a child seat, but can be tricky with the roof up to get kids in and out the back. If you do have younger children, then you might want to consider a more child friendly second car.

Visibility is limited with the roof up, but this is the same with all convertibles. Modern technology, like reversing sensors and cameras, does help with this though.

Official 0-62mph of this particular model, the 420i, is just over 7 seconds, so has more than enough punch when it comes to putting your foot down. Even with the fast acceleration, it feels more of a luxury car than a sporty one. It’s also giving me 41.9mpg, which isn’t bad for a petrol engine of this specification.

Like many modern cars, the crash sensors are a bit over sensitive, but the cameras and wing mirrors are good enough to make up for it.

Sport mode gives the car some real oomph, with longer gear changes for those higher revs, tighter steering and stiffer suspension. It’s not so great for MPG, but will definitely be worth it because of the enjoyment you’ll have.