BMW 325i

BMW convertibles never have been cheap, so it’s no surprise that the 325i convertible costs $38,800. But those who can’t afford a new one can wait until used versions hit the market. BMW says it plans to sell 10,000 of the soft tops annually in the States, so the wait for a pre-driven one shouldn’t be too long – unless most buyers of new 325i soft tops keep them for a long time.
It won’t be an easy car to give up. Of all 325 models, the convertible has the most alluring appearance. Its rear has been tastefully redone, with a lower trunk and different back fender lines. It even looks good with the top up.
To fight convertible shakes and rattles, BMW beefed up the car’s body and chassis, which results in a weight penalty of 265 pounds above the 325i coupe.

However, all that strengthening makes the convertible fairly rattle- and shake-free.
The 325i convertible’s extra weight slows it a bit. But it still zooms from 0-60 m.p.h. in a BMW-claimed eight seconds with the standard five-speed manual transmission and in 9.5 seconds with the optional $850 four-speed automatic that was in my test car. Top speed is electronically limited to 128 m.p.h.
The 189-horsepower convertible has the same silky 2.5-liter 24-valve double-overhead-camshaft six-cylinder that powers the 325i coupe and sedan. The motor has been modified with variable valve timing for better response at low- and mid-range speeds.
BMW says three of four convertibles sent to the States will have the quick-shifting automatic, which has economy, sport and manual shift modes.

Economy is a decent EPA-estimated 19 m.p.h. in the city and 27 on the highway with the manual, 18 and 26 with the automatic.
My test 325i convertible’s power steering was quick and communicative. A cleverly designed all-independent suspension with gas-pressure shock absorbers provides a supple ride, and handling is first-rate. The model had the $600 Sport Package option, which features grippier front seats, sporty cross-spoke alloy wheels and bigger tires for slightly better roadability.
Four-wheel disc brakes stopped the car quickly, with no dramatics.

The convertible’s top, which is lined to trim road noise, quickly lowers and raises when a switch is pressed. And it automatically and neatly slips out of sight under a nicely shaped body-color cover.
All windows can be simultaneously lowered or raised with a single button. The car pampers, with items such as a leather interior, 10-speaker stereo, a climate-control system with separate temperature controls for left- and right-front sides and power mirrors and locks.

Some may complain that such a costly auto’s rear window should be made of glass, not plastic. BMW says a glass window would consume too much space and that the plastic window, which has a blower-type defroster, can be unzipped and replaced if it has aged so much that a driver can’t easily see through it.

Wind noise isn’t a problem with the 325i convertible, partly because a unique window-sealing system seats door windows securely into weatherseal grooves to minimize wind noise, then automatically frees them from the grooves when doors are opened.
It’s roomy up front in two supportive eight-way power bucket seats. And the rear offers fairly comfortable seating for two 6-footers for trips that are short or moderate in length. Trunk room is pretty good for a small convertible.
The solar flair of many convertibles dims when winter sneaks in, but the 325i convertible offers options that will make it easier to live with in upcoming nasty weather. They include a nifty (about $4,000) body-color aluminum hard top with a rear glass window, $360 heated front seats and “an approximately $1,500″ traction control system to prevent the car from getting stuck in snow.

Some may not think much in terms of safety when discussing sexy numbers such as the 325i convertible, but one can get hurt in any auto. So it’s nice to know the BMW 325i is engineered to meet the stringent 1997 side-impact requirements and protects you with special tubular reinforcements in the windshield pillars, anti-lock brakes, front seatbelt tensioners and an optional, $1,390 rollover protection system.

The system meets a federal standard for rollover protection, even though convertibles aren’t required to meet the standard. It has twin spring-loaded pop-up rollbars behind the rear seats that extend 10 inches above rear headrests when an onboard computer senses that the BMW is about to roll over.