Test: BMW 420i Convertible

In the lower segments, the convertible may be a dying species, but the premium brands still offer various open cars in their ever-expanding ranges. A convertible version of the new 4-series was therefore inevitable. Good to see that BMW has also said goodbye to the so-called folding roof convertible, a trend that led to an abundance of such models in all segments around 2005 and at BMW not only resulted in such a roof construction for the 3-series Cabriolet, even the roadster Z4 got one. Fortunately, the descendants of both models have a fabric roof again. It looks great and it folds up more compactly, resulting in more elegant rear sections.

Close while driving

The 4-series Convertible grew considerably, resulting in a wheelbase of 2.7 meters. The 420i does it with a 2.0 four-cylinder turbo that delivers 184 hp, BMW has done its best on the new 4-series Cabriolet, because the roof looks so tight when closed that you don’t see a single bulge of the construction under the fabric . It opens or closes in eighteen seconds and can be driven up to a speed of 50 km/h. Even when the summer took a break, we were able to experience its usefulness several times. Driving quietly over the parking lot of a gas station along the highway when you see drops appear on the windshield and on again. Practicality certainly proved to be a theme in the development of the open 4 series. The luggage compartment measures 300 liters with the roof open, partly due to the long rear; if it is closed, it rises to 385 liters. In the rear seat, which can accommodate two people, the fabric roof provides more headroom than the folding roof of the previous Four Cabrio, but despite the increased length, you sit as a person of 1.80 meters with too little legroom. In the BMW, the control buttons for the roof and the optional neck heater are centrally located in the center console. If you want to raise or lower all four windows at the same time, you have to operate a button on the door. Driving open with the windows up is comfortable at speeds of up to 100 km/h. Above that, a windshield above the rear seat is recommended.

Not fast
We got to know the current 4-series as very dynamic and a lot of that character remains in the Cabriolet. It feels stiff, the body follows steering commands very adequately and also on transverse ridges you notice that the openwork body does not cause any problems. However, the chassis is sturdy, which is also due to the M-Sport package. Because of all that sportiness, it is perhaps extra noticeable that we are on the road with a loafer. The car never feels really fast and especially if you floor the accelerator and the eight-speed automatic transmission far, you notice that above 5,000 rpm the engine likes it best. With an empty weight of 1,660 kilos, 184 hp is just not too much. That feeling is confirmed on the measuring equipment. The 0-100 sprint takes seven tenths of a second longer than what the factory promises. It takes the car 8.9 seconds to get to that speed. Not a disaster for a convertible, because you mainly buy it to enjoy open touring as often as possible. Still, you may occasionally want to live up to the appearance of the convertible with the aggressive nose. The dashboard has – very nice – the classic BMW touch, so a center console that is slightly towards the driver, a super low seat and a steering wheel that is axially adjustable over a large length. You attract the BMW because of that, it grows nicely around you.
Prices of the 420i Cabio start under €70,000, but no copy will leave the showroom for around that amount. We spent a lot of money for our test car, resulting in a price tag of over €89,000. In our BMW, the head-up display costs €1,228 and the M-Sport package is checked with the M-Sport brakes (€748) and an M Adaptive suspension with variable damping. The brakes do an excellent job, judging by the short braking distance.