Category: Convertibles 
Price Range: £31,260 to £41,050
Exceptional refinement roof up or down, ride quality, build integrity.
Huge weight blunts performance and driving enjoyment, disappointing looks.
A fine car and better than its immediate rivals, but still asks the owner to pay a considerable dynamic penalty for the pleasure of top-down motoring.
No one should decide against this car on safety grounds. Not only is the 3-Series inherently and massively strong, the standard spec of the convertible features four airbags, stability control, runflat tyres, automatic windscreen wipers and lights, brake pre-tensioning, brake drying and pop-up roll-over protection. No one can accuse BMW of failing to look after its customers. As for security, that metal roof is likely to form a more formidable barrier than any knife-wielding, convertible-slashing moron can cope with.
