BMW 325i CONVERTIBLE
4-2 cabrio
BMW is probably the only maker to offer a car in both coupe{aac} and retractable hardtop version instead of just the latter. There's a reason why
What is it? The folding hardtop version of the BMW 325i 2+2 at a price of B5.29m. This happens to be the first 3-series to get a retractable hardtop. It's got the same 218hp 2.5-litre inline-six and six-speed automatic as the coupe{aac}.
Whereas the coupe{aac} is offered in three trim levels at prices ranging from B4.65m to B5.1m, the convertible comes with only one trim level and it has pretty much the same goodies as the B4.9m SE coupe{aac} we tested before hand.
What's cool?
Or what's hot? Depending on the weather.
At a flick of a switch on the centre console, BMW claims you can bring the three-piece metal roof down in 22 seconds. We managed to do it in around 25 seconds, ending when we hear the clank when the boot locked itself.
You can thank modern hydraulics and electronics for popping open the roof and then swallowed up by the boot _ kind of like a scene in Transformer the movie done in slow motion.
So, by magic, your coupe{aac} is transformed into a cabrio and you're ready for an upcountry cruise to your mansion by the sea in Hua Hin.
But what impresses is that when the roof is up at 180kph, no soft-top convertible is as quiet and it's nearly as good as a fixed roof.
Similar to the coupe{aac}, the ride feels slightly more comfortable than the saloon.
What's not?
The cost of the magical roof is a hefty weight penalty of 240kg over the coupe{aac} _ standing at 1,760kg and much heavier than a 525i _ theoretically meaning slower performance and higher fuel consumption. The coupe{aac} is 0.8 sec quicker to 100kph and sips less fuel by a mere 0.4kpl, though.
The extra weight comes from the hydraulic mechanism and its supports, plus chassis reinforcement to make the car as structurally strong as the coupe{aac} as possible. Due to more weight, the cabriolet feels heavier on the move.
While the hardtop works well at noise insulation, it still suffers from minor rattles on most bumps and potholes so abundant on Thai roads. Don't get us wrong, though. This is the most solid foldable hardtop we have ever tried so far.
The fewer number of airbags in the fact file might be a little misleading, as each of the side airbags also extends up for head protection in place of pillar-mounted side air curtains _ effectively a two-in-one airbag.
But apart from the automatically activated roll-over bars, the rear passengers don't get any airbag protection unlike in the coupe{aac} _ which is somewhat a disappointment for such a safety conscious brand.
The 325i Convertible can seat four adults perfectly okay, but there's an inevitable problem with their luggage.
You see, the hardtop mechanism has already eaten up space in the boot by nearly a quarter compared to the coupe{aac}'s (350 litres versus 440 litres).
And when the roof gets tucked in to the boot, it squeezes the usable space down to only 210 litres.
If each occupant gets to take one luggage, it would be just a rucksack each. And as you can see from the picture, the boot aperture is very narrow this way. This means, instead of being a 2+2, it is a four-minus-two in terms of practicality.
Buy or bye?
The 325i convertible is a solid piece of driving machine in its own right. But the moment we think of how much better the coupe{aac} drives was the moment we thank BMW for sticking to their core competence.
If within the last year you never had a moment in Thailand when you're driving your car and wondered how wonderful it must be to have the roof down, then say bye bye to the convertible.
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