BMW 4 Series Convertible review

So, what about refinement? The 4 Series Convertible does without any sort of aero gimmick to smooth airflow into the cabin: no Mercedes-style pop-up ‘aircap’ here. Frankly, the car looks more elegant top-down for it, and there’s little in the way of buffeting to interrupt your conversations. In the front, at least. Fit the wind deflector and it’s capable of motorway speeds with barely a ruffle of the hair.

Can I fit humans in the back?

The onrushing air tumbling from the windscreen might make life in the rear seats above 60mph a touch draughty, but the very fact the 4 Series can seat adults behind adults without complaint is a credit to the cabin space. 

Access to the back seats could be better – waiting for the front seats to motor forward can get a tad tedious. Alternatively, treat the car as a two-seater and use the mounting holes in the rear bulkhead to fit the static wind deflector. 

Roof up, the 4 Series is well-insulated and there’s no flapping from the fabric top. Visibility is obviously compromised versus the coupe but it’s by no means a letterbox out back, and BMW’s surround-view and reversing cameras are some of the best in the business so manoeuvring this portly machine in car parks needn’t be a hassle. 

Does it feel expensive inside?

In the main the cabin is obviously carried over wholesale from the 4 Series Coupe, and it’s a smartly-finished, well-executed cabin that feels considerably more expensive than the old model. The only changes you’ll note are buttons for retracting the roof and activating the surprisingly weak heaters mounted in the seat headrest. Happily the heated seats maintain a pleasant toastyness on a cool evening to maximise roof-down opportunities. 

Something to bear in mind when it comes to infotainment: you might want to avoid using iDrive’s touchscreen capabilities and stick with the tactile clickwheel. Reason being that with the roof down and the sun out, smears and fingerprints massively increase the sunlight reflections in the screen, and can render it near-invisible. Not to mention you’ll be judged by anyone who happens to peer inside.