I recently flew to Miami to test-drive a pair of new 3-Series convertibles from BMW. As my driving buddy Gary and I cruised up Biscayne Boulevard, I got to reminiscing about my days as a poor (very), but hard-working (maybe no so very) student making my way through college when I lived there in the early 1960s. Here I was driving a Bimmer … and 45 years ago I was driving a beater. Back then, all I wanted to do was drive my beater back to Indiana reconnect with my girlfriend, Carol. Forty-five years later, all I wanted to do was try to forget Carol, stay in Miami and drive my Bimmer. Funny how your priorities change, isn’t it?
You’ve all heard the expression “when life deals you lemons you make lemonade.” Well BMW dealt me a pair of 3s in the shape of fourth generation, all-new 3-Series convertibles and with each passing mile the memories of miserable days spent in South Florida as a poor kid faded.
The 2007 3-Series convertible is not any convertible. It’s actually two vehicles in one – a stylish hardtop coupe and a sleek, head-turner of a convertible. The roof opens automatically as each of its three elements rests above the other. The rear lid opens rearward and once the roof has been opened (or closed) and the hardtop is locked, the trunk lid can be raised in the usual manner. The roof and luggage compartments are separated from one another by a partition that swivels when the roof is closed to provide maximum luggage capacity of 9 cubic-feet. (Hey! You’re not buying this vehicle for use as a shipping container.) When the car is equipped with the Comfort Access option you can lower the roof via remote control. (The only way I could open the roof of my old beater car was to roll it over a dozen or more times).
The traditional BMW kidney grille and lack of a conventional B-pillar announces this is something special. The rear window is fixed glass with an electric defroster. The rear and side windows are 30 percent larger than the previous generation. Three-Series Convertibles come standard with Xenon Adaptive headlights, highlighted by BMW’s corona light rings, that can not only serve as daytime running lights, but also draw attention to the company’s characteristic four round headlights, which makes it recognizable as a BMW both day and night.
The 3’s classic proportions and three design lines – the shoulder, character and sill lines – give it a really sleek appearance. The character line flows in a long, stretched arch from the front fender to the taillights. Fenders flare around each rear wheel. With the top down, it truly is a clean and powerfu-looking machine. With the top up…it truly is a clean and powerful-looking machine.
Earlier in this review, I mentioned the word “convertibles.” That’s because there’s two separate models – the 328i and the 335i. While they both share a majority of components the real difference lies in the powertrain. The 328i is the more “sedate” of the two – if you can honestly call a car that has a 3.0-liter DOHC inline 24-valve inline six cylinder with Double VANOS steplessly variable timing engine that puts out 230 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque, “sedate.”
The bear of the pair is the 335i. It comes equipped with a 3.0-liter DOHC inline 24-valve inline six cylinder with twin turbochargers and Double VANOS, steplessly variable valve timing that has 300 horsepower and 300 pound feet of torque. The 328i comes with either a Getrag Type I, six-speed manual or a GM6 six-speed automatic. The 335i comes with a ZF Type G six-speed manual or ZF 6HP 19 TU six-speed automatic. I drove both and as sweet as the automatics are, the six-speed manuals had to come from Gearbox Nirvana. I drove the manual through clogged Miami traffic and was glad to have to shift every couple hundred feet. You can get the optional six-speed STEPTRONIC automatic transmission and steering wheel paddles (only offered on the 335i) if you insist on the ability to drive your automatic like it’s a manual transmission. I say why bother…get a manual and if you ever tired of shifting gears, find somebody to take over the driving chores.
Standard wheels are 17-inch cast alloy and optional are 18-inch cast alloys. Top speed is 130 mpg (or 150 mph with Sport Package). 0-60 mph for the 335i is 5.5 seconds with manual, and 5.7 seconds with automatic. The 328i 0-60 mph times are 6.7 seconds with the manual, and 7.2 seconds with the automatic.
Trust your pal, Al, that once you strap yourself inside the new 3-Series you will not be willing to leave it. The seats fit like a comfortable glove and gives you support for any type driving. The optional navigation system features, BMW’s iDrive system to control the navigation, climate, entertainment and communications functions. For those gadget freaks – and there are lots of us out there – the iDrive quickly goes from annoying to second-nature. Learning all the nuances of the system and some of the complexities of the center stack takes time but when mastered, you become … well … the master.
Other technologies are pretty neat such as new automatic air-conditioning features, sun-reflective technology that mitigates temperatures on leather seating, armrest surfaces, headrests and gear shifter. The new leather treatment is able to reduce surface temperatures on dark interior colors up to 36-degrees. An accessory wind deflector developed especially for the new 3-Series convertibles reduces air swirl within the interior, even at high speeds. Gary and I put this to the test as I rambled on for hours with inane comments that he unfortunately was able to hear perfectly.
Standard audio system on the 328i is an anti-theft AM/FM/CD/MP3 with ten-speakers including two subwoofers, Radio Data System, FM diversity antenna system, auxiliary audio and other features I probably wouldn’t understand.
Optional on the 328i, but standard on the 335i is a Logic7audio systems with eleven-speakers, Digital Sound Processing and Surround Sound simulation; includes subwoofer, upgraded componentry and all the features of the ten-speaker system. Satellite radio is optional as is High Definition Radio with multicasting reception capability.
Truth be told, there are more standard and/or available features in the new 3-Series convertibles than I could list in three reviews. Furthermore, with the selection of Premium, Sport and Cold Weather Packages we’re talking about four reviews – maybe five. You will not run out of ways to customize your vehicle for your wants and needs.
Safety is BMW’s concern so it doesn’t have to be yours. Standard you’ll find dual-airbag Supplementary Restraint System with two-stage Smart Airbags, head restraints in all seating positions, active knee protection, rollover protection system, footrest designed to crush under force of driver’s left foot, seat-mounted front-seat side-impact airbags, Advanced Crash Safety Management for deployment of safety features, Dynamic Stability Control including Brake Fade Compensation, Start-off Assistant, Brake Drying and BrakeStandby features, with Dynamic Traction Control and other technologies that will give you peace of mind.
The 3-Series is covered by BMW’s four-year/50,000-mile coverage and 12-year /unlimited-mileage coverage. BMW’s Roadside Assistance is no-charge for the first four years with no mileage limit. Also, BMW Maintenance Program is the only no-cost maintenance program in the industry that covers wear and tear items like brake pads and rotors for four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Base price for the 328i convertible is $43,975; or $49,875 for the 335i. (Both prices include destination charges of $775.) Optional package prices vary. For instance, the Premium Package for the 328i is $2,650 – but $1,550 for the 335i. The Cold Weather Package costs $750 for both models and the Sport Package costs $1,200 for the 328i/$1,300 for the 335i.
If I had to select one of the two models, I’d be hard-pressed to do so. I always like more power but the performance of the 328i was not lacking. Guess it depends on your own driving tastes and budget.
The drive route from Miami to the Florida Keys was for me a drive down memory lane. This time, however, my focus was not on coaxing my beater to make the trek to what I thought was true happiness…rather, it was on tooling down the highway in what I finally discovered what happiness truly is.
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