2023 BMW 4 Series Convertible

The volume 430i xDrive Convertible (G23) uses BMW's B48 2.0L TwinPower Turbo inline-4 rated at 255 hp — unchanged for the 2023 model year, which is a carry-over year in the second-generation G23 run that began in 2021. The range tops out at 503 hp in the 2023 M4 Competition xDrive Convertible (the 523 hp S58 arrived only with the 2025 LCI).

The 430i's B48 peaks at 295 lb-ft from just 1,550 rpm, which is what makes the car feel brisker than its 255 hp suggests in everyday driving. Same figures as the equivalent 2023 4 Series Coupe.

BMW's claimed 0–60 for the 430i xDrive Convertible is 5.9 s — a few tenths behind the Coupe because the soft-top body carries roughly 300 lb of extra structure and roof mechanism (4,034 lb curb weight). Quick enough to feel effortless, but well short of the six-cylinder variants above it.

The B48 2.0T is smooth and near-lag-free with a broad torque plateau, and reviewers consistently praise its linearity, though it sounds ordinary next to BMW's sixes and — unlike the 2023 M440i, which carries the 48V mild-hybrid system — the 2023 430i has no 48V assist, so stop-start restarts are slightly more noticeable than in later, electrified 430i model years.

Every 2023 4 Series Convertible variant uses the ZF 8-speed Sport Automatic, broadly regarded as the best conventional automatic on sale — decisive, quick and smooth, with sensible Sport-mode logic and no hunting. No manual is offered in any Convertible body (the row-your-own S58 was Coupe-only).

xDrive is optional on the 430i, standard on the M440i, and the M4 Convertible was sold only as the Competition xDrive — so all-wheel drive is available across the entire 2023 lineup, with a rear-biased tune and (on the M4) a selectable 2WD mode. It is a road-oriented system with no low range, locker or terrain modes.

Three distinct gas engines spanning 255 to 503 hp (B48 2.0T, B58 3.0T with 48V mild hybrid, S58 twin-turbo 3.0T) gives real spread, but the Convertible is gas-only — no hybrid, PHEV or EV variant, no diesel, and no base manual M4 — so the choice is tune, not technology.

EPA combined rating for the volume 2023 430i xDrive Convertible with the B48 2.0T and 8-speed automatic. Respectable for a 4,034 lb premium convertible on premium fuel, but nothing more than mid-pack against the fleet.

EPA city rating for the 430i xDrive Convertible. The xDrive driveline and extra mass cost 2 MPG in town versus the rear-drive 430i Convertible, and there is no 48V mild-hybrid assist on the 2023 four-cylinder to recover stop-start losses.

EPA highway rating for the 430i xDrive Convertible — the strongest of its three EPA figures, helped by tall 8th-gear gearing, and the reason the car is a genuinely economical long-distance cruiser with the roof up.

Computed from the G23 Convertible's 15.6-gallon tank and the EPA combined 27 MPG of the 430i xDrive. Real-world range drops with top-down driving and Sport mode; EPA publishes no direct range figure for gasoline vehicles.

EPA's published annual fuel cost for the 2023 430i xDrive Convertible at standard assumptions. The premium-fuel requirement, not the 27 MPG, is what pushes this well into the expensive end of the band.

Every 2023 4 Series Convertible variant requires premium unleaded — EPA lists the fuel type as 'Premium Gasoline' for the 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i and M4 alike. There is no regular-fuel trim, no flex-fuel option and no plug-in alternative anywhere in the Convertible range.

NHTSA returns "Not Rated" on every test for the 2023 4 Series Convertible in both RWD and AWD configurations — convertibles are routinely excluded from the NCAP battery. The estimate is anchored on the structurally-shared G20 3 Series, which was fully tested for 2023 and earned 5 stars overall, discounted half a star because the folding-roof body has no independently verified rollover/side result of its own.

IIHS publishes no ratings page for the 4 Series Convertible in any year — convertibles are ineligible for the roof-strength test and therefore for any Top Safety Pick award. The closest tested relative on the same G20/G22 architecture, the 2023 3 Series sedan, rated Good on driver- and passenger-side small overlap front, Good moderate overlap front and Good roof strength/head restraints, so the underlying structure is strong; none of it is verified for the open-top body, which carries its own reinforced windshield frame and pop-up rollover bars instead of a fixed roof.

Active Driving Assistant is standard on the volume 430i Convertible — forward collision warning with city collision mitigation (AEB with pedestrian detection), blind-spot detection, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, speed limit info and a reversing camera. Adaptive cruise control and lane centering are not standard: both require the $1,700 Driving Assistance Professional Package, and the surround-view camera sits in a separate Parking Assistance Package. That is a core-plus-options structure rather than the comprehensive-standard suite the top band asks for.

The convertible has no front crash prevention rating of its own, but it carries the same windshield-mounted camera and forward radar as the 2023 3 Series, which IIHS rated Superior for vehicle-to-vehicle and Superior for daytime pedestrian detection with the standard system. Held below the 80-100 band because nighttime pedestrian performance is unverified for this hardware and BMW's forward-camera calibration has drawn criticism in later, tougher IIHS testing of closely related cars.

Blind-spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert are both standard on the 430i Convertible as part of Active Driving Assistant — no trim walk required, which is the main thing the item rewards. Alert-only rather than actively intervening on the volume trim, but the coverage matters more here than on most cars: with the fabric roof raised the rear-quarter blind zone is unusually large.

Lane departure warning is standard, but Active Lane Keeping Assistant with side collision avoidance and true lane centering only arrive with the optional Driving Assistance Professional Package. When fitted, BMW's centering on the G20/G22 hardware is smooth and holds the lane without ping-ponging; the volume car as delivered often has warning only.

Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go is full-speed-range and among the better-calibrated systems in the class — natural gap keeping, smooth braking, prompt resume — but on the 2023 car it is a $1,700 option rather than standard, and owner reports through the 2023 order year describe it being periodically unavailable to order because of the semiconductor shortage. Capable when present, not dependable to find on a used volume example.

Hands-free driving in 2023 means Extended Traffic Jam Assistant only: it disengages the hands-on requirement below roughly 40 mph on mapped limited-access divided highways while a driver-attention camera watches the road, and it comes bundled in the optional Driving Assistance Professional Package. BMW's high-speed Highway Assistant (hands-free to 85 mph) did not reach this car for the 2023 model year, so the capability is real but confined to congested traffic — squarely the "available but limited" band, well short of Super Cruise or BlueCruise coverage.

The volume 430i Convertible ships with full LED headlights and automatic high beams; for 2023 BMW withdrew Adaptive LED Headlights as a stand-alone option on the 4 Series, so the curve-adaptive units are effectively out of reach on most 430i builds and the volume car runs fixed-beam LEDs. IIHS has never rated headlights on this body style, and the closely related i4 was subsequently marked down for weak headlight performance, so there is no basis for crediting the upper band.

Roof down the view is unmatched, but the scorecard has to describe the car as it is driven most of the year: with the fabric top raised the rear three-quarter view is heavily obstructed and the rear glass is small, a worse blind zone than the coupe's. A reversing camera is standard, but the 360-degree Surround View that would compensate is locked in the optional Parking Assistance Package.

Two rear LATCH positions exist, but reaching them means tumbling a front seat and working through a single long door, and the folding-roof stack cuts overhead clearance for lifting a seat in. Rear width rules out three-across. The related 3 Series sedan earned a Good LATCH ease-of-use rating from IIHS on the same anchor hardware, which is why this sits mid-band rather than lower — the anchors themselves are fine, the access is not.

The G23 Convertible is a strict four-seater — unlike the 4 Series Coupe, which carries a three-place rear bench and is rated for five, the folding-roof body deletes the center rear position. Unchanged for 2023, which is a carry-over year in the second-generation G23 run that began in 2021.

Front headroom with the roof up is 40.6 in — generous for the segment and, per BMW, about 0.2 in better than the F33's folding hardtop gave, because the fabric roof stack is thinner over the occupants' heads. Top down it is effectively unlimited.

41.8 in of front legroom on the 112.2-in wheelbase is mid-band for the convertible segment and accommodates tall drivers without complaint; it trails the Coupe's 41.5-in figure by a fraction in published form because the two bodies are measured to slightly different seat tracks.

Rear headroom of 36.1 in with the top up is respectable on paper for an open-top 2+2 and slightly better than most fabric-roof rivals, though the upright rear seatbacks and the roof stack behind them limit how much of it a taller passenger can actually use.

At 32.5 in the Convertible gives up 1.5 in of rear legroom to the 4 Series Coupe, and BMWBlog's G23 test judged the back seat 'noticeably smaller and more cramped' with upright backrests that make longer journeys tedious — usable for children or short adult hops rather than genuine four-up travel.

BMW publishes 13.6 cu ft with the roof up, dropping to 10.6 cu ft with the fabric top folded away — a genuinely large hold by convertible standards and the single biggest practical gain of the G23's switch from the F33's folding hardtop (385/300 L versus the outgoing car's smaller stack). Reviewers do flag the L-shaped aperture as awkward for tall items even when the volume is there.

Standard BMW fare and nothing more: a small covered console, modest door bins with bottle holders, two front cupholders and a shallow glovebox, plus a through-loading hatch behind the rear bench. The roof mechanism eats the Coupe's 40/20/40 fold and the sizeable ski-hatch utility that goes with it, wireless charging is a Premium Package option rather than standard, and the wind deflector still uses a fiddly two-piece mesh design that has to be stored somewhere when not in use.

The front sport seats are the car's comfort highlight — multi-way power with adjustable side bolsters and thigh extension, supportive over long stints, and praised by reviewers in Vernasca leather. The score is held below the Coupe's because the two rear seats are cramped and upright rather than merely tight, so the back half of the cabin contributes almost nothing.

Composed and well-damped for an open-top car — BMW claims a 4% torsional-rigidity gain over the F33 and testers report cowl shake that is 'barely noticeable' over railroad tracks, with only larger impacts producing a shimmer. It still rides a step behind the fixed-roof Coupe, working the suspension harder over broken pavement thanks to roughly 300 lb of extra structure and a body that feels 'a bit more elastic'.

Top up, the multi-layer fabric roof is unusually well insulated — testers describe it as feeling like a hardtop, with interior sound rivaling conventional coupes at highway speed. It is still a soft top, though: it cannot match the Coupe's sealing over coarse surfaces, and with the roof stowed the cabin is loud by definition, so the item can only credit the closed-roof case so far.

Dual-zone automatic climate control and power sport seats are standard, but for 2023 BMW charges for most of what makes an open car pleasant year-round: heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, wireless charging and Comfort Access all sit inside the Premium Package on the volume 430i, and no neck-warmer/Air Collar system was offered on the US car. Well-equipped once optioned, thin as delivered.

The 2023 430i Convertible opened at $55,500 plus BMW's $995 destination charge, putting the entry price above the convertible band ceiling before a single option is added.

The all-wheel-drive 430i xDrive is the volume configuration in the US at $57,500 + $995 destination, and BMW's option-heavy structure means real transactions cluster several thousand above that once the Premium Package and paint are added.

Published 4 Series class estimates put five-year maintenance near $3,000 and repairs near $3,100; the first 3 years/36,000 miles of scheduled service are covered by BMW Ultimate Care, so most of that spend lands in years 4–5.

Published 4 Series five-year retention estimates straddle 52–60%, and the 2023 car's actual three-year track (about 64–66% retained) extrapolates to roughly half of MSRP at five years — soft-top luxury two-doors depreciate a little harder than the coupe.

BMW's New Vehicle Limited Warranty covers all 2023 models bumper-to-bumper for 4 years or 50,000 miles, a year longer than the mainstream 3/36 standard.

BMW does not offer a longer powertrain warranty than its bumper-to-bumper coverage — the engine and drivetrain are protected only for the same 4 years/50,000 miles, well short of the 5-year minimum the segment band starts at.

BMW Ultimate Care bundles 3 years/36,000 miles of complimentary scheduled maintenance — oil and filter services, brake fluid, cabin filter and inspections — with 4 years of unlimited-mileage roadside assistance and ConnectedDrive service trials, which is at the strong end of the luxury field where several rivals include only a single first service.

$61,500 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (50% retained, or about $30,750) leaves about $30,750 in depreciation. Add the projected $6,100 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $36,850 in total.

2023 is a carry-over year in the pre-LCI G23 generation (launched 2021), running the proven B48 2.0T / B58 3.0T and ZF 8HP shared with the 3 Series, so there is no new-technology risk. Predicted reliability for the 4 Series tracks around average — respectable rather than top-tier — and the Convertible carries the extra failure surface of a powered fabric roof (motors, hydraulics, window and latch sensors) that the Coupe does not, which is why this sits a few points under the equivalent 2023 4 Series Coupe.

BMW's dependability standing was strong in this period: it took the top overall spot in Consumer Reports' 2023 Brand Report Card, and in the J.D. Power 2023 Vehicle Dependability Study it posted 184 PP100 against a 186 industry average — the best of the German premium brands, trailing only Lexus, Genesis and Cadillac among luxury makes. Solid upper-middle rather than top-5-in-dependability territory, since the CR brand crown is an overall score that road-test and satisfaction results help carry.

The 2023 4 Series Convertible has drawn more than routine recall activity. NHTSA shows 23V821 (transmission mechatronics cover weld allowing ATF to leak into the control unit, risking gear seizure and sudden loss of drive power) naming the 4 Series Convertible explicitly, 23V118 (body control module software), and then two engine-starter fire campaigns filed in 2026 — 26V056 covering the 2021–2024 4 Series Convertible and its 26V438 expansion. Individually each remedy is a component replacement and the starter fault is a shared supplier issue spanning BMW and the Toyota Supra rather than a 4 Series design flaw, but repeated fire-risk and drivetrain campaigns put this at the bottom of the 'typical' band.

The volume 430i xDrive Convertible's B48 2.0T is the post-2019 revised version that resolved the family's earlier concerns, and the M440i's B58 3.0T inline-six has one of the best high-mileage reputations of any modern BMW engine (Toyota chose it for the GR Supra). Both pair with the ZF 8HP, the industry's benchmark conventional automatic. Marked down slightly from a clean 87 because the 23V821 mechatronics campaign lands on exactly that transmission's control unit.

The Convertible shares the pre-LCI G22/G23 cabin — SensaTec standard with optional Vernasca leather, aluminum or wood trim, and the split 12.3-inch cluster plus 10.25-inch center display. Reviewers consistently rate upper-cabin materials as competitive for a low-$60K luxury convertible, with the usual harder plastics lower down and console surfaces that scuff, and a design that reads handsome rather than distinctive next to the Mercedes CLE Cabriolet.

Munich assembly gives tight, consistent panel gaps and a solid structure by open-top standards, and by 2023 iDrive 8 is largely settled, but a fabric-roof body inherently adds rattle and wind-noise sources the Coupe does not have — G23 owners report left-rear rattles with the top closed and roof-close failures traced to window sensors, both dealer-fixed under warranty. Good for the class, a clear step behind the 4 Series Coupe.

Roughly 340 BMW dealers across all 50 states give strong metro and suburban coverage and thinner rural reach, with luxury service satisfaction in the upper-middle of the segment — behind Lexus and Cadillac, generally ahead of Audi and Mercedes — offset by some of the industry's highest hourly labor rates. Convertible-top service is dealer territory at most stores, which narrows the practical options further.

OEM parts flow well through BMW's US supply chain and the enthusiast aftermarket (FCP Euro, ECS Tuning, Turner) is large, but out-of-warranty running cost is well above the industry norm — RepairPal puts BMW ownership near $968/yr against a ~$650 industry average, with 0.9 shop visits per year versus 0.4 fleet-wide. Run-flats, expensive brake service and dealer-only diagnostics are compounded here by the powered soft-top assembly, whose motors, hydraulics and sensors are a costly failure point once coverage lapses.

MY2023 is a split year for this car. Cars built through February 2023 carry the pre-LCI G23 layout — a 10.25-in central Control Display beside a 12.3-in cluster — and BMW switched the whole 4 Series and M4 range to Operating System 8 with the 12.3 + 14.9-in Curved Display in March 2023 production. The majority of the model year was built to the earlier spec, so that is what is scored here.

Either version of the system is quick and logically organized, and — crucially for a convertible, where touch input at speed with the roof down is awkward — the rotary iDrive controller is retained on the console alongside the screen. The March-2023 OS8 cars gain a slicker, phone-like interface but lose the physical climate controls to touchscreen submenus, which is a wash rather than a clear gain for daily use.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto are standard on every 2023 4 Series Convertible trim — 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i, M440i xDrive and the M4 Competition xDrive Convertible — with no subscription and no trim walk.

The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant handles conversational commands for climate, navigation and vehicle functions, and BMW's cloud-based navigation with Real Time Traffic Information is good enough that owners are not forced onto phone projection. Voice recognition is also genuinely useful in this body style, where wind noise with the roof down makes screen-poking the worse option.

The standard 205-watt, 10-speaker system is competent, and the optional Harman Kardon Surround Sound (464 W, 16 speakers) is a worthwhile step up that includes convertible-specific tuning to compensate for top-down conditions. No Bowers & Wilkins tier is offered on the 4 Series, which caps the ceiling below the best in the luxury class.

A 12.3-in fully digital instrument display is standard across the 2023 4 Series Convertible lineup and is unchanged by the March 2023 switch to the Curved Display — crisp, with drive-mode-specific layouts and integrated map view. Only the visual integration with the center screen improves on the later builds.

BMW Remote Software Upgrade delivers periodic over-the-air updates to iDrive, maps and selected vehicle functions through the embedded modem or the My BMW app. That is broader than maps-only rivals but well short of the whole-vehicle, feature-adding updates Tesla and Rivian ship, and BMW's cadence on the pre-LCI G23 has been modest.

The My BMW app covers remote start and climate pre-conditioning, lock/unlock, vehicle finder and service scheduling, and BMW Digital Key Plus with ultra-wideband lets a compatible iPhone act as the key — a rare feature at this price in 2023. Core ConnectedDrive services are included for the first years of ownership before subscriptions apply.

Two front USB-C ports plus a USB-A/Type-C provision and rear outlets cover the basics, but wireless charging is a Premium Package option rather than standard, there is no household outlet, and the 2+2 rear compartment offers less device provision than the Coupe. Adequate, not generous.

Push-button start is standard, but Comfort Access proximity entry — including the convenience of remote soft-top operation from the key fob — is bundled into the Premium Package on the volume 430i rather than fitted as standard. Digital Key Plus with phone-as-key is available and remote start runs through the My BMW app, so the ceiling is high even though the volume car as delivered is not fully keyless.

A reversing camera and front and rear Park Distance Control are standard, and the optional Parking Assistance Package adds Surround View with 3D visualization plus automated parallel and perpendicular parking. The aids matter more here than on the Coupe — with the fabric top raised the rear-quarter blind zone is substantial — but the 360-degree camera that would best offset that is an extra-cost item.

A full-color head-up display projecting speed, navigation and driver-assist status is available through the Premium Package on the 430i and within higher option groups above it. Broadly attainable and well executed, but not volume-trim standard, which caps it below the top band.

Two doors, four seats and 32.5 in of rear legroom make daily kid logistics a chore: every rear-seat trip means tumbling a front seat and reaching through a single long aperture, and the folding-roof stack cuts the vertical clearance needed to lift a seat in. LATCH anchors exist at both outboard positions and the underlying hardware is the same well-rated design as the 3 Series, but there is no center position and no three-across possibility.

Active Driving Assistant is standard on the volume 430i Convertible — forward collision warning with city AEB and pedestrian detection, blind-spot detection, lane departure warning and rear cross-traffic alert — but adaptive cruise with Stop & Go costs $1,700 in the Driving Assistance Professional Package. More limiting for a family buyer, neither NHTSA nor IIHS publishes crash results for this body style: convertibles are excluded from the NCAP battery and are ineligible for the IIHS roof-strength test and therefore any Top Safety Pick award.

The 13.6 cu ft trunk is unusually good for an open-top car and would carry a family's luggage, but the back seat cannot carry the family: upright backrests and 32.5 in of legroom make multi-hour stints tedious for adults, there are no rear climate vents or rear amenities, and with four aboard the roof has to stay up to keep rear passengers out of the buffeting. Fine for a couple plus two children on a weekend, poor beyond that.

As a daily driver the 430i is genuinely low-effort: the B48 2.0T and ZF 8-speed are smooth and prompt in traffic, the front sport seats are excellent, the top-up cabin is quiet enough to pass for a coupe, and the roof itself opens or closes in 18 seconds at up to 31 mph so top-down commuting takes no planning. Marks come off for the 4,034 lb curb weight blunting the four-cylinder, the firm run-flat ride, and the absence of the 48 V mild-hybrid assist that smooths stop/start on the M440i.

27 mpg combined is respectable for a 4,000 lb all-wheel-drive luxury convertible, but every variant requires premium fuel, which is what pushes EPA's annual cost to $2,800 at standard assumptions. Add run-flat tire replacement and BMW's above-average out-of-warranty running costs and this is an expensive way to cover commuting miles, only partly offset by three years of complimentary scheduled maintenance.

A 187.9-in length, 72.9-in width and 37.4-ft turning circle make the car easy enough to place in city traffic, and front and rear Park Distance Control plus a reversing camera are standard. The real limitation is the roof: with the fabric top raised the rear three-quarter view is heavily obstructed and the rear glass is small, and the Surround View camera that would compensate sits in an optional package.

No US towing rating, no bed, no published payload, and a four-seat cabin with a fabric roof. The 13.6 cu ft trunk is the entire load capacity and it is carpeted luggage space, not work space. Effectively zero work capability.

The B48 2.0T and ZF 8HP are durable in normal service and the Munich-built structure is solid, but nothing about the car tolerates abuse: SensaTec or Vernasca leather trim, a carpeted trunk, no wash-out surfaces, and a fabric roof that is itself a wear item exposed to weather, vandalism and car-wash damage. No fleet or work reputation of any kind.

No 120 V outlet, no tie-downs beyond a token trunk hook, no factory trailer hitch, no roof-rack system — a convertible has no roof to mount one to — and no upfit ecosystem whatsoever. This is the body style least equipped for jobsite duty in the entire catalog.

This is the mission the car is actually built for: excellent front sport seats, a genuinely quiet top-up cabin at highway speed, a well-controlled ride, a real 13.6 cu ft of luggage room, and roughly 420 miles between fills from the 15.6-gallon tank at 27 mpg combined. Reviewers describe the M440i version as a proper GT. It falls short of the top band because adaptive cruise and lane centering are a $1,700 option rather than standard equipment, and long stints for anyone in the back are not realistic.

xDrive all-wheel drive is available on the 430i and standard on the M440i, which makes the car a credible year-round or light-gravel proposition, and the roof-down experience has obvious appeal on a scenic road. Everything else is against it: minimal ground clearance, run-flat performance tires, no factory hitch, no roof rack possible on a fabric top, and no camping-friendly power or fold-flat load floor.

13.6 cu ft roof up is a strong number for a convertible and a through-loading hatch behind the rear seats takes longer items, but the practical picture is thinner than the figure suggests: stowing the top costs 3 cu ft, the aperture is L-shaped and awkward for tall objects, and with no roof rails and no hitch there is nowhere to put bulky gear that will not fit inside.

The CLAR chassis survives the roof-ectomy well: testers report the Convertible stays flat and composed with front-end grip equal to the Coupe's, and the M440i xDrive Convertible circles the skidpad at about 0.91 g. It is not the Coupe's equal, though — the open body is 'a bit more elastic' and less precise at the limit, and the extra ~300 lb of structure is felt in direction changes, which keeps it below the Z4 and well below a Miata on this item.

BMW's electric rack is quick, accurate and sensibly weighted — BMWBlog calls the M440i's a 'Goldilocks Zone' between leisurely and darty — but feedback is the weak link, and reviewers of the 430i Convertible specifically describe it as a little vague when the pace picks up. Variable Sport Steering with the M Sport package sharpens response without adding much genuine road texture.

Firm, linear pedal and strong hardware — the same setup that stops the M440i xDrive from 70 mph in roughly 149 ft, with the optional M Sport brakes on many cars adding fade resistance. The Convertible carries several hundred pounds more than the Coupe on the same brakes, which is why this sits a few points below the fixed-roof car's rating rather than at the top of the band.

The B48 2.0T and ZF 8HP combination is the class benchmark for drivability — prompt tip-in, a torque plateau from 1,550 rpm, and shifts you have to look for to notice — and the M440i's B58 adds a 48 V mild-hybrid system that makes stop/start nearly transparent. The volume 430i has no 48 V assist for 2023, so its auto-stop restart is the one slightly coarse moment in an otherwise seamless powertrain.

The B48 four is well isolated and makes 'pleasing turbo noises' under load without ever sounding special, while the M440i's B58 straight-six opens with an appealing bark and settles into a cultured idle. The open body is a mixed blessing here — roof down you hear more of a soundtrack that is worth hearing in the six and merely ordinary in the four.

Published curb-to-curb turning diameter of 37.4 ft (11.4 m) for the volume 430i Convertible — respectable given the 112.2-in wheelbase, and unchanged for 2023 as a carry-over year. M variants with wider front tires and different steering geometry turn a slightly larger circle.

Low, well-judged seating with a wide seat and wheel adjustment range, supportive sport seats, and the retained rotary iDrive controller keeping the most-used functions off the screen — all strengths. Against that, the roof-up rear three-quarter view is materially worse than the Coupe's, and cars built from March 2023 move the climate controls into touchscreen submenus, which is a step backwards for eyes-off operation in an open car.

A rear-biased chassis, an 18-second roof that works at 31 mph and a cabin calm enough to hold a conversation with the top down make this an easy car to take the long way home in — reviewers describe the M440i version as offering real 'serenity and joy'. It is a grand tourer rather than a sports car, though: the 255-hp four is overmatched by 4,034 lb, and buyers wanting the sharp end of the segment are pointed at the Coupe or the Z4.

The $55,500 430i Convertible arrives with a power soft top, Live Cockpit Pro navigation, sport seats, LED adaptive headlights and automatic climate control, but BMW still charges separately for heated seats and steering wheel, Comfort Access, parking assistance ($700) and adaptive cruise ($1,700) — content rivals increasingly fold into base price.

Fair rather than generous: $56,495 buys a 255-hp four-cylinder and a fabric roof, and a Mustang Convertible delivers far more performance per dollar — but within the luxury drop-top set the 4 Series matches Audi A5 Cabriolet and Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet pricing while out-driving both, and the M440i undercuts AMG/RS money for genuine six-cylinder pace.

Four factory configurations of the convertible alone — 430i and 430i xDrive with the 255-hp four, M440i and M440i xDrive with the 382-hp mild-hybrid six — spanning $55,500 to roughly $68,250, with rear- or all-wheel drive at both power levels and a deep options catalogue above that.

The 4 Series family was a strong seller in 2023 — roughly 37,000 US deliveries with the line growing sharply year over year — and stands as one of the best-selling luxury two-doors, though the convertible is a minority slice of that in a shrinking drop-top market.

BMW is a top-tier aspirational badge with a loyal following and strong residual support, and the roundel does real work for a car sold largely on image; the G22/G23's oversized kidney grille remains polarizing but that is a model-design argument rather than a drag on the brand.

Typical for a low-volume premium two-door: no broad cash on the hood, with buyer benefit coming through subvented BMW Financial lease and finance programs plus stackable loyalty, military and college-grad bonuses in the $1,000–$2,500 range.

2023 is the third year of the G23 generation launched for 2021 and a carry-over year — squarely mid-cycle, still on iDrive 7 and the pre-facelift body, with the LCI refresh (revised grilles and lights, 48V mild hybrid on the four-cylinder, Operating System 8.5) landing for 2025 and visible on the horizon for a 2023 buyer.

Solidly well-reviewed rather than decorated: critics praise the chassis, ride-handling balance and interior quality and rate it the driver's choice against A5, C-Class Coupe and Lexus RC, but the divisive grille, an unremarkable four-cylinder in the volume trim and steep options pricing keep it off the top step of comparison tests, and the generation collected no 10Best or NACTOY honors.