2009 BMW 3 Series Convertible

When it comes to power, "there's no going wrong with any of the engines available in the 2009 BMW 3 Series," Edmunds.com says. The BMW 328i convertible (*Est. $44,550) provides plenty of smooth power with its base 230-horsepower, 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder, and average fuel economy for its class: 18 mpg city, 28 mpg highway and 21 combined with the six-speed manual transmission (22 mpg combined with the six-speed automatic).

For speed freaks, the BMW 335i convertible (*Est. $50,700) boasts a twin-turbo version of the 3.0-liter inline six that packs 300 horsepower. Car and Driver calls it "a rocket." Testers at Edmunds.com Inside Line find themselves referring to it simply as "the Engine." Fuel economy falls just a bit, to 20 mpg in mixed driving with either transmission (17 mpg city and 26 mpg highway).

Both 3 Series convertible models include similar standard equipment, including upscale touches like a memory driver's seat, automatic temperature control and interior wood trim. Sun-reflective leather seats come standard on the 335i convertible; they're optional on the 328i.

Despite standard side airbags, the BMW 3 Series convertible does only a "marginal" job protecting occupants in a side crash, tests at the independent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show. The test mimics a pickup or SUV hitting the convertible in the side at 31 mph. For the driver, "rib fractures would be possible," according to IIHS. "In addition, loading to the shoulder was excessive." The backseat crash dummy's head hit the interior trim, indicating that "head protection is inadequate."

Two lower-priced front-wheel-drive convertibles get better safety ratings: the Volvo C70 (*Est. $39,800) and Saab 9-3 convertible (*Est. $42,130 to $51,330). However, neither comes close to the performance and reliability of the 3 Series. Only the midengined Porsche Boxster (*Est. $46,600 to $56,700) drives better than the BMW for a comparable price, experts say, but the Boxster sports car has just two seats and a soft top. A less expensive BMW four-seater, the BMW 1 Series convertible (*Est. $34,000 to $40,150), offers the same engines as the 3 Series in a smaller, soft-top package. The BMW 3 Series convertible carries four-year, 50,000-mile basic and powertrain warranties.

Although the BMW 3 Series wins numerous best or recommended awards from a variety of sources, road-test reviews that describe the experience of driving the 3 Series convertible -- including those at ConsumerReports.org, Car and Driver, ConsumerGuide.com and Automobile Magazine -- are the most informative. We found less convertible-centric information in the 3 Series tests at Edmunds.com and Cars.com. The 2009 BMW 3 Series convertible has not been crash tested by the U.S. government, but the nonprofit IIHS provides safety ratings based on its crash test of the nearly identical 2007 model. Official fuel-economy ratings can be found at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's website, FuelEconomy.gov.