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BMW dominates among four-seat convertibles

It isn't cheap, but the 2011 BMW 3 Series Convertible (Base MSRP: $45,500 to $58,700) offers the total package, reviews say. It has good looks, true sports-car performance, seating for four and a hard top that you can put up or down by pressing a button. Unlike many other convertibles, you can actually see out the back window -- a touch that testers particularly appreciate. It's also one of the most reliable convertibles you can buy, according to one major owner survey.

In fact, experts have to look hard to find any flaws with the BMW 3 Series -- but there are a few. First, it suffers from the usual convertible space shortage. The front seats are supremely comfortable, testers say, but the back seat is cramped and so is the trunk. Second, the 3 Series convertible isn't as safe in a crash as some of its rivals, according to independent tests at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. And finally, it's expensive.

However, if you love to drive, experts agree that the BMW 3 Series convertible is worth the extra coin. ConsumerGuide.com calls its precise handling "second to none," and Edmunds.com and Car and Driver magazine liken its base inline-six engine to silk. It's plenty powerful, but BMW also offers a turbocharged version that's "a rocket," according to Car and Driver magazine.

If you want to save some money -- and you don't need much of a back seat -- experts also like the entry-level 2011 BMW 1 Series Convertible (Base MSRP: $34,500 to $40,650). The 1 Series is about 8 inches shorter than the BMW 3 series; 6-foot-plus testers fit in the front seat, but "the back seat is the size of an infant's bathtub," according to Jalopnik.com. The 1 Series also cuts costs by using a power cloth top instead of the 3 Series' power hard top. Although ConsumerGuide.com says the soft top is well insulated, you'll get more wind noise -- and less rear visibility -- than with the hard top. When the 1 Series first debuted in 2008, critics made fun of its "pot-bellied pig" appearance, but those complaints evaporated as testers discovered that the 1 Series offers exactly the same powerful engines as the pricier 3 Series, with similarly superb ride and handling quality.

Four-seat convertibles from Infiniti, Audi, Volvo and Mercedes are competitive  

BMWs handily beat all rivals in the upscale convertible segment. Still, other luxury marques have offerings that are sound alternatives. The BMW's stiffest competition in reviews comes from the 2011 Infiniti G37 Convertible (Base MSRP: $45,000 to $57,250), which is based on the respected G37 coupe. Experts say Infiniti didn't simply chop the roof off of the coupe, but instead thoroughly reinforced the body and engineered the retractable hard top to fold up as small as possible. The added weight slows the convertible down a little bit compared to the G37 coupe -- and compared to the BMW competition -- but testers say the G37 convertible is still quite quick, nimble and fun. What keeps it from being a truly equal competitor is its comparatively less polished execution that Motor Trend describes as "ragged around the edges," referring to its more noisy cabin and harsher drivetrain.

The 2011 Audi A5 Cabriolet (Base MSRP: $42,450 to $44,650) and its sportier brother, the 2011 Audi S5 Cabriolet (Base MSRP: $59,050), are also favorites among reviewers, giving  BMW a run for its money. That's because the A5/S5  offers a lot to like: a "lushly detailed and loaded with features" cabin according to Motor Trend magazine, copious amounts of grip thanks to Audi's famous all-wheel drive and styling that led an Edmunds.com reviewer to describe it as a "love-at-first-sight kind of ride." Some reviewers wish the base 4-cylinder turbo engine in the A5 had more oomph (the S5's 300-horsepower V6 doesn't have that problem), and the Audi models are only offered with a soft top. The Audi A5 and S5 do carry high prices, similar to that of the competing 2011 BMW 3 Series, which usually finishes ahead of the Audis in comparison tests.

The 2011 Volvo C70 (Base MSRP: $39,950) has different merits than other luxury offerings. Reviews say it's uncommonly sleek for a Volvo ("sexy," according to Edmunds.com). In true Volvo fashion, it is also very safe in crash tests and relatively roomy. Only small adults will fit in the back seat, but the C70 boasts nearly 13 cubic feet of trunk space with the push-button hard top up -- almost as much as a Honda Accord -- and at least enough room for two golf bags with the top down. If safety and cargo space are more important to you than corner-carving speed, experts say the C70, which receives attractive new styling for 2011, is a solid pick.

Other models in this class have their high points, but don't seem to generate as much enthusiasm from reviewers. The 2011 Lexus IS C (Base MSRP: $38,490 to $43,940) is a comfortable, polished and quiet retractable-hard-top cruiser, but it has blander styling with driving dynamics to match. The also-ran of the segment, the 2010 Saab 9-3 convertible (Base MSRP: $39,990 to $45,080), is an aging design with a disproportionately high price, despite a drop in MSRP for the 2010 model year. Expect a completely redesigned model for 2012, under the new ownership of supercar maker Spyker.

At a higher price point, the 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible (Base MSRP: $53,645), a variant of the Ford Mustang convertible, offers supercar levels of power from its 550-horsepower, supercharged 5.4-liter V8 engine, along with the regular amenities found in more pedestrian Mustangs. The Shelby GT500 still has seating for four (the back seat's a tight squeeze, though), but its main mission is to maximize performance. Fewer reviews and comparison tests exist for the GT500 convertible; most testers wring out the coupe.

The brand new 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet (Base MSRP: $56,850 to $64,800) is too new to see any major comparison tests, but initial reviews are favorable. The Mercedes-Benz is a stylish ride that has plenty of comfort, on-road manners and technology to coddle its passengers, along with a high price tag. Two new features help Mercedes-Benz back up its claim that this is truly a "four-seasons convertible": Aircap and Airscarf. Both technologies strive to make the cabin a climate-controlled space for its occupants. Aircap pushes flowing air higher over the windshield to create a more isolated passenger compartment with the top down, and Airscarf blows temperature-controlled air on the back of passengers' necks to regulate temperature. The technologies seem to work well enough based on reviews, and surely they will be a hit with the price-is-no-option crowd seeking innovative luxury.

Porsche Boxster: Best two-seater convertible

Reviewers struggle to describe just how fantastic the 2011 Porsche Boxster (Base MSRP: $47,600 to $61,200) feels to drive. A recent Motor Trend magazine comparison test simply begins with the line "The Boxster S is the very best roadster you can get for the money." Edmunds.com settles on "sublime," but Autoblog.com's Michael Harley simply gives up and says you must drive this roadster to understand. "It's been said ad infinitum. I will say it again: No other automaker has distilled the thrill of driving as perfectly as Porsche," writes fellow Autoblog.com reviewer Jonathon Ramsey.

Part of the Porsche Boxster's brilliance lies in its design, critics say. The smooth flat-six engine and its midmounted configuration help give the Boxster exceptional balance. Testers love both the six-speed manual transmission and the new seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) automated manual -- "possibly the best automated manual in the world," Edmunds.com says.

To save weight, the Boxster sticks with a glass-windowed power soft top. Practical-minded reviewers say that it's noisier and less versatile than a retractable hard top, but driving enthusiasts won't care. In this price range, even the sport-minded Porsche Boxster offers quite a bit of comfort and luxury, reviewers say -- although Porsche charges extra for pretty much everything. For greater creature comforts, you can choose a rival two-seater from Mercedes-Benz, Audi or BMW, but critics say none can match that "Porsche feeling" of being one with the car.

The new 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder joins the lineup and builds on the excellence of the Boxster S, adding more power (320 horsepower) while cutting weight to be the lightest Boxster of all. To get there, the Spyder nixes the power hard top in favor of a complicated manual top, and the base specification omits both a radio and air conditioning (they can be added as options). Porsche even gets rid of the interior door handles; instead, passengers tug on a fabric cord to disengage the latch. The Spyder's concessions may make it too hardcore for some, but enthusiasts use only superlatives when discussing it. Jalopnik.com calls it the best-handling Porsche vehicle in the lineup.

The Porsche's corporate cousins, the 2011 Audi TT Roadster (Base MSRP: $41,300) and 2011 Audi TTS Roadster (Base MSRP: $50,000), and the rival 2011 BMW Z4 (Base MSRP: $46,500 to $61,550) all play second fiddle to the Boxster, reviews say. The TT is available with all-wheel drive, and the Z4 has a retractable hard top, but these cars fall short of equaling the Porsche Boxster's clairvoyant abilities, and reviewers say that while good, they're simply less engaging to drive than the Porsche.