Used BMW 4 Series Convertible for sale: everything you need to know

The latest generation of BMW 4 Series Convertible arrived in 2021. You won’t fail to miss it on the road, thanks to one of the more dramatic interpretations of BMW’s familiar grille design, but that’s far from the only feature that defines the latest 4 Series drop-top.

It’s a typically well-rounded product from BMW, well-built, packed with the latest equipment, and good to drive too, feeling more enthusiastic than many of its rivals without losing out on comfort or practicality.

The Audi A5 Cabriolet and Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet have both disappeared from sale while the latest 4 Series Convertible has been on the market, so while they make fine alternatives to a BMW that’s a few years older, there’s less choice if you’re shopping nearly-new.

Should you buy a BMW 4 Series Convertible?

The latest BMW 4 Series Convertible is a car for people who aren’t afraid to stand out. Not just because drop-top convertibles typically invite the gaze of passers-by slightly more than fixed-roof cars, but also because in its latest iteration, the 4 Series gets BMW’s large and imposing kidney grille design - referred to in some quarters as the “beaver-tooth” grille.

So it has visual impact, and it’s up to you to decide whether that’s the face you want to project to the world. If you do, you’ll find a car that’s just as talented as the coupe it’s based on - one that’s good to drive, well built, and well-equipped.

BMW has offered four engines so far though two of those, the 430i and 420d, were dropped just a few years after the model’s debut, so the 420i and M440i will likely be easier to find used going forward. The lighter four-cylinder petrol versions have the nimblest handling, but the six-cylinder in the M440i produces the most evocative noise.

All are refined and the soft top does a good job of insulating noise, though wide tyres mean road roar is probably the most prominent sound you’ll hear at a steady cruise. You could always drown it out with the infotainment, which remains one of the easiest modern systems to use.

The Audi A5 Cabriolet and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet are the two closest rivals to the 4 Series Convertible, though as neither manufacturer offers these models new any more, you’ll likely be looking at older cars than the equivalent 4 Series. As a left-field choice, the Ford Mustang Convertible is appealing (especially with a V8).

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What’s the best used BMW 4 Series Convertible model to buy?

Convertibles like the 4 Series invite a slightly less rational approach than you might apply when shopping for a saloon, estate, or SUV, so we’d be tempted to point you in the direction of the M440i xDrive, whose tuneful inline six engine is even easier to appreciate with the roof down, and it doesn’t have the fuel economy gulf you might expect to the four-cylinder models.

As far as trim levels go, there’s not a lot of choice: it’s M Sport for most, and with the M440i you get an M Sport-based trim which has largely the same equipment and styling features as the others in the range. Just keep an eye open for cars loaded with options.

Used BMW 4 Series Convertible fuel economy and performance

• BMW 4 Series Convertible 420i: The 2-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine in the 420i develops 184PS, and powers the rear wheels through a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox. 0-62mph comes up in 8.2 seconds and combined fuel consumption is up to 41.5mpg.
• BMW 4 Series Convertible 430i: The 430i didn’t last long but used the same 2-litre turbo four as the 420i, but tuned to 258PS, for 0-62mph in 6 seconds flat, and 40.4mpg combined.
• BMW 4 Series Convertible 420d: Another model already gone from the new car lineup, the 420d uses a 190PS 2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel, getting from 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds and returning up to 57.6mpg.
• BMW 4 Series Convertible M440i xDrive: M440i variants get a 3-litre turbocharged inline six petrol engine with 374PS, again using an eight-speed auto but this time driving through all four wheels. The 0-62mph time drops to 4.9 seconds and BMW claims 34.4mpg combined economy.

What used BMW 4 Series Convertible trim levels are available?

The 4 Series Convertible range is as yet fairly slim, with M Sport trim offered on the 420i, 430i and 420d, and the M440i as a standalone model - albeit one with very similar equipment levels to the M Sport, and only a few visual differences to mark it out before options are added. Larger wheels and the M Sport Pro pack, which trades chrome exterior elements for gloss black.

• The BMW 4 Series Convertible M Sport gets 18-inch alloy wheels as standard, along with an M Sport styling package, black Vernasca leather with blue stitching, aluminium interior trim elements, LED headlights, BMW’s Live Cockpit Plus curved infotainment and instrument display (in later models - earlier cars have separate displays), sports seats, two-zone air conditioning, cruise control, and front and rear parking sensors.
• The BMW 4 Series Convertible M440i offers broadly the same equipment as the regular M Sport versions, but gets the M Sport Pro black exterior styling pack, and perforated Sensatec artificial leather seat facings.

Used BMW 4 Series Convertible dimensions and boot size

The BMW 4 Series Convertible’s dimensions are:

• Length: 4768mm
• Width: 1852mm (without mirrors), 2081mm (with mirrors)
• Height: 1384mm

The BMW 4 Series Convertible’s boot size is:

• 385 litres

Used BMW 4 Series Convertible road tax

4 Series Convertibles cost comfortably more than £40,000 new, which means all are subject to a tax surcharge applied to more expensive vehicles. At the moment, that means paying £570 per year in tax from the car’s second year on the road to its sixth, before dropping to a lower rate after that.

How much is it to insure a BMW 4 Series Convertible?

The 420i should be cheapest to insure, with a starting group of 32 (out of 50), while the 420d jumps up to group 36. The 430i takes another few steps up to group 38, while the range-topping M440i xDrive has a group 42 rating. A Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet starts around a similar point, with a lowest insurance group of 33.