Skip to footer

Top 10 cars for summer

4. BMW 1-Series Convertible

Courtesy of BMW/File
The 300 hp. turbocharged BMW 135i is more expensive and offers slightly less frugal fuel economy than the 128i, but substantially more spirited performance.

  • By Andrew P. Collins Contributor

With the universally loved 3-Series having moved steadily upmarket since it became “hip-to-be-square” around 1985, the 1-Series has finally stepped in to take its place as BMW’s entry-level offering.

Just because the 1-Series is relatively inexpensive does not mean it’s cheap. The same razor-sharp handling, legendary steering-feel, and premium build quality that define the BMW lineup is present here, albeit with a few less pounds of sound-deadening material.

But you won’t miss that sound-suppressant, because you’ll want to savor every second you get to spend listening to the brilliantly dialed-in engine under the hood of the 128i or more powerful 135i.

The 128i Convertible starts pricing at just under $37,000, and returns 22 m.p.g. in mixed driving. The naturally aspirated inline 6 pushes 230 hp. to the rear wheels. For $5,000 more, you can get into the 300 hp. turbocharged 135i, which offers slightly less frugal fuel economy but substantially more spirited performance. For those who really want to dial up the fun, an “M Sport Package” is available that increases top speed, dresses up the interior, and fits some slightly sleeker bodywork. But these options increase the price quickly. So, if you’re seeking a BMW with the brand’s Motorsport-level performance, you’d be best served searching the preowned market.

However, one major advantage that new BMW owners will experience is the “Ultimate Service” package; a four-year/50,000 mile maintenance program that covers all consumables and scheduled maintenance, as well as provides unlimited roadside assistance in addition to the standard warranty. Now, if only they’d pay for gas!

4 of 10
Mark Sappenfield
Editor

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”

If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.

We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.

Subscribe to insightful journalism

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.