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AUTO REVIEW
And, truth be told, the convertible with the
top up lacks the coupe's graceful lines. Natu-
rally, if you love convertibles those disadvan-
tages won't matter much to you.
and rear views of the 4 are sleeker and Despite all that horsepower, the 435i does AUTO PROGRAM BENEFITS
sportier than on its four-door sibling. Over- surprisingly well at the pump, with fuel As always, the price you pay for a 435i will
all, the 4-series looks new, attractive and ath- economy that the EPA estimates at 20 MPG
letic, though it doesn’t quite manage to be as city/30 highway. Those numbers are less than depend greatly on which option packages
comfortably handsome as the A5. what you'll see with the turbo four-cylinder and stand-alone features you choose, but a
428i, but they're still respectable and no rea- final tab of $55k or so seems about right. Ask
Driving the 435i is another matter as it son to resign your Sierra Club membership. Phil Hornbeak (see contact information,
leaves the A5 in the dust thanks to superior below) for your best BCMS price as well as
weight distribution and a much better en- As hinted at above, the 4-series has an al- other member benefits before you buy this
gine. Yes, the Audi has a nice turbo four- most perfect 50-50 weight distribution or any other new or used car.
cylinder power plant that moves it along just which helps handling. No, the 435i isn't
fine, but that engine is nothing compared quite as sharp as the last-gen 335i convertible BMW may be following Audi's lead by
with BMW's delicious twin turbo in-line six. that it replaced, but I'd defy anyone to take changing the name of their 3-series-based
With a lusty 300 HP, 295 ft-lbs of torque, a 435i on their most challenging back road coupe to the 4-series, but making that switch
and a to-die-for exhaust note, this is a hall- and not be impressed. Composed, confident still makes sense and should result in more
of-fame engine, and I hope it's a long time and fast were the adjectives that came to sales, which is the point. It helps that the
before this jewel is replaced with a three- mind when I took my test car on a spirited 435i comes in coupe and convertible ver-
cylinder diesel hybrid or some other such jaunt on a twisty back road near my home. sions, both of which sport a delightful in-line
nonsense. The sound and potency of this en- six. If your curiosity is piqued, call Phil.
gine are quite something to experience, and The 435i convertible uses a folding hardtop
I'd grab it while you can before fuel economy rather than one made of canvas, and that's a Steve Schutz, MD, is a
and emission standards take it away as they mixed blessing. A folding hardtop helps keep board-certified gastroenterol-
have so many normally aspirated V8s. the cabin quiet when the top is up but takes ogist who lived in San Anto-
up a lot of trunk space when the top is down. nio in the 1990s when he was
stationed here in the U.S. Air
Force. He has been writing auto reviews for San
Antonio Medicine since 1995.
For more information on the BCMS
Auto Program, call Phil Hornbeak at 301-
4367 or visit www.bcms.org.
visit us at www.bcms.org 41
