We’ll be lowering the lid on BMW’s entry-level 2 Series convertible, soaking up the sun, and answering any questions you may have about it.
It’s summer and you know what that means: It’s time for some top-down driving. We’re going to be doing as much of that as we can during the week that we have the keys to the 2017 BMW 230i Convertible.
The 230i is the entry-level model in BMW’s 2 Series Convertible lineup in the U.S. Both models of the rag-top 2, the 230i and the M240i, are available with rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. Only the M240i comes with turbocharged I6 power; our 230i tester packs a 248-horsepower/258-lb-ft 2.0-liter turbo I4, which is paired with an 8-speed Sport Automatic gearbox.
Base price for the RWD version of the 230i Convertible is $38,950. After BMW got done loading our review vehicle with features such as the heated seats and steering wheel of the Cold Weather Package, the rear view camera and Park Distance Control of the Driving Assistance Package, the Xenon illumination of the Lighting Package, the comforts and conveniences of the Premium Package, and the performance upgrades of the Track Handling Package, the as-tested price hit $53,870.
For the next seven days, we’ll be driving the 230i top-down, top-up, in Eco Pro mode, in Sport and Sport+, on back roads and highways, through drive-thrus and Texas heat. We’ll let the auto do its thing in its regular and sport settings; we’ll tell it what to do with the shift paddles, too. We’ll find out how much get-up-and-go the turbo I4 has and how much clamp-down-and-slow the M Sport brakes provide.
We won’t just be doing that for our enjoyment, though. We want to share what BMW’s diminutive droptop is like with you. If you have any questions about it, feel free to put them at the bottom of this post via Facebook, in the dedicated forum thread below, or on the 5Series.net Facebook page.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
