BMW 2 Series Convertible review - Practicality, comfort and boot space
Folding roof means boot space is limited, while rear seats are very small
Although there’s plenty of room for the driver, plus good seat and steering adjustment to get a great driving position, rear passengers get a raw deal. With the rear seats shuffled forward compared to the coupe to make way for the hood mechanism and storage, there’s very little legroom – even kids will feel cramped.
Like most modern cabriolets, there are only two chairs in the rear, too, meaning you'll need to choose something else if you want to transport four friends. Visibility is compromised as well, due to the small aperture out the back. Speccing a reversing camera helps, however.
Climbing in and out isn’t the easiest in spite of the doors opening wider, especially with the hood up. Boot space at 280 litres when the hood’s folded away is pretty miserly. With the roof up you get 335 litres, which isn’t much more than in a supermini, while the shape of the boot is a bit awkward. The Coupe gets a 390-litre boot.
Size
The BMW 2 Series Convertible shares its footprint with the Coupe, and is a little over 4.4m long. It's 1.77m wide and 1.41m high, which gives it almost exactly the same dimensions as the Audi A3 Cabriolet. If you are concerned about parking in tight gaps then an Audi TT Roadster is smaller – but it has two less seats, as well.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
Space in the back is compromised due to the fact the rear chairs have been pushed forward to accommodate the roof mechanism. With the roof up there's very little head room, too, and even shorter adults will find their scalp rubbing the rooflining.
Boot
Despite using a fabric roof instead of a more complex metal hardtop, the BMW 2 Series Convertible sacrifices some boot space for the folding mechanism. That means the 335-litre boot shrinks to just 280 litres with the top stowed. The Coupe is considerably more practical, with a spacious 390-litre boot.
