What_Car_UK_-_August_2020

88 August 2020 whatcar.com

A little off

the top

THECONTENDERS LET’S FACE IT: we could probably all do with

something to put a smile on our faces at the

moment, and what could be more energising

and involving than punting a really good

convertible car down a winding country lane?

To buy the best of these new, though, can cost

an awful lot of money, so what we’ve done here

is to get three-year-old examples of two of the

fi nest together: the Audi A5 Cabriolet and the

BMW 4 Series Convertible. Buy either of these

two at this age and the savings on the original

prices are quite substantial, so you can park

one outside your house for the same money as

a new family hatchback would cost you.

But which is the one to buy? Well, both of the

cars we’re looking at are powered by petrol and

are dressed in their makers’ sportiest fi nery, so

you couldn’t ask for a fairer fi ght.

AudiA5Cabriolet

2.0TFSI 252 quattroS lineS tronic

Listpricewhennew£46,180

Pricetoday£21,400

Availablefrom2017-present

Oneofthebestdrop-topsin itsclass,but

howdoesit stackupasa usedbuy?

DRIVING

Performance, ride, handling, re nement

Both cars have 2.0-litre petrol engines that

pump out a whisker under 250bhp, but

the BMW’s folding metal roof gives it a

considerable weight penalty over the fabric-

roofed A5. It’s not surprising, then, that the

latter builds speed more swiftly. The A5’s four-

wheel drive also helps it to scamper away from

the mark quicker than the rear-wheel-drive

4 Series – especially when the road is damp.

The 4 Series’ engine sounds gruff when you

accelerate and you feel vibrations coursing

through the steering wheel and pedals. By

comparison, the A5’s engine is silky smooth

and sounds sweeter, even when you push it

hard to make the most of its power.

The Audi A5

Cabriolet and

BMW 4 Series

Convertible can

be a snip if you

buy used, but

which of the two

is a cut above?

Photography: John Bradshaw

BMW 4 Series Convertible

430i M Sport auto

List price when new £43,180

Price today £19,700

Available from 2014-present

A favourite of ours for ages, it drops under

the £20k barrier when bought at this age.

Price today is based on a 2017 model with average mileage

and full service history, correct at time of writing

USED CARS