If you are looking for a compact, premium convertible seating four, your decision should almost come down to two cabriolets from Bavaria: the new BMW 2 Series Convertible and still very young Audi A3 Cabriolet. Both models compete for the same customer and at a first glance over a very similar package.
Furthermore, both lines come with a top, super sporty model: the BMW M235i from the 2 Series Convertible family and the Audi S3 Cabrio from the A3 line-up.
While the Munich-based cabriolet runs on the dynamic rear-wheel drive architecture, the respective Ingolstadt-based offering drives the wheels via a front-wheel drive platform. Both cars can also be ordered with an all-wheel drive configuration.
The dimensions of the two cabriolets are remarkably similar: the 2 Series Cabrio is 1.1 centimeters longer while the wheelbase is also 3 centimeters longer. The Audi holds just under 2 centimeters more width and 4 millimeters less height.
When looking specifically at the top offerings, the M235i and S3, and their performance, the BMW compact convertible runs from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.0 to 5.2 seconds, depending on the transmission, while the Audi S3 reports a standard sprint of 5.4 seconds with the all-wheel drive Quattro.
Price wise, the two are also very similar, 48,900 euros for the M235i and 49,470 euros for the S3.
The Audi S3 Cabrio, however, comes with the S-tronic standard, while the M235i customers need to pay for the optional eight-speed automatic.
Here is a visual comparison of the two cars:
