Video: 2008 BMW 1 Series

Let's take a look at what BMW's smallest convertible has to offer. With its twin kidney grill, and four headlights with illuminated rings, the 1 Series is unmistakably a BMW from the front. Where it differs from models like the 3 Series and 6 Series is that it's whole grill is more upright in appearance than those models, which have a sleeker look. I'm not quite sold on the face of this car yet, but I'm sure you have your own opinion. The 1 Series comes with a power operated cloth soft top, and when it's off, it's pretty quiet when you're inside driving the car. The top is fully automatic, so at the push of a button, it's lowers into a well in the trunk and it goes down pretty quickly and quietly. And when stowed in the trunk, it doesn't take up a lot of your cargo space, so you still have room for carrying a small bag. Where the 1 Series does have a lot of sleekness is in its shoulder line, which stays basically horizontal as you go back towards the rear of the car. A lot of cars, when they're turned into convertibles, they lose some of that sleekness, because they bump up the back to make room for the top. BMW has done a good job here of keeping the sleek look and it looks pretty good with the top down. The 1 Series is available with two inline, six cylinder engines. There's the 230 horsepower version you see here, in the 128i. And there's also a twin turbo one that makes 300 horsepower in the 135i, and that car is covered in a separate video, but the 230 horsepower engine feels plenty strong in a car for this size, and with its rear wheel drive architecture, it gives the car a nice natural balanced feel when you're driving it. If you're a taller driver, you may be wondering, well, how's the inside of the 1 Series? It looks like a pretty small car on the outside. Well, I'm six feet, one inches tall, and the cabin fits me pretty well. It's a little cozy, for sure, but it's not cramped by any means. And even though this is BMW's entry-level car, technically, it can have pretty upscale features, like nice gray poplar wood trim on the dash and doors, and also pretty nice leather sport seats like this model has. The 1 Series is technically a four-person car, but just take a look at the backseat. Would you want to ride there? One of the best things about the 1 Series convertible is that it gives you the connected driving experience of a 3 Series convertible for a lot less cash. This model starts at about $10,000 less than a 328i convertible. Now, it's not hard, though, to raise the price quickly. And this model here comes at a tested price of about $43,000. That's pretty steep. For additional information on this car or any other, go to Cars.com and our blog, Kicking Tires.