The Perfect Open-Air Sports Car

I bought my 2002 M3 Convertible slightly used, with 15,000 miles on it. The steel-gray color is beautiful and by far the best color out there -- cooler looking than the carbon black and FAR better than the boring, too-common silver.

I opted for the 6-speed instead of SMG, and am utterly glad I did. SMG's are causing problems for people, and let's be honest -- none of us are racing our cars, so we don't need to "shift like F1 drivers." Also, stay away from the Navigation system. It sucks.

The car rides perfectly with the top down. It is superior to any convertible I've ever driven, including Porsches and Ferraris. The sound of the exhaust is exhilerating. It handles briskly and accelerates ferociously. Its braking abilities are enough to make your eyeballs bulge. The suspension, which seems stiff at times, is perfect for sliding around corners and ripping away from wannabes trying to keep up with you. It even has a back seat, so you can scare the living bejeezus out of your toddlers.

Put the top up, and you lose the wonderful open-air feel. It becomes austere and comfortable, instead of carefree and crazy. With the top up, the suspension suddenly feels too stiff, probably because whatever required the top to be put up (weather, wife, etc.) also required a more tame driving style. The top also rattles a bit, and dealers have difficulty curing this incessant problem. The solution: turn up the stereo.

Gas mileage for me has been a respectable 24.5 combined. The car has been completely trouble free. Overall, it is a delight to own and drive. As long as the weather is good. If I lived where the sun don't shine, I would probably stick to a coupe.