I was driving the only BMW in town last Saturday – a 2014 435i retractable-hardtop convertible.
The “town” was Stoneham, at the far east edge of Weld County, celebrating its 125th anniversary.
The new BMW 4 series, which replaces the 335i convertible, was structurally tight and a good handler on a windy drive out east on Colo. 14.
Ties to Stoneham are strong; the little community was bustling with hundreds of visiting partygoers, belying its population of only 125. My invite was for the fact I wrote the book, “Wild Horse Jerry,” detailing the life of a colorful character of that area from the 1870s until he was shot to death from ambush in 1910.
BMW’s popular 3.0-liter TwinPower turbocharged inline-6-cylinder engine and 8-speed automatic transmission delivered us quickly and smoothly, even in the blowing conditions, to the celebration.
It also began a countdown toward change of routine for me, as The Post will discontinue my Saturday Drive and Inside the Showroom columns after next weekend.
In addition to the 435i, the convertible is available as a 428i with turboed 4-cylinder engine and 6-speed manual transmission.
The fun of piloting the rear-drive, 300-horsepower 435i review model jumps a notch higher by pushing the sport-set button and appreciating stiffer suspension, tighter steering and quickened shifts from the paddles at the steering wheel. It also adds some growl from the dual exhausts.
Overall fuel-mileage average for the convertible was 23.5 of premium gas; it carries an EPA estimate of 20/30. When I tested the coupe version of the same model in December, it averaged 25.5.
Out on the road, with the top in place, the interior of the 435 is very quiet. To park the car and open the top is quite a spectacle, as the three-piece top separates, folds and drops into the rear trunk space in 20 seconds. With the top down, this one may be driven in cooler temps than previous Bimmer convertibles, for the new model has heaters beneath the head restraints to blow warm air on the necks of the front-seat occupants. This is a feature introduced by Mercedes-Benz several years ago.
Highlighting the comfortable cabin are dakota saddle brown leather and dark burl walnut wood trim. Electronic offerings are controlled by an iDrive system which has been simplified over the years. Though headroom and legroom are limited in the back seat, a full-depth seat cushion adds comfort. The rear seat cushion is chopped short in some convertibles.
Sticker price on the 435i reached $65,775 with the addition of these optional packages:
Luxury- 19-inch alloy wheels, wood trim, top-speed limiter; Cold Weather- heated steering wheel, neck warmer, retractable headlight washers; Driver Assistance-rearview camera, park-distance control; Dynamic Handling- adaptive M suspension, variable sport steering; Premium- lumbar support, satellite radio; Technology-Navigation, head-up display, enhanced Bluetooth and Smartphone.
The model I drove to Stoneham really wasn’t the only BMW there – I spotted another Beemer (a motorcycle), part of a large charity poker run from Akron to Fort Morgan to New Raymer to Stoneham to Sterling and back to Akron.
The vastness of Weld County was exemplified by the long drive to Stoneham. To drive from there, on the eastern edge of the county, to Mead, on the western edge, would cover around 105 miles. I, of course, stopped at Greeley.
A look back
Thirty-five years ago this week, I reviewed in The Denver Post the 1979 Pontiac Trans Am. Excerpts:
The big 403 and 400-cubic-inch V-8 engines are on their way out of the popular Pontiac Trans Am. The arrival of the ’80 models in about three months will be with smaller power plants; standard is expected to be a 301-cubic-inch V-8. The ’79 Trans Am is one of the few performance autos still on the market. The 3,600-pound car is among the best in handling and either engine offers excellent acceleration. The 400 comes with 4-speed manual transmission and the 403 with automatic. They are equipped with four-barrel carburetors and dual exhausts, which give off a deep rumbling sound. A weekend test of a 403 was impressive in cornering and steering, particularly on a drive up and down Lookout Mountain. No one buys a Firebird Trans Am for a soft ride and high fuel mileage; the mountain drive and some in-town miles gave an average of 12.6 miles per gallon. Adding appeal to the Trans Am are the big eagle decal on the hood and black taillight treatment. Window sticker price of the test car, borrowed from Colvin Pontiac, was $8,691.45, with such features as power windows, power door locks, AM/FM stereo with eight-track, and tilt steering wheel. The Trans Am version of the Pontiac Firebird was introduced in 1969.
