Last year BMW replaced the already-prestigious 6 Series with even more prestigious 8 Series. BMW 8 Series are available in coupe, convertible and soon Grand Coupe four-door body styles. The 2018 xDrive Convertible was worth $113,000, but the 2019 BMW M850i xDrive Convertible costs $130,745. Some reviewers have already called it an expensive bargain.
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The 2019 BMW M850i xDrive Convertible is expensive because not everyone can afford the $130,745 price tag. Yet, it’s a bargain for those looking for a convertible car like this because it’s closest competitor the 2019 Mercedes S Class Convertible is more expensive, the MSRP starting from $134,300. But it’s still more expensive than the Porsche 911, Jaguar F-Type and Lexus LC. Aston Martin and Bentley competitors are more expensive, but they offer flashier and unneeded luxury.
We will get back to the price, but now let’s look at the performance and the specs.
This is a heavy car. But what surprised me was how agile the M850i xDrive is on the road. It has an explosive power, performance and sound: especially as you start the car. It can sit four adults. It has a nice exterior and interior design and a very advanced infotainment system. The car rotates extremely well.
Some people think the external visibility is difficult, but I didn’t feel any of that. The car is expensive. Leg room in the 2nd row is limited for tall people.
Watch the complete walkaround of the 2019 BMW M850i Convertible and click to subscribe to Torque News Youtube channel for daily automotive news analysis.
This vehicle comes with 4-year 50,000 mile warranty. The rust perforation is a 12 year unlimited mileage warranty and the roadside assistance program is under a 4-year unlimited mileage warranty.
In the interior the sitting is excellent. But you may feel a little confined in the cabin, especially if you are sitting in the second row. This is because the roofline is low.
This car’s performance is very good. Despite its weight, the 2019 BMW M850i xDrive is surprisingly fast. You will be surprised hearing the sound of the engine.
The driving and handling is excellent. The open-air driving is very enjoyable on a good weather. The 850i xDrive is not a pure sports car, it’s a great grand touring car. But it still doesn’t stop it from being an incredibly powerful car.
The 2019 M850 xDrive features a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine producing 523 horsepower and 553 lb-ft between 1,800 and 4,600 RPM. Combined with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive, this engine gives this large convertible acceleration from 0 to 60 in 4.0 seconds. The 850i is slighly faster than both the 650i and M6 Cabriolet, which is also almost $132,000.
This vehicle gets 17 miles per gallon in the city and 26 on a highway. You are expected to spend $4,250 more in fuel costs over 5 years compared to the average new vehicle. However, for the first 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first on scheduled maintenance, the cost is $0.
Driving this BMW is available in different modes: Sport, Comfort, Eco Pro and Adaptive. The Sport and Eco Pro modes have individual configurations. Comfort mode provides a balanced tuning between dynamic and efficient driving. Sport mode provides more agility with optimized chassis and suspensions. As you can see the 2019 BMW M850i xDrive is full of character, but it can be equally sweet and quiet in Comfort mode, if you want a more relaxed driving. As you start the vehicle the Comfort mode is selected automatically and the selected driving mode is displayed in the dash instrument cluster.
As you drive the BMW 2019 M850 the engine literally roars, spits and groans, especially when the driving mode selector is set to Sport. This vehicle is full of character, but it can be equally quiet and relaxing in Comfort mode.
The interior of the 2019 BMW M850i Convertible xDrive is more sophisticated than in the previous 6 Series. The BMW engineers have adopted the new stylistic elements of the brand such as silver buttons and trims, more complex seat seams and beautifully looking aluminum loudspeaker screens.
A practical feature on most German convertibles is the ability to lower or raise the roof while the car is in motion. In the M850i xDrive, this can be done while running at a speed of up to 30 mph, which may save you some time.
The trunk space is not big. It's not good for a weekend getaway, but it depends what you want to take with you. In fact, if you lower the roof it will reduce the space even more.The trunk of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Convertible is larger. But the S-Class is a more expensive car.
So, is BMW 850i worth the additional expense compared the BMW 6 Series Convertible? This is a difficult question to answer because the 650i is almost as fast, as luxurious as the 850i. The 650i could cover long distances with the roof down with as much comfort as the M850i. I can say that the infotainment system and the overall multimedia is more modern inside the 850i xDrive. The neck warmer is a nice little feature too. But in my opinion, it's hard to justify the $20,000 increase in price.
However, as other 850i reviewers have noted the BMW 850i xDrive seems to be a bargain compared to the S-Class Convertible, sold from $169,000. The BMW I was testing was almost $132,000 and featured ventilated front seats, rich leather upholstery and a Bowers & Wilkins Diamond surround sound system. This vehicle was about $25k less than the Mercedes-Benz. The Jaguar F-TYPE SVR is comparable depending on the options, but it's a two-seater not a GT. All other rivals sell for $ 200,000 and up.
The BMW M850i Convertible delivers the performance, sound and luxury accommodations for the owner. It is far from affordable, but some of its competitors are much more expensive. Whether you can afford it or no, don't let material things become an obstacle between you and God.
Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube.
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