4 Series Research for Northern California
2027 BMW 4 Series Coupe vs Convertible vs Gran Coupe in Northern California
One nameplate, three cars. Four doors and five seats, two doors and the quickest times, or a roof that folds in ten seconds.
The 2027 BMW 4 Series is one nameplate sold as three different cars, and they are not steps in a hierarchy. The Gran Coupe, the Coupe and the Convertible share both engines, the same eight-speed gearbox, the same cabin and the same standard equipment. What changes is the number of doors, the number of seats, the size of the trunk and whether the roof comes off. Nobody moves up from one to another; they choose between them.
BMW of Napa Valley sells all three. They are set out below in price order, with the case for each. If you can drive two of them back to back in Fairfield, do that, because this is a decision that gets made in the seat rather than on a page.
The Three Bodies
- Gran Coupe, from $51,200. Four doors, five seats, 16.6 cu ft.
- Coupe, from $53,300. Two doors, four seats, 15.5 cu ft, quickest of the three.
- Convertible, from $61,300. Power soft top, 13.6 cu ft roof up and 10.6 roof down.
- All three: same two engines, same gearbox, rear-wheel drive or xDrive.
2027 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe vs Coupe vs Convertible: Overview
The Gran Coupe is the four-door. It rides on a 112.4-inch wheelbase, BMW rates it for five occupants, and it carries 16.6 cubic feet with a hatchback-style opening and folding rear seats. It is the least expensive way into a 4 Series at $51,200, and it is the only one of the three that a family can use without negotiation.
The Coupe is the two-door the car is named after. 187.9 inches long on a 112.2-inch wheelbase, four seats, 15.5 cubic feet, and the lowest roofline of the three. It is also the quickest in every engine: 5.6 seconds to 60 mph as a 430i and 4.2 seconds as an M440i xDrive, and it returns the best economy in the family at 31 mpg combined.
The Convertible is the same car with a power soft top that raises or lowers in about ten seconds at speeds up to 30 mph. It trades trunk space and a couple of tenths for open air: 13.6 cubic feet with the roof up, 10.6 once it is stowed, and 6.0 seconds to 60 mph in a 430i.
Powertrain and Performance Compared
| Body | 430i | 430i xDrive | M440i | M440i xDrive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gran Coupe | 5.8 sec | 5.7 sec | 4.6 sec | Available |
| Coupe | 5.6 sec | 5.4 sec | 4.6 sec | 4.2 sec |
| Convertible | 6.0 sec | 5.9 sec | 5.0 sec | 4.6 sec |
Every body takes both engines: the 255-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo four with 295 lb-ft, or the 386-horsepower 3.0-liter turbo inline-six with 398 lb-ft. Both drive the rear wheels as standard with xDrive available. The spread across all three bodies on the same engine is four tenths of a second, which is smaller than the way they look would suggest.
Pricing Compared
| Body | 430i | 430i xDrive | Seats | Trunk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gran Coupe | $51,200 | $53,200 | 5 | 16.6 cu ft |
| Coupe | $53,300 | $55,300 | 4 | 15.5 cu ft |
| Convertible | $61,300 | $63,300 | 4 | 13.6 / 10.6 cu ft |
Prices are BMW's starting MSRPs and exclude destination, taxes, title and registration. The Gran Coupe undercuts the Coupe by $2,100 and the Convertible sits $10,100 above the Gran Coupe, like for like.
Where Each Body Wins
The Gran Coupe
It is the only 4 Series that seats five, and BMW rates it that way rather than treating the back as occasional. Real rear doors mean a child seat goes in without folding a front seat forward, and the hatchback-style opening over 16.6 cubic feet swallows things a conventional trunk lid will not. It rides on a wheelbase two tenths of an inch longer than the Coupe's, and it costs the least of the three. If you want a 4 Series to be the only car in the household, this is the one built for that job.
The Coupe
It is the shape the model exists for, and it is the quickest and most efficient of the three in every engine. 5.6 seconds to 60 mph as a 430i, 4.2 as an M440i xDrive, and 31 mpg combined at the entry point. The lower roofline and the frameless doors are the reason people want a coupe in the first place, and 15.5 cubic feet is more trunk than the profile suggests. If the car is for you and one passenger and you want it to feel special every time you get in, this is the one built for that.
The Convertible
It does the thing neither of the others can do. The power soft top opens in about ten seconds at up to 30 mph, which means you can drop it at a light on Highway 29 rather than planning around it. On the run up the Silverado Trail on a clear afternoon, that is the entire argument and it is a good one. It carries 13.6 cubic feet with the roof up, which is enough for two people's weekend, and it is the only 4 Series that changes character with the weather. If you are buying the car for how the drive feels rather than what it hauls, this is the one built for that.
Which 2027 BMW 4 Series Body Should You Buy?
- You carry passengers or child seats regularly: the Gran Coupe, five seats and four doors. See 4 Series inventory.
- You want the quickest and most efficient one: the Coupe, in either engine.
- You want the roof down on the North Bay roads: the Convertible.
- You need the most cargo room: the Gran Coupe, 16.6 cu ft with a hatch opening and folding rear seats.
- You want the lowest price of entry: the Gran Coupe again, at $51,200.
- You want an electric one: the i4 uses the Gran Coupe body.
Capability Across the Three Bodies
None of the three is rated for towing, and the one published load figure in the wider 4 Series family belongs to the M4, at 1,058 pounds of payload capacity. What separates these three on practical capability is the trunk and the seat count rather than a rating: 16.6 cubic feet and five seats in the Gran Coupe, 15.5 and four in the Coupe, 13.6 dropping to 10.6 and four in the Convertible.
Shop All Three at BMW of Napa Valley
We stock across the range, which means a Gran Coupe and a Coupe can be driven on the same afternoon. BMW of Napa Valley is on Auto Mall Parkway in Fairfield, off Interstate 80, serving Vacaville, Vallejo, Suisun City, American Canyon and Napa. Call (707) 402-1500 or book a back-to-back test drive.
4 Series Coupe vs Convertible vs Gran Coupe FAQs
What is the difference between a 4 Series Coupe and a Gran Coupe?
Doors and seats. The Coupe has two doors and seats four; the Gran Coupe has four doors, seats five, carries 16.6 cubic feet against 15.5, and starts $2,100 lower.
Which 4 Series body is the quickest?
The Coupe, in every engine. A 430i Coupe runs 5.6 seconds to 60 mph against 5.8 for the Gran Coupe and 6.0 for the Convertible.
How long does the 4 Series convertible roof take to open?
About ten seconds, and it works at speeds up to 30 mph, so you do not have to be stopped.
How much trunk space do you lose with the roof down?
Three cubic feet: 13.6 with the roof up, 10.6 once stowed, because a partition must be in place before the roof will fold.
Do all three 4 Series bodies get the same engines?
Yes. The 255-horsepower 2.0-liter four and the 386-horsepower 3.0-liter inline-six are available in all three, with rear-wheel drive or xDrive.
Which 4 Series body holds its usefulness best as an only car?
The Gran Coupe, because it is the one BMW rates for five occupants and the one with the largest opening and the most cargo room.
Does the Gran Coupe really cost less than the Coupe?
Yes, by $2,100 at the starting MSRP, and it is the lowest price of entry to the 2027 4 Series lineup.
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