Times are tough for fans of convertibles these days. While they once numbered in the dozens in new car showrooms, these days, there are only a handful of droptops to be found in 2023–2024 model year lineups — and even fewer if you exclude the open-top SUV likes the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler.
Still, if you have a bit more cash to spend, you have a few more options. (Isn't that always the case?) Many luxury carmakers still offer at least one convertible, even if it may not sell as well as all those fancy crossovers. But if you want four usable seats and serious speed, your options grow limited again. Porsche, Audi and Lexus are out; so are the BMW Z4 and the Mercedes-AMG SL-Class. And since I'm assuming you don't have the quarter-million-plus bucks for a Bentley Continental GTC — or if you do, you may want something a little less ostentatious — that's out, as well.
Which brings us to the two subjects of this piece. The BMW M4 and Mercedes-AMG E 53 aren't exactly the most natural of competitors, but in this day and age, they're as close as you can come to direct droptop rivals from Mercedes and BMW. Both pack turbocharged inline-six engines, both have performance-tuned all-wheel-drive and both cost pretty much the same: the M4 Convertible starts at $90,595, while the E 53 Cabriolet starts at $91,500.
So on paper, these two seem like a solid matchup. But which is best in the real world? Well, I took each on a trip from New York to Vermont to see how each handles highway cruising, backroad blitzing and everything in-between.
BMW M4 Competition Convertible Vs. Mercedes-AMG E 53 Cabriolet: What We Think
While they may be similarly sized, closely priced and equally potent, the M4 and E 53 offer different driving experiences. The Bimmer is sharper and harder-edged, more excited to carve up corners and attack the road; the AMG is a bit softer, preferring to cruise at 7/10ths rather than roar around at 10/10th commitment. Still, either car is more than quick enough to dispatch most other rides on the road with ease, whether passing on straights or pulling away in the curves.
Both are comfortable and surprisingly usable, with plenty of space and cabins that feel every bit as secure as coupes when the top is raised. The M4 ekes out a win by doing more things — being a sports car, a grand tourer, a daily driver — just a little bit better than the E 53 ... even if the Bimmer's face still remains hard to look at.
To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.
The E 53 is better-looking, but not by as much as you might think
By now, odds are good you've already formed your opinion of the BMW M3 and M4's design. Some people find it compelling in its unabashed aggression; other people think it looks like an Angry Birds pig hooked on amphetamines and steroids. I think you can guess where I land on this matter. The army green paint of my test car certainly gave it a distinct look, but distinct and attractive are two very different ideas.
The E 53, by contrast, is much more unassuming — even stylish, from some angles. Still, it's hard not to feel as though it would look even better if Mercedes hadn't given this generation of E-Class the midlife visual update that stripped some of the power and presence from the likes of the E 63 S. As it turns out, the ideal amount of visual belligerence for a performance-oriented convertible lies somewhere in-between the M4 and the E 53 ... but it's definitely closer to the Mercedes.
The M4 is much more fun to drive
Once you're behind the wheel, though, the M4 proves its worth. It drives with all the grace, pace and panache we've come to expect from BMW's M division, their occasional whiffs aside. The twin-turbo inline-six feels way punchier than its claimed 503 horsepower output would lead you to believe, especially considering the car's 4,300-pound curb weight. It feels even more superb when you dial up the all-wheel-drive system, stability control and eight-speed automatic for max attack and pitch it down a back road as fast as you dare; if it weren't for the wind in your face, you'd think this car was a rigid coupe. Yet while it's taut and balanced, the M4 also doesn't punish you with a harsh ride ... at least, so long as you avoid the worst of the potholes.
The E 53 is no slowpoke, granted, but it feels a step behind the M4 when you drop the hammer and a step and a half behind when you tackle the turns. Pardon my double negative, but that's not unexpected; after all, the E 53 — which packs roughly 80 percent of the power of the M4 — follows in the footsteps of what fans and journalists have often referred to with terms like "AMG Light" — half-caf versions of the full-throated, traditionally-V8-powered full AMG models with their handbuilt engines and greater emphasis on performance.
That distinction certainly doesn't mean as much in 2023 / 2024, what with V8-powered AMGs increasingly rare and four-cylinder-PHEVs and EVs taking up more and more roles in the Mercedes performance lineup. Besides, there's little to complain about in the abstract here — the E 53 is still sportier than most cars, while offering a pleasant ride to boot. It's just not as much fun as the M4.
Both convertibles offer plenty of comfort inside
Should you stop at a light and happen to see a driver in the front seat of an M4 or E 53 in the lane next to you, don't feel bad if you feel a pang of jealousy. Odds are good he or she is more comfortable than you. Both the Merc and the Bimmer offer delightful thrones up front, although the latter depends on you choosing the standard seats instead of the $4,500 M carbon buckets. Even on multi-hour driving stretches, I didn't suffer from a whit of numb butt discomfort.
I will note, as an aside, that my M4 was actually a 2023 model year vehicle, which means that it came with the pre-facelift interior instead of the new post-life-cycle-update version found in all 2024 3 Series models. I've gone on record saying I prefer the previous layout, and while I found the '23 M4's interior more user-focused than the E 53's setup, the updates pull them up to about parity, if not giving the edge to the AMG. Either way, though, there's no disputing that the Merc's dashboard and interior design look way nicer.
Neither car's second row offers Maybach-like accommodations, but each set of two rear seats is roomy enough for an average-sized adult to sit behind another such person for an hour or so — long enough to make it to dinner or to a meeting. And there's an unexpected benefit of sitting in the back of a convertible instead of a sedan: no matter how tall you are, there's plenty of headroom.
2023 BMW M4 Competition xDrive Convertible
Base Price / Price as Tested: $90,595 / $119,795
Powertrain: 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six; eight-speed automatic; all-wheel-drive
Horsepower: 503
Torque: 479 lb-ft
EPA Fuel Economy: 16 mpg city, 23 mpg highway
Seats: 4
2023 Mercedes-AMG E 53 Cabriolet
Base Price / Price as Tested: $91,500 / $106,500
Powertrain: 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six; nine-speed automatic; all-wheel-drive
Horsepower: 429
Torque: 384 lb-ft
EPA Fuel Economy: 20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway
Seats: 4
