[JimD]

My decision was not nearly so quick but was a result of a very favorable initial impression. My son and I were visiting my daughter in Atlanta and decided we would go look at convertibles for me. I was thinking of buying one but had done no actual looking. So we went and drove a miata. I liked it but didn't really fit (my head was touching the top). It also only held two of us, of course. So I thought maybe I should get a 2+2. There wasn't a Ford dealer nearby or we would have driven a Mustang. I've had them as rentals, however, so I pretty much know what they are like. There was a BMW dealership nearby and I'd heard about the 1 series but never seen one. They had a AW convertible with black top and taupe interior in the show room. I told the saleslady we were just looking but I would buy something in a few months and I lived in SC. She encouraged us to try it out. A few months later I ended up with essentially the same car (after considering other color schemes). Unfortunately the dealership in Atlanta didn't offer nearly as good a price as one local to me but I bought one just like they had on the floor in Atl.

I still like the looks, the good handling and quick acceleration, the comfort and luxury feel (NVH, nicer lighting, automatic headlights, HVAC, wipers, etc..).

Jim