BMW 430i xDrive Cabriolet

The BMW 430i xDrive Cabriolet is the convertible that does not ask you to choose between an open roof and real capability. The 2.0-litre TwinPower Turbo delivers 245 hp and 400 Nm through an 8-speed Steptronic automatic and xDrive all-wheel drive: 0-100 km/h in 6.3 seconds, and traction that stays sure-footed on the damp morning tarmac of the north side as readily as on the dry south coast.

This generation uses a fully insulated fabric roof that folds in 18 seconds at speeds up to 50 km/h. Closed, the cabin is as quiet as a coupe and genuinely usable in winter; open, it is a four-seat convertible with a boot that still takes 300 litres roof-down and 385 roof-up - two large suitcases, which makes it a realistic airport car rather than a weekend toy.

This 2022 example is white over Cognac leather, with electrically adjustable seats, BMW Live Cockpit digital display with navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, climate control, rear parking sensors, cruise control and LED headlights.

It suits couples and small families who want premium open-top travel without compromise, business guests who need a car that looks right at the hotel entrance, and anyone planning to use the whole island rather than just the southern resorts. In the MandryCabrio fleet it sits at the top of the four-seat cabrio range, alongside the Audi A5 and below the Mercedes E450.

Our Tenerife guide points it at the routes that reward this combination: the TF-21 climb through the pine forest to Teide National Park, where xDrive and 400 Nm make the gradient irrelevant; the TF-5 north to La Laguna and the Anaga laurel forests, where the insulated roof earns its place when the mist comes in; the fast coastal TF-1 from Costa Adeje to the south-west cliffs; and the evening run along the Puerto de la Cruz seafront with the roof down.