n terms of specifications, it's a tight group. Base prices range from a low of $44,715 (the Infiniti) to a high of $52,075 (the BMW). All three hard-shell players are rear-drive and boast six-cylinder engines making from 300 to 325 horsepower. Just 237 pounds span the lightest and heaviest entries. Again, though, the soft-top Audi is the holdout: instead of rear drive, it sports quattro all-wheel drive. And instead of a six under its hood, the Audi's mill is a turbocharged four-cylinder.

You'll note rear seats in each vehicle -- but don't get any ideas about inviting another couple on your weekend getaway. In each machine, rear-seat headroom is minimal with the top up. Worse, legroom in back -- top up or down -- is appropriate only for the stars of "Toy Story." You'll understand why the seats are there, though, once you look in the trunks. The best of the group -- the IS 350 -- offers a piddling 13 cubic feet of cargo room, and that's with the top standing tall.

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CAUTION: ROUGH ROAD AHEAD
The G37 Convertible is a curious beast. Infiniti says median income for the max-headroom G37 buyer is $300,000, highest for the entire brand -- simply astonishing when you consider the available alternatives. Hard to believe such an undoubtedly picky clientele would settle for a ride so ragged around the edges.

The G's naturally aspirated, twin-cam 3.7-liter V-6 owns the group on output, delivering 325 horsepower at 7000 rpm. But the engine simply isn't ready for prime time. "Trashy, noisy, and coarse," writes MT associate editor Allyson Harwood, summing up our collective opinions of Nissan's buzz-bomb. Worse, this is noise you feel through your hands and backside, the cabin tingling with NVH. The G cockpit also suffers from the most wind roar when the top is down. Not that you'll want to fold the top that often: The G's was the group's slowest to retract or rise, and most of the time it failed to secure properly -- either popping the trunk as it completed its fold cycle or indicating "roof in operation" even well after the motors had stopped whirring.

The G has appealing traits. Steering is splendid -- fluid, quick, precise. Performance is solidly midpack. And the six-speed manual shifter, standard on the Sport 6MT, clicks from cog to cog with race-car reflexes (the Sport edition also includes 19-inch alloys, upgraded brakes, and sport seats, among other extras).

None of it is enough to overcome the G's deficits, though (the G also posted a group-low 16-mpg average during our drive). The basics are all there. Now Infiniti needs the polish.

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NO COMPLAINTS HERE. NO EXCITEMENT, EITHER
If you're in search of a hardtop cabrio as unfailingly civilized as high tea at Claridge's Mayfair, stop right now. The Lexus IS 350 will whisk you here and there in relentless calm -- and with nary a wrinkle in its tails.

The 24-valve, 3.5-liter V-6 is a gem, revving sonorously with 306 horsepower (at 6400 rpm) and rushing the IS to 60 mph in a second-best 5.3 seconds. The six-speed automatic shifts as if trying not to wake the Mister and Missus. Ride quality is superb, top-down wind noise is subdued, fit and materials are exemplary, and the power hard roof glides up or down with Rolex-like precision. Though lavishly equipped (premium audio, heated and cooled front seats, 18-inch alloys, and navigation with XM NavTraffic), the Lexus checked in with the lowest as-tested price, $50,490. It also posted the best observed fuel economy, 19 mpg.

2010 Lexus Is 350 Convertible Side View
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So why does it finish third? Because flawless can be boring. The enthusiast driver will find himself yawning as the miles roll on. The IS 350's steering is languid and dull, and the suspension seems not to like aggressive play; the IS finished a distant last in braking and lateral grip. What's more, the shape is...well, writes our Scott Mortara, probably running for office: "The exterior styling hurts it the most." This is not a beautiful car. At best, it's an amorphous blob with a grandiose booty.

Pass something prettier and more engaging, please.

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ONE FOUR THE ROAD
Let's get the angry-letters fuel out of the way first. The turbo-four Audi A5 is the least potent (211 horsepower) and by far the slowest car in this test (0 to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds). Driven hard, it also posted the second-worst observed fuel economy (17 mpg) -- though with a gentler foot, it claims the group's highest EPA figures (20/26 city/highway mpg).

There. We're done. Now on to the gravy.

You want grip? Hang on: The quattro-planted Audi will try to wring your neck with 0.92 lateral g, and it's nothing but calm and secure when it gets there (when the hailstorm clinked down, guess which car everybody wanted to drive?). Steering is light but accurate. Brakes are strong. And though the engine is burdened with two tons, it revs happily and dives neatly through its powerband -- thanks to a six-speed Tiptronic auto with paddle-shifters. This is a fun and ever-secure machine to hustle. In the real world, the A5 had no trouble running with the rest of the pack.

The A5 engages even at a standstill. It's a fetching piece, clean, wide-stance, purposeful. The cockpit soars even higher. In typical Audi fashion, it's lushly detailed and loaded with features -- including heated front seats, navigation, and a backup camera. Perhaps most important, the A5's soft roof is no hindrance at all. Top up, sound isolation is on par with the hardtops. The fabric is thick enough to thwart time-conscious thieves. And, of course, without all that metal origami to hide away, the A5's roof easily wins the drop/raise races.

Harwood sums it up: "This is a wonderful drive."

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Dear MT Mail Dept: Prepare for hate-mail onslaught. BMW has won another one.

The BMWs that "win every MT comparison" typically are variants of the glorious 3 Series. The alfresco 335i is no exception.

In truth, this comparison wasn't even close. Before the end of our first day of driving, the 335i already had every test driver wide-eyed and goofy with cabrio-lust. "The ideal combo of sport and luxury," writes Harwood. "Strongest feeling of confidence at speed -- even in the pouring rain." Agrees Mortara: "Best all-around in the bunch. By far."

The Bimmer's virtues are legion. Under the hood rocks the famed twin-turbo, 3.0-liter six, romping with 300 horses and 300 pound-feet -- enough for group-best acceleration. The manual six-speed lever nips from gear to gear as if it can read your mind. Braking leads the field. Handling grip checks in a 0.88 g, buttressed by the best steering and ride/handling balance in the field. You'll find yourself flying over the tarmac at speeds that surpass any of the others -- yet seemingly without effort, always in control. This is chassis and powertrain engineering conducted by magicians.

2010 Bmw 335I Convertible Side View
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The 335i nails the folding-hardtop mission too. The power top moves quickly, and when it's folded you'd hardly know where it's gone. The rear deck is low and rakish, despite all that hidden metal (more magic). The Lexus looks positively frumpy in comparison.

At $56,125 as tested, the 335i tops this test. But all the money has clearly gone to the right places. The sticker premium is worth it. Each of these sumptuous two-doors can change personalities. The BMW 335i, though, can transform yours.

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