Depends on what the car is for, obviously the convertible weighs a lot more but it's hard to put a pricetag on a folding hardtop. Personally I like a sunroof instead of a 3pc hardtop because you lose so much trunk space (which is already small) with the motor for the top.

 

Convertible's look great but will eventually become rag tops when the weather takes a hit on the top, stay with the coupe! Garaged and covered, they'll last forever with the help of maintenance and quality wax!
Gary

 

Gary you do know that the '10 convertible has a retractable hardtop right? No rag top here but for me it would be a tough choice. The convertible loses most of the trunk storage space with the top down and the driving dynamics are compromised because of the different structural integrity a convertible carries. However, it would be awesome to take a road trip in the spring or fall with the top down. Here it's too freaking hot in the summer for even me to consider driving that way. Also the '10 coupe looks way better than the '08 so there's that.

If it were my choice I'd look for a '10 coupe with low miles and a 6MT. Badazz car with lots of tech depending on the packages coupes offer and handles and scoots pretty damn well. OP take your time and don't rush into any decisions, you'll more than likely regret it down the road if you do. It took me 11 months to find the right GTO for me and I got lucky, it was in Houston where I was living at the time. I was willing to fly anywhere in the US to go pick up the perfect one if I needed to and gratefully avoided that process.

 

OP I merged your threads and left this one open because it will get more traffic here and hopefully more responses.

 

Woops! Oh yea, those things that fold into the trunk and there's no room for your hat let alone golf clubs! Sorry, a convertible will forever be a soft top in my gray matter!
Gary

 

Heard, in the last week I figured out the K&N filter on the Stillen intake was a dry filter.

I guess you can teach an old dog a new trick lolol.

 

Well, the convert is two years newer with about 30k less miles, and IIRC is same motor, mostly same suspension, so mods should carry over. After 2009 you get the self-healing paint and the 7-speed auto instead of the 5-speed (manual should be the same). If the convert is 2k more expensive, the mileage alone seems to constitute the difference; if you drive 12k per year, that's another three or so years you can put off a 100k service (plus you buy some time on wear items if you want to sell down the road).

You should be able to mod the exact same as a coupe, with the exception of anything in the trunk. I've driven my old man's 2007 335i hard-top convert with a Dinan tune and goodies (put down about 350 to the wheel or so), and that thing is a ton of fun in nice weather. May handle slightly worse than a coupe, but blasting down mountain roads with the top down is amazing. Very twitchy in hard corners with the RWD and extra weight/power.

That being said, the coupe looks much better in my opinion, especially with flush wheels, slightly lowered, and with an aggressive splitter (if I ever break my G35, I'll be heavily considering a G37). I'd personally go with the coupe, as even with the higher mileage (76k being considered high mileage is kind of funny to me), I just can't get over the convert's looks. THAT being said, if both are auto you're going from the 7-speed to the 5-speed, which may be a downgrade (I've heard the 7-speed can be glacially slow to shift, although IDK how a tune would change that; my 5-speed never had any hang-ups people complain of, and shifts somewhere under 300-400ms when WOT after my tune, YMMV).

Personally, I'd do what Blue Dream recommended and find a newer coupe with either transmission (both the auto and manual in these cars are pretty good). Less electric motors to break, less weight, and better looks IMO.