What 4 seat Convertible for mum

[swisstoni]

Bonefish Blues said:

kambites said:

The obvious options are the A5, 3-series and E-class cabriolet. Then there's the slightly more odd-ball options like the Volvo V70.

The 2-series and A3 are both available as convertibles, too. Or she'd get a brand new Golf Cabriolet in budget.

Edited by kambites on Monday 5th December 08:43

We were looking at the V70s, but owners report roof lowering issues

They can be a bit stiff.

[RemaL]

dme123 said:

There aren't many hard top 4 seaters available:

BMW 3/4 series
Volvo C70
Lexus IS Convertible
VW EOS
Ford Focus CC

I believe that's it. I also think most of those have been out of production for long enough that your budget would buy two. The Volvo C70 went out of production 3 years ago so you'd struggle to spend more than £15k on one, for example. I've been pleased with my 2008 C70, but withh your budget and the hard top as a prerequisite I think the only sensible option is a 3/4 series.

I'd advise avoiding anything that is pretending to be "sporty" with hard suspension, as a 4 seater convertible is always going to be about as sporty as Jo Brand and you just ruin it for no gain by giving it st ride quality. Maybe it was just the trim spec I tried but I found the A5 cabriolet to have the traditional "crashingly inept" suspension setup Audi are famous for.

why it's not been easy to get a idea of what is on offer.

I'm not sure why they are not more popular than a soft top.

I think she wants a Hard top as that's the only thing she has been used to. Maybe a bit of time looking and maybe a test drive of a soft top may reassure her that the soft top's are not that noisy compared to a hard top

[anonymous-user]

RemaL said:

why it's not been easy to get a idea of what is on offer.

I'm not sure why they are not more popular than a soft top.

I think she wants a Hard top as that's the only thing she has been used to. Maybe a bit of time looking and maybe a test drive of a soft top may reassure her that the soft top's are not that noisy compared to a hard top

They have their advantages, particularly relating to security and visibility. In terms of insulation from road noise and cold I think a decent soft top is very nearly as good, and as the car ages the metres and metres of rubber seals on a three piece hard top like the BMW and Volvo need regular lubrication to stop squeaks and noise. My C70 has developed quite a few rattles and knocks over the years, although my personal experience is that soft tops do this too.

It is nice to know that some turd can't cost you £3k by putting his penkife into your fabric roof on a whim, although I don't think that's a common occurrence and the roof is more likely to be damaged by birdst

[The Surveyor]

Folding away a metal roof big enough to cover a 4 seater cabin is a massive compromise on luggage space when folded. The packaging just doesn't work.

Go with a soft-top and you have a much bigger range from the new Mini Convertible, Beetle Convertible, through to a used 'prestige' Audi A4, BMW 6 series, or Merc E class. If she only occasionally needs 4 seats, go with a nice spec new Mini Cooper cabrio.

[RemaL]

security wise the car should not a big issue . Out of the city just. private parking and end of cul de sac.

I'll pass on the info about a soft top. I was thinking apart from someone putting a knife and possible road noise they do seem to be more about.