Convertible drivers - why keep the roof up?

[Flip Martian]

I've always wondered. I had a targa top Camaro for several years and now have a soft top Mk 3 MX-5 - and the top is down on every drive unless its raining. I love open top motoring - there's nothing like driving that way for me. But whenever I'm out driving I more often see convertible drivers with their roofs up! Even on Friday - lovely sunny day around here, and I was out enjoying the drive in the MX-5 and I saw more convertibles with roofs up than down. Why?

[Flip Martian]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Flip Martian said:

I saw more convertibles with roofs up than down. Why?

Over the weekend I saw lots of saloons with their windows closed. Why?

Easy, aircon. But why buy a car with a soft top and then not use it for what its designed for?

[Flip Martian]

It was a genuine question. I've driven in the middle of winter (hat works wonders!) - I just assumed convertibles would be bought by people who love open top motoring. Otherwise why not buy a hard top?

Or... was the IDEA of a convertible attractive but actually you prefer the roof up as its just more comfortable that way?

[Flip Martian]

Helical said:

Possible reasons could include, but not limited to:

- its cold
- driving a short distance and cant be bothered to put the roof down and up
- driving a long distance and looks like it might rain later. Maybe.
- roof broken
- no suncream for bald head
- don't want people to hear Celine Dion CD
- Cant hear Celine Dion CD
- no hat or sunglasses and last time I got a fly in my eye

I can see why the Celine Dion thing would be valid, to be fair...

[Flip Martian]

Johnnytheboy said:

My OH has an MX5 and she will only drive back from places with the top down, as it messes her hair up.

Not a problem I suffer from.

My wife hates me driving with the top down for the very same reason - she swears the wind "also gives me a headache"...

[Flip Martian]

Conscript said:

Not necessarily, no, but most of the people I see driving MX5s don't look like the kind of people who've bought it for it's dynamic credentials :P (yes, I realise I'm being a bit judgemental here).

The Elise doesn't have a folding soft top does it? I thought it was a proper remove and stow job, not something you can do on the fly (correct me if I'm wrong), so I can see why you might see more of those with the roof up.

Yeah remove and stow jobbies are far more of a pain (my Camaro was like that). This was more aimed at the quick flip down roof brigade really

[Flip Martian]

Davel said:

Normally drive with the top down except when raining.

The screen deflects much of it but, in heavy rain, it rounds the side and runs in as I normally keep the windows down too.

I do love the idea that I can drive in the rain too thanks to the screen taking it/the speed you drive. But then there's always stopping at the lights which is no fun at all with the roof down and the heavens open...

[Flip Martian]

Rude-boy said:

As a rule though if it isn't raining (and sometimes even when it is) the Mrs has the top down on the MX5 - even through the winter and done it a number of times in the snow. Good Lass.

You have a good one there.

[Flip Martian]

RobM77 said:

It depends, generally:

• Motorway journeys. Many people find it just too noisy on the motorway with the top down, especially if you're tired!

• Sunburn. Those of a lighter complexion (or who got burnt at the weekend!) may want to escape from the sun. It's not unheard of for fair haired people to own convertibles and only drive top down when it's cloudy.

• Short journey: if it's a powered hood and you're on a short journey, it can run the battery down to put the hood down and up again with no real time to charge.

• Delicate load inside. If you've got paperwork you don't want to be blown about, or a dog you don't want to jump out, it can me sense to keep the hood up.

• Passengers. Some passengers may ask you to not put the top down.

• Makes a change: Driving top up and top down is quite different, and often people may want a change.

• Listening to the radio. If your favourite Radio 4 programme's on, you may want to actually hear it, rather than a load of wind noise!

• Not your car. Mechanics on test drives or delivery drivers will normally drive hood up to avoid the sun damaging the seats and the risk of bird poo.

• Security and hassle in town centres. If you have a nice car then it's not unheard of to be spat at driving through town, and handbag thefts are also common. Some people, women on their own for example, may not feel safe driving top down through a town.

When I had my Elise I drove hood down virtually everywhere, but sometimes I had the hood up and I sometimes got hassle off other people for it - weird. One guy even gave me a hard time when I had the hard top fitted! (which needs tools to remove and doesn't stow in the car). At the end of the day it's personal choice - find something more important to worry about!

Edited by RobM77 on Monday 15th August 13:52

lol. Some valid points there about security/hassle, to be fair (although maybe hassle reserves itself for owners of more expensive cars than my MX-5!). Not worried about it at all, its just something that struck me as odd. I assumed convertible drivers would be driving them for 1 reason - the wind in the hair thing. Clearly not.

[Flip Martian]

jamieduff1981 said:

I think it's you, mate.

Most people who purposefully buy convertibles do so because the roof goes up and down fairly easily, as opposed to topless cars with s sort of tent in the boot that you have to stand and build when it's raining.

Sometimes having the roof down was nice. Othertimes, it was a fking chore due to uncomfortable temperatures and noise.

So maybe the idea of owning it wasn't borne out by the reality - I understand the hassle factor. I didn't want a hard top that takes away the boot space, or anything that required a Krypton Factor degree to put up/put down. The MX-5 is a doddle really (as said elsewhere above).

[Flip Martian]

RobM77 said:

It's an option isn't it though? That's why they buy a convertible - it does both things. Not everyone is in the mood for everything all of the time.

The option of having a folding hard top I do understand - but soft tops aren't really designed for every day roof up driving - more noisy, less secure. Its the "soft top up" thing I was really aiming at.

[Flip Martian]

jamieduff1981 said:

It was MX-5s we had too. Occassionally we had the roof down when it was snowy, but we had to be in the mood. Sometimes I liked going to work on a cold morning with the roof down. Usually though, after work the roof stayed up. I usually didn't want to be in the car, and I invariably didn't want to be driving through traffic. MX-5s are always noisy but they're far worse at speed with the roof down than up. I realise many city dwellers probably haven't been above 40mph this decade, but my commuting has always involved 60~70mph [s]plus[/s] tops and the MX-5 is punishing at that speed with the top down - the Mk.1 especially if it didn't have a wind deflector. Driving with restrictive warm on is sometimes horrible, and when it's cold not having it on is just as bad.

It was a summer (in Aberdeenshire!) that provoked the end of our Mk2.5 though. Ours didn't have air conditioning. Convertibles in the sunshine are awful. They're bad enough in low sun where it's always in your eyes, but sitting still in a queue with everyones' radiator fans blowing warm air around with the sun shining down is road-rage inducing. If we had one with a/c it may have lasted longer as we could have just closed it up and cooled the air down, but it didn't. You just sit there sweating, and it was fking horrible.

We bought MX-5s for a FE/RWD layout with excellent steering and suspension and a limited slip differential. The convertible part was coincidental.

Fair points, well made. My Mk 3 has climate control (weird on a car without a roof) but I've only ever used it in cold weather. Never tested it on a hot day. I would say convertibles in the sun are great - but clearly not so great in a traffic jam.

[Flip Martian]

Jasandjules said:

No idea. I use the Estate car for roof on driving when needed and the TVR roof only goes on when parked up overnight somewhere not in our garage i.e. a hotel car park. If parked up for a few hours in a public car park the roof stays in the boot, mainly because it is a PITA to put up and take off again.......

My roof goes up if I park anywhere for more than a minute or two. Maybe I'm overly paranoid - its not like I leave anything valuable in it.

[Flip Martian]

PositronicRay said:

Favorite time is a warm evening.

Road winding along the Loire. River on one side, glistening as the sun slides below the horizon, a couple of canoeists still out, picking their way around the sand-banks. The other side parched fields of wheat, waving in the gentle evening breeze, heavy and waiting for the harvest.

5 or 6 hot air balloons overhead, wife with a couple of glasses of rose inside her, no longer worried about hair. Dogbeast on the back seat sniffing the perfumed air.

(route from Blois to Amboise)

I especially loved the "wife with a couple of glasses of rose inside her, no longer worried about hair" line - I'll have to suggest my wife drinks more, I think.

[Flip Martian]

Alex_225 said:

My other half has a Merc SL which obviously has the folding metal roof.

We'll put the roof down on a nice day with sun but when it's not baking hot. Not great sitting stationary with the roof down and getting cooked. The car is actually great to drive anyway so with the roof down it's a nice option but not essential for enjoying the car.

Yup, I get that if you have a retractable hard top. Far more practical and comfortable than mohair or vinyl.

[Flip Martian]

CS Garth said:

Noise/hair/practicalities: meh

I have w124 e320 - I go everywhere with roof and all windows down unless it's hailing.

Naturally I arrive everywhere deaf with my Chesney hawkes bouffant a touch out of place but I have done so in style. And that my friends is all that counts.

If anyone responds, please speak up dear

I don't mind the deafness that comes with open top motoring - I like peace and quiet these days anyway.

[Flip Martian]

matthias73 said:

I like having the roof down, but sometimes I like to infuriate random strangers by leaving it up.

Their rage boiled faces as I drive past with the roof up is priceless.
"You've got a soft top, use it!!" They wail in despair as I peacefully relax into my seat, air conditioned breeze whispering past my ears, the only hint from the inside that it's a soft top at all being the ever tempting button on the dash and the slight increase in road noise.

[Flip Martian]

JamesRF said:

If I'm just popping down the road I'll leave it up and have all the windows down instead. Or if I'm commuting and expecting a call then it will stay up so I can hear better. I have it down most of the time though.

Still won't forget the time when I pulled up at a set of lights in a busy highstreet on a Friday after work, suns out and feeling good, when out of no where a seagull decided to st down the side of my face. Went all over my shades as well so when the lights turned green a few seconds later I was partially blind as I pulled away. I vowed to never have roof down again after that but I'd calmed down after a few days.

So yeah some people may have their roof up due to fear of st to the face, and they have my full sympathy.

To be fair, if that happens to me I may have a rethink...

[Flip Martian]

matthias73 said:

You can barely tell in my e46.
My main concern is why people care.

I think I've explained why I was asking more than once. Don't give it another thought.

[Flip Martian]

techguyone said:

Never mind the roof, why does almost every convertible vehicle I see now - that does have the roof down, has all the windows up?

That would be me on motorways - feels slightly less smelly and noisy. Once I'm off the Mways, the windows are down again. Hell, I may even lean my elbow out of the window too.