Discussion
I've just been chatting with people I work with about cabrios, so I thought I’d get some PH opinions.
Do you like Cabrios in general?
Have you ever owned one?
Have you ever driven/passngered in one?
Most people I know who have a cabrio don't want go back to a fixed roof.
Just thought I'd see if there were any other opinion in the motoring wold.
Personally, I love them.
Since buying my first Pug 306 Roadster when I was twentysometing I've never been without a cabrio.
Do you like Cabrios in general?
Have you ever owned one?
Have you ever driven/passngered in one?
Most people I know who have a cabrio don't want go back to a fixed roof.
Just thought I'd see if there were any other opinion in the motoring wold.
Personally, I love them.
Since buying my first Pug 306 Roadster when I was twentysometing I've never been without a cabrio.
Edited by Snowboy on Wednesday 26th October 14:44
I like being able to take the roof off but I like having a decent chassis more, so it depends on the car in question.
Generally speaking, if a car was designed from the ground up as a cabriolet and then had a roof welded on, I'll take the cabriolet because the chassis will be stiff enough; if it was designed as a tin-top and then had the roof chopped off, I'll have the coupe. There are exceptions, where ground-up cabriolets have been rubbish but sticking a roof on has saved them, but they're relatively rare.
Generally speaking, if a car was designed from the ground up as a cabriolet and then had a roof welded on, I'll take the cabriolet because the chassis will be stiff enough; if it was designed as a tin-top and then had the roof chopped off, I'll have the coupe. There are exceptions, where ground-up cabriolets have been rubbish but sticking a roof on has saved them, but they're relatively rare.
I've got an Audi TT 225 roadster and i have never been disappointed with it yet. Last winter the quattro was a massive help although the fattish tyres weren't and every clear sunny day i get the top's down. I feel so relaxed driving it and the 270bhp (chipped) helps when i get a nice B-road and the turbo waste gate blowing off just makes things seem right in the world 
The OH half and i will always have one of the cars as a cabrio for those days when its nice out and the normal daily trips you have to do are turned into beautiful relaxed cruises. Heated seats help top down in the winter months too!
The OH half and i will always have one of the cars as a cabrio for those days when its nice out and the normal daily trips you have to do are turned into beautiful relaxed cruises. Heated seats help top down in the winter months too!
Convertibles are great on a sunny day, they add a sense of occasion to a trip. Mine is a second car and I would miss it not having one. As a sole car there are other things I would put before a convertible roof in my car requirements.
But yes, once you have had one going without is very difficult, particularly on sunny bank holidays when the roads get taken over by them.
But yes, once you have had one going without is very difficult, particularly on sunny bank holidays when the roads get taken over by them.
Guess it depend on how you define cabriolet. But yes I love them in some respects and not in others.
I too wouldn't want to sacrifice chassis rigidity, handling or additional weight for a rag top. And I'm a huge fan of the rear 3/4 view and C pillar of many cars, something lost on 99.99% of all soft tops.
That said, I can remove the roof on 2 of my cars currently, and I would be sad to lose that ability.
I too wouldn't want to sacrifice chassis rigidity, handling or additional weight for a rag top. And I'm a huge fan of the rear 3/4 view and C pillar of many cars, something lost on 99.99% of all soft tops.
That said, I can remove the roof on 2 of my cars currently, and I would be sad to lose that ability.
Deluded said:
I love Convertibles and would have one in a heartbeat if it wasn't for the fact that a proper 4 seater with a good boot doesn't exist.
Yes they do.Lots of them.
Audi A4, A5. BMW 3, 5. Merc something or other.
A proper 4 door cabrio doesn’t exist though.
When I say cabrio I just mean a thing you can take the roof off in some manner.
Whether it's unbolted, ragtop, folding hardtop or a beach buggy with no roof at all.
A4 class cabrios aren't really proper four-seaters. The rear seats are tiny. More large 2+2s. They also tend to have rather pathetic boots.
Although having said that, I haven't been in any of the latest generation versions to know what they're like in the back.
Although having said that, I haven't been in any of the latest generation versions to know what they're like in the back.
Edited by kambites on Wednesday 26th October 14:37
kambites said:
A4 class cabrios aren't really proper four-seaters. The rear seats are tiny. More large 2+2s. They also tend to have rather pathetic boots.
Although having said that, I haven't been in any of the latest generation versions to know what they're like in the back.
Is that from experience?Although having said that, I haven't been in any of the latest generation versions to know what they're like in the back.
I have a 7 year old A4 cabri, the boot is a full size saloon boot, even with the roof down it's still quite large.
And the back seats are no smaller than the coupe.
We've happily had two XL adults in the back without a problem.
It's a far cry from an A4 estate I'll grant you, but it's certainly not a small car.
Snowboy said:
Is that from experience?
Yes, it's from experience. I've been in an E46 3-series cab and there's no way you're getting an adult in the back behind me when I'm driving it. I've looked in the back of the last generation of A4 cabriolet before it became the A5, and it looks similarly pathetic. Don't forget that many people discount 3-series/A4 sized saloons because the rear seats aren't good enough, let along the cabrio versions. No-one makes a 5-series sized cabriolet (in terms of interior and boot space, I mean).
Edited by kambites on Wednesday 26th October 14:47
kambites said:
Yes, it's from experience. I've been in an E46 3-series cab and there's no way you're getting an adult in the back behind me when I'm driving it. I've looked in the back of the last generation of A4 cabriolet before it became the A5, and it looks similarly pathetic.
Don't forget that many people discount 3-series/A4 sized saloons because the rear seats aren't good enough, let along the cabrio versions. No-one makes a 5-series sized cabriolet (in terms of interior space, I mean).
I would suggest, in a nice way, that you try them.Don't forget that many people discount 3-series/A4 sized saloons because the rear seats aren't good enough, let along the cabrio versions. No-one makes a 5-series sized cabriolet (in terms of interior space, I mean).
I agree that they look quite small at a glance, but through some design and magic the back seats of the A4 are surprisingly spacious when sat in. No crushed knees or ankles at all.
I have the A4, mate has BMW 3 series, the A4 back seats are (IMO) much more spacious.
The Audi A5 back seats are even larger, and fold flat for boot luggage if needed.
But, I guess in reallity, you're not arguing the back seats are small.
Just saying they are smaller then you would like in your car – and that's, of course, fair enough.
Snowboy said:
But, I guess in reallity, you're not arguing the back seats are small.
Just saying they are smaller then you would like in your car – and that's, of course, fair enough.
I'm not saying that they're smaller than I'd like - I drive an Elise as my only car. Just that they're too small for a lot of people; specifically, I suspect few people would consider that class of car to be viable transport for a family with young children. Just saying they are smaller then you would like in your car – and that's, of course, fair enough.
I sometimes think the idea seems good, but whenever I've been in one I've not especially enjoyed the experience.
Add in the extra weight and/or lack of stiffness in the chassis and they don't really appeal to me.
Only driven a couple of ordinary ones (Renault Megane, err maybe that was it on reflection. Ohh and a Marcos now I think about it and a Viper, but I'm not sure they're what the OP had in mind
) and whilst it wasn't horrible, it wasn't exciting either.
M.
Add in the extra weight and/or lack of stiffness in the chassis and they don't really appeal to me.
Only driven a couple of ordinary ones (Renault Megane, err maybe that was it on reflection. Ohh and a Marcos now I think about it and a Viper, but I'm not sure they're what the OP had in mind
) and whilst it wasn't horrible, it wasn't exciting either.M.
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