Discussion
driveaway said:
I'm looking to get one that is reliable enough to do a long drive over france, for the holidays, and back...
Is the Renault really good..?
Renault don't have the best reputation generally speaking...
I think you need to draw up the list of specific models that interest you, and then research whether there are *specific* known problems with them, and then decide on your tolerance for risk for those problems.Is the Renault really good..?
Renault don't have the best reputation generally speaking...
Generalising about types of car or manufacturers is a bit pointless. All modern cars are basically 'fine' (and driving to France is hardly an endurance test) but as they age their specific flaws emerge. For models that have an enthusiast following there's often a great body of knowledge out there on forums and facebook groups about how to prevent or address known issues.
I have a 15 year old 325i convertible (E93). The folding metal roof has given no issues during the 2 years I have owned it (or prior to that as far as I can see from the paperwork). Folding metal roofs have been about since the 1950s in the US. It's not rocket science.
Is it something else that could go wrong? Yes. Is it worth the risk? I would say so. A full four-seater family car with a perfectly acceptable boot capacity, but I can take the whole family out to a country pub on a summer's evening, top down. It's like having two cars in one.
One oft-overlooked advantage of the folding hard top (apart from the Thunderbirds-style theatre of folding it, which never gets old), is that the view out the side for the rear set passengers with the roof up tends to be better (particularly for kids, who may sit lower) . Four-seater convertible's with soft tops can be a bit dark in the back as there is effectively a very wide fabric C-pillar.
Is it something else that could go wrong? Yes. Is it worth the risk? I would say so. A full four-seater family car with a perfectly acceptable boot capacity, but I can take the whole family out to a country pub on a summer's evening, top down. It's like having two cars in one.
One oft-overlooked advantage of the folding hard top (apart from the Thunderbirds-style theatre of folding it, which never gets old), is that the view out the side for the rear set passengers with the roof up tends to be better (particularly for kids, who may sit lower) . Four-seater convertible's with soft tops can be a bit dark in the back as there is effectively a very wide fabric C-pillar.
Modern convertibles are basically switches and hydraulics. For the most part they’re reliable but when they go wrong especially if the hydraulic pumps fail, they’re very expensive to fix and require specialist attention or a shop that has the right diagnostic equipment and time to investigate faults.
I’ve had several and currently own an SLK with the folding hard top.
As with all secondhand car purchases, something can and will go wrong. If it’s not the top, it’s the engine, clutch, gearbox, yada yada. Buy on condition and enjoy open top motoring.
I’ve had several and currently own an SLK with the folding hard top.
As with all secondhand car purchases, something can and will go wrong. If it’s not the top, it’s the engine, clutch, gearbox, yada yada. Buy on condition and enjoy open top motoring.
believe the folding metal Z4s have reached an age where the hydraulic hoses are starting to fail through age.
Bro has an EOS, leaks with the roof and the motor no longer gets power after stopping when it was down. He's given in trying to fix it and manually wound it all up manually so it's now a coupe only.
simple answer is a manual hood but that will pretty much limit you to 2 seats and a NA / NB or ND Mx5 or fiat 124
Bro has an EOS, leaks with the roof and the motor no longer gets power after stopping when it was down. He's given in trying to fix it and manually wound it all up manually so it's now a coupe only.
simple answer is a manual hood but that will pretty much limit you to 2 seats and a NA / NB or ND Mx5 or fiat 124
mwstewart said:
I never understood the hard top convertible thing. Too many compromises. I've had E46 and 209 CLK Cabriolets without a single roof issue.
They feel like a proper car with the roof up, and don't show their age. Cloth roofs look tatty with age, especially if they have a plastic rear window.We've had our focus cc for about 10 years and it works fine and doesn’t leak.
maz8062 said:
Modern convertibles are basically switches and hydraulics. For the most part they’re reliable but when they go wrong especially if the hydraulic pumps fail, they’re very expensive to fix and require specialist attention or a shop that has the right diagnostic equipment and time to investigate faults.
I’ve had several and currently own an SLK with the folding hard top.
As with all secondhand car purchases, something can and will go wrong. If it’s not the top, it’s the engine, clutch, gearbox, yada yada. Buy on condition and enjoy open top motoring.
The SLK looks like the best bet. They've been around twice as long as E89 Z4 and seem to have a more robust build than the BMW.I’ve had several and currently own an SLK with the folding hard top.
As with all secondhand car purchases, something can and will go wrong. If it’s not the top, it’s the engine, clutch, gearbox, yada yada. Buy on condition and enjoy open top motoring.
Which SLK do you have?
I had a 2016 428i convertible and it was fun at first, but ended up being a bit of a pain. It was a metal folding roof and even at a few years old it had motors going, various cables that were used were splitting and failing.
Of course, any time I needed something fixed, BMW wanted to just replace the whole roof mechanism at $2500+. I ended up getting fairly hand and familiar myself and doing all home fixes.
It probably worked 60% of the time overall and was either stuck up, down or in the middle for the rest. I'd not have one (of any brand) again.
Of course, any time I needed something fixed, BMW wanted to just replace the whole roof mechanism at $2500+. I ended up getting fairly hand and familiar myself and doing all home fixes.
It probably worked 60% of the time overall and was either stuck up, down or in the middle for the rest. I'd not have one (of any brand) again.
driveaway said:
mwstewart said:
Weight, packaging, and complexity. I think the soft tops look a lot better as well - the hard tops rarely look quite right around the C pillar; a little on the awkward side. Normally the load space on a hard top is compromised as well.
Mercedes use a triple layer system in their soft tops. Nothing like an MX5.
That is why I am looking at the Volvo C70, they don't look like they have a tumour growing out their boot...Mercedes use a triple layer system in their soft tops. Nothing like an MX5.
Make sure it's an SE Lux pre facelift, the Dynaudio stereo is absolutely fantastic.
I've had loads of convertibles, hard and soft top, only issues I've ever experienced have been a leaking roof latch cylinder in a 20 year old SLK and I had to put a new fabric roof on my 2010 XKR (£1700) because the rear glass became unbonded and it looked scruffy.
They're generally very reliable if you avoid the stuff where everything always breaks anyway, like VWs and BMWs.
Check out the weird looking Lexus IS convertible if you want proper reliability.
Do it, even a mediocre car and a drab drive is a million times more enjoyable with the roof down.
cologne2792 said:
The SLK looks like the best bet. They've been around twice as long as E89 Z4 and seem to have a more robust build than the BMW.
Which SLK do you have?
I love an SLK, I've owned a few including a very rare late R171 manual SLK350 with the 300bhp engine which was a lot of fun and much faster than I expected, it even sounded great.Which SLK do you have?
Look out for rusty front wings and subframes on the 2nd gen R171 cars, I see even late ones (2010) with terrible rot. Front strut towers too, they're really not as high quality a car as you'd hope, with some really naff touches and poor ergonomics but probably more robust all round than the Z4 and for such a small short wheelbase car they're fantastically stable right up the the 155MPH limiter and great daily drivers.
That said the early sixes suffer problems with the the balancer shaft drive and the early four pots are absolutely pitiful with 160bhp wheezing out through a 5 speed autobox from the 90s. A late SLK350 is worth having though, or an early one with a manual box and take a chance the engine won't eat itself, they're like a risk averse man's Boxster.
The 3rd gen R172 is a much better car but they're still quite expensive if you're looking at shed money. The 1st gen is very dated and not worth spending more than £1,500 on, and even then only an SLK320. Again, terrible rot.
Edited by GeniusOfLove on Monday 20th May 21:03
GeniusOfLove said:
I had a 2008 C70 that I then passed on to a friend, it's on 180k miles now with a lot of roof usage with no leaks, no failure, no problems at all. There are a few simple rules like ideally only cycling the roof on flat-ish ground and completing the cycle rather than reversing it halfway through that some idiot journalist probably ignored in the story of breaking one. A friend ran one to 250k with no roof issues.
Make sure it's an SE Lux pre facelift, the Dynaudio stereo is absolutely fantastic.
I've had loads of convertibles, hard and soft top, only issues I've ever experienced have been a leaking roof latch cylinder in a 20 year old SLK and I had to put a new fabric roof on my 2010 XKR (£1700) because the rear glass became unbonded and it looked scruffy.
They're generally very reliable if you avoid the stuff where everything always breaks anyway, like VWs and BMWs.
Check out the weird looking Lexus IS convertible if you want proper reliability.
Do it, even a mediocre car and a drab drive is a million times more enjoyable with the roof down.
Thanks so much! A big help.Make sure it's an SE Lux pre facelift, the Dynaudio stereo is absolutely fantastic.
I've had loads of convertibles, hard and soft top, only issues I've ever experienced have been a leaking roof latch cylinder in a 20 year old SLK and I had to put a new fabric roof on my 2010 XKR (£1700) because the rear glass became unbonded and it looked scruffy.
They're generally very reliable if you avoid the stuff where everything always breaks anyway, like VWs and BMWs.
Check out the weird looking Lexus IS convertible if you want proper reliability.
Do it, even a mediocre car and a drab drive is a million times more enjoyable with the roof down.
I think I have the car I want, an 06' plate C70, at 112,000 miles, SE.
The roof works fine, but there are a few small issues pls tell me what you think, re; cost of parts and repair (ok not exact but roughly speaking):
1) The engine light is on, possibly due to a kind of whining/chirping sound coming from the belt turning over??
2) condensation/mould marks on the rubbery cover that covers the contents in the boot from the roof when its folded into the boot, and,
3) a bit of the rubber lining between the front and back drivers side window.
Ehat do you think?
If it is being sold with an EML walk away, it’s nothing simple.
Damp on the cover can be from putting the roof down when it’s wet but damaged seals aren’t a good sign. You can usually smell if a car has been leaking for a while.
Watch out for £700 rfl on the 2.4i and T5 autos.
They updated the car for the 08 MY, so some 57 plates and newer, and fixed a few little bugs and seemed to tighten up quality. The centre tunnel console is different and they have silver trim around the instrument rings.
These are old cars now and plenty will be neglected or just plain old worn out, so don’t rush to buy a duffer.
Damp on the cover can be from putting the roof down when it’s wet but damaged seals aren’t a good sign. You can usually smell if a car has been leaking for a while.
Watch out for £700 rfl on the 2.4i and T5 autos.
They updated the car for the 08 MY, so some 57 plates and newer, and fixed a few little bugs and seemed to tighten up quality. The centre tunnel console is different and they have silver trim around the instrument rings.
These are old cars now and plenty will be neglected or just plain old worn out, so don’t rush to buy a duffer.
I got the wife an E93 BMW with the metal folding roof, it sometimes becomes sticky but following some simple maintenance procedures involving lubricating and treating rubbers once a year and it's perfect.
If it hammers it down you get the occasional drip from the corner but it's a 14 year old car, in the sunmer months its great and still looks a modern car.
As someone said, most issues are sensors, a new hydraulic motor is about £250 and is bolt off bolt in accessed from the boot.
No problems so far although I was worried at first.
If it hammers it down you get the occasional drip from the corner but it's a 14 year old car, in the sunmer months its great and still looks a modern car.
As someone said, most issues are sensors, a new hydraulic motor is about £250 and is bolt off bolt in accessed from the boot.
No problems so far although I was worried at first.
I used to own an Audi A4 convertible, on those warm summer evenings driving with the roof down is unbeatable. However, this is the UK so the amount of days like this are few and far between.
The reality is, if it is an older car it will most likely leak in the winter.
It is nearly the end of May, think how many days since October last year you would have wanted to have the roof down. Basically you have four months, June to September and how many days in those four months are likely to be good weather.
Also when it is stinking hot, sitting in a car getting sunburnt gets very unpleasant very quickly. Also children hate sitting in the back due to the buffeting
Would I own another? Absolutely but it would need to be a second, summer car and garaged. If I had the space and a garage I would definitely have a 987 Boxster tucked away.
The reality is, if it is an older car it will most likely leak in the winter.
It is nearly the end of May, think how many days since October last year you would have wanted to have the roof down. Basically you have four months, June to September and how many days in those four months are likely to be good weather.
Also when it is stinking hot, sitting in a car getting sunburnt gets very unpleasant very quickly. Also children hate sitting in the back due to the buffeting
Would I own another? Absolutely but it would need to be a second, summer car and garaged. If I had the space and a garage I would definitely have a 987 Boxster tucked away.
I drive with the roof down all year round, only rain stops play. Heated seats and the heater on blowing on me in winter, and nice cold air from the AC blowing on me in summer, with a selection of appropriate hats for all weathers.
I get stares driving in the depths of winter with my ushanka on, it can only be down to hat envy
I get stares driving in the depths of winter with my ushanka on, it can only be down to hat envy
MajorMantra said:
I think you need to draw up the list of specific models that interest you, and then research whether there are *specific* known problems with them, and then decide on your tolerance for risk for those problems.
Generalising about types of car or manufacturers is a bit pointless. All modern cars are basically 'fine' (and driving to France is hardly an endurance test) but as they age their specific flaws emerge. For models that have an enthusiast following there's often a great body of knowledge out there on forums and facebook groups about how to prevent or address known issues.
I did say at the beggining that I was looking for either a Volkswagen EOS or Volvo C70.Generalising about types of car or manufacturers is a bit pointless. All modern cars are basically 'fine' (and driving to France is hardly an endurance test) but as they age their specific flaws emerge. For models that have an enthusiast following there's often a great body of knowledge out there on forums and facebook groups about how to prevent or address known issues.
egor110 said:
It's a 06 car not everything is going to be perfect.
Thanks for your info!Either way, after checking the car out again, I purchased it!
The EML was from a cheap sensor, the rubber lining in the drivers side window I found out is cheap to fix, and the belt noise is what remains, but I hope and pray I got agood bargain.
Mind you darn it! Tax for these cars have gone up to £710 a year!!
Anyway, any tips or idea's on what to do from here, please tell me, cheers everyone for your help!!
I used to have to put shin etsu grease on all the roof seals once a year to stop it clonking, I imagine gummi pfledge or any silicone grease would do it.
Also a common issue with the passenger side door latch coming open onto the safety catch when driving if you don’t spray white lithium grease in the mechanism once a year. They are Ford Focus latches and struggle with the weight of the c70 doors.
Which engine did you get?
Also a common issue with the passenger side door latch coming open onto the safety catch when driving if you don’t spray white lithium grease in the mechanism once a year. They are Ford Focus latches and struggle with the weight of the c70 doors.
Which engine did you get?
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