Luxury 4 seat cabriolet - S class, Bentley, Maserati?
Luxury 4 seat cabriolet - S class, Bentley, Maserati?
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Discussion

Ffffaster

Original Poster:

353 posts

189 months

Sunday 11th February 2024
quotequote all
Hi All

Now that we have kids I've been turning my mind to cars we can all enjoy as a family. The starting point is four seats and I think what we want is a cabriolet.

What can PH suggest that can seat 2 kids in the back seat without being too cramped? I'm 5 foot 9 so driver's seat won't be all the way back...

Thanks!

trevalvole

2,057 posts

62 months

Monday 12th February 2024
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What's your budget? I'm guessing it is quite high, as iirc they only did S-Class convertibles within the last ten years.

occasionalranter

448 posts

75 months

Monday 12th February 2024
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I don't know any convertibles that are actually comfortable at speed for rear passengers. Rear space is always much more cramped than in the saloon/hatch base car, but more importantly the buffeting is always worse in the back. (Indeed, if you have rear passengers, you also start to get more buffeting in the front because you can't have the wind protector in place that normally clips behind the front seats).

My experience is a new-ish M440i convertible and a friend's 10-15 year old Continental GT convertible, if that helps.

The M440i is a great car, rides well considering the engineering compromises, nice to actually hear that engine properly, would choose again if in the market for a convertible, but I wouldn't want to be a rear passenger for more than 20 minutes at say more than 40mph, or on a cold day.

Whataguy

1,133 posts

109 months

Monday 12th February 2024
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Not really luxury, but I spent a week driving a VW T-Roc convertible last year.

It was a fun car, if a bit silly.

There's nothing else on the market like it as the previous Range Rover Evoque convertible was cancelled a few years ago.

fflump

3,481 posts

67 months

Monday 12th February 2024
quotequote all
Ffffaster said:
Hi All

Now that we have kids I've been turning my mind to cars we can all enjoy as a family. The starting point is four seats and I think what we want is a cabriolet.

What can PH suggest that can seat 2 kids in the back seat without being too cramped? I'm 5 foot 9 so driver's seat won't be all the way back...

Thanks!
I can imagine that both a Conti GTC and a GranCabrio Sport are pretty special. The Maserati will likely be noisier/sportier less refined, but they are cheaper cars when new.

What is the budget?

Jamescrs

6,342 posts

94 months

Monday 12th February 2024
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Being semi sensible i'd go for the S class but as someone above pointed out with the top down expect to get complaints from the rear seat passengers fairly quickly with requests to put the roof back up again

trevalvole

2,057 posts

62 months

Monday 12th February 2024
quotequote all
Jamescrs said:
Being semi sensible i'd go for the S class but as someone above pointed out with the top down expect to get complaints from the rear seat passengers fairly quickly with requests to put the roof back up again
As the OP seems to have only recently got kids, perhaps a three-year-old's reaction to buffeting might be different to someone older?

Ffffaster

Original Poster:

353 posts

189 months

Monday 12th February 2024
quotequote all
Thanks team.

Really want to stay under £50,000.

The rear seats will only be occupied by a 4 and 7 year old. It's leg room that is my focus, the wind is not an issue - the roof would just go up if it was too much.

omniflow

3,826 posts

180 months

Monday 12th February 2024
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A Gran Cabrio MC will carry 4 adults in relative comfort. I THINK that the MC has slightly different seats which give the rear passengers a teeny weeny bit more legroom. The boot is tiny.

I wouldn't describe it as luxury, but it is a very nice car.

Rusty Old-Banger

7,629 posts

242 months

Monday 12th February 2024
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ZX10R NIN

30,525 posts

154 months

Monday 12th February 2024
quotequote all
Ffffaster said:
Hi All

Now that we have kids I've been turning my mind to cars we can all enjoy as a family. The starting point is four seats and I think what we want is a cabriolet.

What can PH suggest that can seat 2 kids in the back seat without being too cramped? I'm 5 foot 9 so driver's seat won't be all the way back...

Thanks!
If you want luxury then it's the Bentley or S Class but with the S Class I'd go with the coupe because all the windows drop away & with the roof open it's like having a convertible but without the drawbacks, i will say a contrast interior lifts them.

S560 Premium:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202401025...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202401115...

S500:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202310012...

V8 GTC:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202311093...

Speed:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202401275...

Ezra

899 posts

56 months

Monday 12th February 2024
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I'd be looking at the BMW 840d x-drive convertible. There's a few around, in your budget, from franchised dealers too.

fflump

3,481 posts

67 months

Monday 12th February 2024
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As the OP is not super-tall it is worth checking out the cars that many cannot consider like the DB9, California, 992. Two young kids may squeeze into their back seats.

Ffffaster

Original Poster:

353 posts

189 months

Monday 12th February 2024
quotequote all
Thanks all! By "luxury", I am not discounting more sport cars, but I am not aware of any with space behind - even for children. California and DB9 are non starters looking at the photographs.

speedster986

268 posts

235 months

Monday 12th February 2024
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You can fit kids in a 911. I have a 991 C2S Cab and have my kids in the back. We did a 1 hour journey this weekend and my tall 12 year old managed to fall asleep in the back.

66HFM

875 posts

54 months

Wednesday 14th February 2024
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Audi A5/S5 Convertible

Ezra

899 posts

56 months

Wednesday 14th February 2024
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My kids would have no problems in the back of my 911 when they were young. Can't remember doing 4-5 hour journeys in it with them, but can't remember and complaints from the back either.