Folding Hard Top Problems?

[Shermanator]

I'm currently on the search for a new car; as my current Seat Leon is rather boring (and not particularly great looking). I adored my Abarth 14 Spider however if I was to buy another I would have to also buy a more practical car.
2 lots of insurance, tax, MOT, repairs and the fact my flat only has 1 parking space so one would always be on the road doesn't sound appealing. I did it before, when I left with my parents and had more disposable but it is less of an option now.
This leads me to 4 seater convertibles. They are a solid compromise for my life while still being very enjoyable to drive (love the top down feeling) BUT most are metal/composite/solid and not fabric.
I see horror stories online but are they really that big of an issue? Are leaks that bad? Bear in mind I'm looking at 10+ year old models.
I don't have the patience for a constantly leaking car and don't drive hard enough for structural rigidity to be a factor.

[ChrisH72]

What models are you looking at and what kind of budget?

I really wanted another convertible a couple of years ago but also wanted some practicality so looked at 4 seaters. The nicest I drove was an E class which had a soft top. Also quite liked the Audi A5 convertible.

Ultimately I decided against them because they're quite wafty, auto cruisers and not really sporty. Also I did read that sitting in the back of a convertible with the top down is not that pleasant. So I went with an mx5 and we use my wife's car for practical stuff.

Something like a mini convertible could be fun with 4 seats but the boot will be very limited. 2 series is soft top as is the Audi A3. You can get a convertible Golf which is soft top. In fact the only tin top which comes to mind is the 3 or 4 Series. Unless you include things like the Focus, VW Eos, Pug 307 which are all cars I would avoid anyway.

[Shermanator]

ChrisH72 said:

What models are you looking at and what kind of budget?

I really wanted another convertible a couple of years ago but also wanted some practicality so looked at 4 seaters. The nicest I drove was an E class which had a soft top. Also quite liked the Audi A5 convertible.

Ultimately I decided against them because they're quite wafty, auto cruisers and not really sporty. Also I did read that sitting in the back of a convertible with the top down is not that pleasant. So I went with an mx5 and we use my wife's car for practical stuff.

Something like a mini convertible could be fun with 4 seats but the boot will be very limited. 2 series is soft top as is the Audi A3. You can get a convertible Golf which is soft top. In fact the only tin top which comes to mind is the 3 or 4 Series. Unless you include things like the Focus, VW Eos, Pug 307 which are all cars I would avoid anyway.

3/4 series is exactly what I was looking at. Particularly E93. Absolute max of £15k but preferably lower.
I've went through the same process of cars and discounted them for the following reasons
E-Class: Horrible looking interior, can't afford the newer nicer one. Would also buy a couple with sunroof for convertible feel but coupe practicality, again can't afford a nice newer one.
A5: Would have to have it in a bright colour as they are all a shade of grey. Very few for sale. An S5, previous gen, has also been on the consideration list though.
Mini and Golf: Ugly. Look like prams with the roof ending at the end of the car (if that makes sense)
2 series: Never floated my boat in coupe or convertible form. On paper the perfect car for me, I have just never really liked them...
A3: May as well buy an A5 for greater comfort.

Nowadays (even though I'm in my mid 20s!) I am very much a cruiseer. I listen to Classic FM on the commute (and podcasts on long journeys). I try and drive in such a smooth way that people forget/don't realise the Leon is a manual. Don't really care for throwing it into corners these days and prefer slowing down and looking at the scenery. One of the reasons I discounted an MX5, comfort level is sports car (obviously)

Edit: To touch upon comfort in the back; I actually only carry passengers maybe 4-5 times a year so comfort isn't my biggest priority.
Obviously there is the other option of buying a comfortable 2 seater convertible (Dream Porsche Boxster anyone) and borrowing a friend or family member's car when I need to carry passengers. Would require more planning, and temporary insurance etc but doable.

Edited by Shermanator on Friday 19th December 22:21

[ChrisH72]

I'd probably go for the 4 series.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025110576...

I think it's worth the premium over the 3 series. Just more modern, better looking and probably more reliable. Don't think they suffer badly from leaks as far as I know.

[paul_c123]

Shermanator said:

.................
This leads me to 4 seater convertibles. They are a solid compromise for my life while still being very enjoyable to drive (love the top down feeling) BUT most are metal/composite/solid and not fabric.
......................... Bear in mind I'm looking at 10+ year old models.
.

What's your budget? I'd say for newer cars, the trend is very much for soft tops but there was an era of hard top convertibles around 2000 onwards. I'd say any convertible of that age (hard or soft top) is going to have that one extra reliability concern. Pretty much all of them have some way of manually putting the roof up, worth looking at the manual before you actually need to do it in anger, so its not a massive issue.

If you're not competent and skilled at DIY then any fault, even a minor one, is going to be costly simply because there aren't that many garages and specialists that would take it on.

Leaks? Good ones don't leak, bad ones can/do leak.

This is based on owning the following, past and present:

1981 Golf Convertible
1996 Golf Convertible
1982 Golf Convertible
2006 VW Eos
2008 VW Eos
2005 Saab 9-3 Convertible
2007 Volvo C70
2012 Golf Convertible (still own)
2011 Audi A3 convertible (still own)

[ZX10R NIN]

Shermanator said:

I'm currently on the search for a new car; as my current Seat Leon is rather boring (and not particularly great looking). I adored my Abarth 14 Spider however if I was to buy another I would have to also buy a more practical car.
2 lots of insurance, tax, MOT, repairs and the fact my flat only has 1 parking space so one would always be on the road doesn't sound appealing. I did it before, when I left with my parents and had more disposable but it is less of an option now.
This leads me to 4 seater convertibles. They are a solid compromise for my life while still being very enjoyable to drive (love the top down feeling) BUT most are metal/composite/solid and not fabric.
I see horror stories online but are they really that big of an issue? Are leaks that bad? Bear in mind I'm looking at 10+ year old models.
I don't have the patience for a constantly leaking car and don't drive hard enough for structural rigidity to be a factor.

Petrol or diesel as this changes your options.

3.5 E400, I know you said you didn't like the interior but I found it to be a better place to be than the equivalent BMW:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509025...

Coupe with the Pan Roof:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511198...

3.0 E400:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502028...

Folding hardtops need similar maintenance to a fabric roof, so the seals will need lubing twice a year a fabric roof will need coating twice a year,
If either fails it won't be a cheap fix but a folding roof is more complicated so will cost more.

A5/S5 nicest interior of the 3 & a nice looking car imo:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511298...

2.0T S Line:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511147...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202512108...

640d:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408142...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511087...

430i:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202510257...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509106...

428i:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202512068...

435i:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511238...

C300:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511208...

When it comes to the coupes only the E Class has all of it's windows drop away (only the fronts on Audi/BMW) but the coupes also have split folding rear seats.

[Chris_i8]

A5 would be at the top of my list given the criteria, smart looking car and looks like it was designed to be coupe and convertible from the outset, whereas the 4 series looks awkward to my eyes at least.

>£15k should get you in to a 2015 2.0T

[Jakg]

Shermanator said:

3/4 series is exactly what I was looking at. Particularly E93. Absolute max of £15k but preferably lower.

I have an E93, it's a bit leaky. Not in a "wet carpet" kind of way, but more in "the odd drop going round corners after being parked in the rain". Doesn't seem uncommon if you look at owners reports.

Biggest con on a folding hard top is the boot space, or lack thereof. Fabric much better in that regard.

EDIT - to add some positive balance - roof down + V8 more than makes up for it.

Edited by Jakg on Saturday 20th December 16:35

[Alorotom]

Golf R convertible

Much less attractive to thefts vs hatch

Rag top

4 seats

Within budget

[Monkeylegend]

Worth reading this thread plus searching online for 4 Series roof leaking problems.

It is a bit of an issue apparently.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[BenB91]

I've got a 13 year old Merc SLK and zero issues with the roof.

[paradigital]

My 440i has never leaked into the cabin. It has however leaked into the boot (as described in that post above), drowning the roof and rear-end electronics.

It was covered by extended warranty, but it s worth checking out any F33 properly before purchasing!

[paul_c123]

BenB91 said:

I've got a 13 year old Merc SLK and zero issues with the roof.

Merc SLK (and SL) roofs tend to be pretty good. Obviously, they're 2 seaters though.

I had zero issues with the 1st Eos roof; and a tiny issue which was easy to troubleshoot and fix myself, for the 2nd Eos roof. Apparently the roofs are troublesome though (and harder to fix than average) but I can only go on my own personal experience. I'd probably avoid Eos now though, due to the age of the newest cars. The Volvo I bought with a non-working roof (for a VERY good price), fixed it using an inexpensive part off eBay and since then its worked great.

There's probably more likelihood of leaks from a soft top roof, they degrade over time and eventually need replacing.

[Jakg]

Alorotom said:

Golf R convertible

Much less attractive to thefts vs hatch

Rag top

4 seats

Within budget

The convertible is a very different car to the hatchback, FWD for a start - https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-spottedykywt/v...

[bobsavage789]

For what it’s worth, if you do go for an F33 4 series, there’s a fairly straightforward preventative measure that prevents leaks into the boot: you drill some holes into the door sills to bypass the poorly-designed drain plugs (these clog easily and lead to water ingress into the boot and expensive electrical problems). I had mine done by my local specialist for about £100 whilst it was in for other jobs…