convertible experience
Discussion
What are people's ownership experiences of convertibles in the UK? I've had great fun renting convertibles in the USA in the past, currently looking to change cars and I'm thinking about scratching the itch with an E46 330i, but worried about vandalism, security, and how much I'd actually be able to have the roof down...
Do it. Unless you park in dodgy areas they are fine. Who looks twice at an mx-5 or a 3 series convertible? Enjoyed my mx-5 and the ability to throw down the roof at the lights and never had any vandalism in 5 years of parking all over the place. By contrast the roof rarely comes off my TVR as it's a pain.
Make sure you get air con for demisting and electric roof on BMW is a good option.
Make sure you get air con for demisting and electric roof on BMW is a good option.
When your roof lining is the sky above you can't beat it.
Ignore the nay-sayers, winter is bleak in the uk regardless of car you have.
Summer is only properly enjoyable with a convertible though, well when it comes to hooning in the sun.
Had a mk2 mr2 and a spitfire, so done the tbar and full convertible, the other fun cars had a sunroof.
Ignore the nay-sayers, winter is bleak in the uk regardless of car you have.
Summer is only properly enjoyable with a convertible though, well when it comes to hooning in the sun.
Had a mk2 mr2 and a spitfire, so done the tbar and full convertible, the other fun cars had a sunroof.
I got my first one in 2012 in the shape of a Boxster and ended up getting another one. I use it as a 2nd or 3rd car but use it all year round. 2 seat cabin and mid engine means it's never really cold and unless it's raining or minus temp you can go roof down all the time. Mine can do the roof on the move too so if you feel you are getting smogged out in the city or caught out by a shower you don't have to be.
Mave said:
What are people's ownership experiences of convertibles in the UK? I've had great fun renting convertibles in the USA in the past, currently looking to change cars and I'm thinking about scratching the itch with an E46 330i, but worried about vandalism, security, and how much I'd actually be able to have the roof down...
I had an E46 330i and loved it. Never had any bother with vandalism or security (other than the alarm being a bit sensitive if you leave coins in a certain place). I do park on the drive though & it's pretty quiet where I live.I used to get the roof down as much as possible especially in the winter. Nothing better than one of those lovely winter days, heater on, hat on, roof down - bliss!
They can be a bit noisy on the motorway & if your missus has long hair she will moan a bit as it will be all over the place if you go over about 50mph. Hood up on the motorway they are great.
Only time I ever really had a problem was driving back from Farnborough up to Lancashire. When I set off it was bloody freezing but really sunny (late December). I get all the way up the M40 - heater on full, heated seats on, Harmon Kardon blaring away. I get on the M6 toll & there is 17 miles of contraflow. Not a problem, I get in the contraflow & stick the cruise on 40. And then it started pissing down. This wasn't just normal rain, it was ark building rain. I can confirm that 40mph is the perfect speed for dumping water in your lap. I was driving past coaches full of football fans who were all pointing and laughing. By the time I got to the services, I was like a drowned rat & the car was soaked.
But other than that I thought it was ace.
I sold the car as we'd quit our jobs & were going travelling. As a stop gap before we went I bought an MX5 - had no bother with that either.
I read somewhere that the UK actually has the best climate for convertibles, which is why they are so popular here. Even though we complain about rain, we have a lot of non-rainy days and we don't get the extreme ends of the weather scale (hot or cold).
They are great fun. I had a t-top car, then a convertible. Went back to hard top and missed the convertible so went back to it again!
Its a great drivers feeling out on the open roads. You can feel like a bit of a tit when waiting at the traffic lights in your local town, but I've never had a bad experience to date.
Unless you park in a rough area, you should be fine unless very unlucky.
Go for it!
They are great fun. I had a t-top car, then a convertible. Went back to hard top and missed the convertible so went back to it again!
Its a great drivers feeling out on the open roads. You can feel like a bit of a tit when waiting at the traffic lights in your local town, but I've never had a bad experience to date.
Unless you park in a rough area, you should be fine unless very unlucky.
Go for it!
had a saab soft top for a few years........ lots of fun but obviously not the most rigid of cars sans roof !!!
never had an issue parking it up, damage etc etc.
clearly if yr having a nice weekend away somewhere etc, you lose lots of luggage space in the boot, with the roof down.
its an itch you've kind of got to scratch at some point I guess.
if you know whether you need 2 or 4 seats thats perhaps a good starting point: we needed a large 4 seater as oppose to a MX5 perhaps.
never had an issue parking it up, damage etc etc.
clearly if yr having a nice weekend away somewhere etc, you lose lots of luggage space in the boot, with the roof down.
its an itch you've kind of got to scratch at some point I guess.
if you know whether you need 2 or 4 seats thats perhaps a good starting point: we needed a large 4 seater as oppose to a MX5 perhaps.
Paul O said:
we don't get the extreme ends of the weather scale
Very good point actually. I had to put the hood up once in the middle of summer as it was just too bloody hot on my head and neck!It's also worth remembering when you're stopped at the lights and the bloke on the mountain bike who cut you up is stopped next to you - if your hood is down then he can hear you call him a
.
That was mine a couple of weeks ago. I did about 100 miles like this. It was about 4 degrees but with the heated seats and the heater adjusted properly it's fantastic. I would highly recommend a wind deflector too, they make a big difference.
Security is no different with it being a metal roof, I had a Mini convertible a few years ago and I didn't have any issues with that but I only had it for 9 months.
I love having a convertible and I have the roof down as much as possible. The only downside is you occasionally get called a w
ker and the boot is slightly smaller than with a hard top. Scuttle shake can be an issue but if you are charging about then you'll probably want a hard top anyway.Make sure you have some sun cream in the car though as it's easy to get burnt.
We have an Elise and an MGF, the MGF leaks, the Elise lets in a lot of condensation, which when it gets cold turns to ice.
If you treat the hoods decently with weatherproofing I don't think you'll have much of an issue. Especially with something like an E46. The quality of the hood will be far superior to any of my cars.
As for driving with the roof down, theres not a lot that comes close to the enjoyment. As Doogz said, some of the best drives are clear crisp nights, get a jacket, and gloves on. Blow your brains out.
Unless its absolutely chucking it down the roof comes off. Even then, you only really get wet when you stop the car.
If you treat the hoods decently with weatherproofing I don't think you'll have much of an issue. Especially with something like an E46. The quality of the hood will be far superior to any of my cars.
As for driving with the roof down, theres not a lot that comes close to the enjoyment. As Doogz said, some of the best drives are clear crisp nights, get a jacket, and gloves on. Blow your brains out.
Unless its absolutely chucking it down the roof comes off. Even then, you only really get wet when you stop the car.
Bungleaio said:
I love having a convertible and I have the roof down as much as possible. The only downside is you occasionally get called a wker and the boot is slightly smaller than with a hard top.
I ran a 1998 MX5 for four years and loved it. As others have said, the lack of roof really adds an extra dimension to driving through the city at night, or driving down a country road on a sunny summer morning. You hear the engine more, you feel the scenery whizz past you more closely, you smell the outdoorsy smells more.ker and the boot is slightly smaller than with a hard top.Drawbacks are:
- Cold in winter (get a modern convertible with a good heater!)
- "Hairdressers car" jibes from the uninformed. Pretty much any convertible from a 206 to a Boxster (apart from full-on supercars) will get this.
- Driving around town with the roof down, you're more exposed in a convertible than you would otherwise be. You can't pick your nose. You can't play loud or uncool music. You might look a bit of a chump squeezing into a small convertible if you're tall or fat or powerfully built.
- Visibility sometimes not great with roof up.
- Not all of your passengers will want to have the roof down all the time. Some will moan that their hair gets messed up.
- Smaller/lower convertibles like my old MX5 are not great fun on long motorway drives. The engine drones, the lack of visibility with the roof up is a pain, and occasionally you're not as visible to dopey van and lorry drivers as you would be in a "normal" car.
Edited by AudiWurst on Thursday 30th January 14:08
I bought one because it was on offer, wanted a Coupe (944) but was being lazy, loved it, bought another.
In a town centre on a steaming hot day in the fumes, it isnt much fun, there are downsides but for those glorious moments you get, usually winter mornings and summer evenings as its going dark, its magical.
It doesn't have to be anything special, we are blessed with some very cheap cars in the UK, my brother in law picked up a Mk3 1.6 Golf Cabrio for £750, cost very little to run and the roof down experience is like any other convertible, there are times when engines, handling and speed are perhaps a bit secondary.
I cycle quite a bit so was used to the open air experience, just seems so obvious despite thinking I would miss the tiny bit of rigidity or the 0-60 may be dented by a few extra kilos, doesnt make make much difference and you dont think about it.
I think if everyone drove open cars the roads would be more polite, I think the cage mentality makes people cocky, like the dog gets a bit lairy when he is under a blanket, bit less opportunity to hide in a cabrio.
In a town centre on a steaming hot day in the fumes, it isnt much fun, there are downsides but for those glorious moments you get, usually winter mornings and summer evenings as its going dark, its magical.
It doesn't have to be anything special, we are blessed with some very cheap cars in the UK, my brother in law picked up a Mk3 1.6 Golf Cabrio for £750, cost very little to run and the roof down experience is like any other convertible, there are times when engines, handling and speed are perhaps a bit secondary.
I cycle quite a bit so was used to the open air experience, just seems so obvious despite thinking I would miss the tiny bit of rigidity or the 0-60 may be dented by a few extra kilos, doesnt make make much difference and you dont think about it.
I think if everyone drove open cars the roads would be more polite, I think the cage mentality makes people cocky, like the dog gets a bit lairy when he is under a blanket, bit less opportunity to hide in a cabrio.
I've had a convertible since last summer, first one I've ever owned as a daily driver. I have the roof down on any given clear day, heated seats and blower on full. I've never really worried the security risk of a soft top, parked the Z4 3.0i in "choice" areas of South London on a regular basis and the car was never looked at twice. There are times its not that great without a lid and congested streets behind a bus and boiling hot days are the main culprits. Other than that it's fantastic and something that everyone needs to try!
I would agree that the UK actually has quite a nice climate for soft tops. Driving around Spain in a convertible during August seemed like a great idea but 80% of the time I had the aircon on max and the roof up! Simply too hot!
I would agree that the UK actually has quite a nice climate for soft tops. Driving around Spain in a convertible during August seemed like a great idea but 80% of the time I had the aircon on max and the roof up! Simply too hot!
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